First English: Stabilization and Release

First English

Taking over and completing an e learning platform that teaches English through real news (Dec 2024 to today)

Overview

In December 2024, the First English team came to Mobius to finish a platform started by a previous vendor. The budget was tight, so we proposed a practical path: start with a technical audit, stabilize what exists, fix the launch blockers, then ship a production release and move into maintenance. First English is an online learning platform that teaches English using daily news content as the core learning material.

Challenge

The project needed a careful takeover. The client required a clear picture of the current code quality, infrastructure risks, and security gaps before investing further. The platform had a large bug list and issues that prevented a confident launch, plus several security concerns that had to be addressed before onboarding serious customers. At the same time, we had to keep scope realistic to fit the available budget while still delivering a reliable release.

Discovery and plan

We started with an audit of the source code, infrastructure, and the existing feature set, then converted the findings into a prioritized plan. The first focus was stability and security, then performance and missing launch features. We also aligned the work into a short sprint plan so the client could see progress quickly and make decisions based on results.

How we worked

Mobius provided a dedicated team and worked in sprints with a clear weekly rhythm. Each sprint focused on closing the highest impact items from the bug list, validating fixes with QA, and releasing in controlled steps. After the public release, we switched into maintenance mode to keep the platform stable, handle small improvements, and support ongoing operations.

Solution delivered

Based on Mobius published project details, our work included improving the web experience with a more modern interface, smoother navigation, and faster load times, plus strengthening the backend to support new capabilities while preserving the real time news learning concept.
We also delivered a mobile version to expand access for learners and improve engagement, including features like offline lesson access, push notifications, and progress sync across devices.
The platform uses a modern SaaS stack including Laravel, MySQL, AWS, and Stripe.

Results

• The platform was released in 2025 and reached production readiness after the takeover and stabilization work
• The client secured several large customers after launch
• Mobius continues to support the product in maintenance mode to keep it stable and evolving

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