Pratham Mittal
Community Post by Jesse Podell – COO of NYC DevShop
Finding a firm to help you build the initial version of your startup, or do some agency work for your existing platform is a really challenging process- even here in a city so crowded you literally can’t move your arms on the subway sometimes (I speak of the Big Apple, where my firm DevShop is based.)
As a growing Ruby on Rails web and app development shop, we’re always looking for great clients to work with who are a fit with our project management process. That’s why we partner with great teams like VenturePact who help us discover and pre-validate interesting projects. Platforms like these help us save us lots of time, and give our account executives some piece of mind when qualifying potential clients.
For most companies seeking Web and App development agencies, the primary place to begin the search is within their professional network. One or two members of the firm might broadcast the need to their social network publicly, which might trigger a response from at least one person in the network they’re trying to avoid anyway who “has a team on the side offshore who can do it on the cheap”. Or, they’ll arouse another contact who will blindly recommend their brother/relative/friend’s firm, but theirs is a personal connection, and they’ve probably never actually done this kind of work with the firm themselves. There are a few directories out there in “guides to XYZ startup scene”, or websites dedicated to aggregating the different agencies, but those don’t go much further than putting a logo on their site.
Just maybe, if a firm seeking a service provider is very lucky, they are going to get a response from a trusted connection who will gladly evangelize for an agency he or she had a delightful experience with- oh, and they are Rubyists, are based in Boulder, have worked on a killer app in the same space already, and have incredible UX/UI- exactly what the firm wanted!
Give it a shot, you have absolutely nothing to lose! After all, it’s me who foots the bill if it works out!
An entirely new source for possible clients? Yes, please! Plus, since we personally know the team at VenturePact, we immediately trust that the lead will be reliable and is ready to get to get to work on their project.
Sometimes it takes weeks just to figure out if a prospective client is serious or not about doing work immediately. Also, we understand that we’re not always the right fit for every project. Our prospective clients need to decide that our project management process is right for them, that we’re within their budget, and that our personalities mesh. With VenturePact, we know that in the case that the client doesn’t decide to go with us, we’ll have valuable feedback from VenturePact. This helps us to constantly evaluate our approach, and keep pulse on the client landscape. We’re thrilled to be one of the first providers on VenturePact, and we’re looking forward to a long and lasting relationship with them. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
