The challenge
Crafting an Agile MVP with the latest web app technology
ProperPlan, a startup project management tool created by dynamic CEO Laura Phillips, targets individuals and small teams with essential, easy-to-use features. Frustrated by the complexity of existing solutions, Laura, an expert in web design, development, marketing, and consulting, decided to build the ideal tool herself. Recognising the potential of OpenAI, she looked to integrate AI to enhance ProperPlan’s capabilities.
Despite her web development skills, Laura aimed to leverage the latest and greatest web app technologies. That’s where we came in, partnering with her to provide the technical guidance and expertise she needed, ensuring a successful creation and launch. Here’s what’s happened.
Startup
Industry£70,000 – £100,000
Website properplan.com/
The solution
Running the project Agile with an MVP approach
With a startup and investor budget, managing costs collaboratively was essential. That’s why we chose an Agile approach, working closely with Laura to prioritise must-have features for the minimum viable product (MVP).
This approach allowed Laura to be deeply involved in the development process, ensuring the platform stayed true to her vision and design. By focusing on the most crucial features first, we delivered a functional, effective, and highly valuable MVP. This iterative process kept costs in check and allowed for flexibility, making it easy to incorporate user feedback and truly meet their needs.
Laura led the product design, collaborating closely with our skilled web app developers. This integrated team effort ensured smooth communication and effective execution, resulting in the successful development of ProperPlan.
Matt, the Fractional CTO & Technical Discovery
Matt Ville, our Founder and CTO, was instrumental in the development of ProperPlan. Through monthly CTO-focused mentoring meetings, Matt offered invaluable insights into technology and product strategy. His expertise was also featured in the pitch deck for investment, highlighting the project’s strength and vision.
ProperPlan needed more than routine development; it required a strategic approach. Matt crafted a comprehensive tech strategy to build the web app, leveraging our team of expert developers to ensure agile, product-led development. The product was designed as a NuxtJS Full Stack hosted on Google Cloud, with seamless integration into the OpenAI API, adding cutting-edge AI capabilities to the platform.
Building the web app
Our Web App lead, Jamie, and his team of developers began coding both the front end and back end, meticulously working from Laura’s designs. The collaboration was seamless, with Laura’s clear vision guiding the development process. Jamie’s team ensured the platform was not only functional but also ultra-lightweight for rapid load times.
Every aspect of the web app was crafted with user experience in mind. From responsive design to robust backend architecture, the development process was a fine balance of creativity and technical expertise. This meticulous attention to detail ensured that ProperPlan was both powerful and user-friendly, perfectly tailored to meet the needs of its diverse user base.
Integrating with OpenAI
One of the standout features of ProperPlan is its integration with OpenAI. By harnessing the power of AI, the platform offers users advanced project planning capabilities, providing smart suggestions and automation to streamline their workflow.
We tailored specific requests to OpenAI, ensuring the integration added significant value to the product. This feature not only set ProperPlan apart from its competitors but also positioned it as a forward-thinking tool that leverages the latest technology to enhance user experience.
The results
“From the moment we met, we knew you were going to do an amazing job.“ – Laura, Founder of ProperPlan
ProperPlan has now launched, with hundreds of waitlist users eagerly starting to use the platform. Laura is taking a fully user-led approach, actively seeking feedback and monitoring enquiries through the help desk to plan the next phase of ProperPlan. This user-centric approach ensures continuous improvement and alignment with user needs.
We are excited to continue our partnership with Laura, supporting her vision and helping to evolve ProperPlan. The journey from concept to launch has been a collaborative and rewarding experience. As Laura and the ProperPlan team beautifully put it, “From the moment we met, we knew you were going to do an amazing job. We could not be more thrilled!” We look forward to the next chapters of this innovative project.
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