Thought&Function

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager for a business development team within a government-owned railroad company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thought&Function?

We were trying to attract investors and raise third-party funding for a railway, but we didn’t have a good way to track our customer relationships. We approached Thought&Function to undertake a feasibility study for a new CRM system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They tried to understand what we needed in order to build a bespoke application that suits our business.

To propose a proper solution, they had interviews with end-users. Using this information, they evaluated what type of CRM we should use and what tools we would need within that system.

From there they determined what would be implemented first and outlined details like what would be needed in an MVP. They planned to create a customer database that would interface with our current system. This system would help us gather continuous feedback.

What is the team composition?

I had a consistent correspondence with three people: Stephanie (Product Manager, Thought&Function), who ran interviews, James(Co-Founder, Thought&Function), and Joel (Co-Founder, Thought&Function).  

How did you come to work with Thought&Function?

I approached them to gather some input on what tactics we could implement.

How much have you invested with them?

They were happy to take on our project pro-bono until we hammered out the details for the project. We worked together on the premise that we would have hired them if we liked their plan.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June–August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We were extremely happy with their work because they caught on quickly to the problem we wanted to address. Unfortunately, several government departments were looking into developing a CRM. Rather than hire several contractors, we were instructed to put the project on hold.

How did Thought&Function perform from a project management standpoint?

At first, we communicated over the phone or email. Then we had a regular catch up and they came to the office a few times. Then they presented their proposal to us a few weeks later. They planned to work in two-week sprints to get something up and running very quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thought&Function’s approach was very personalized, while other agencies tried to sell us off-the-shelf solutions. They wanted to understand what our business’ pain points were in order to address them. Thought&Function, on the other hand, implemented our feedback so we knew that we were getting what we needed.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a little slow to get back to us about pricing. Of course, it was a bespoke project so they had to estimate what it would cost. It still wasn’t ridiculously slow, but other companies got back to us instantly because they gave us quotes for cookie-cutter solutions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Group CTO for Doctorlink, a healthtech company building a digital health and wellbeing platform currently serving global clients such as the NHS in the UK (covering 10M+ patients) and some of the largest players in healthcare in the US. I oversee the Product, Engineering and Data teams here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Thought&Function?

The team at Thought & Function has been fundamental to Doctorlink's success in the healthtech space, helping with some of the most complex platform architecture challenges, but also being responsible for much of the build of our NHS app and associated services.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal on this project was to become the lead supplier of Primary Care online consultations for the NHS which we have already achieved, as well as having a positive impact on reducing demand on GP practices through intelligent symptom assessments.

The project is well on track to not only achieve these but we are already moving onto other areas in order to continue our success.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Thought & Function were selected because they impressed us with their depth of knowledge and skill.

They have a couple of operating models, and we chose to use their augmentation model, where they embedded themselves into our engineering organisation and quickly become part of the team. This allows us to not only benefit from the great quality of their output, but also for our staff to benefit from working with such a talented group of people.

Describe the project in detail.

The Doctorlink NHS App allows patients of participating GP surgeries to check their symptoms when they or someone close to them are feeling unwell. Using a clinically designed set of algorithms via a chatbot interface, the patient answers a set of questions and the system arrives at a conclusion.

Many times this conclusion might be that the patients can look after themselves at home or by going to the pharmacy. This greatly reduces the number of unnecessary appointments with GPs.

If the conclusion of the algorithm is that the patient needs an appointment, the app provides a live selection of appointments available, either via face to face, video or voice. This completely eliminates calling the surgery and being put on hold only to find out that appointments are no longer available.

There are other ancillary functionalities such as obtaining fit notes which is a legal requirement in the UK for people who have been off work for a while, as well as obtaining repeat prescriptions when they are due for renewal all via the app without visiting your doctor.

Plenty more features are under development and Thought & Function are leading that work for us.

What was the team composition?

The shape of the team has changed over the years, but we have had up to 4 T&F team members embedded within our multiple streams of work with about 16 engineers, 3 PMs and several designers working toward achieving this goal. Since some of the T&F team members were the most experienced, they have occupied leading positions throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The app was started from scratch sometime last year, and is now in full flow, covering over 10M patients in the UK (and growing!) and with great results in terms of managing demand at GP Surgeries, with as many as 22% of potential appointments being diverted away from GP services, to either homecare, pharmacy or other non-GP services.

The Doctorlink NHS app is now the leading application in this space in the UK and as new features get added to the system, our footprint and patient coverage will continue to grow.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since we followed the team augmentation paradigm, the integration of T&F within our teams was seamless and as I indicated before, their expertise warranted for some of their team members to become technical leads of some of the work streams.

