Topflight Apps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of ABCDisability, Inc. We’re a startup developing an app for doctors. My partner is in France, and I’m in Seattle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed help to move our product development along. Prior to Topflight Apps, we used a freelance developer. We thought he was experienced and talented, but as we went further into development, we found out he didn’t have all the necessary skill sets. The amount of work he was doing for us became erratic because he had other things going on in his life, so he couldn’t devote much time to our project. Finally, he quit right before the beta version was produced.

We were supposed to go to a medical conference to introduce the app. Our challenge was finding someone else to pick up the project because the app was unstable; it crashed repeatedly and randomly, so it wasn’t fit to show to anybody.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Topflight Apps to fix the crash. Afterward, our relationship evolved into something more complex. They eventually fixed all the crashes, and we engaged them to complete the beta version.

Topflight Apps built the app for iOS. The app’s main feature was enabling physicians to record the results of physical exams. It had all the aspects of a physical exam and several functional assessments. They also built the backend to collect all the information and generate a report and made the platform very picture-oriented.

What is the team composition?

Joe (CEO & Founder) checked in regularly with us to address issues and ensure everything was progressing. We were assigned a project manager and a lead developer; they stayed throughout the project. As we had more work, they brought on additional developers and graphic designers, so the team flowed depending on the project’s needs.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We used Upwork to find capable and serious developers. The price ranges were all over the place, so we narrowed it down to a list of developers. We were looking for someone in the US because we had bad experiences working with offshore resources.

We liked what Topflight Apps said about themselves, so we sent them an invitation to bid on the project. We heard back from Joe, saying he was interested in the long-term project. We told them they had to prove themselves by solving the crash issues, so we went back and forth until we signed the contract.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2021, and they finished the beta version in July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

First, Topflight Apps eliminated all of the crashes; it took over a year because there was a lot of bad code. In retrospect, it would’ve been easier to start over a blank sheet of paper, but at the time, we thought the best thing to do was to take the existing code. We did a lot of testing, and whenever we found something, we sent an email or message, and they’d respond within a couple of hours. Ultimately, Topflight Apps successfully developed the app and delivered a completely functional product.

Currently, the platform saves time and money because doctors typically dictate notes and have someone else write them. Then, they proofread them and go back and forth. We eliminate all that by generating reports that can be sent with just one button.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager was very talented; they kept everybody informed about everything. We never had any surprises; if we expanded the scope, Topflight Apps always told us approximately how much it’d cost, and the team stuck to their estimate.  Overall, the collaboration was excellent; they were flexible and extremely responsive.

We had weekly meetings to go over the status and roadblocks. They let us use our project management app to track issues. Additionally, we tracked all the open issues using Google Sheets and communicated via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were really impressed with their responsiveness, technical ability, and ability to deliver. They were extremely capable. Topflight Apps had resources all over the place with different capabilities. They had coders, project managers, graphic designers, marketers, and more; they were a full-service shop.

We also appreciated their expertise in healthcare. They understood our technical jargon because they’d dealt with other apps for other companies in the space.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, the payment process was automated through Upwork, but Upwork takes a fee, so we agreed to change to a payment system that wasn’t quite as smooth. We had to chase late payments and authorizations, so we spent a fair amount of time with their accounts receivable department. Although it was frustrating, it was a minor issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest taking advantage of their expertise and discussing your goals and constraints ahead of time. Let Topflight Apps brainstorm the solution; they’re smart people with a broad range of capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for a company that builds a community of consumers who take surveys and share their opinions with brands and research organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We hired Topflight Apps to build out our community experience; in particular, we wanted them to work on the portal where individuals take surveys and redeem their points for instant rewards. We wanted to create a modern and sleek way of rewarding individuals.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps started from scratch. We had an MVP, and they built out the next iteration for us to roll out more broadly. They are offering us maintenance, and we’re currently implementing changes from the feedback we’ve received from customers. Topflight Apps is also helping us revamp our website and continue adding new features. 

What is the team composition?

