One Year In
November 2019 marks StrikingWeb's first anniversary. When we launched in November 2018, we had a clear vision but no clients, no portfolio, and no reputation. Today, twelve months later, we have delivered projects for clients across e-commerce, healthcare, and fintech, grown our team, and established a development process we are genuinely proud of.
This post is not a press release or a marketing exercise. It is an honest reflection on what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we have learned about building a web development company from scratch.
The Numbers
In our first year, we completed 14 client projects ranging from small WordPress sites to full-stack web applications. We worked with 11 different clients across 4 countries. Our team grew from 2 founders to a team of 6 full-time developers and designers. We wrote 11 blog posts (this is number 12), and our technical content brought in roughly 30 percent of our inbound leads.
We are not a venture-backed startup chasing hypergrowth. We are a bootstrapped agency that prioritizes sustainable growth and quality work over rapid scaling. Every project we took on was funded by revenue from the previous one.
What We Got Right
Saying No to Projects That Were Not a Good Fit
The hardest thing about starting a business is turning down work when your bank account says yes. In our first few months, we received inquiries for projects that did not align with our expertise — mobile game development, hardware prototyping, social media management. We turned them all down, even when we needed the revenue.
This discipline paid off. By focusing on web development, e-commerce, and cloud infrastructure, we built deep expertise that attracted more aligned clients. Our referral rate is significantly higher because clients recommend us for exactly the kind of work we do best.
Investing in Process Early
From day one, we established structured processes for project management, code review, deployment, and client communication. This felt like overhead when we were just two people, but as we grew to six, those processes became the foundation that kept quality consistent. Every project follows the same workflow: discovery, architecture, sprint planning, development with code review, testing, deployment, and handoff.
Writing Technical Content
Our blog started as an experiment. We wanted to share what we were learning and establish credibility. The results exceeded our expectations. Posts about WordPress performance optimization, Shopify development, and AWS infrastructure consistently brought in organic traffic and generated qualified leads. Content marketing is now a core part of our business development strategy.
What We Got Wrong
Underestimating Scope on Fixed-Price Projects
Our biggest financial mistakes came from underestimating the scope of fixed-price projects. On two occasions, we quoted projects based on initial conversations without thorough discovery. Both projects ended up taking significantly more hours than estimated, eating into our margins and causing unnecessary stress for the team.
We have since implemented a paid discovery phase for all projects over a certain size. This two-to-four week period allows us to fully understand the requirements, identify technical risks, and provide an accurate estimate. The discovery investment has virtually eliminated scope surprises.
Hiring Too Slowly
There were periods in our first year when the team was stretched thin, working evenings and weekends to meet deadlines. We should have started hiring sooner. The delay was partly caution (we wanted to be sure we could sustain the salaries) and partly the difficulty of finding developers who matched our quality standards.
Not Setting Boundaries on Communication
In our eagerness to provide excellent client service, we made ourselves available around the clock. Clients emailed at midnight and received responses within minutes. This was unsustainable and set unrealistic expectations. We now have clear communication hours and response time commitments that protect our team's wellbeing without compromising client satisfaction.
Key Lessons
- Quality compounds: Every well-executed project led to referrals and repeat business. Cutting corners to deliver faster would have cost us far more in the long run.
- Specialization beats generalization: Clients hire specialists, not generalists. Our focus on web development and e-commerce gave us credibility that a broader positioning never would have.
- Documentation is an investment: Internal documentation of our processes, architecture decisions, and coding standards made onboarding new team members dramatically faster.
- Remote work requires intentional culture: With team members in different cities, we had to deliberately create the connection and communication that happens naturally in a shared office.
- Cash flow management is as important as revenue: Fixed-price projects with milestone-based payments helped us maintain healthy cash flow from the start.
Looking Ahead to Year Two
As we enter our second year, we are focused on three priorities. First, we are deepening our expertise in cloud infrastructure and DevOps, building on the AWS and Docker work we have done this year. Second, we are investing in our e-commerce practice, particularly around Shopify Plus and custom WooCommerce solutions. Third, we are exploring blockchain development after the positive experience with our first smart contract project.
We are also planning to grow the team to ten people by mid-2020, adding specialists in mobile development and UI/UX design. This growth will allow us to take on larger, more complex projects while maintaining the quality standards that have defined our first year.
Starting a business is an exercise in learning by doing. No amount of planning prepares you for the reality of client work, team dynamics, and the daily decisions that shape your company's future. The key is to stay curious, stay honest about your mistakes, and keep building.
Thank You
To our clients who trusted a young company with their projects — thank you. To our team members who joined us in our first year and helped build something we are proud of — thank you. And to the developers and business owners who read our blog and share our content — thank you. Year two is going to be even better.