Therefore the integration was absolute and as far as we are concerned there is no difference or impact on the workflow across the teams, other than the increased level of skill and added performance.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their depth of knowledge and passion for our project is something that you rarely see on external companies coming to help an existing business. They are great people to work with, are very honest and up-front, and always have the best interest of the project at heart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I just wish there were more people of their caliber available, sometimes if you need to grow quickly but do it with high quality talent, it's difficult to find any more. T&F seem to have found the right balance of staff, and it would be a shame to dilute that by growing too quickly.

Having said that, they can have remote resource supporting the on-site team and always managed by their people, which means that the quality of the deliverables is guaranteed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm head of product at a vegan food delivery service, based in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thought & Function?

Just for context, I've only been working here for six months, so I can't exactly speak to what the original challenge was, but I can infer that we reached out to Thought and Function because we didn't have an actual internal development team of our own at the time. We wanted to build bespoke pages that weren't just running on Shopify, which was the platform we were using up until that point.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The primary thing we built with Thought & Function was our new checkout on Shopify. Shopify's built-in functionality wasn't always the perfect solution for us. It worked well enough and got it to a pretty good job. As we've gotten bigger, and had more and more customer needs arise, they helped us optimize the checkout to better suit us.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Thought & Function?

Their owner and our CEO have known each other for quite some time.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested approximately £60,000–£90,000 GBP ( approximately $78,000 –117,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They've helped immensely to look at which analytics we have for our checkout were working. They set up the analytics and helped us track how the experiments are doing and helped us iterate from there. Right now, the impact they've had more than anything with those experiments, they've done a great job in helping us learn what we shouldn’t build, and conversely what we should invest in.

How did Thought & Function perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very communicative with when they'll be out of the office. For example, once when our main point of contact needed to take a holiday, he communicated well ahead of time and arranged someone to cover him while he was out. They've also been great at adhering to deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What's unique about Thought & Function is how they really feel like a part of our team. We work with another agency, specifically for our Shopify development, and the relationship is just not the same. Thought & Function teammates are at our weekly planning meeting, team events, and we've worked from each other offices. It feels like they're a part of the team like I haven't felt with any other agency before. If we have a deadline, I know they'll work and hustle to get us there. They're very reliable and incredibly friendly, and they're all really easy to work with. Thought & Function is knowledgeable, and they've helped make our decisions in a way that other agencies would expect us to just make the decisions. They've been proactive and helpful at every stage of the way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally some of the people on their team need more supervision. Not our main point of contact, per se, but the other members of his team seem to need more guidance, especially when he's away on holiday. There have also been times where things have been scalable where they didn't need to be. In some ways, that's helpful, where they see issues before they come up, but in other ways, sometimes their work comes prematurely. Overall, it's gotten better as we've evolved the way we manage our own backlog. Now things are a lot more streamlined and developers aren't trying to fix things that haven't been completed yet.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What I found to be helpful is spending a significant amount of time in each other's offices. It helps a lot to spend time with the people you work closely with. If you want to have a close relationship, it's important to make the journey physically; it yields amazing results. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder and CEO of Carbonex. We operate in the environmental social governance sector with a focus on renewable energy investment, the development of a carbon credit exchange platform and crowd funding environmental projects.

With the increased public interest in climate change I felt that now was the right time to build a platform to make a positive difference.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thought&Function?

We needed a partner that would be able to deliver a blockchain-based DApp, design a responsive website and create an effective market place platform. Thought&Function was the only company we found that delivered to the level that we needed and through the process spent time integrating with our company and to understand our vision which has resulted in a tailored solution to solving our core challenges.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Thought&Function's involvement at the formative stage of development meant we did not waste time, resources and, most importantly, built using the right tech.

Design and development were broken down into several main phases. The first phase involved the development of the public-facing consumer site and then through the development of the ICO site. Phase two was the development of the DApp and the platform to fund renewable energy projects. Through an iterative process they were integral in creating our brand guidelines which include the company name and design.

What is the team composition?

James (Co-Founder, Thought&Function) was our single point of contact throughout the project and he ensured we operated with responsive teams to accommodate key deadlines which meant at certain points we had 4–5 people working on our design, development and features.

Working in collaboration with Thought&Function has been an extremely rewarding process as they have applied innovative solutions and concepts which have helped to grow Carbonex. They have been an essential partner in what my business has accomplished.

How did you come to work with Thought&Function?

