Client's Testimonial

Developers.dev was the engineering partner we needed to get to market. Their Moodle POD was faster and more effective than any team we could have hired locally. They built our core product, enabled our subscription model, and gave us the technical foundation to secure our Series A funding. They are, without a doubt, a key reason for our success.

David Chen, Co-Founder & CTO

Client Overview

A venture-backed EdTech startup, "SkillUp, Inc.", aimed to disrupt the professional skills market with a subscription-based platform offering high-quality video courses. They had a great concept and content but lacked the in-house engineering team to build a robust, commercial-grade platform quickly.

Problem

The startup needed to launch a feature-rich, scalable, and monetizable eLearning platform on an aggressive timeline and with limited funding. Building from scratch was too slow, and a standard Moodle install lacked the commercial features and user experience they needed to compete.

Key Challenges

Speed to Market:

Needed to launch an MVP within 4 months to secure the next round of funding.

Monetization:

Required a seamless subscription model with recurring billing and different access tiers.

User Experience (UX):

The default Moodle UX was considered too "academic" and clunky for their target audience of modern professionals.

Scalability:

The platform had to be built to handle rapid user growth post-launch without performance degradation.

Our Solution

We proposed a "Staff Augmentation POD" model to act as their dedicated engineering team, using Moodle as a flexible and cost-effective foundation.

Custom Theme & UX Overhaul

Our UI/UX Design Studio created a sleek, modern, and highly intuitive theme that completely transformed the Moodle interface into a consumer-grade product experience.

Subscription & eCommerce Engine

We developed a custom plugin that integrated tightly with Stripe to manage recurring subscriptions, user enrollments, and "course bundle" purchases.

Performance Architecture

We deployed the platform on AWS using a scalable architecture (EC2, RDS, S3 for content) and implemented Redis for caching to ensure lightning-fast performance from day one.

Video Streaming Integration

We integrated with a secure video hosting provider (Vimeo) to protect their premium video content while providing a seamless streaming experience within the Moodle courses.

Implementation and Execution

Dedicated POD

We assigned a POD of 1 Senior Moodle Dev, 1 Front-End Dev, and 1 part-time QA.

Direct Collaboration

The POD integrated directly into the client's Slack and Jira, functioning like an in-house team.

Agile MVP Development

We focused ruthlessly on the core features needed for the MVP, delivering a functional product in just under 4 months.

API-First Approach

We built custom APIs to allow for future mobile app development.

Continuous Deployment

We set up a CI/CD pipeline to push updates and new features to production several times a week.

Post-Launch Scaling

After the successful launch, the team scaled up to add more features like a social forum and a certificate generator.

Positive Outcome

Successful MVP Launch

The platform launched on time and on budget, directly leading to a successful $5M Series A funding round.

Achieved Product-Market Fit

The custom UX and seamless payment flow resulted in a 25% higher conversion rate from free trial to paid subscription than projected.

Scaled to 50,000 Users

The AWS architecture we designed scaled flawlessly as they grew from zero to 50,000 active users in the first year.

Technical Independence

We provided full documentation and IP transfer, giving them a valuable, in-house technical asset.

Why Choose Us

POD Model

Provided the exact talent mix they needed, flexibly.

Startup Velocity

We matched their pace and understood the urgency.

Full-Stack Capability

We handled everything from backend (PHP) to frontend (JS/CSS) to cloud (AWS).

Commercial Mindset

We understood how to build for monetization, not just for learning.

Ecosystem of Experts

Our UI/UX team's contribution was a key differentiator.

Cost-Effectiveness

Delivered a world-class team for the cost of a single US-based engineer.

IP Ownership

They owned the valuable custom code that became their competitive moat.

Scalability Focus

We built for their future success, not just their immediate needs.

Risk-Free Trial

The 2-week trial gave them full confidence before committing.

Conclusion

By choosing Developers.dev's POD model, SkillUp, Inc. bypassed the slow and expensive process of building an in-house team. They leveraged our Moodle expertise to build a commercially successful platform at startup speed, turning a flexible open-source tool into the engine of a multi-million dollar business.

From MVP to Market Leader: Powering an EdTech Startup's Growth with a Scalable Moodle Backend

Industry EdTech (Professional Skills Development)