We work with between 4–5 individuals; this includes a product manager, an overall project manager, engineers, and a designer. 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

They were a referral. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $225,000 with Topflight Apps. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Consumers who are using the portal are very excited about it and have commented on what an improvement it is from the MVP. Working with Topflight Apps has also allowed us to save time and devote our time and attention to other areas. 

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

The initial version was delivered on time, which was important because we were working under a deadline. We use ClickUp for project management, and Topflight Apps sends an email update every other week to outline the progress and roadblocks related to the sprint. We use Google Meet and email for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been incredibly impressed with their team and the variety of team members they have; Topflight Apps acts as a one-stop shop for us. They’re able to take a comprehensive approach, and that makes our lives much easier. They also provide us with high-level communication, and they can turn our feedback into direct tasks for their engineers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t have any major constructive feedback. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the most out of communication with them. It’s helpful to frequently communicate feedback and ideas with them because you can leverage their expertise to turn those ideas into action.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of engineering and technology at Southwire Company, a wire and cable manufacturer. We also have a division for tools, components, and assembled solutions, which I’m responsible for.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We have a series of portable surge protection devices usually used in boats, yachts, RVs, and mobile command centers. A few years ago, we put Bluetooth capability in those devices and a display we designed. 

With the advent of apps and our customer base being more comfortable with them, we decided we needed to replace our proprietary display with an app so that our users could see it on their phones. The challenge was to take our display with its parameters and put it on a Bluetooth app for cell phones. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps has developed our mobile app from scratch for iOS and Android. We provided them with all the information we output from our device, and they were tasked with creating the app’s functionality and UI design. 

They worked with our internal firmware designer and product management team, who helped them with the screens and visual elements, like the font and sizes of the elements within the UI. They’ve completed the development and are currently working on the app’s metadata. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 6–7 teammates from Topflight Apps; Francesco (Tech Lead) is our developer, and we’ve also worked with Mirel (BA Lead & Project Manager) and someone from the finance department. I’ve also talked to Joe (CEO & Founder) once or twice. 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

Although I don’t recall how we found them, we chose Topflight Apps because they used a different method to develop apps that wasn’t cumbersome. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $85,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

While working with the developers has been really good, the finance side has been terrible. The original quote was for $45,000, and we've already spent $85,000 because they've constantly added to the cost, which has been frustrating. On top of that, Topflight Apps wants everything paid in advance, which we don't do. 

Additionally, finalizing the project and getting the app on the stores has been a challenge for both sides. I needed them to walk us through the process, which didn't happen for quite a while. Although they're starting to do that now, we keep having stops and starts. 

How was project management handled?

The team provided online, virtual and access to agile docs relative to schedule.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The developers work and functionality were really good.

In what specific areas can they improve?

Provide more detailed SOW including detailed cost expectations and timeline for each step.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Create and provide very clear expectations for the app, timeline and how business details will be handled.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

#MEAction is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization fighting for recognition, education and research so that one day, all people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) will have access to compassionate, effective care.

My current position is U.S. advocacy director, but I also am responsible for communicating our web development needs to our contractor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Topflight Apps, and what were your goals?

As a digital advocacy organization with no dedicated IT staff, we relied upon Topflight to help us "keep the lights on" and rapidly respond to website problems.

Our staff and volunteers would move fast to put projects in place respond to community needs, but the underlying requirements for maintaining or upgrading our digital assets weren't always fleshed out at the outset. We required experts at Topflight to "look under the hood" and figure out how we could move forward and grow while keeping our existing services available to our users.

SOLUTION

How did you select Topflight Apps and what were the deciding factors?

Topflight had experience in health-related web/app development. We trusted the quality of the work they did and the ability to get a the end product we needed.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Our scope of work was maintaining and upgrading websites running on wordpress and mediawiki software and connecting them various databases via API (one-click advocacy tools, calendaring software, mailchimp newsletter). Also maintaining the web hosting, certification and even server migration.

