Last week was biiiig for Dev, in. We went viral and learnt some seriously big lessons… so let’s not waste any time and jump right in. Splash.

In this issue, you’ll find:

• We built an app for the UFC.

• We went viral on threads with 1.2m impressions and how we did it.

• Why most agencies are a mess.

• Last week, a Client Made us Question Everything.

So grab your favourite beverage, take a moment for yourself, and dive into what we've been up to lately. We hope you'll find something valuable to take away for your own projects and endeavours.

We built the UFC Fight Pass app

Sometimes, the most unexpected opportunities come when you put yourself and your work out there.

As both a Software development and marketing agency, we are passionate about putting our work out there and have never been shy to share our learnings and secrets with others.

And on that occasion, it led to this… Building the Fight Pass App for the UFC.

It was the perfect opportunity for us to blend two of our most favourite passions, combat sports and building slick mobile apps.

The UFC fight pass app has grown to an incredible daily active user base (Over 1 million users for title fights).

The biggest problem we had to solve was the latency issue: “How do you live stream to so many people at once?” It also needed to be blazingly fast… Like 0.05 seconds fast.

Suffice to say, we managed, and the same tech has now been white-labelled and is used in WWE, PBR and other major sporting associations.

And it all started because we decided to put ourselves out there to the world, meet new people and faces, involve ourselves in development and business communities and share our knowledge.

The tool that made us go viral - Thread Boy

Last week marked a significant milestone for our us as we achieved an incredible 1.2 million impressions on Threads. This remarkable reach wasn't just luck - it was powered by Thread Boy, the innovative YouTube-to-text conversion tool created by our very own, Axel Hunter.

Thread Boy has proven to be a game-changer in our content strategy, enabling us to repurpose our YouTube videos into engaging written content that resonates with audiences across X, Threads, and LinkedIn. The platform's algorithm-friendly features helped our posts gain traction quickly, ultimately leading to this viral moment.

We've always believed in creating quality content that adds value, and Thread Boy simply helps us maximise the return on content we've already spent hours creating.

By transforming video content into optimised text formats for different social platforms, we're able to reach new audiences without additional production time.

This viral success validates our approach and demonstrates the potential of Thread Boy as an essential tool for anyone looking to efficiently repurpose and distribute their video content. As we continue to refine our strategy, we're excited to share more insights on the journey of Thread Boy and how it can help content creators work smarter, not harder.

Have you tried Thread Boy yet? We'd love to hear about your experience!

Whether you've had success repurposing your YouTube content across social platforms or have suggestions for new features, your insights help us make Thread Boy even better.

Every piece of feedback helps us refine our tool and we really appreciate you taking your time reply to this newsletter with your thoughts. 👇

Why most agencies are a mess - and how we are breaking the mold.

The digital agency world is broken. Projects blow past budgets. Deadlines vanish into thin air. And clients walk away with products barely resembling what they asked for.

Sound familiar?

At Dev, in. we're building something different.

Ever wonder why so many digital projects crash and burn? We did too. Here's what's happening behind the scenes:

Teams talk past each other. Designers, developers, and managers operate in separate universes, playing an expensive game of telephone with your requirements.

Projects expand endlessly. Without clear boundaries, "just one more feature" multiplies until your simple website becomes a never-ending saga.

Technical corners get cut. Rushed code becomes tomorrow's expensive problems, creating products that need constant fixing.

Hours matter more than results. Traditional billing rewards agencies for time spent—not what they actually deliver.

Our recent wins—building a cutting-edge app for the UFC and generating 1.5 million impressions on Threads—weren't accidents. They came from deliberately breaking industry norms:

We demolished the silos. Our small, cross-functional teams collaborate from day one. Everyone understands the entire project, not just their piece.

We killed the billable hour. Our outcome-based pricing aligns our success with yours. We win when you win—not when we drag things out.

We build for the long haul. With development expertise at our core, we create solutions that scale without constant patching.

We show our work. Our project management gives you real-time visibility into everything. No more mysterious delays or surprise issues.

The UFC app we delivered? On time. On budget. Seamless functionality for millions of users.

Our content strategy powered by our founder's Thread Boy tool doesn't just build digital products—it connects them with real audiences.

We're not interested in fancy offices and disappointed clients. We're building a lean, results-driven team focused on technical excellence and straight talk.

As more businesses discover the hidden costs of chaotic agencies, our transparent approach is making us the partner of choice for organizations that value substance over style.

Interested? Let’s talk 👇

Last week, a client made us question everything

After 18 years of running my agency, we experienced something last week that genuinely rattled me. A client interaction left us questioning our processes, communication skills, and professional worth – and I want to share it because we rarely discuss these vulnerable moments in our industry.

A client messaged me about the website I'd built for his business.

Despite already delivering well beyond our original agreement and completing substantial extra work, he was upset that product descriptions and images weren't included – something clearly outside our original scope (we typically expect clients to write copy and provide their own images).

When I pointed this out, his response stung: "Amazing, so we have a website without text and pics..."

I was frustrated...

I even arranged for my team to add these elements as a favor (we've known each other for some time), yet instead of appreciation, I received continued pushback about what should have been included.

The exchange ended with him flatly stating, "We don't share the same opinion," leaving me frustrated and questioning myself.

Despite handling hundreds of client relationships over nearly two decades, this relatively minor disagreement affected me deeply. I found myself replaying the conversation at 3 AM and second-guessing my worth.

What we have learned

1. Experience doesn't eliminate feelings. No matter how seasoned you are, feeling undervalued still hurts.

2. Scope creep happens to everyone. Even with the clearest communication, some clients will always expect more.

3. Friendship complicates business. When clients are also friends, professional boundaries blur quickly.

4. Documentation remains your ally. Clear records of agreements provide solid ground to stand on.

5. Sometimes, you need to part ways. If a relationship consistently undermines your confidence, it might be time to move on.

I'm sharing this because I suspect I'm not alone. Our industry celebrates wins but rarely acknowledges the emotional toll of agency life.

When was the last time a client made you question yourself? I'd love to hear your stories – perhaps we can all feel a little less alone in these moments.

We really appreciate your opinion

Speak soon!
The Dev, in. team

Axel & Nadia