2017: Picture two developers, Ivor and Vedran, eager for their next big gig. A company reaches out, they need a user interface for their backend application. All signs point to a routine job. Except it’s anything but.

The duo discovered they’re working for a D.C.-based company aiming to create an app that’s like Airbnb for students and interns. A charming concept, but with a project management that rivals a dumpster fire.

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The App Development Apocalypse

The developers walked into chaos: a team that’s more disarray than direction, and a company hemorrhaging cash on a project that’s making zero headway. Vedran and Ivor knew they needed to get their detective hats on.

The pair discovered the project’s main problem was that the consultancy firm overseeing the project was siphoning money from the company, charging a high daily rate without making any meaningful contribution. As a result, the project almost had no starting point, and had to be built from scratch. Not even a login page or a home page was adequately built.

The firm was also hampered by a lack of up-to-date technical knowledge and unqualified personnel in management positions. Communication was poor. The developers were like ships passing in the night, each working on their piece of the puzzle without any regard for what the others were doing. The project was a perfect storm of disaster.

Rising from the Ashes

Shocked but determined, the company head brings in a top-tier consultancy firm for a second opinion. They corroborate Ivor and Vedran’s findings. The fallout: a downsized developer team. The consultancy firm is shown the door, and a new trio - Ivor, Vedran, and Jordy, a Ruby wizard - are left to rebuild from the ruins.

They employ Ruby on Rails for the backend, React for the frontend, and PostgreSQL for the database. But the road to resurrection is never smooth.

The team hits a snag integrating payments into the app. While Assembly Pay was the initial choice, Vedran championed for Stripe, a powerhouse in payment integration APIs. When Assembly Pay fell short, Vedran’s foresight shone. A quick pivot to Stripe, some recoding, and the project was back on track and raking in revenue.

The High Cost of Broken Trust

The initial disaster was rooted in a team that prioritized profit over progress. The company was left $100k per month lighter with nothing to show for it. And they’re not alone. Far too many companies fall prey to developers who exploit trust, purposefully stalling projects to squeeze out every penny, at the cost of quality and deadlines.

Words of Wisdom

This saga serves as a reminder that a hefty price tag doesn’t always promise quality. The company lucked out with Ivor and Vedran who took a doomed project and transformed it into a success. But not every company is so fortunate.

Outsourcing doesn’t have to mean settling for less. Don’t get distracted by big names and price tags. Sometimes, the best things come in small packages. Like a small team of developers, who can turn a failing project into a revenue-generating powerhouse.