Earmark partnered with Disca to transition from a prototype MVP to a stable, scalable learning platform for accounting professionals. Disca led a complete technical replatform, implemented a quality control system, and supported the growth of Earmark’s development team. This collaboration allowed Earmark to focus on strategic growth while delivering a more reliable product experience.
Earmark is a scaling startup delivering audio-based continuing education to accounting professionals. Founded by CPA and entrepreneur Blake Oliver, the company makes it easy for users to earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits by listening to podcast-style content—anytime, anywhere.
After launching the MVP of the Earmark app with a single developer, the company faced limitations in team scalability, technical reliability, and long-term product development. The app had gained traction with early users, but Blake needed support to stabilize the platform, build a roadmap, and take the product to the next level without sacrificing control or quality.
The original app was built on Unity—an engine better suited for gaming—which created technical debt and limited growth potential. Blake lacked the technical oversight needed to grow a team or scale features. The existing development setup couldn’t support the high-quality, stable experience Earmark’s users expected as the company expanded.
After meeting at a local networking event, Blake selected Disca for their ability to combine high-level strategic thinking with hands-on technical leadership. Disca was responsive, collaborative, and flexible—working side-by-side with Earmark to rebuild the app, shape processes, and support internal hiring without inserting unnecessary barriers. Most importantly, they allowed Blake and his co-founder to stay involved in product direction while Disca handled the engineering execution with transparency and care.
Earmark engaged Disca under the Office of the CTO service model—leveraging technical leadership, hiring support, process design, and long-term planning. Disca provided day-to-day technical oversight while Earmark retained full ownership of development direction and development team management.
It was apparent that the MVP needed to be re-platformed. Disca led the redesign and rebuild of both the frontend and backend, transitioning away from Unity and setting the foundation for a scalable, stable system.
Disca helped design and integrate modern development processes which included a focus on tests and automation. These processes ensure less bugs, more reliable releases and a smooth user experience.
Emphasizing direct developer access, streamlined communication, and repeatable processes, allowed the engineering team to scale efficiently without compromising quality. Product strategy remains central, guiding feature delivery in every sprint and providing a solid foundation for continued growth.
With Disca’s support, Earmark successfully introduced many new features within the app, including a team subscription feature—a major milestone that expanded monetization options.
The system runs with nearly 100% uptime and delivers a seamless user experience across Apple and Google apps, as well as through any web browser.
In the past year, Earmark saw a 73% increase in users and a 96% increase in course completions—all without paid advertising.
Disca’s role as a strategic and technical partner helped Earmark transform from a prototype MVP into a fast-growing platform with a scalable system and user-loved features. With clear processes, direct team access, and a stable app, Earmark is now positioned for long-term growth.
Ready to try it out for yourself? Get started at earmarkcpe.com.
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