DEV Community: Ryan Adam

What I Learned the Hard Way About Hiring a Web Development Agency

Ryan Adam — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 23:59:30 +0000

Have you ever launched a website and immediately regretted it?
Yeah... same.
A few months ago, I was leading a small project for an e-commerce brand. We needed a custom website—something clean, responsive, fast, and NOT built on some cookie-cutter theme. I thought it’d be simple. I hired a “web dev agency” that gave me a great price and promised “end-to-end service.”
Big mistake.
The backend was clunky. Mobile responsiveness? Barely there. Pages broke. Speed? Awful. Turns out they outsourced everything and just passed messages along like a game of broken telephone.
Anyway, after a lot of headaches, I did what I should’ve done earlier—ask people who actually knew their stuff. That’s when someone recommended Codigo, a web development company based in Singapore.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much. Agencies all say the same thing, right?
But Codigo felt different. For one, their site alone screams, “We know what we’re doing.” (Just saying: Mobile App Development Company in Singapore (https://www.codigo.co) is worth a visit.) But more importantly, they asked the right questions. Not just “what pages do you want?” but “what do your users need to do on this site?” and “how does your business actually work?”
It wasn’t just about building a site—it was about building the right site.
Their team handled everything in-house: designers, front-end and back-end developers, and even testing. I could hop on a call and talk to the people writing the code. That level of transparency? Priceless.
The site they built for us didn’t just look amazing—it actually worked. And since launch, we’ve had better conversions, faster load times, and (shocker) fewer complaints from customers.
So yeah. If you’re thinking of building a web app or custom site and don’t want to end up in the DIY agency horror story I started with, do yourself a favor and check out Codigo.
They get it.

Why I Stopped Wasting Money on Freelance Developers and Went With a Real App Team Instead

Ryan Adam — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:38:14 +0000

Okay, real talk.
I used to think I could build a legit mobile app by piecing together freelancers from Upwork and Fiverr. Spoiler: it was a mess. The designs looked decent, but the app barely worked. Every little change took weeks, and no one really "owned" the product. Worst part? I actually thought that was normal.
But then I stumbled on something that changed how I see mobile app development completely.

A friend recommended I check out this Singapore-based team called Codigo. At first, I was like, "Ugh, another agency?" But I looked them up anyway—and damn. Their portfolio is stacked. We’re talking full-on, polished apps for banks, startups, e-commerce—you name it.

What made them stand out?

Unlike other agencies that throw you into a confusing maze of account managers and technical jargon, Codigo actually gets product. They build with intention, not just code. The team helped me rethink my entire app flow before even touching the tech. We didn’t start with features—we started with users.

That alone saved me months of trial-and-error.

They also handled the whole thing—strategy, design, mobile development, even post-launch support. And everything was done in-house. None of that "we’ll get back to you after checking with our overseas dev team" stuff.

Here’s the thing: if you’re serious about building a real product—not just a prototype that collects dust, you need a partner, not just vendors. Codigo became that for me.

Since working with them, I’ve recommended them to three friends who were struggling with their apps. One of them actually got investor attention after launching their MVP (which Codigo built, btw).

Anyway, if you're building a mobile app and don’t want to waste time (and money) learning the hard way like I did, just check them out: Mobile App Development Company in Singapore

No, they didn’t pay me to say this. I just genuinely wish someone had told me about them sooner.

Why We Almost Gave Up on Our App—Until We Fixed the UX

Ryan Adam — Fri, 23 May 2025 00:32:34 +0000

Have you ever build something for months… only to realize no one actually wants to use it?

That was us.

We had what we thought was a solid mobile app. The idea was validated. The features were there. But when we finally launched, the numbers just didn’t add up:

High drop-off during onboarding

Users signing up, but never coming back

Confused feedback like “I don’t get what I’m supposed to do”

At first, we thought it was a marketing issue. But turns out—it was our UX.

The Pain Wasn’t the Product. It Was the Experience.
The frustrating thing? The product worked. But people struggled to understand it. Our flows were clunky. Navigation wasn’t intuitive. And we realized we designed it for us, not for actual users.

If you’ve ever seen a user just stare blankly at your app screen and then close it, you know the pain.

So We Got Help—From People Who Actually Do This for a Living
We started digging into what good UX really means. Not just “looks nice” or “has animations” but:

Clear user journeys

Tiny details like button placement and loading feedback

Making sure users feel in control—not overwhelmed

That’s when we came across a UX team in Singapore called Codigo.

We weren’t even looking for an agency at first. But their UX case studies caught our eye—especially how they think through micro-interactions and user psychology. It wasn’t just design—it was experience strategy.

Why I’m Recommending Them (Even Though I Don’t Usually Do This)
To be clear, this isn’t some sponsored post.

We worked with Codigo because we needed real UX help, and they delivered. What I appreciated most:

They interviewed our users before designing anything

Their clickable prototypes were ready within weeks

Every feedback loop felt like a collaboration, not a handoff

Long story short: our bounce rate dropped, engagement rose, and people finally “got” the app.

What You Can Learn (Even If You Don’t Hire Anyone)
If you’re building something right now, here’s what I wish I knew earlier:

Don’t assume users think like you

Fancy UI means nothing without flow clarity

Test your onboarding with someone’s mom or uncle. Seriously.

Final Thought
If you're in Southeast Asia or just want a team who understands UX beyond wireframes, Codigo's probably one of the few I’d recommend without hesitation.

They’ve worked with banks, startups, and even government apps. But most importantly, they get that UX isn’t a luxury—it’s the core of your product.

👉 If you’re curious, here’s their UX approach: https://www.codigo.co/services/user-experience

No fluff. Just good, human-centered design.