How many people from the Topflight Apps team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Our operation was small. 10 hr per week retainer. We worked with a part time project manager and a part time developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The needs we brought to Topflight were varied and usually urgent. Topflight got to the bottom of our issues quickly, and service interruptions were brief, fast, and correctly resolved.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We primarily communicated our needs through a dedicated slack channel and task management tools such as Clickup.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

As a small non-profit we were one of Topflight's smaller clients who started with them from the beginning. They retained us and worked with us to make sure our needs were met because they believed in our mission even though we wouldn't have qualified as a new client.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

On our end, we learned that we still needed to dedicate more staff time/resources to be able to effectively communicate our project management needs. There was a limit to the value Topflight could provide us without allocating sufficient internal resources to scope the problems we needed resolved by Topflight.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of an early-stage startup called Allheartz. We’re a digital health technology company focused on muscle-skeletal and sports healthcare, building novel tools for the remote home care market. We use advanced, autonomous, and sensorless AI computer vision to turn mobile phones into AI-powered professional exam studios.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

Our challenge was somewhat unique. I was looking for a development company that could handle novel technologies and had experience working with early-stage startups to help us develop our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps is helping us build our product. Initially, they divided the project into two stages, and the first stage was rapid prototyping. During this stage, our aim was to create a proof of concept (POC). Thus, we entered a four-week, 40-hours-a-week process during which they helped us put together a POC and define the product’s technology stack, features, budget, timeline, and roadmap to completion.

The first stage also involved R&D, UI/UX design, and user testing. Among the deliverables were detailed information about the adequate technology stack for the product, preliminary minimum, average, and maximum budgets, including hosting and support, and an estimate of the project’s timeline. Additionally, Topflight Apps designed 10 key screens for our product and built a clickable prototype that was used for user testing.

After the rapid prototyping stage, we’ve continued working with Topflight Apps on the actual mobile development process. Now, our platform is evolving into both a SaaS and a software-as-a-medical-device product thanks to our machine learning algorithm.

This cross-platform app has computer vision capabilities and a 3D motion tracking system using an RGV single camera. Thus, we only need a cellphone camera to perform the 3D motion tracking. Ultimately, the product will be available for iOS, Android, and desktop devices, and it will be able to integrate into the electronic health record.

What is the team composition?

Topflight Apps’ team is very flexible, and it changes based on our needs. At any given time, 4–12 resources are working on the project. These resources have included developers, UI/UX designers, DevOps engineers, and a project manager,

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I found Topflight Apps online. When I started the vetting process, I identified around 17 different companies but ultimately interviewed four, including Topflight Apps. When I interviewed them, I was very impressed with their process, experience, and background.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together on the rapid prototyping in July 2021 and finished it in August 2021. Then, we started working on the mobile app development in October 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. We expect to have a lean version of the product by September 2022, as well as an enterprise-ready version by November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

One of the main benefits of going through a rapid prototyping process is having peace of mind regarding the overall project. Thanks to Topflight Apps’ work, we’ve probably saved 3–4 months of erroneous work. Initially, I had an idea of going down a certain path, but working with Topflight Apps included research and testing around machine learning, which ultimately made me realize it wasn’t the right path to follow.

The first great benchmark we’ve hit throughout this project has been completing a POC, demonstrating our product's commercial feasibility and scalability. Now, we have an underlying functional code that’s been gaining interest from the West Coast division 1 Collegiate Program. Additionally, some large health systems within the US have also been interested in using our product.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Topflight Apps has performed superbly regarding timeline management, which is though considering the R&D nature of our project. When working on R&D projects, it is common to find roadblocks and problems, but Topflight Apps has done a great job anticipating those pain points and adjusting their team accordingly to the needs.

Of course, we’ve faced unforeseen problems. Still, as those issues have come up, their team has done a superb job at addressing them by bringing their team together and finding solutions to keep the project moving forward. Ultimately, we’ve been in line with the milestones we’ve set.

We have weekly virtual meetings, but we can also have 2–3 meetings in the same week, depending on the work we’re doing. Additionally, we exchange emails. Topflight Apps uses ClickUp to manage the project and Figma to create and share the designs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firstly, Topflight Apps has broad experience in building healthcare technology solutions. From the start, I had peace of mind about the outcomes of this project — it’s hard to put a price on that. Their flexibility and their previous expertise in bringing great solutions to the market are remarkable.

