In this case study, we had the opportunity of interviewing Swen Linde, the managing director of WeFadeToGrey GmbH, to explore their extraordinary 15-year journey with farmerswife. We were curious to learn about how their business has evolved and thrived over time. So, we asked Swen how long they have been running and the transformations they have encountered in their business.
Our journey began in 2008, marking 15 years of growth and progress. With a humble start of just two people, our team has now grown to 20, reflecting the increasing demand for our projects and services. Our journey began as pioneers in the digital DI industry, specialising in cutting-edge camera formats like the Red and the Alexa. Our mission was clear: to create a seamless workflow for these revolutionary digital cinema cameras. This strategic decision proved immensely successful, paving the way for our remarkable growth and achievements.
Now, let’s move on to the next question: How did you operate before integrating farmerswife into your business?
We were quick to integrate farmerswife into our company almost from the beginning, as I had previous experience with the software while working as a freelancer before starting my own business. So, when the opportunity came up to use it in my own company, the decision was an easy one. Being involved in the development of the product from an early stage, I knew the potential it had. This familiarity made it seamless to incorporate farmerswife into our workflow when we established our own company.
One of the challenges we hacked was that we needed to adapt our workflows to fit the world of farmerswife. In the early days, the software was primarily developed for short-term and commercial work, while our focus was on long-form movies. This posed a significant challenge as we had to figure out how to make farmerswife work seamlessly with our long-format projects. However, thanks to the continuous development and updates of the software, this situation has improved over time. It required a bit of a learning curve, but now it’s much easier to set up and use farmerswife for our specific needs.
What sets farmerswife apart is its incredible level of customization. This allowed me to explore different avenues and find the perfect fit for my original ideas. As the software continued to evolve, I was provided with even more tools to enhance and maintain my unique workflow in farmerswife. I never had to compromise or change my approach. It’s truly remarkable how the development of the software aligned so seamlessly with my vision.
Throughout our 15-year journey with farmerswife, I have never felt the need to change my workflow. As our company has expanded, our workflow has remained consistent and effective. The way farmerswife operates is so seamless and efficient that there is simply no reason to make any changes.
Moving on to the next question, let’s explore how farmerswife is utilised in your business. How does it fit into your workflow?
Well, farmerswife is an integral part of our operations, serving a multitude of purposes. We rely on it for scheduling, generating quotations, managing invoicing, and crucially, budgeting. Budgeting plays a vital role in our work, and farmerswife provides us with the necessary tools to handle it efficiently. Additionally, we use farmerswife as a central hub for all our resources, including rental services for certain items. Its capabilities allow for the seamless management of complex bookings for large-scale projects, making it an invaluable asset in our toolkit.
As for the achievements and return on investment using farmerswife, it’s safe to say that there are no viable alternatives on the market. While there may be other tools like Xytech that seem adequate, the fact remains that a tool like farmerswife is a necessity. When considering the cost and return on investment, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgement. However, it’s evident that having a tool like farmerswife is absolutely essential for the success of our business. The pricing is reasonable, and the balance between our annual expenditure and the initial installation cost of farmerswife remains acceptable.
SUPPORT
Moving on to the final question, let’s explore the onboarding process and working with the farmerswife support team.
Their exceptional German-fluent support team made communication a breeze. During the onboarding process, I took the initiative to work through it myself and came up with some ideas to discuss with Mirja. She was very interested and helpful with my ideas and had never thought about using farmerswife in that way before. It became a collaborative game of ping pong, where we discovered some great ideas and some that didn’t quite fit. Mirja was there to help me navigate through the process. Although it wasn’t a traditional onboarding process, it was highly effective.
When I first started using farmerswife, it looked completely different from what it is now. Over the years, there have been numerous developments and customizations that have enhanced the software even further. This meant that I didn’t have to ask as many questions because I could often find the answers myself or explore alternative solutions. It was important for me to dive deep into the software and truly understand its capabilities. While there may be functions I haven’t fully utilised, I believe that nobody uses farmerswife in its entirety. It’s a software with an abundance of options and flexibility, allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs.
Overall, I am highly satisfied with farmerswife. Of course, there are always minor challenges that arise, but I have found workarounds for them. It’s a software that may have a different usability compared to modern HTML-based applications, which are more familiar to younger generations. However, the onboarding process for our team is straightforward.
About
Founded in 2008, WeFadeToGrey is a vibrant post-production company that specializes in bringing images to life. They offer a wide range of services, including dailies, color grading, and mastering, with a commitment to delivering exceptional results. Their fearless attitude towards innovation and willingness to embrace unconventional methods sets them apart, pushing the boundaries of creativity in their pursuit of the perfect workflow.
