Cheesecake Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a product analyst at Intelbras. We deliver products in the areas of security, telecommunications, and networks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cheesecake Labs?

We needed to develop management software for cloud-enabled devices.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a scalable product with a responsive design that could securely transfer data between a management system and other devices.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We solicited community contracts.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Cheesecake Labs developed an IoT communication architecture that utilizes an MQTT protocol to create a two-way messaging channel between a management system and our devices. All of their documentation is contained in a repository.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project management resource, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and an interface designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They delivered the final product, but we haven’t implemented it yet.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They followed an agile methodology linked to a Kanban scheduling system. Because they used GitHub to develop and manage the interface, we were able to follow their daily code reviews. Every delivery met our deadline and requirements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their organizational culture is excellent. Employees are free to define the best way to work, and the company is focused on maintaining a diverse team and being inclusive to minorities.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would have been helpful if they had handled integrating the software with our device firmware.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the e-commerce and digital marketing manager at Skyroam, a Wi-Fi hotspot manufacturer and service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We have an ongoing relationship with them; they provide maintenance, improvement, and optimization of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website is coded in Python, with a Wagtail CMS, a Snipcart e-commerce platform, Shopify, and supporting apps. They frequently provide guidance for integrations with other apps and platforms, including ShipStation, HubSpot, and other tools that have pixels, such as Facebook and other social media. We recently increased the team size to help increase our position in the global market by becoming multilingual and adding other compatible currencies.

What is the team composition?

We currently have a team of four, including one project manager and three developers. Previously, we had a team of two developers, but recently scaled up their involvement to help with the globalization effort.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

Our designer referred them to us. They seemed versatile and adept as full-stack developers. Every time we brought them a problem, they provided a well-reasoned, expert opinion and guidance to reach appropriate solutions.

How much have you invested with them?

Our monthly expenditure is between $25.000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in November 2017. They’re our only web development partner, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has allowed us to fulfill long held ambitions to provide a multi-currency, multilingual experience and penetrate into markets we’ve not been able to sell in. Thanks to the new platforms we use, we have launched a German UX and have access to the US, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, the UK, and other European markets. They’ve helped us scale globally and are a vital partner to our vision.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We use agile methodology and frequently use Jira and Atlassian products. Their project management is second to none. They set realistic expectations and estimates, and they help us meet deadlines and the demands of our business needs. Whenever we need them, they make themselves available for brainstorming, technical issues, and any other tasks we want help with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strength is their broader view of strategic solutions. Instead of simply getting the project done, they help find the best way to accomplish tasks and find alternatives to consider. They go the extra mile and are fully invested in our company. It’s great to consider them as part of our team and much more than a partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are a wonderful company. My only hope is for them to bring in more team members. This is a company that deserves to grow and bring in more clients. They deliver top-notch service and guidance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications coordinator for For Freedoms, a nonprofit that consists of a collective of artists, art institutions, and Americans who care about being more involved in the art community across the US and Puerto Rico.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We engaged Cheesecake Labs to help us build a digital platform for our users, allowing them to showcase profiles and events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs designed and developed our website from scratch, using technologies that included Django, Python, Heroku, and HTML. They incorporated features that allow artists to create profiles and post events so that visitors could have access to information from the art community throughout the country.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with two people on development and a project manager, but they've had up to eight staff working on our project at any given time depending on the stage.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They were highly recommended to us by someone who had worked with them on a similar project. We were impressed by the sites they'd built in the past compared to any of the other vendors we'd considered, so we decided to give them a shot.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since April 2018, and the majority of the production wrapped up in May or June. But the relationship is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cheesecake Labs helped us effectively communicate our message for the first time. We've already had 300 events and 200 institution profiles uploaded, so the website has given us a platform for showcasing a lot of information. Users have provided a lot positive feedback regarding its overall design and user friendly features as well.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

It's been an easy experience thus far considering the complexity of our needs. We have weekly meetings to go over deadlines and milestones, and they manage project tasks through TeamGantt. They've been very communicative throughout the engagement. They're also supportive and set realistic deadlines, which they either meet or exceed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've created a beautiful website. Any time a bug or issue pops up, they're incredibly quick to fix them. We're very grateful for what they've been able to achieve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I don't have any complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a Design Manager for a platform that provides organizational culture and recruiting solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We needed help to build a mobile app for the B2C market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a mobile app for Android and iOS. They used sketch design programs and prototyping programs like Envision. As for the development, they collaborated with us on ATI architecture, but they’re acting more as a consultant.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two designers, two developers, and the CEO.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They were on the top of the Clutch results so we felt like we could trust them.