Secondly, another of the greatest aspects of working with Topflight Apps is that, beyond development and design, they’re able to fill in key roles for early-stage startups. For example, they’ve brought in strategists and marketeers into our project. Furthermore, they offer post-launch support and product management, so we expect to continue working with them for the next few years.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. Currently, Topflight Apps is incorporating management apps into their process to help them be more efficient and make their work more streamlined. Other than that, I don’t see any areas of improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Although Topflight Apps is also capable of diving directly into development projects, going through a rapid prototyping process is highly valuable. This process will help you organize everything and define the technology stack, features, and budget, ultimately identifying roadblocks and saving you a lot of headaches down the road.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive of a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed help with app development for our business since we’re not tech-savvy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TopFlight Apps is developing an app for us. It’s a mobile platform that is aimed to function as a savings account replacement where users can withdraw and deposit money. In terms of technology, the app is being created on React Native, and it’s available in Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with 4–5 members of their team, including Joe (Owner), a product manager, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We met them through Upwork. I reached out to them and decided to give them our project because they seemed like a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They have an organized and communicative team, which they deploy according to the project’s needs. They’re also great at listening to our comments and concerns. Overall, my account manager, product manager, and Joe are great — it’s a pleasure to do business with them.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent; we use email, phone calls, and constant meetings in terms of communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

TopFlight Apps has a great, personable, and communicative team to work with, which is outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Approach them, and they’ll help you nurture your idea. Their team is free-flowing and open to new ideas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a startup building a mindfulness app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Topflight Apps, and what were your goals?

We bootstrapped our mobile app development as far as we could internally, then decided to reach out to Topflight Apps to build a minimum viable product. Our goal was to test the technical feasibility of our spin on the mindfulness app genre and get beta tester feedback to learn from.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I spent a lot of time searching for the right mobile developer on Upwork, but seemingly the previously built apps of even the more expensive freelance developers were clunky at best and none that I found were aesthetically pleasing. Topflight Apps was on Upwork and had a video that I empathized with, being a non-technical founder and not knowing how to hire/manage a developer.

I checked out their website and they had the most transparency out of any mobile development firm that I'd come across. They even offered an in-depth, free-to-use budget calculator that asked granular questions and sent a detailed project budget estimation breakdown. I had a feeling that type of transparency was reflective of their skill and work ethic.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We did a Product Discovery phase that resulted in a report detailing every aspect of the app both for the minimum viable product (MVP) and go-to-market product. The second phase was the MVP development, which produced an actionable iOS app with both frontend and backend. It functioned and looked better than I could have imagined :)

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Their entire team from product managers, designers, marketing, developers etc. participated in helping me achieve my goals. I felt really lucky to have been able to meet and work with each one of them. They went above and beyond my expectations and even over-delivered on aspects of the app that I hadn't even thought of because they thought it would be helpful, which proved to be true.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Topflight Apps built an app even better than what I had thought possible, but unfortunately, because the core of the app's functionality involved unavoidable technological challenges to the user flow experience, after the MVP was built and receiving beta tester feedback, I decided to stop development. This was in no way Topflight's fault, we tested the hypothesis of this app idea, and due to copyright issues that we could not create a workaround for we had to stop.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their communication was on point during the entire collaborative process. They took a bit longer than anticipated to get up and running between first contact and project initiation but once a project was initiated, that was never an issue.

They have a model for improving timeliness by entering into a retainer agreement where there is a team dedicated to your project as needed. I never got to that point but if my app was viable, I would have definitely used that model to continue development.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their transparency, organization, work ethic, and constant support towards my success were really special.  I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with them and if ever I were to build another mobile app, they would be the first team I would go to.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

It took a bit longer than expected from first contact to project initiation but once things were up and running timeliness was never an issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of research programs for a not-for-profit organization. We conduct research and advocate for a disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. We basically try to advance research and the understanding of the disease, get better treatments to be developed, and advocate for more funding to build awareness.

