Transitioning to In-house Development

My first task was substantial: establish an internal development team. This involved hiring the right talent and organizing them into specialized units - a native team, a web team, and a backend team. The objective was clear: to maintain and enhance a platform that was not just a digital product but the backbone of a software company with a significant user base.

One of our goals was to transition from relying solely on freelancers to cultivating an internal team that mixed seasoned professionals with junior members. This approach not only aimed to retain flexibility but also fostered a learning environment where juniors could learn from experienced freelancers.

Adapting to a Changing Market

The shift in our business model was driven by the changing landscape of advertising. With traditional paper advertisements declining due to municipal regulations and rising paper costs, we needed to pivot. Our solution was to enhance our offerings beyond traditional flyer communications to more dynamic deal notifications. This meant developing a system where users could follow specific brands and receive alerts for deals, vastly expanding our reach beyond the typical flyer audience.

Redesign and User Experience

As part of this strategic shift, I also undertook the redesign of the new frontends, creating a design system in Figma that aligned with our frontend development and introduced a fresh look and feel to our UX. This redesign was not just cosmetic; it was a strategic move to align with our expanded offerings and target a wider audience.