ClearSummit

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a SaaS company in the fintech area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

We hired them to help us with frontend development work for several products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ClearSummit provides us with frontend custom software development for multiple products using React. Some tasks include creating UI code for existing products, while others are related to new ones. We provide designs and prototypes, and they provide guidance, consulting, and architecture. The team has been involved in tasks from developing requirements to building the code to testing, and soon they’ll help us deploy multiple solutions. 

What is the team composition?

I work with a team of software developers. 

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

Our CTO found them on Clutch. We chose ClearSummit because they were very knowledgeable about frontend development and seemed like they had experience. One of our requirements for hiring them was interviewing each engineer before they were assigned to the project. They were very flexible and provided outstanding candidates, which was another reason we went with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $250,000–$300,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ClearSummit has been a really big help for us. We had tried other companies in the past and had had challenges with the developers' quality and turnover. Meanwhile, ClearSummit has provided outstanding resources that have been consistent all the way through. Moreover, the quality of their work has been outstanding. 

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been very timely, and the velocity of their work has been really good. We mostly communicate through Zoom, Slack, and Jira. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

ClearSummit's distinguishing factors are the engagement of their management team, the quality of their talent, and their ability to retain that talent. They're professional, knowledgeable, prompt, and capable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing, they're absolutely outstanding.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Enjoy your time with ClearSummit because they're great to work with!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product at Frequency Machine, a content startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

We needed quality engineering services. We were starting at zero and needed someone to hand off many engineering responsibilities to get us started quickly and reliably.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re producing a mobile app. It has a backend server API side, and we’re working with ClearSummit every day. Initially, the deliverable we were looking for was less denied, but we had a good sense of what we were going for. We’ve continuously worked with them, checking in, tracking, and ensuring that we’re going in a good direction.

In summary, ClearSummit helps us produce an MVP of the mobile app. We’re using React Native as the core technology, and the backend is done on Django.

What is the team composition?

We work with a single engineer, but we’re also in contact with their head of sales.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

We found them through a reference; someone that I used to work with recommended them. We had a strong sense of confidence that we’d move quickly and competently with them because they had solid experience and proficiency in this type of application development. Instead of starting at the zero-yard line, we started at the 30-yard line right from the get-go.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t gotten feedback on this app from anyone other than our core team. Nonetheless, we’ve been very happy with the quality of their work. We’re thrilled with the level of expertise of the engineer they’ve staffed on the project. He’s a good individual, and we get along well. Also, he has excellent tradeoffs value, understands the need for speed in feature development, and we both have a concern for resiliency and things being constructed well.

Overall, we’ve been impressed. They work quickly to get to solutions, but there’s stuff we’d love to improve upon too. Some pretty broad spots aren’t well tested when it comes to our mobile app, but we’re aware of that — we’ve discussed the strategy to work with it. Additionally, one of the things we’re producing is a chat application, and there’s a lot of complexity that goes into that. There’s not sufficient testing for it yet, and it’s not entirely clear how the data will flow through the code. However, it has nothing to do with them, and we’re working as fast as we can.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily standup meetings that become longer pairing, working sessions. It’s a chance for us to check and work together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For the rate we’re paying, the quality of their engineer is outstanding. Also, one of the great things about working with them is that they give us all the foundation work to build off it. It’s super valuable, and that saves us about 1–2 months of work — that alone is a good reason to go with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to work on some things around the configuration of continuous integration (CI) service that they’d built into the foundation projects. It took us a lot of work to step up, which could’ve been easier. ClearSummit could’ve had someone on their team working more closely with us to set it up.

Also, a minor thing worth mentioning is that they have some tooling built into these foundation projects. It’s custom tooling that helps with the mobile app’s architecture, and they’ve written them in small libraries that aren’t public. We get the project funneled into our application codebase, but if that project needs updates, there are some issues. We’d prefer if they made them public, and we could use some instructions on how to use it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your needs and what you can really do. You may have a sense of what you want, but ClearSummit is good about seeing your real limitations if it isn't feasible. They can find an arrangement that will work for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the SVP of client services and product strategy at AvePoint, a SaaS company that mainly exists in the Microsoft 365 space. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

We hired ClearSummit to develop a mobile app for a city we were working with. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ClearSummit revamped the mobile app of a web-based tool hosted on the cloud. The tool, called Citizen Services, allows the city's citizens to submit tickets or city issues. We brought on a designer to work with ClearSummit's designer to ensure that the mobile app's design matched our website. ClearSummit developed the workflow-based system in the background. Once the development was complete, ClearSummit performed some app maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

ClearSummit provided a development team, but I mostly worked with the CEO, development lead, lead designer, and QA lead. 

