ChopDawg.com

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a premier dating app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

We needed a partner to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re doing everything from conception to development to launch. To save money, we’re creating a multi-platform app. The platform will be hosted on AWS.

What is the team composition?

So far, I’ve only worked with four designers. Now that we’re about to about to start development, we’re going to meet the engineering team.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I used Clutch to review top-rated agencies.  I read through their reviews and met with a few developers. Several other developers responded with cut and paste solutions. I chose ChopDawg.com because they provide an all-hands approach. They act more like a partner than an agency. They seemed very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about our project. I also liked that they provided a fixed-cost.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget is about $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2019 and they're still working on the project. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re halfway through the project, and the project has gone well so far. We have a lot of momentum moving forward. I appreciate that ChopDawg.com takes the project as seriously as I do. They’re fully invested in the project.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

Going into the project, they provided a detailed timeline complete with milestones. Now we’re on schedule and on budget. To communicate and manage the project, they used Confluence and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re meticulous and detail-oriented. We spent nearly a year discussing the project before we even signed the contract. That just demonstrates how invested they were in producing what I needed. They understood my situation and invested a lot of time with me before the project began.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was interested in adding gamification to the app, but the team didn’t seem to have experience in gaming.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1 (Co-Founder): My colleague and I are developing a fitness product that’s yet to be named.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

R1: When we originally came to ChopDawg.com, we had an idea for a social fitness app but didn’t have the experience to execute the development. We needed a company that would be detailed and supportive enough to help us build everything from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

R1: ChopDawg.com is developing a social-focused platform for fitness enthusiasts. With the app, users will be able to upload workouts, take classes with instructors, and share fitness and nutrition-related tips. 

Respondent 2 (Co-Founder): We first came to them with a full app development proposal but realized that we should start with a prototype. Their team was helpful in renegotiating our proposal to start out with the prototype and design elements so that we could take things one step at a time. Currently, they’re working to build out the wireframes and high-fidelity designs.

What is the team composition? 

R2: Our initial talks have been with Joshua (CEO). Then, we’ve worked with one of his team members to write our proposal to make sure that they understood everything that we wanted in our app. We wanted them to have a holistic view of our long-term goals.

Now, we’re working with a smaller team on the prototyping. It’s a UI designer and a support resource who organizes the account.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

R1: We searched online for app developers, looking for companies that had created fitness apps in the past and that could give us advice on how to best set up our solution. From there, it was a matter of reaching out to a few app developers with our concept.

R2: We felt that ChopDawg.com was definitely the most responsive and supportive. Before signing the contract, we had 4–5 calls where we presented our idea and workshopped it to create a proposal for each part of the app. They asked the right questions to get us thinking about things we hadn’t thought about and seemed more involved. That’s why we chose to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

R1: The project has cost between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

R1: We signed the prototype proposal in September 2020 and are now working with a smaller team to fulfill it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R1: From the proposal process to the prototyping, ChopDawg.com has been a team player. 
 They’ve really developed our solution into something more than just an idea. So far, we’ve been working with them closely on the design to ensure that the product measures up to what we’ve envisioned. 

R2: I’d also add that they’re flexible in incorporating our feedback as well as coming back with suggestions for features that they think we should include or how things should be laid out. That’s been helpful in terms of making sure we don’t miss anything that might be crucial to our app.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

R2: We communicate with the designer and team organizer on Slack, and there’s a larger chat with Joshua and some of the more corporate-level people. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

R2: ChopDawg.com is definitely looking out for their clients. They make sure that we’re thinking through everything and have been supportive in developing our ideas into a tangible product.

R1: No, we’ve been happy with our experience so far. It feels like we’re working with a team that cares about our ideas as much as we do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

R2: The one area that was slightly lacking was the transition from the proposal to the prototype development. We didn't feel like there was really a sense of urgency even though we wanted to hit the ground running. But, after about two weeks, things started to pick up and have been going smoothly since. They’ve provided clear and achievable deadlines. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of CRBO. We’re a car rental startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

We engaged ChopDawg to develop our app and website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ChopDawg is working on both the design and development of the app, which is compatible with iOS and Android. They’ve provided UX/UI services as well as API integration.

What is the team composition?

