BDG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and inventor of a web and mobile-based emergency contact link system that allows a subscription membership. Using the system, any member that’s having an emergency can instantly ping all their emergency contacts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG?

In our market research, we haven’t found a system that functions like our product. So, we were asking them them help us flesh out its functionality and develop the final platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brandon (Owner) did a great job of helping come up with and answer a multitude of discovery questions when we were putting together the plans for development. They laid out various milestones that involved wireframes, verbiage, and development. 

The final product is a mobile and web-based application. They developed both of those components and played a role in helping with our website. However, I’m focusing on the website more closely with my marketing team. They’re continuing to host the app on their servers and were responsible for getting the app on the App Store and Google Play Store. 

What is the team composition?

Brandon has a team, but I worked directly with him throughout the duration of the project. I’m not sure how many people were on his team. 

How did you come to work with BDG?

When I was coming up with this idea, I attended a class on how to build a business plan. There, I started talking with a physician that built an impressive app surrounding EKGs. BDG had developed up, so I started looking into them.

We wanted to hire someone locally and were sold on their services during our initial conversations. They immediately understood my idea and the pathway toward launching the product. We started working with them in a limited capacity to test their skills but expanded the scope of their work as they continued to exceed my hopes and expectations. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since July 2019. While the apps launched in September 2020, they continue to send weekly updates on new members, make bug fixes, and host the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were our software experts, so they’re the reason that our product exists today. It’s still pretty early after our launch, so my marketing team is working on getting users onto the app. They ensured that they made the app as simple as possible for anybody to use. 

He met my requests. My friends that went through the sign-up process didn’t have a single question about how the platform works. That’s a testament to their team being able to create something usable.  

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

I always knew what to expect from them at each point of the project through their minestrone outline. They followed their timeline perfectly, although we delayed some tasks on our end a little. Whenever I send an email, they respond almost immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the start, they quickly grasped my goals and vision for the project. They’re great at providing constructive feedback and encouraging me to think about projects in different ways. Brandon’s willingness to conceptualize and bring a completely new solution to life is an astounding quality. Without his creativity, we wouldn’t have a product today. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to describe the full scope of your goals, and they’ll help you get there.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a company that launched a futures market for alcoholic beverages and restaurant specials. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG?

This was the first software development I’ve worked through, and they handled the development process from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started working with them on the initial planning and layout of the application. Then, they began building the software and website for the app. They launched it into the market once complete and continue making upgrades to this day.  

The final product is available in the App Store and on Google Play. It also includes a Google API integration that allows users to work with Google Maps through the app. They also integrated a QR code feature that lets users validate coupons or options in bars. They’re also responsible for hosting the database of records and coupons. We’re currently building out an analytics platform for both our team and restaurant owners involved with the app. 

What is the team composition?

We regularly interacted with about two of them, including Brandon (Owner). 

How did you come to work with BDG?

I’d met Brandon through networking in the Reno, Nevada area. We knew each other for about three years before I reached out to talk through my idea for the application. 

How much have you invested with them?

The scope was between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since August 2018. The apps were completed by around August 2019, and they continue to upgrade and maintain the solutions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to learn a lot about our customers and their behavior through the early iterations of our platform. At this point, we’re lean and able to pivot depending on what’s working and what isn’t. They were critical in helping us run beta testing and learn about consumer behavior.  

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always available and responsive through phone calls, emails, or text messages. We had a few last-minute change requests, and they’ve always accommodated us in those situations. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brandon is very entrepreneurial, getting involved with customer problems and creating the best possible solutions. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d suggest meeting them in person and choosing their team over some of their larger competitors. They’ll put a personal touch into their work and always make themselves available to talk with you.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is called Right Hearted Weddings, and we are a mobile platform that connects engaged couples with wedding planners. I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG?

BDG created our app and our website for us and all of the integrations between the two.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the mobile app for both iOS and Android, and then built the web platform to accompany it using HTML. The APIs allow users to log in and use the app on their phones, while vendors set up profiles and use the platform on the web version. I don’t have a background in tech, so they created everything from scratch.

What is the team composition?

They have a team of 4–5 people, at least 2–3 of whom have worked on our project.

How did you come to work with BDG?

I was referred to BDG by one of my mentors at a Reno-based startup incubator. They had worked with them for another app, so I knew the kind of quality they were able to produce and decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial development cost $50,000, and the updates and iterations we’ve done post-launch will bring that to about $55,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019 and launched the platform in January 2020, but we are still tweaking and fixing a few small aspects together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of data points, we have about 70–80 vendors signed up on the platform just since launching in January. I believe we have closer to 20–30 pilot users on the app, but that’s expected to go up once we start marketing the platform more seriously.

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been really great about project management. At the beginning of the process, we broke the whole thing down into seven different milestones and set timelines for each. They stuck to each of those timelines and delivered the final app exactly when I wanted it, so I was really impressed by that.

Communication was also really smooth throughout the process, so he was always available to talk any time I had questions. They kept me focused on the big picture of the development before focusing in on the tiny details as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing that I really appreciated was their ability to listen to what I wanted from the app, understand it, and then explain the entire tech component that would be necessary to make it happen in a way that I understood.

There were just so many different decisions that we had to make at the beginning of the process with different pros and cons in terms of cost and timeframe. Their ability to work through every step of the process with me was a huge part of what made the process so enjoyable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything that they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

One of the things that really helped me was having a very extensive product requirements document, to begin with. They were able to turn that into different milestones and outline them in the contract, and for someone without a background in tech that was a great starting point.

