IT Monks

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an e-commerce company.

What challenge were you trying to address with IT Monks?

They created a new store for us to help us expand our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They basically did everything. They suggested that we use WooCommerce, and they built the website from scratch. I provided a database and they designed and developed the store. They created everything, including the logo and look and feel.

They continue to maintain the platform, update inventories weekly, and take care of our news feed.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with two people — Alex (CEO) and Dima (Web Developer), and they delegated as needed.

How did you come to work with IT Monks?

A friend of mine recommended them. They’re based in Europe, so I flew out to meet them, see their offices, and discuss my needs.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I met them in August 2019 and our work is ongoing.

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

The site works well and we’re starting to earn sales from the site. We didn’t advertise when the site first launched because of COVID-19, but we’re excited about how things look going into the holiday season.  I was really satisfied, and we plan to work with them on another website.

How did IT Monks perform from a project management standpoint?

Any time I have a problem or a question, they get back to me very quickly. They were there whenever I needed them, and if something popped up unexpectedly, they took care of it immediately. We communicated largely over Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their communication skills. I expected there to be a language barrier, but their English was superb. It was easy to understand them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m totally satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Valorx. We are a startup that builds productivity software.

What challenge were you trying to address with IT Monks?

We were looking for a full-service company to build a website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

IT Monks built our website from scratch. They did design, development, API integration, testing, and feedback; everything from start to finish. The team used InVision and Sigma for the design and integrated them into WordPress development. They currently maintain the website.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 3–4 people, and Alex (CEO) is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with IT Monks?

They responded to our ad on Upwork. We liked their profile and decided to move forward after speaking to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around September 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

IT Monks created a beautiful, responsive WordPress website that has received rave reviews. I’ve had several people ask to be introduced to the website designer.

How did IT Monks perform from a project management standpoint?

We used ActiveCollab for feedback and Slack for communication. They are responsive and do a good job of meeting deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Alex quickly understood what we wanted to do and made sure communication was good throughout the process. They are a good offshore team. I never had to call twice to get a task done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are no areas of improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Document your requirements and have a design ready as a starting point. The team can work with that and produce your website rather quickly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Barley Sober, an app that allows users to check occupancy as well as order food and beverages right from their phone for a remote experience. 

What challenge were you trying to address with IT Monks?

IT Monks provided the temporary software solution for our proof of concept.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a prototype of a progressive web app (PWA) on WordPress for us to demo to the market. The team implemented some JavaScript and HTML. They integrated an API for payment processing and made it possible for users to sign up via Google and Facebook. They also enabled users to save their profiles on the platform. Other features include a timer functionality and a backend communication system for admin versus users. They created all of the data sets through users’ interactions on the app, which is a big piece to it. 

I had wireframes and all of the functionality mapped out, so I knew what the workflow was supposed to be as well as the UI. We handed that over to them, and they made it a lot better. For instance, they decreased the number of pages that users have to go through in order to accomplish the task, so they definitely improved the efficiency once they saw what our workflow was.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a developer and a project manager.

How did you come to work with IT Monks?

A few friends of mine in the tech scene knew Alex (Founder) and recommended him. I vetted him as well as a few other choices, and I felt more comfortable with Alex, especially with the price point and timeline.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent about $12,000. It was originally a fixed price, but during the testing phase, we realized that we needed to reiterate a few things related to the workflow and signing users on.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the conversation in the spring of 2018, and they wrapped up in the fall of 2019. By then, we’d gotten a lot of feedback from users and made a few tweaks, so it was enough for a proof of concept.

We have that beta in the market now, and we’re currently raising funds to build the next iteration of the solution.

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

What we do is reduce time spent at the bar to order a drink. The average time that we had recorded prior to the technology being implemented on a high-value night, such as a Friday or Saturday, was around 12 minutes. With the app, we’ve been able to get that time down to five minutes and 40 seconds. That was a big selling point for us, especially with it only being a web app. 

The product actually came out even better than I anticipated in terms of the visuals and how easy it is to operate, even for those that aren’t tech-savvy. We’ve had a pretty good conversion rate in terms of users. The PWA has also helped us gain some traction in order to raise more funds.

How did IT Monks perform from a project management standpoint?

Alex was very communicative, especially considering a minor language barrier. We had to make sure we were both on the same page, so he overemphasized on the communication.

We typically communicated through email or calls. We also used the web platform Trello, where all of our tasks and milestones were listed. That allowed us to be on the same page as far as what needed to be done and when. They updated me on a weekly and sometimes bi-weekly basis. They were very attentive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It doesn’t seem like business; they seem like a friend helping out. When I was first introduced to Alex, I was new to the tech scene, and he made me very comfortable as far as welcoming me into the space. That’s why I went with him versus the other providers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I had no complaints, especially with what my expectations were. It was just a proof of concept, not enterprise software, so my needs were met.

Any advice for potential customers?

Allow them to be creative. Alex has a lot of experience and has built a lot of solutions. If he has an idea or wants to interject, definitely listen, because he has probably seen something similar to what you’re trying to accomplish. Just let him drive a little bit, and he’ll get you to where you need to be.