How much have you invested in them?

The design costed $14,187.

What is the status of this engagement?

worked with them from February until June 2018. We’ve finished the design section and are now co-developing the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve only delivered the app’s design, but they’ve been punctual with deadlines and gave us a very competitive price. In terms of impact, it’s too early to know since we haven’t launched the app yet. However, we’ve tested the app and shown our stakeholders it’s exceed our quality expectations.

How did Cheesecake labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re very happy working with them because they’re always very organized and formal. They’re very clear on communication issues. We used Slack to communicate and Google Hangouts and Zoom for meetings to discuss progress. They’ve met every deadline and I can tell that they’re a really organized agency that is clear an open with their communications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The design quality is great. Sometimes, we assume that good talent is only abroad, but they’ve shown us Silicon Valley-level quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They always let us know when there’s going to be a schedule change. I have noticed that they have a lot of clients and that we’ve had to move around their workload. We didn’t have any issues with that because they were clear and would let us know in advance, but, in the future, they could consider balancing that load better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general director of Marangoni. We operate in the metalworking industry to offer solutions for electrical transformers and road safety. With the skills and flexibility to develop complex projects, our team of specialists are leaders of the global market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

One of our departments had the idea to create a payment platform that utilized facial recognition technology. We contracted Cheesecake Labs to develop the platform’s software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our developers have the knowledge required to build facial recognition technology, but we needed a scalable platform that could support exponential growth. Cheesecake Labs helped us design a proof of concept (POC) and are currently developing the Python-based platform.

Users will interact with the final product through an Android app. Businesses will be able to take photos of customers when they make purchases. The charge will show up on the user’s mobile app as an approval request. The user accepts the charge and the payment is made. We plan on creating an iOS version in the future.

What is the team composition?

There are currently 5–6 developers from Cheesecake Labs working on the project. Some are developing the backend infrastructure while others are building the Android app. A project manager is our primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They were recommended to me by a colleague who hired them to develop intricate medical software. He indicated that they did good work, so we hired them. We also liked that they’re an American company as we’re always looking to make new connections.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost will likely reach $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We contracted them in April 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cheesecake Labs delivered our first POC for the project. They’ve kept to the development schedule and haven’t gone over budget. They’re professional and always on time. It’s been a smooth process and we’re excited to see the platform grow.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via Slack and hold a weekly video conference with them. This approach has worked out great so far. Their project manager puts the team to work and keeps them focused on the task at hand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cheesecake Labs are proper partners and we expect to work with them in the future. They’re a great company all-around.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re conservative regarding software development, whereas they’re pushing to release the initial version of the platform as soon as possible. I prefer a slower process that ensures we have time to get the details right. This is more of a difference of opinion than a negative.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Inwage, a blockchain technical and marketing advisory service. Our initial customers are in the realm of initial coin offerings (ICO). I lead project management and other business details.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We needed help developing the non-blockchain components of a software solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our client wanted to perform an ICO, so we built a website, smart contracts, security reviews, and security use cases. Cheesecake Labs built the website and the designs that the rest of the project was based on. We integrated admin features, user sign-up processes such as multifactor authentication, and a payment processor. Cheesecake Labs helped build the KYC module structure and made the system privately, so we could customize it for future projects.

What is the team composition?

We work with the project manager and a developer. At one point, we had up to three developers.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

We vetted a handful of an affiliated company’s dev customers based on their previous transaction histories. Cheesecake Labs was one of the top customers in the program, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in November 2017, and the work is ongoing. We recently finished the first ICO project and are working on customizable solutions for other customers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our security specialist reviewed their work and liked the team. Our first ICO project was a huge success, raising $50 million. Cheesecake Labs made that possible.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and provide good project management. Deadlines sometimes get delayed due to unforeseen bugs, but that’s expected in any dev project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a friendly team that’s enjoyable to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO at  Forca App. We’ve built a platform that can be accessed by two apps. One app for the consumer, which is someone looking to better their overall health and fitness; one for the trainer. We tie these two together from the innovative marketplace where trainers sell their plan and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

Victor’s knowledge from working with Uber on their two sided platform really gave us some insight on one of our biggest challenges: How do we handle the trainer client relationship in a manner that is user friendly for both parties.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a mobile app for both iOS and Android.