 Throughout my career I have worked with a lot of entrepreneurs and startups with Thought&Function recommended to me by several colleagues whose opinions I trust.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid close to $50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our project is ongoing, but they’ve been invaluable. They’ve completed the initial MVP and are evaluating the next stages of the project. We wouldn’t have been able to deliver on time or in-budget without their help.

Their team was able to provide unbiased insight into how we could improve our business and how to utilize the resources that were available. Their knowledge has helped me avoid significant costs and achieve a great ROI.

One of the biggest challenges we expect to face going forward is scaling without fragmenting the blockchain. Nevertheless, we plan to continue working with them.

How did Thought&Function perform from a project management standpoint?

They were adaptive, effective, and most importantly, flexible in relation to resolving issues as they came up. Whenever I wanted to showcase our platform for an investor meeting, they delivered on time. They were in constant contact with me, and I was always able to get feedback. The size of our team fluctuated based on our needs, which allowed us to finish the project quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve worked with a significant number of startups and are able to provide excellent business advice. Their business acumen, expertise in various different techniques and languages, has been essential to how we have delivered the platform and how we have got to this stage.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In all honesty, they've delivered in every area that we've needed, and have often over- performed, given the tight timeframe.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having them available at the formative stages of the project was essential. They added a huge amount of value.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a fintech challenger bank with a mobile banking platform. We have an app that customers can download to open accounts, spend, deposit, and withdraw money. We also allow users to treat cryptocurrencies like any other foreign currency, and we have a portfolio of investment products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Thought&Function?

We collaborated with them through various stages of our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I first started at the company, I worked with their interim CTO. He helped us coordinate with a development agency and evaluate potential outsourced CTOs for us. As we moved further into a collaboration with them, they built websites and incorporated an open banking feature into our application. They integrated SMS providers into the platform, and they were always available for strategic conversations from both product and technical perspectives.

The mobile application is built on Cordoba, and they've helped with various needs within the app. They also work in .NET, C#, and Microsoft Azure cloud services.

What is the team composition?

We work with one main point of contact, but we also interact with one of their co-founders.

How did you come to work with Thought&Function?

I believe we discovered them through word of mouth, but I'm not completely sure how we found them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined the company just as they were coming aboard. That was in June or July 2018. They still provide consultative work, and we go to them whenever we need their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They delivered some crucial pieces of work within severe time constraints. They did very well, and we're very happy with their work. As a startup, we experiment and pivot quite a lot. The work they do is instrumental to our process, and they really help us with our exploration.

How did Thought&Function perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Trello for the more complicated pieces, but we keep in touch mostly through Slack. We're in the same building, so it's easy to meet in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their standards are always professional, and the quality of their work is excellent. If they understand the brief, they just get on with things. If they don't, they come back quickly and ask questions. They're very easy to work with, and our process is well-aligned with ours. They pick up on our subconscious needs very quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would love more discounts, but there's nothing else they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can't think of any specific advice beyond being open and honest with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Barcada

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Partner ecosystem that focuses on partner influence attribution. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Thought&Function to accomplish?

• Build prototype for our MVP

SOLUTION

How did you find Thought&Function?

Online Search

Why did you select Thought&Function over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Thought&Function were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Build wireframes and then design the prototype. The deliverables included all the wireframes for each page in scope and four user flows that represents the prototype that can be used for demo purposes. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Progress was measured through how many pages were done and meeting all of the four user flows as prototype. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project was delayed almost a month but all items in scope was completed and their CEO is very genuine about helping my company get funding. 

What was your primary form of communication with Thought&Function?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They just don't deliver design and software but they know where and how to help a startup get up and running fast. They're a great company to work with, especially during stealth mode. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Thought&Function could have done differently?

They can do a better job at managing the timeline for a project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Splash Renewable Tech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Splash builds an EV charger sharing platform, enabling homeowners to share EV chargers and make earnings when they are not used.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Thought&Function to accomplish?

• Create a demo version of our app

SOLUTION

How did you find Thought&Function?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select Thought&Function over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Thought&Function were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Create full user journey of the app and corresponding UI designs. 
• Build out some prioritised features such as the dashboard, map and register an EV charger.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• 50+ UI frames were created to fully map out the user journey of the app. 
• Basic functions such as intro, sign up, log in and view chargers on map were built.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Highly professional project management, T&F always plan the development sprints and resources in detail before committing. Items were delivered on time and swift responses were provided whenever we needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Thought&Function?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The team had good insights into launching the app and gaining traction.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Thought&Function could have done differently?

No