There are probably around seven or eight people working on the project.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I found them through Google. I looked at several other companies as well to get a feel for the market, and I chose ChopDawg because of their background and what they had to offer. We did a conference call and they presented a 180-page layout, which was very impressive. It showed they really understood our concept.

How much have you invested with them?

The project will probably run around $200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re in the process of collecting investments, so it’s nice to have an actual product to show our investors. I appreciate that ChopDawg has given me a backdoor to be able to see the development of the app and interact with it. It shows our investors that we’re moving forward. 

On top of that, I really like the team. They’re very knowledgeable in what they do. Everything is lining up.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet weekly, which is instrumental in making sure the app functions how we want it to when it’s time to launch. We’ve never had any problems with deadlines. We’re not planning to launch until 2021, and right now, we’re right on point.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ChopDawg is functioning as they should. They’re always on time with conference calls, and everything is precise and concise. I really appreciate the work they’re doing. If I ever need another app designed, I’ll definitely go to ChopDawg. They’ll also be staying on board for any type of challenges we may have after we launch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. Everything has fallen into place the way it should.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that develops software with algorithms that analyze healthcare system data to optimize the deployment of nursing resources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

We needed to provide healthcare systems with software that helps them make the best use of their resources. Our solutions need to offer the data and insights about their nurses, so organizations can match nurses with patients to deploy staff optimally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with the ideation process, where they helped us with documentation and strategy surrounding the future development of our software products. Then, we went through the front-end development process, aiming to create an MVP. 

After we laid the groundwork for development and determined a contract that suited our situation, their team focused their energy on the build of the software. 

What is the team composition?

I worked most closely with a project manager and a lead software developer. There were two project managers staffed to our project prior to the one we have now.  

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

We found them by Google searching for the best software development firms. They looked like they had the experience and capabilities we were looking for. I reached out to him to discuss the development of this software, and he provided me with plenty of insights.

They were available and willing to provide documentation early on, as I sought out funding. I appreciated that they were willing to meet with me and collaborate before having us sign a contract with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000 on the first project.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the first contract from April–September 2020. Now, we’re working on finalizing another contract for another software development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People have been impressed with the software, praising the overall design. The nurses appreciate the solution and received it well. 

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re generous and gratuitous with their time, willing to collaborate on ideas before they’re ready to go into development. We communicated over email and InVision. 

There were some issues accessing InVision, so we plan to switch to Figma for our next contact. Additionally, there were occasional issues with accessing Google Meets. To adapt to those issues, they started facilitating meetings through Zoom. Communication issues were minor, and they always addressed problems. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They respond quickly and are willing to make time for us. We appreciate their enthusiasm and high level of knowledge in the design and development space. They have the resources to answer all of our questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We changed the project manager three times, and disruptions were minimal. However, it would’ve been nice to have some more consistency there. Their contracts tend to be pretty long, including information that doesn’t seem relevant to me, but that’s a minor issue. I understand that contracts need to be detail-oriented, but it would be nice if there was another way to illustrate contracts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Alpha Paw, an e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

We were looking to build a mobile app that users could shop and consume content on.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an iOS and Android application. They also used InVision, which let us view the design as they worked on it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

We looked online for a mobile app developer and found Clutch. I read several reviews and interviewed 10–12 companies before selecting ChopDawg.com.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is really good. I’ve worked with a lot of developers in the past, but the ChopDawg.com team stands out. Their team tries to sync with us and come up with new ideas. It’s truly a collaboration between our team and theirs.  

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

I like that they work on Slack so it’s very easy for us to talk with their team. They respond almost immediately, whereas if we used email, it would take about a day to get a response. We also meet with them weekly to go over updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The design is really strong. I also liked their resourcefulness, communication, and ability to meet deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with the app and I plan to keep working with them in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the found and CEO of the MyOutdoors. We’re building what's essentially a social media app for outdoorsmen and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. It will feature classified and retail sections.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

I needed an agency to develop the MyOutdoors app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, I talked with Josh (CEO) and Arie (Director of Account Relationships) about my ideas and best practices for building the app. ChopDawg then started developing my product.