What is the team dynamic?

We’ve had upwards of 8–10 people who worked on the project.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

We went to the Consumer Electronics Show last year to demonstrate our beta version. During the event we met the people from Cheesecake. At the time we were not satisfied with our current progress, so we discussed starting over with Cheesecake and ultimately scrapped the first app we had.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $250,000+

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since March 2017. We're looking to finish by February or March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we are still under development I cannot really give concrete examples of their impact. However, I will say, they went the extra mile during the design phase which led us to a funding round bigger and easier than expected.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily use Slack for communication and Trello for task management. During the design phase we used InVision for feedback. Using these tools has made the open scope project much easier to manage.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and willingness to work with us. We are based out of Texas and Cheesecake out of the country, so going in, the time difference was a big concern for us. This has never been an issue. They are always available. Most important, if one of their estimate is off they make it right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We are a small team and aren’t up-to-date on the latest and best solutions in development. It would be nice to have someone on the Cheesecake team suggest the best tools for us to take advantage of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure the project is fully understood from start. You can’t sit face-to-face with them, so changes during the design or development phase will be more difficult and costly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company called Fishbit. We focus on hardware and software solutions for smart aquariums. Our hardware measures water pH, salinity and temperature, and automates different systems like lights, heaters, and pumps, all based on the water data that’s collected. Our devices are all powered by native iOS and Android apps. We were based in San Francisco while working with Cheesecake Labs, and are now based in Chicago. We have three fulltime staff, but the number goes up and down depending on current needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We hired them to help us with our apps. We’re a small team, and needed to build an Android version from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs built our Android app and fulfilled some needs on the iOS side, which had only existed as a base version until that point. They’ve added significantly to it. We provided designs for the Android app, which they added to during the development process. We handled the backend internally, so most of their work focused on mobile development.

What is the team composition?

We had a fulltime iOS developer, a fulltime Android developer, and a part-time designer. Victor Oliveira [CEO, Cheesecake Labs] came in intermittently as well. There were also developers on their team performing code reviews, although we weren’t working directly with them. We have a team of developers, and were able to perform our own reviews as well.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They were recommended by colleagues in the Chicago startup community. We interviewed a several different agencies, and based on the recommendations we got and the quality of Cheesecake Labs’ past work, we felt that they would be the best value for our money. The quality/cost ratio and speed of work were amazing.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $25,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked through a significant portion of 2015 into the beginning of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Having an app for Android was crucial to our business, and they created a great product. The work was done quickly, and the team hit all timelines and delivered the project earlier than expected. Agencies have an incentive not to do this and ask for more work, so we were happy to see Cheesecake Labs hit the numbers they quoted.

On top of this, they contributed to our iOS team very effectively. We’re a small group, so being able to bring them up to speed on our backend quickly and to have them understand things right away was extremely helpful. The quality of work was great, and they felt like a part of the team. It’s been a wonderful relationship, which we plan to continue as our business needs grow.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly catch-up calls, and they were brought into our Slack channels for daily communication. We were able to review the work internally, but Cheesecake Labs also had their own developers reviewing the code, just to make sure things were going smoothly. It was nice to see their developers asking legitimate questions, which sometimes led to substantive changes. I’ve seen processes in which code reviews are more of a formality, but they seemed to take it very seriously.

In terms of deadlines, I was shocked to see them hit every one within the shorter end of the range. We had a 25% buffer on tasks, given that it’s typical for agencies to request more work, but they were right within range.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They became a part of our team right away, and as our needs grew, they had our backs and were able to could handle anything we threw at them. They were legitimately interested in the project, made a lot of suggestions, and were a valuable addition to our team. They changed the way that we think about our business. We no longer think of how many people we want to hire internally, but rather where can Cheesecake Labs come in and supplement our team. When we needed a couple of extra people, they could supply them. We’re a team of developers ourselves, and we’ve been happy with their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re planning to continue working with them, and there’s very little we would change. Cheesecake Labs was given free reign with the code and we were comfortable with it, since we could watch over everything.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Everyone works their own way, and one of the things we liked about Cheesecake was that they could adapt to our own protocols. We had weekly meetings, and talked to them all the time via Slack. Victor has visited us in the U.S. at one point, and we’ve been appreciative about the overall collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re the co-founders and CEO/COO of OneAvenue.TV.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We originally were a very large website and had thousands of pieces of content that we created, which mainly were reviews of music artists. We had a lot of traffic, but we didn't have any way to know our fans and to steer them to a platform where they could see all their favorite artists’ social activity—videos, music, performance dates—in one place. We were struggling to figure out how to stay up to date with what these artists were doing.

