PartyCheck - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

No, we did not have any prior development experience and since we are not coders we did not have any prior experience in that either. We actually still have no coding experience as we did not code ourselves but instead organized a team of programmers who did it for us. We went through 7 different software engineers in the various stages of app development and we are still looking for at least 3 additions to the team. There were so many things for us to give all our attention to in order to reach a successful launch, that we are really glad we didn’t have to look at the code by ourselves too.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

The most challenging aspect certainly was maintaining the initial idea and formulations long-term and keeping the boat sailing in the right direction regardless of time zone differences, remote development related issues, staff turnover and general slow pace of moving forward in a bootstrapped startup. We found ourselves having to communicate the concept of the app over and over again to our partners, our lawyers/accountants/advisors, new sets of team members (15 people in total went through the team during development), in addition to our customers. In order to get everyone up to speed on everything necessary for them to jump on board, the approach required clarity of vision in every single detail that went into the end result. Also keeping the ideas in check for long periods of time is a challenge for any entrepreneur.

_{Nesh & Alex}

PartyCheck is developed and trademarked by PartyCheck Inc. technology company based out of Los Angeles, CA. It's founded in 2015 by: Nesh - MBA from Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA and BA World Literature, University of Belgrade, Serbia. He has over 15 years of management consulting experience, mostly Hollywood film studios and entertainment industry. Alex - HR & recruiting professional with ten years in developing and implementing innovative HR programs in software development and technology startups. Founding team has combined competencies in business, project management, creative services, IT/Web, and leads 'PartyCheck' project to the market.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

My favorite app is 'Shazam'. It is the embodiment of the application that has user in mind. It actually does solve a real life problem of answering the question everybody asks at some point - “I like the music I am hearing but I do not know which song it is and no one around me can help”. These days, you just flip out 'Shazam' and magically, a few seconds later you know which song it is and who is its author! I am still amazed from time to time when it helps me dig out a piece of particularly obscure music. I also regularly use it as a springboard for my musical explorations, as integration with Apple Music made it just all-round perfect for me. Alex loves 'Waze', specifically pre-Google acquisition incarnation when the sense of local driving community was still strong and real time updates were communicated between the users who knew each other’s avatars. Especially in places like Los Angeles where car traffic is such unavoidable part of daily life that a community based maps/directions app is something as a life saver and an application that you simply must use daily. Particularly when it could reliably tell you in real time the exact locations of police speed traps on your way!

How long have you been working on this app?

It took us about three years since we officially started to put together 'PartyCheck' app and launched it for Android and iOS. The first year we spent brainstorming and researching, testing different ideas on paper and conceptualizing before we moved on to actual development, which then took another two years. Looking back, this now seems like an awful lot of time to create a relatively simple application (in its current state), given that we maintained constant pace and over the 3 years worked on it continuously, held regular weekly development team meetings and had just a few brief gaps when we had to deal with personnel changes. Reality is that developing ideas from scratch takes time and more often than not is very slow.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

We started out to quickly, easily and remotely answer the question “How’s the party over there now?”, thinking of various places for nightlife entertainment we could visit on a Saturday night. There was nothing available to answer it in any way other than going out there in person. So we came up with a platform that solves the age-old problem of not being able to objectively assess the preferences for different entertainment programs on offer at local nightclubs as they are happening - they are inherently filtered through the subjective perspective of the information provider. Venues will always tout their programs as “the best nightlife entertainment in town” but in actuality what might be very appealing to one visitor is entirely unacceptable to another. 'PartyCheck' is here to impartially present the facts and level the field. The application answers the need for information of a potential visitor and conveniently provides them with the impressions and insight they need to make a decision which place to visit ahead of time while simultaneously engaging with their destinations directly. Simultaneously, clubs can custom tailor the experience for each individual user and will find a lot of value in being able to directly communicate with them.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

'PartyCheck' effectively solves a real life problem that no other product or service currently offers - the ability to quickly and easily find information that is of high value to the customer at the time of their need for it - “Which of these establishments of nightlife entertainment should I visit tonight?” It enables not only local visitors but also visitors from afar to select their nightlife destination locally and at the same time opens new and widens existing target audiences for clubs that can provide real time snapshots of their programs and retain crowds while remotely selling them services and products that are traditionally limited only to customers physically present on their premises. No direct competitors/alternatives to 'PartyCheck' currently exist on the market (which does not mean we are telling ourselves that it will stay that way for long).

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

We plan to fully productize freemium 'PartyCheck' service by integrating hardware (IP cameras, connectivity and processing routers) and software (application and admin consoles behind it) into a custom made package that will enable next level of features for users and very simplified installation process for clubs. Our vision is for 'PartyCheck' to ultimately become an indispensable standard for going out at night for users. A reliable, transparent and utilitarian aid as ubiquitous as services 'Twitter' or 'YouTube' provide presently and as unavoidable for clubs as is their physical location and valid liquor licence (if they seek to be relevant, “on the grid” venue). We are on a mission to create and grow this unique worldwide community of partygoers on a smart network of nightclubs and establish 'PartyCheck' as one of the true all-time greats among technology companies of the world.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

Partycheck it out! (And tell your friends).