What is BIZI
Bizi is a startup based in Tel Aviv that revolutionizes the way people get updates regarding what’s happening in their city.
Problem
Instagram is too broad
Instagram is great but too generic for people specifically looking to see what’s happening in the coolest venues in their city.
While Instagram allows users to post pictures and videos from various venues, these posts are intermingled with posts on a wide range of other topics, making it difficult for users to get a sense of what’s happening in cafes, restaurants, bars, or clubs around the city.
Solution
A niche social media platform
Bizi is a mobile app that provides a platform that allows users to share their food and drink experiences as well as showcase the best places to go out and have a good time. It comes with all the usual bells and whistles of existing social media apps, such as likes, follows, push notifications, etc.
Bizi also provides a way for clubs, bars, cafes, and restaurants to promote their offerings and attract new customers.
Key Product & Tech Challenges
Fixed budget, and tight deadline
The founders had a very extensive list of features they wanted to include in their MVP while also staying within budget and launching the app in 4 months.
Photo and Video Uploading
The app had to be media heavy with the users being able to take and upload photos and videos.
Native vs. Hybrid
The app had to be both developed for iOS and Android, but this was challenging considering the extensive feature scope and the fixed budget. This was the reason we chose to adopt a hybrid solution using Google’s Flutter to develop the app using a single codebase.
Google Maps API integration
In order to allow the users to search for the places they wanted to post from, we had to integrate Google Maps API.
Content Management System (CMS)
The founders needed a back office to curate the predefined venues within the app and schedule and send push notifications.
How we did it
Step 1
Roadmapping
After a thorough roadmapping session with all stakeholders with a clear focus on the business vision and the value proposition, we had the necessary information to create a comprehensive features list for the MVP to test our main assumptions.
Our experts’ main priority was to answer all questions raised during scope preparation. In terms of technical details, we prepared a detailed analysis outlining our suggestions regarding the tech stack selection.
Step 2
Clickable Prototype
Our team created a prototype that simulates user interaction, allowing us to test the information architecture, user experience, and present a tangible result to all stakeholders.
The prototype closely resembles the final product and proved to be an effective way to gather feedback and refine the design.
Step 3
Full Development
With the decisions closed in the previous step, we developed the product through agile cycles. We were super responsive and provided feedback throughout the development process and delivered the fully working app in three months, well ahead of the tight deadline.
Step 4
Iterations
After launching the product, we gathered feedback from end users and used it to improve the product.
We continued to iterate and add new features in parallel to ensure end-users had the best possible experience.
Technologies used
Key Features
Social Login
Bizi users can login using their Google or Apple credentials.
Back office – CMS
Admins can use a fully fledged back office where they maintain the app’s content and send push notifications to the users.
Camera Usage
Users can take and upload photos and videos.