Their team’s developing my app from start to finish. They created high-fidelity wireframes. Now, their team’s working on the backend administrative elements of the app. They’re building it for both iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

I’ve spoken with 6–7 people from ChopDawg.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I read online reviews and found ChopDawg through Clutch. We then contacted them and discussed our development needs.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $115,000 in their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking in July, but the development started in August 2020. Their team’s still working on the project, and the app’s set to launch in January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From my first conversation with Josh and Arie, the engagement has been fantastic. Since then, I’ve worked with many other team members from ChopDawg. Everyone I’ve talked with has been fantastic. They have a first-class operation. I’m pleased with the quality of their work and communication. Their attention to detail is also top-notch.  

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication’s fantastic. I can talk to them via phone, text, email, or Zoom. We have multiple touchpoints every week when they provide updates. It’s an interactive process, which I like. Their team hits every deadline, so the project’s on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team’s willing to make edits and excels in customer relations. They’re helping bring my vision to life. Their teams helping to bring my ideas together and make the product flow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re doing a fantastic job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking to develop an app.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the founding managers of a startup. We’re trying to develop an app for the construction industry. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

Our goal was to develop a scheduling app for construction workers. We developed a very basic app on our own, but wanted to develop several other features as well. We brought on ChopDawg.com to help develop everything we wanted to accomplish.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We just finished up the prototyping phase and are hoping to move on to the coding phase next.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with Joshua (CEO) and Arie (Director of Account Relationships).

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

We found them through a Google search. We looked into a couple of different mobile app developers and found ChopDawg.com. We met with Joshua, and he described the company and the culture.

We had a better connection with Joshua and Arie than any other providers, and we were able to nail down the scope. We were really comfortable and they provided really good advice.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May and we finished the first phase in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We love the final prototype and are very excited about how it came out. We didn’t realize how much design work goes into the project before we even started coding. The designer and project manager we worked with are clearly very capable.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

We met with our project manager and designer on a weekly basis. Our project manager followed up with us after each meeting and was very responsive to requests or questions we had. They used InVision to share updates to the prototype, which made it easy for us to review their work. Overall, it was a positive experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When we met them initially, we felt really comfortable working with them. They were easier to work with than other providers we talked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything to critique.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Vault Personal Storage, a technology-driven personal storage company. We pick up our customers’ items, take them back to our warehouse, itemize them, and take high-resolution photos of them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

We partnered with them for the design phase of our frontend user application for our warehouse.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ChopDawg.com designed our website, including the landing page and homepage. They also designed a quote feature and the web app. The team used InVision to load in the pages and create a functional prototype. They also designed my logo.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with two teammates, as well as Josh (CEO).

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I was looking for a company that had experience working with early-stage startups. I wanted someone who could bring my vision to life. I spoke to 10 different companies because the design phase can be quite expensive if you choose larger, multinational companies.

Those companies were uninterested in early-stage startups because they want big companies with big budgets. I also wanted someone who did great work and was professional, and ChopDawg.com checked all of those boxes. They were excited about bringing the idea to life. 

How much have you invested with them?

I paid $10,000. Their normal price is $15,000, but when I started speaking to Josh, it was the start of the lockdown and everyone was uncertain about everything. So, ChopDawg.com was able to give me a better deal, which I appreciated.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May 2020, and we just closed out the design phase at the end of October 2020. As far as the next phase, they’re the front runners for actually building out the website, so I plan on moving forward with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As far as my expectations going in and what they delivered, ChopDawg.com exceeded my expectations. I wanted an asset that I could take to investors to raise capital, and they did that. The fact that I was able to get the website and application design makes it easier to explain the vision to folks.

The people I’ve shown have been blown away by it. It was money well spent. The companies I spoke to would’ve only delivered half of what ChopDawg.com did based on what I spent. That was the advantage of going with a smaller company that understood the pain and struggle of getting a business off the ground.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

As far as deadlines, they were on top of it. It could’ve been done faster, but it was my fault that it wasn’t because this isn’t my main job at the moment. ChopDawg.com was very understanding of my priorities and was flexible in terms of working around my schedule. 

They were clear about how much time it was going to take to get done, and we had weekly meetings where we would review what we planned to design in the next weekly sprint. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Something that stood out to me was their energy and passion for the project. ChopDawg.com did a great job of keeping my energized, which I didn’t expect, and they allowed me to brainstorm with them. 

The creative collaboration was great. I was open to their ideas and they were open to mine. That’s the reason I went with them in the first place and it’s not common, especially given the price I paid. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. For the amount I paid them, I don’t think I could’ve expected anything more. As far as the cost compared to the value I received, they exceeded my expectations across the board.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive VP for a footwear company. I run every aspect of the brand from marketing to product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

I put together an exclusive dance-focused deal with other footwear companies. We’re trying to think of out of the box ways to market the brand with the authenticity of LA culture in the ’80s and ’90s. We wanted to market it with an authentic retro dance app to engage members.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re still working on non-functional prototypes. They’re using Figma to build the prototype, and then we will move into phase two to build out the technologies.

What is the team composition?

The team has consistently comprised of two people — Child (UI/UX Designer) and Betty (Project Manager). Josh (CEO) has been involved at a high-level since day one.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I interviewed about 25 companies that built apps, and from day one, ChopDawg.com was my number one choice. I really believe in Josh and what they’re doing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2020 and our project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The prototype is great. The internal team works directly with ChopDawg.com, and everyone is pleased with how it is turning out. We’re very excited.

Their concepts and ideas are great. Nowadays, we have to think outside the box, and that’s what they think as well. We hope to develop something unique and different from anything else on the market.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been incredible. Things come up on either our side or theirs, but they’ve been really responsive. I can go to Josh at any point and ask questions, even at a high-level. The designers are also very accessible and can get things done quickly as well.

Timelines are also super important, and they’ve delivered exactly on time. We’re ahead of our project timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve gone above and beyond. They’re readily available to help in every aspect of the business. To me, it’s all foreign and brand new, but they’ve definitely supported me through this process.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this point, nothing stands out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m adviser to the CEO at Innovative Vending Solutions. We operate three concepts or brands, the first of which is our Relax & Recharge massage chairs. We’re the largest operator of commercial massage chairs in North America. We also have a presence in Israel and Puerto Rico, and we’re moving into Europe. Those chairs are in high-traffic areas like shopping centers, travel centers, and family entertainment areas.

Our second brand is what we call Zoomaroo, which are kids’ rides that operate in malls. This is a new concept for us, and we’ve been expanding over the last two years. Our third line of products is called iZen, an e-commerce site of home massage products. We’ve taken our expertise in operating commercial massage chairs in public spaces and bought about a dozen best-of-class products for home and small office use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

I found ChopDawg when I was looking at domestic companies that do mobile app development in the great Philadelphia area.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ChopDawg proposed design through development. We selected them for design and prototyping. We had another strategic partner that we’d already committed to doing the actual mobile app development with.

We had done extensive work on our scope and requirements, but Josh’s (CEO) work in terms of his proposal and statement of work (SOW) process was very thorough and complete. That created the framework for us to go through the design high-fidelities and nonfunctional prototyping simplistically. 

They did most of the work in InVision. They made a platform change to another tool toward the end for the working prototype. I can’t remember the name of that tool, but they converted all of the work into that tool for the flows.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 people on the project, including the CEO, a project manager, and designers.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

We went through a qualification process. I had about half a dozen organizations that I knew or had worked with in some fashion on the project we were doing; in fact, ChopDawg was the only company that came in cold. I was just very impressed with their process, the tools that they used, and the way they articulated their value.

They were more expensive for this step or phase than others that we were considering, but we selected them because of the high quality of the effort that they put in throughout the process.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Through the quoting process, it’s been about six months. From the time they were selected from when they delivered their final deliverable was close to four months. They scoped out and expected it to be two months, but that wasn’t a delay on their part; it was more us narrowing and refining our requirements.

We’re still working together. They’re staying involved in an advisory role as we work through the development and integration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got a high-quality product that we’re very satisfied with.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a very good job from a project management perspective. They had project management separate from design, and they were always responsive whenever I asked them to participate in any meetings. There are 4–5 different pieces to this mobile app, and we’re doing something that nobody’s ever done before. ChopDawg had to engage with other organizations and provide directions. They were and continue to be an extraordinary member of the team.

They used a standardized template and process for scoping and quoting. I thought that was a best-in-class tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ChopDawg is responsive and does quality work. They’ve encouraged us to be forward-thinking and have helped us push the limit. They were very encouraging and supportive throughout the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was very happy with the result.