Thank you, from the bottom of my heart 💌
Huge thanks to everyone who read my last post, From Dev.to Posts to Running a Startup, and gave me a follow here on DEV. I never expected that sharing my entrepreneurial journey — the ups, downs, and struggles — would resonate with so many people.
In my previous post, I briefly mentioned the early days of my studio Foam On Latte and how difficult it was to land clients consistently and get them to pay us what we deserved. After months of underpricing ourselves and battling constant self-doubt, fear of failure, and rejection, we finally found some stability.
So, I'm going to make it a habit to post weekly about what I'm learning and building in my digital product studio. In these weekly blogs, I'll document product building, forming partnerships, and the projects we're building on our own.
I'll be sharing real case studies, real struggles, and the lessons learned through each project. Many of these short-term projects have turned into long-term engagements, and we're super grateful for that.
If you want to see more behind the scenes of my studio, follow me on Instagram.
Recent Project Highlight
We recently partnered with a mission-driven company based in Ontario that provides learning solutions for younger generations. They approached us to build an AI-powered gamified learning app designed to change how young people develop soft skills.
They needed Version 1 built in just 10 weeks. As a nonprofit, they had strict reporting requirements from donors and funding organizations.
In our initial call, I quickly found common ground. When I learned they were a nonprofit, I shared my background as a grant writer for Thai organizations before pivoting to tech, and my contributions to various nonprofits through open-source during Hacktoberfest. This connection immediately created trust and set us apart from others.
I understood the unique pressures of building tech in the nonprofit space: how the right metrics can make or break funding continuity, and how every feature needs to tie back to measurable impact for their stakeholders.
Together we designed the app to include:
- Gamified soft skills development
- Real-time experience tracking
- Built-in community features for peer support
- AI-powered growth recommendations
- Dynamic resumes that showcase true potential
- Workforce connections
How We Went From 10 Weeks to a Partnership
Obsessive Communication
This client came in with serious skepticism. They'd previously worked with a dev team that failed to deliver for an entire year. Knowing this, I provided daily updates, no matter how small the progress. Showing proof of work being completed and breaking down each piece weekly assured them we'd deliver on time.
Fast Bug Fixes
We didn't let bugs sit for days. If something was simple, we fixed it while the client was still on the call. With today's AI tools, it's easier than ever to quickly identify and ship fixes.
Valuable Strategic Advice
Since the client was non-technical, I provided extensive guidance on technology choices for cost savings, future-proofing the system, and optimizing product experience. This consultative approach showed we cared about their long-term success, not just completing the project. This also helped the client see us as true partners and not just a one-time vendor.
Kindness Goes a Long Way
Being genuinely kind and maintaining a sense of humour during client interactions creates lasting relationships. It sounds simple, but it's often overlooked.
This 10-week project evolved into a true partnership. We're now responsible for building Version 2 with more robust features.
The transformation happened because we treated the client as a partner from day one, not just as another project to complete.
I get it — it's not always possible to go from a one-time project to a long-term engagement due to budget constraints or other issues from the client side. However, if you show this level of care, you will also end up being recommended within their circle. This is another great outcome that happened to us, and it's been incredibly valuable for growing our business.
Question for you: What aspect of client relationships do you struggle with most? Communication? Pricing? Scope creep? Let me know in the comments.
Until next week — keep building, keep learning!
Top comments (4)
Appreciate you sharing this journey. The Fast Bug Fixes point really resonates. In my experience, that immediate action doesn't just solve a technical problem; it builds immense trust. It shows the client that their product's stability is our top priority, which directly ties into becoming a true partner as you mentioned. To answer your question, I'd say pricing is a constant dance aligning value with cost in a way that feels fair for both sides.⭐💖
That is so true! Creating trust is so important for long term relationships.
And you put it so beautifully and accurately about the constant dance that comes with creating the pricing breakdown.
oh thanks Samina 😁
Thanks for sharing your journey. I understand it can be very hard to deal with clients, specially for new and early stage startups. Your story is truly inspirational. I hope to hear more about your entrepreneurial journey. Who knows we may collaborate on something in the future.