One of my primary focuses is to develop a registry and biobank that can be used to create a large global data set for research into the disease.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

A characteristic of this illness is that it often changes and fluctuates over time, so there’s potentially a real benefit to collecting data longitudinally and at several time points. This is so we can better understand the fluctuations and symptoms of what they might be related to.

Therefore, in building the registry, we wanted to create a mobile app that would allow participants to track their symptoms and other health factors over time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we only wanted to work with them on this tracking app, but we ended up engaging with them for the entire project. They built an entire data collection and management infrastructure, that includes a web-based portal for contributing survey-based information, a mobile app, and an admin portal that allows us to study, organize, track, view, and use data.

The scope was expanded, and they ended up doing quite a lot of work that essentially helps us set up an entire system to create a large data set. In addition to that, they’ve repurposed our existing libraries, and use AWS and Cognito, and coded the entire platform from scratch.

One of the main features of the mobile app is the ability to track a range of symptoms from a predefined list, as well as add custom symptoms to it. It also has a journaling functionality and data graphing, so users can take a look at how their symptoms fluctuate over time. Moreover, another aspect is to build a messaging center that allows us to communicate with participants. Through this, we can send them reminders and engage with them over the long term.

What is the team composition?

We have a project lead, one main developer, and a designer who would help design out the screens. Topflight is able to do quite a lot with such a small team.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We got connected to Topflight through a member of the ME/CFS community, and we really liked the products that they’d done before. After speaking with Topflight, we found that they were really receptive to the vision, and were interested in the mission-driven aspect of the work — they also seemed really committed to helping us realize it.

Additionally, they conducted themselves well. They were very communicative and open to ideas, as well as expanding the scope, which was really helpful for a project that we were just starting to define.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested just under 1 million USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in March 2019, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

To date, we’ve enrolled over 2,600 individuals with ME/CFS to the registry, as well as about 400 control volunteers — so that’s about 3000 folks.

In addition, we also opened up another user group in the registry for those who’ve had COVID-19, where we’ve enrolled almost 700 individuals. We’ve also launched with a partner in Australia, and that branch of the registry has enrolled over 600 individuals.

We’re also maintaining a net promoter score for the registry that qualifies as very good, and have been soliciting community feedback during this time. The mobile app has a satisfaction rating of around 7/10 from community members, and it has been downloaded almost 1,300 times — collectively, those users have tracked over 38,000 days, which is so much data — we’re now just starting to pivot towards partnering with researchers to analyze all that data.

Topflight has allowed us to engage a really large number of community members in the research project, and having them contribute their data to map out the large data set.

Our overall satisfaction is really high for such a complex project.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really good partners in navigating an ever-increasing mandate to get this large project off the ground. They also help us prioritize tasks when we have a number of things that we have to do, and they’ve just been open and committed in that regard.

We typically communicate through email, and sometimes touch base over the phone for more in-depth check-ins.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t really worked with other development teams, but I just think they bring a lot of commitment to the project. I was very impressed with their ability to integrate a design team member who can help us create a dark mode for the app, and help us realize that need for the community members who are sensitive to light.

Any time we have a certain requirement, they really try to understand our needs and deliver, so they really share the dedication and passion for the project with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, I think it would’ve been helpful to have a bit more strategic prioritization in certain areas.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any development, my advice is to come up with a really good sense of what your requirements are, and be more specific about what you’re trying to accomplish. Topflight Apps is also a good sounding board, and viewing them as collaborators is something I’d recommend.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Tula Health is a healthcare service provider working with patients who have chronic illnesses. We work with insurance providers by improving the health outcomes of their patients. I run the software engineering and data science organization. I make sure we have the entire ecosystem for collecting all of the data from the devices we send out, and all of the interfaces that the patient has with our service through our software patches.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We’re a startup company that started about two years ago. Last year, we were just barely forming our engineering organization, and we had a lot of pressure to present demos to investors — to show that we would be able to solve our proposed value proposition. Given the size of our team, tackling some of the products that were requested for the demo was just a little challenging, so that’s where we looked to Topflight. 