We realized that fans had the same problem, having to cut across probably six or seven social networks to learn what a celebrity was doing. We thought it would be cool if we could put everything in one place and give our celebrities profiles for their fans to follow them.

Our business challenge was to get something like that built and grow the number of celebrities that work with us. We needed a platform to do it and that's what we hired Cheesecake Labs to do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs uses a full stack: PostgreSQL as a database, Django as the CMS [content management system], CocoaPods as a framework, Python on the backend, and Docker as a container strategy. It's all hosted on Amazon Web Services. The frontend is React.js for our web version and Swift for our iOS version. For analytics, they use Kibana, and they got us ready for Google Analytics.

What is the team dynamic?

The number of people working with us has varied. We've been working with them for over a year, so it's been as high as five or six people involved at one point and as low as one part-time resource when we don't need as much development.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

We found them through a connection. At that time, we were looking for a development shop and vetted nine different vendors around the world. We had about 10 factors based on which we would make a decision, and created a big table and looked at all these factors to decide who to use. In the end, we evaluated companies from Ukraine, China, India, Pakistan, Italy, France, and Uruguay, and we ultimately decided on Cheesecake Labs in Brazil.

As we looked at various development shops, we noticed if they had built any cool consumer-facing apps that seemed successful. However, a lot of the companies we talked to hadn't done anything consumer-facing. Also, we liked Cheesecake because they’re nearshore—only four hours ahead—so we can have meetings with them whenever we want.

The quality of their developers was another reason for choosing them. They’re very current in the technologies that we cared about whereas some of the other firms weren't. They also have a great project manager instead of a sales manager between us and them.

Also, they're cooler and younger, so they fit the demographic we're going after and they use really modern tools. At one point, we also got to meet our product manager in person—he flew into San Francisco to see us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in June 2016 and it's an ongoing collaboration. We have a very aggressive product roadmap; we talk to them and they implement stuff weekly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got discovered by SXSW [South by Southwest], which is one of the most innovative startups and were also featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and got discovered on Crunchbase as well. We have relationships with multiple celebrities and we've worked with some major music festivals.

When people look at the work, they're not just going to read our stuff, they look at the app too, and we've got almost all five-star reviews on the App Store.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Slack and Trello with us and speak fluent English, so there isn't a lot of confusion. They run on an hourly basis with us, so it's important to have good communication. We share designs back and forth and they comment on them, allowing us to adjust stuff if they're giving us good ideas. They're pretty good with deadlines too, but it's software development after all.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If we run into delays, they own it and make it up to us. We were expecting to have the Spotify feature ready and they underestimated the time it would take. It was a week of extra work and they didn’t charge us for it.

If there's a problem, they make it right. We've built trust with them and as we don't have our own internal development shop, we're relying on these guys to deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication can always be improved on. Some of these features that we're building are pretty sophisticated, and sometimes it seems like they're doing a piece of it for the first time. There aren't a lot of apps like ours, though.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the CEO of a tech startup developing a mobile app for the food-tech and health-tech spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We needed to develop our mobile platform.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Cheesecake Labs is providing native-iOS development using Objective-C and Swift. There are three developers on our project.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

I've worked with Latin American developers over the last couple of years, and had good experiences with Brazilian companies. I found Cheesecake Labs through a Google search, and had a good conversation with their CEO.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cheesecake Labs in September 2016. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have a 92% crash-free environment in our App Store product, with thousands of users on the public beta platform.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily use Trello for project management, and communicate through Slack. We don't have an Agile system in place because I prefer not to. Communication is excellent. We keep in constant touch with the development team for eight or even ten hours a day over Slack.

What distinguishes Cheesecake Labs from other providers?

The first key strength is that Cheesecake Labs has perfect English language proficiency. There is no gap in communication, which is unique for offshore development, in my opinion. Cheesecake Labs is a highly-intuitive group which comes to every single decision with multiple scenarios of how they would like to potentially solve them intuitively, and based off of best practices. Thirdly, the code is very clean, well-written and lean. There's rarely an issue with our ability to understand it and jump back in for adjustments. Lastly, Cheesecake Labs has a very high-quality code-review process before submitting work. To me, this is another sign of professional maturity.

Is there anything Cheesecake Labs could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything.