How did you vet the people you wanted to work with?
I tracked them down, reached out and they were super helpful. They got me a quick estimate. What I came to learn later on was that this was a project they really wanted, though they weren't necessarily equipped for it. They were like, “We're going to make this work because we have an American client, and this could be great.” But they really loved my idea for the business.
Did overseas pricing affect cost?
I was really surprised at their pricing. Obviously, I'd been getting quotes in the United States for astronomical numbers. When they came in at a 10th of the price, I was like, this is worth a shot, whether it works or not.
And what did you get for that price?
They gave me a little more than a minimal viable product, something to take to an investor to raise more capital. And that's essentially where I am. It's a fully functional website. I'm very pleased with everything.
You like the product. What about the process?
I wish I had more of the user experience consulting or collaboration on their part. A lot of it was me coming to a dead end on the site and saying, “Hey, how can we fix this?” I would like them to provide options that I can vote on, but they were constantly putting the ball in my court.
They basically just produced what I told them to, which is great, but I don't think I'm the end-all be-all on what's best for the user experience. That's a science in and of itself. For phase two, I'll consult with an expert in that area. But right now, it’s perfect for my clients.
What questions did you have to be ready to answer to get the project going?
I did go in person. We basically had a designer create the design, and then I met with a developer to build the architecture. We had a sit-down, and we just went through everything, which I'm very thankful for. And he told me the reasons why things couldn't be done a certain way, so we had to compromise.
Any surprises?
I wouldn't say there was anything too surprising. I had to deal with European business culture. It was what I expected: Americans, work around the clock to meet a deadline. Europeans don't.
The timeline they originally gave me was six months and then it eventually ended up being a little over a year.
An extended timeline on a project is not unfamiliar to anyone who's going down this path here or anywhere. How did that impact other deadlines?
The delay had us launching after Covid-19 hit, and that affected a lot of business. Thankfully my major investor is a family member and he understands, but you have to answer to the people providing capital to you when you said you're going to launch a certain day. There's a lot that's tied into a launch.
So you got creative, figuring out how to work with this particular team and taking charge.
Yes, just constantly talking to everyone.
What do you need get to the next phase and to your ultimate vision?
I think any, anyone in my position would say capital to produce something that's just slick, seamless and a great user experience. And I would love to build a team beyond me and my business partner, who is more like business consultant.
Any final tips for others like you?
When I finally launched my site back in 2020, the development firm asked me to rate their services through https://extract.co/. This is something I would have liked to know about when looking for someone to build it. Maybe it can help someone else.