Basically, they could augment the capacity of our team without taking on a significant financial commitment as hiring an employee.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We relied on Topflight to put together a product with minimal direction. For the initial weekly meetings, I would say what we wanted to do and they would make the judgment calls, fill in the gaps, and then come back with a proposed solution. As we matured, we turned their staff into an extension of our team, so we gave them more specific requirements and plugged them into our issue tracking system — which was JIRA.

The website they developed was a portal where patients can see all their data. We send them devices that are connected over cellular to gather data back, which is then transferred into different dashboards to help interpret and learn from it. Other features are profile management, graph parameter customization, and third-party content development integration.

In addition, they developed a mobile app with basically the same features and it’s compatible with both iOS and Android. Topflight actually finished multiple projects with us over time, and the tech they worked with were React.JS, React Native, Node.js, and AWS.

What is the team composition?

We primarily had contact with one software engineer, and we also worked with a product manager as well as four other engineers over the course of the project.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I believe my co-worker found them through Google research, and what really attracted us to Topflight was the fact that they had a really good proven track record with other products on their website. They had done work in the healthcare space so that gave us confidence that they would know how to deal with the compliances.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent somewhere between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2020–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The main engineer we worked with consistently completed the tasks assigned to him each week. In terms of the product we put out, we had about 600 users come on to the website, but we haven’t had much exposure on the mobile app as it’s still in the prelaunch phase. However, we’re gearing up to share the members portal with the website to two contracts of approximately 50,000 people. 

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Topflight has always been responsive in this part because some of the developers were absolutely fantastic and reliable. We had direct access to the CEO and he was happy to help us tackle issues that came up. In addition, the partnership was flexible, as we were able to transition from a disorganized state, into a more structured and traditional software development framework.

We had Zoom calls every week during sprint planning sessions, and we had constant communication through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their ability to find talent. The main engineer that we worked with was extremely broad in his skill set and he was very easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communicating with some of their offshore developers was a bit of a challenge, so that’s one thing they should be aware of as a possible area they could improve on. When they were no longer meeting our needs, we reached out to the main engineer and asked him to find somebody else — they then went out and got someone right away who was a fantastic hire.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to get the most of out your relationship with Topflight, I would suggest that you have a clearly defined product requirement list and mockups. If those are ready to be handed off to them, they’ll know how to move it really fast.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief technical officer at a company that designs and sells machines for brewing beer at home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed someone to develop a multi-platform app for running our device, because we only had a prototype that was being used with Android-based applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight edited our initial app that was written in React Native. Before we started working with Topflight, we were developing a prototype version of the app in Android Studio using JavaScript. We had a previous developer create the initial prototype, which was already able to do some of the basic functionalities that we wanted.

It interacted with a custom backend that we had for our machines, that was both receiving and sending information. Another functionality was interacting with Stripe, for doing a custom store that was built in our app.

After Topflight finished their work, we had a more functional app that was able to do most of the functions that we wanted. They made sure that the app was able to interact with the firmware on our devices, and multiple backends of the API.

What is the team composition?

I was directly working with two people, Jacob (Senior Developer) and Francesco (CTO & Project Manager). Also, I believe there was a third person on their team doing some of the QA before they would pass it along to us.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

It’s been a while, but I think we found Topflight while we were searching around either on Craigslist or some other job site. We started working with them when our previous developer moved on to another project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested roughly between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2019–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We didn’t have any metrics, but we basically got updated APKs to test internally. We based it on how it performed on both their QA and my internal testing.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well in terms of project management. They were a little slower than we would have liked in some situations, but we did only give them 20 hours a week. They were unable to do so much per week, because sometimes we would run out of hours in that week, and they’d have to wait for the next week to finish some parts of the project.

We mostly communicated through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing I found most impressive was they were very reactive and responsive to questions and comments, or when various things came up.    

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything where they can improve based on their company structure.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would tell them that they should realize that they’re hiring a design firm, rather than an individual developer. Therefore, they should take into consideration that they’re going to have one or more programmers with a project manager, and people who will be doing QA behind the scenes. They should then account for all the hours they're going to be spending with them, and make sure they realize that they will not just be paying for a developer.