You don’t necessarily have to have that all figured out ahead of time, but it certainly helps you to hit the ground running a little bit more smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our business is Financially Fit Employees, and I'm the founder and CEO. We provide financial wellness services on behalf of companies for their employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG ?

We needed to take the interventions and services that we had built at an academic level and create them for the commercial market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BDG assisted us in the process of putting together software for our customers. They created a custom product for our two levels of clients. Our company clients sign up for the software service through the form of licenses and determine how many licenses they'd like to have. It's under constant improvement as users give us feedback for what they'd like to see.

What is the team composition?

We have two main points of contact, and we have a third contact that comes in and out as needed. One is very coding-heavy, one is an interpreter in terms of project requirements, and the other handles miscellaneous, yet critical tasks.

How did you come to work with BDG?

Originally, I had done some research on different companies in the area that had good success rates. I interview 12 different companies that provide this service and BDG stood out as being able to handle the task at hand. I also felt they could grow with us as far as the project term was concerned.

How much have you invested with them?    

We've invested $30,000 – $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to pivot as needed during our beta testing period, as to what was needed to shift gears and help us in real time. We're very pleased with the job they've done to this point and look forward to continued improvements and opportunities for the future.

We've only been live for three months now, and we already have five company clients and 150 members for the product. Because of the huge difference between academic testing versus real-life application, we were entirely unsure how long it would take to secure even one customer. We are extremely ecstatic that we've already been able to get on the map so quickly with several companies. Their reaction,  both from a company perspective in onboarding their employees and an individual employee perspective, has been overwhelmingly positive.

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

Our communication has been pretty open, and I've appreciated that because of the pivoting that needed to take place with each round of testing. We've had to utilize the software service in ways that we had never initially realized before. We were able to subdivide the work into sprints to work on each segment of the software individually. Sometimes Sprints had to bleed into each other, but it was great to have open communication about the work that needed to be done and the cost associated with that work.

The way they've been able to manage that and be excited about it has been refreshing and has made it seem like such a great match for our employees. We found in-person meetings to be exceptional. Communicating over the phone and email was great too, but the in-person meetings have been where we've been able to accomplish the most in the smallest amount of time, particularly if we're brainstorming future versions of the software. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their quality of service and communication was top notch. They've been able to help us take steps for the future to make the best product possible going forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Coming in as organized as possible with your ideas is something that made things smooth for us when we first began. It saved us the trouble of starting from square one with random ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Seat Amigo, an app that allows airline passengers to choose seatmates before their next flight.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG?

My company hired BDG to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My team provided BDG with a concept, and they developed our Progressive Web App (PWA) from scratch using PHP and Javascript. BDG provided a first take of the app given our concept, and they built the app out according to our specs.

The team did front- and backend development and graphics, and we collaborated on the UX. They do testing and provide backend office admin support.

What is the team composition?

Brandon (Owner, BDG) is directly involved. We also work with a graphics person and a 1–2-person coding team.

How did you come to work with BDG?

Although a lot of development work is done remotely, we wanted to find a local developer for ease of communication. My company interviewed developers in our area for about a month. We were looking for a developer with knowledge in certain areas. BDG had expertise in both native and PWA development. They were also skilled in web design, although we didn’t use them for that. They had all of the tools and met our requirements list.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in August 2018, and it’s ongoing.

We released version 1.0 in April and 2.0 in August 2019. We’re still doing updates and are currently planning 3.0. If you find success with a coder or developer, it naturally leads to ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

You’re never really done with app development, whether it’s making little tweaks or taking customer feedback, and BDG has done a great job. If you find success with a coder or developer, it naturally leads to ongoing work.

I’m involved in a couple of entrepreneur and mentor groups in the Reno area, and I’ve recommended BDG on several occasions.

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well in this regard. We set milestones. Once we got into alpha versions of the app and we could start testing, they reported bugs in Trello. Using Trello was new to me, and it’s been a great addition to the development process. It’s a good platform for collaborating and tracking bugs and edits.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BDG’s communication stands out. Unless you’re a much bigger company with a huge team and only need raw coding, participation is key. When we have an idea, we need input from BDG on things like graphics and best practices. One thing that distinguishes BDG is their knowledge and breadth of ability to be immersed in our project. They help us get the most out of the project, which is a difference-maker for me.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t experienced anything negative, but I know BDG has grown a lot since we became aware of them. Whenever a company takes on more clients and projects, it’s a challenge to stay true to the communication, effort, dedication, and quick response times that got them to this growth in the first place. Some small companies become overwhelmed when they grow, and then they don’t serve any clients well.

Any advice for potential customers?

When you’re looking to hire a developer, a key consideration is fit. Every organization needs to decide for themselves how much assistance or feedback they want from the developer. You should interview various developers and talk through your ideas; it’ll be clear if it’s a good fit, and certainly obvious if it’s a bad fit.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of PayBud, a rewards network that helps users earn rewards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDG?

We reached out to BDG to develop our website and mobile app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BDG designed and developed our website from scratch, as well as a mobile app for iOS and Android. Key features include geolocation, games within the app, and image uploading functionalities. 

How did you come to work with BDG?

I interviewed a few local companies that specialize in mobile app design and felt BDG presented themselves the best. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've probably invested about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since September 2017, and the project was completed within 16 months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website and app have been very well received by users thus far–they look and function very well.

How did BDG perform from a project management standpoint?

They've done a great job of managing a roadmap for completing the project, meeting our timeline goals along the way with minimal issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism sets them apart. They're very prompt and responsive whenever I need to reach them and work on tasks in a timely manner. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I'm very satisfied with the work they've provided thus far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly define project goals from the start, including a target timeline and budget.