Strategic partnership with a London web development agency
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- Kidswift
So my company is looking for a web development agency that may want to become a strategic partner with us and wondering if any of you are aware of any good ones in London. Essentially looking for one that has worked with promising start ups in return for equity, payment, exposure and a added unique selling point for future business development.
What we have to offer is
• Unique product and market positioning around Ethics and values
• Ethical Economy book launching in Q4 this year by Columbia University which will position us as the market leader around values / actions via an Ethical Index
• Partnered with World Scouting Association (totaling 28 million)
• Partnered with Publicis
• Partnered with Tomorrows Company (leading UK think tank)
• Currently negotiating 2 other powerful partnerships one large communications agency and one world leader in Environmental Resource Management
• 3 key strategic areas for 20101. Responsible Investing
a. Wealth Management Group – We are in deep talks with about implementing our new values tools for values-based investing and tracking.
b. Foundations & Charities, align charitable values with investment values2. Responsible Management
a. World Economic Forum – The Forum for Young Global Leaders (YGLs) is introducing a global business oath
b. We have been selected by two Young Global Leaders from WEF and a Harvard Professor to deliver a tool to measure how much stakeholders trust CEOs to deliver long term value for all stakeholders. The goal is to have Fortune1000 CEOs on the system.
c. Stewardship – Our partner Tomorrow‟s Company has established a stewardship initiative with key institutional investors, e.g. Hermes, which aims at establish stewardship principles as part of governance structures. The group wants to apply our tool for ongoing measurement of how well the Boards/Management is living up to these principles.3. Responsible Action
a. Climate Commons Web Platform –This initiative has been established by us and our partner Tomorrow‟s Company as a result of a demand to create a climate „community of communities‟ Backed by the UK Sustainable Development Commision and Bill Becker how wrote the Presidential Climate Action plan for Obama.What are looking for ideally
• New website design and build
• Upgrade of value management tools
• Mobile applications
• User experience expertise
• Front and back end support
• A agency with adequate resources to be able to deliver large global projects as we achieve funding later in the yearI know of other projects that have successfully worked this approach with an agency and they have both benefited especially in the current situation the recession has placed companies in. Anyway any thoughts would be absolutely awesome!
- Kidswift0
Thanks but looking for peoples industry knowledge of agencies they may work for or may be aware of who have adopted this model
- Cool man. The project is big enough that I would suggest going straight to agencies.monospaced
- clearThoughts0
So you basically want a website done for free?
- Kidswift0
No we definitely don't, they will receive payment, equity and exposure to networks and projects they would otherwise not have a chance to be involved in. This is not a one off build a website this is to start an ongoing partnership just to be clear. Thanks
- stewdio0
This has disaster written all over it.
- Why? He's asking for a legit agency to tackle a large project. We do this ALL THE TIME.monospaced
- Kidswift0
why does looking for a partner to co-develop technology for specific projects with, as opposed to just entering into a client - agency relationship. Why should new approaches not be looked at in the current economic climate to achieve some mutual success?
- I am aware I have a can opener poised on the edge of metal shaped container housing wiggly wormsKidswift
- stewdio0
When I re-read your initial thread post and remove words like exposure, strategies, initiatives, partnership, powerful position, etc. there's nothing left. It's all fluff. Your "what we have to offer" pitch doesn't offer anything. I mean, if I was actually interested in any of these partnerships what would prevent me from contacting these people myself? I could call them up and say "Hey, you know that company that doesn't actually know how to do the Web / app things they're pitching to you? We actually know how to do those things. And we can do it for 1/2 the cost." But they don't sound interesting. Or at least they're suffering from the way you've presented them.
So get it out of your head that you're offering anything. Or that you'd like to "co-develop" something. The reality is that YOU desperately NEED someone to do the real thinking and developing for you. In this current economic climate I'm willing to bet small developers are hurting less than you are so I don't buy your "mutual success" argument either. There's a difference between
A. genuinely seeking new approaches and
B. floundering while trying to save face and take the economic upper-hand by asking to "partner" (ie. bend over) a technology company that doesn't actually need you. That's a sure way to disappoint your "partner", your clients, and yourself. I've seen this drama play out over and over. New characters, new settings, same result.
But you know, that's just my take on it. Maybe my views are in the minority. So best of luck. I wasn't going to rant, but you did ask me to explain my "disaster" comment and I can't hide my frustration every time my eyes come across a pitch like this.
- Kidswift0
Thanks for your feedback Stewdio and its not as though I posted this not expecting to get a rant back like this (all due respect). We have already done the thinking but yes need help with execution. We are in a interesting position where we are being invited into some amazing projects because we are working in sphere of making ethics tangible. We have the networks and strategy but yes need a partner to provide delivery. I don't want to go on as I feel like you may be seeing this along the same way as this pie chart guy. http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.ht… but did also want to get a sense of if people had embarked on a partnership like this in London where it had worked for both parties. I am also saying this from a standpoint that I have seen first hand proof of this working in LA with another company we are involved with. Cheers
- Kidswift0
Also thanks to monospaced yes we will be going to some the the larger agencies but thought a midrange one may be a nice fit cheers!
- thebottlerocket0
"but did also want to get a sense of if people had embarked on a partnership like this in London where it had worked for both parties".
They've been embarked upon and the majority of the time they play out exactly like Stewdio describes.
Inevitably there is an issue of trust involved, the development firm, typically, isn't made fully aware of the situation. There is usually something hidden, money or fees that are not disclosed, something that when revealed sours the relationship very quickly.
Or as it often happens the offer of equity is not sufficient in the end to compensate the work required. Scope expands (aided by the fact that its not really costing the design firm any money), etc and the partnership quickly turns into the development firm, effectively, doing all the work. Developing and implementing web software is complicated, difficult and time consuming...far more difficult than the knowledge part that proceeds it e.g. the design and strategy.
I am saying this not to take a dig at your project but to highlight the pitfalls as I have witnessed in the past. If you're going to engage with someone like that, and not knowing all the details, it could be a very fruitful partnership, honesty, integrity and a good dose of 'not taking the piss' goes a long way.
- Kidswift0
Believe me I am hardly so naive not to see where both thebottlerocket and stewdio are coming from. By the very nature of our company we have to act with complete integrity and transparency, reputation is absolutely everything to us. So I appreciate what your saying and wouldn't post on this site if for a moment I thought we were trying to dupe another party into working with us, that is never ever our style and would hardly engender a fruitful working relationship. I guess it says a lot that the majority of the feedback is negative so far based on people prior experience and such an offer should be met with some due diligence and trepidation yet in the same breath in both parties are explicit in their intent and it works I see it as a potentially great collaboration.
- RumperChunk0
we'd be happy to chat and mull over some ideas with you.. even if we can't help, we might be able to point you in the right direction..