We’ve partnered with incredible companies in dozens of different verticals: subscription snack services, spin studios, event venues, and technology companies, just to name a few. Our redesign and development abilities translate beyond one industry.
But we aren’t the right fit for every project.
That’s a big part of our belief system. We don’t say yes to every project that comes knocking because we know we aren’t always the best fit. Instead, we choose to talk over your beliefs, expectations, and ideas to see if a partnership is right. We’re the first to admit when we aren’t the right company for you. (And if you come across an agency that jumps on your project without asking quite a few questions, run fast and far in the opposite direction.)
So how do we know when we aren’t the right fit? Over 12 years of Ruby on Rails development partnerships, we’ve noticed a few reasons why companies don’t hire us. Here are six reasons you shouldn’t hire Planet Argon.
1. You’re looking for a one and done development team.
We don’t usually find ourselves working on projects with a fixed scope and one month deadline. That’s because we believe in long-term partnerships on our design and development projects.
When you partner with a team for a month and then they dust their hands and bolt, you and your users are left with a sub-par experience. Bugs will be found. New ideas for the product will emerge from your quarterly offsite. User feedback will roll in. And you’ll be stranded to fend for yourself, scramble to hire another short term freelancer to pick up the pieces, or come back to that agency looking for a new contract.
That process is as stressful as it is inefficient. Over the course of a longer partnership, the time we spend with you can scale. Once an initial build is deployed and running smoothly, we can reduce the amount of time you’ll need dedicated to your project. But when new ideas bubble up, we’ll be the first to jump in and bring them to life. Longer-term development partnerships result in sustainable growth.
Plus, we think you’ll like working with us and will want to keep us around. :)
2. You’re a startup company starting from scratch.
It’s a startup world, we’re all just living in it. But if you’re a startup founder beginning with just a wireframe and a killer idea, we probably aren’t the best development agency to bring your project to life. Our skills shine on projects where we take an existing code base and elevate it to the next level, whether that’s increasing speed, uncovering more data, or scaling it for growth.
There are dozens of companies that specialize in building a web app from scratch. And as an entrepreneur, you deserve the right company to get your project off the ground.
3. Your company culture is cutthroat.
Some companies thrive and grow because of a culture that’s high pressure. The take-no-prisoners approach works for some people, but not for us. It’s important for you to have a certain level of commonality with your development agency. You’re going to be talking with them a lot. You’re partners now.
Just as you wouldn’t choose a business partner who you can’t agree with anything on, you shouldn’t choose a development agency whose culture makes you roll your eyes.
Here’s a little bit about what we believe in. If these sound like something you can get behind, let’s talk. If you think we sound like an episode of Portlandia, that’s okay too! You’ll find a design and development team you click with, and you shouldn’t partner with anyone you don’t.
4. You have your project outlined down to the task.
If you know every detailed task you want included in your Ruby on Rails development overhaul, that’s great! You have an incredible planning eye and great vision for your project. But that isn’t the type of project where we thrive. There’s a reason we refer to our relationships as partnerships.
Our most successful projects are a collaborative effort with our partners. You know your product and market best. We know how to build the tools you need. If you're looking to hand over a big book of exact specs to your development agency, we aren't the team for you. But if you have big ideas and need some people with the know-how to bring them to life, let's talk.
5. You’re looking for a fixed bid project.
We’ll be honest: We don’t work off a fixed bid. And we aren’t here to tell you there’s a right and wrong way to price a project. There are pros and cons to this approach from both the client and agency perspective. Here’s some insight.
When we turn your brilliant idea into a tangible product, we use an agile approach. Scope changes and feedback from your users will shuffle priorities. That’s how the most useful applications are developed. When you’re operating on a fixed bid project, there’s not always room for this kind of flexibility.
If external forces require you to operate on a fixed bid project, you’ll need to think closely about your trust in the agency, and your upfront plans for the project. You risk losing ROI and flexibility in the long term. If your original plans are fixed and flexibility isn’t a priority, fixed bid may be the right choice for your project. We just aren’t the team to make it happen.
6. You want (or need) the lowest possible hourly rate.
Everyone loves a good bargain. But when you’re comparing costs for your development project, you shouldn’t choose based on cost alone. Bidding for a project can often be a race to the bottom. That’s one race we won’t win (not even a participation trophy).
If an agency has to win your partnership by lowering their costs, be wary. A heck of a deal on organic apples? Good. An incredible bargain on a development project? Something is afoot.
Delivering incredible value goes beyond the hourly cost of a project. Cheap development doesn’t matter if the end product isn’t user-friendly, or it isn’t helping your company’s bottom line. We constantly communicate and adapt to bring you the most impactful changes. So while we aren’t the cheapest Rails development and design company you can find, you won’t find a better ROI anywhere else.
If you’re just starting to research an agency partnership for your custom web application, here’s a good place to start. We don’t have a magic calculator to estimate your project costs, but this will give some insight into the decision making behind project estimates.
