Ninety developers. And Lazer still builds on Reactiv.

The partner

Commerce experts with the muscle to go fully custom.

Lazer Technologies has designed solutions that have scaled recognizable brands, including Alo Yoga, OVO, and MeUndies, from zero to $200M in revenue in some cases. The Toronto-based studio has built some of the best websites in commerce for over 350 clients across crypto, fintech, health tech, and ecommerce. That expertise made for a natural partnership with Reactiv, but the key characteristic Lazer looks for in a partner is purpose.

“Working with people who genuinely care about solving problems is the most important thing. Reactiv just really injects that fun and curiosity back into building tech that people care about.”

Jahmal Gittens, Director of Growth, Lazer Technologies

The philosophy

Influencing revenue beats driving it.

As mobile apps evolve, giving customers a reason to download another app is crucial. Shoppers don’t want to be bombarded with notifications to buy now. The best apps create an experience worth returning to; Reactiv builds for that interactivity, letting brands engage customers meaningfully.

“We can build applications that matter and that have impact besides just trying to drive revenue. Of course, that’s the end goal, but I think influencing revenue is way more important than driving revenue.”

Jahmal GittensDirector of Growth, Lazer Technologies

Driving revenue is transactional: customers either buy or don’t, and no relationship gets built. For Lazer, great commerce experiences are value-driven. “Influencing revenue is providing value, and in providing that value, you create something that the customer can give back,” Jahmal says. “I’d rather somebody come back to me because they trust that we’re great thought leaders or that we’ll do a great job.”

The decision

Why not just build it themselves?

With over 90 elite developers, Lazer could build a mobile app from scratch. The appeal of the platform comes down to where clients actually get stuck. Two scenarios come up again and again:

1. Broken custom builds Custom development offers everything upfront but is hard to maintain. After a few years, small problems become large issues: a broken app, a frustrated merchant, and developers picking up pieces with limited insight.
2. Restrictive drag-and-drop apps Out-of-the-box solutions work but can’t be modified, or only expensively. Custom components bolted onto a template blueprint eventually break, leading right back to square one.

“The sweet spot is having that duality of, ‘We can give you the sandbox to build what you need, and customize further if desired.’ Reactiv is this perfect middle ground to get something you want but also change it to build it in the exact way that you need to run your business.”

Jahmal Gittens, Director of Growth, Lazer Technologies

Reactiv offers flexibility that drag-and-drop editors can’t, without the resources fully custom development demands. For Lazer, the value is the time and effort saved on R&D: “Their APIs are great. We want to build the best tech possible and Reactiv isn’t anything that’s going to slow us down.”

The proof

Med School Bro: studying, gamified.

Together, Lazer and Reactiv built a unique mobile experience for Med School Bro, the influencer brand selling study flashcards and guides to pre-med and medical students. The app embeds gamification like daily quizzes and weekly trivia, so students learn something in 30 seconds and come back tomorrow. Value first, conversion later: “I’ve learned something, and now I’m ready to buy a course from them.”

Read the full Med School Bro story

The long haul

A partnership, not a two-way street.

Lazer’s feedback shapes the Reactiv product, and what Reactiv builds shapes what Lazer can offer next: components discovered on one build become solutions for future clients. As Lazer moves upmarket, shipped case studies become proof of concept. “This works and we can replicate it for you, and customize it however you need for your brand.”

“I look at Reactiv as something that we can use long-term. For us, I think it’s going to be table stakes.”

Jahmal Gittens, Director of Growth, Lazer Technologies