The discovery phase for a startup that connects photographers

The client came to us with the idea of a service that can connect Photographers and Videographers. The main idea was to build a startup helping to find additional crew for shooting. For example, a Photographer looks for a second Photographer or assistant for a big wedding photoshoot.  He/she can post a job offer on the platform and other Photographers may take this job. 

 

 

 

 

 

SERVICE

Discovery phase

The discovery phase for a startup that connects photographers

Business Challenges

01

Our client was working in the photography industry and detected a problem of finding skilled photographers for assistance. The client came to us thanks to our previous experience in the photography industry.

Our Approach

The team held requirement elicitation sessions with the client every 2 or 3 days to:
identify what problems the application will solve for the users (to help photographers find qualified crew and assistance).
find out how competitors address similar problems (there were Upwork and Facebook groups who connect photographers for such purposes).
visualize the customer journey to make sure there are no gaps in the customer experience.
create interactive prototypes ready to be tested out by real users.
form the Software Requirement Specification (SRS) that outlines the composition of the development team and the tech stack for the project.
Discovery phase helped us to form clear project scope and budget, also we evaluated external and internal factors, which allowed us to decide with functionality and technologies.

Discovery phase showed us that users prefer to start with a trial period in order to get acquainted with the system and then decide whether to buy a subscription. As opposed to the initial decision of the client to go without the trial period.

Business Value

Based on our research we discovered that the main problem of finding assistance for the photoshoot was the low qualification of the candidates applying for the job via a Facebook group. To overcome this issue we decided to have a verification process before registration to ensure the user has sufficient qualifications and up-to-date portfolio in order to apply for jobs. professional businesses with a valid company number are allowed to join after a thorough quality verification process.

After one month of the discovery phase, we started full-fledge development which took us 7 months to complete. We created a web application aimed to assist in building a trusted crew. One year after the launch client managed to have +1500 paid subscriptions and over $100 000 worth of jobs posted.

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Chris Garbacz

Co-founder, StudioNinja

The solution launched to user praise and minimal bugs. Sombra has adapted to technical challenges and limited resources throughout the partnership. Consistent communication, flexibility, and a willingness to incorporate feedback have enabled a seamlessly integrated workflow. Our relationship has run smoothly since the beginning.
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Martin Weber

CTO, Fooring Company

This is the best offshoring experience I’ve had in my 25 years of doing this. Sombra is very productive. We’re cranking things out with very little rework needed. We have speed and quality, which is important because the system is live, so if we make a change, it has an immediate effect on our customer base.
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Sloan Ginn

Former Director of Product

Sombra successfully delivered a smooth-functioning product in the time that the client needed. Their developers were competent and receptive to feedback; the team lead, in particular, proved to have great expertise. They were accommodating of large and abrupt changes, making them a reliable partner.
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Jack Crews

CTO, Legal Monkeys

Sombra keeps everything simple and prioritizes getting the work done. One thing that I was pleased with was that Sombra was able to adapt to and learn our approach to software development. They adopted our best practices and were productive within that development methodology. Overall, the quality of their work is above average.
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