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

ClearSummit was recommended to us by someone who worked with them in the past. They met the RFP requirements we put out, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $200,000 with ClearSummit, which included the $80,000 maintenance fee. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with ClearSummit was from November 2019–January 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app launched around March 2021 to great success — we've received a lot of positive feedback from our customer and key stakeholders. There haven't been any significant crashes, and if there are any issues, ClearSummit's team has handled them quickly before they escalate. Overall, our engagement with ClearSummit went very smoothly; I'm happy with the deliverables, the timing, and the ClearSummit team. 

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

ClearSummit had excellent project management. We set up a system where the team leads and I could coordinate on roadmap builds and project issues. Generally, we used Slack to communicate on the development process and Swoop to discuss project issues. We also had a lot of calls between my firm, our customer, and ClearSummit. ClearSummit ensured they met deadlines and stayed within budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

ClearSummit was very easy to work with and confident in their deliverables. Their team was ideal for the niche collaborative software we were building. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

In general, the partnership improved throughout the engagement, so there is nothing for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

ClearSummit's leadership was paramount to our success. They facilitated project coordination, and I'd recommend customers work directly with them. In general, I'd also advise customers to be extremely clear on the project's scope. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the founder and CEO of Real Simple Energy, an independent electricity shopping agent for renters, homeowners, and businesses in Texas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

We hired ClearSummit to help us further build our web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the first scope of work, ClearSummit used Django and Python as the main technologies for the project. Python was used for both front- and backend development. They also developed the first flat billing technology for electricity bills, which means that a customer would receive a customized quote for the price of their electricity, no matter how much they used per month for a year. The team worked through pretty complex math to determine the custom pricing algorithm for that technology.

After that, they proceeded to complete scope two, which was around the time when we were acquired by Arcadia. ClearSummit completely refreshed our website’s frontend, which involved working on some pages on our customer dashboard. Subsequently, they implemented minor tweaks to the existing custom pricing algorithm.

What is the team composition?

We worked with seven people from ClearSummit — there were two people on the first scope of work and five people on the second scope of work.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

I found them on Clutch, and we reached out to them because they specialized in Django and Python. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from February 2020–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t measure whether their coding was accurate or not because we didn't really work with them until after everything was completely done. We measured their success based on their timeliness and ability to stay on budget. On that note, they were pretty good at meeting deadlines and staying on budget.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive, and we were always satisfied with their communication. We used Slack for communication, and for project management tools, the team used our Asana board for a while before we moved to their Jira board.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ClearSummit team followed through with their claims; they told us their specializations, and they were able to show that they really specialized in those things. Overall, they were able to execute everything they promised.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Perhaps, they could conduct a more thorough QA on their end before showing their work to us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Interview ClearSummit’s past customers to see if they’re a good fit for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of DB Solutions LLC, a SaaS corporation that essentially digitizes electrical panel schedules.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

Electrical panel schedules were handwritten or weren’t clear enough to read. Since there were regulatory agencies that come in and conduct audits on all construction projects, one of the biggest violations that hospitals get slammed with had to do with panel schedules. Usually, the issue stems from the fact that panel schedules were handwritten, weren’t up to date, or were missing. 

Since we want to alleviate the above-mentioned issues, we wanted to develop a platform for directors of engineering to monitor and manage all their panel schedules within one consolidated location. On top of that, we wanted to give them the ability to enable contractors to come and work within their environment so they could update the panel schedules in real-time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided ClearSummit with a basic idea of what I was trying to accomplish with the app as well as some sketches of our app’s workflow. After that, their team tailored them, integrated the technical logic of our platform, and collaborated with us to finalize all of the workflows. The team already completed our app, and by next week, we would show the platform to our customers.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 60 people from ClearSummit, but only worked with 10 people at any given time. Their team was composed of senior developers, a project manager, and more.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

I developed a music streaming app prior to COVID-19, and I hired a freelance developer on Upwork. The freelance developer was really nice, but I wasn’t happy with the project he created. As a result, when I had the idea to create an app for electrical panel schedules, I researched potential firms to work with me. I interviewed around 30 development agencies and ended up shortlisting four companies. In the end, I decided that ClearSummit was the best choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2020–November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It would be hard to discuss the impact of ClearSummit’s work because we haven’t shown it to customers yet. However, we could confidently say that they developed an app that wasn’t buggy — the app worked perfectly. In addition, we were pretty confident that we would be able to show an app that our customers would like.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a phenomenal project management process. Their project manager oversaw the entire project from start to finish. She was instrumental in making sure things stayed on track when it came to design, development, and implementation. Additionally, ClearSummit’s flexibility shone through when they were able to work through our finite budget and were able to complete our project despite our strict deadline.

On the communication side, we had a constant line of communication on our Slack channel to ensure that the project was moving along. We had Zoom calls every week before the development started, and once development kicked off, we called every other week. They also reached out to me through phone calls when needed. 

More importantly, they were always ready to answer our questions and concerns, and they made sure that I was happy with their services. As an example, I messaged them last week thinking that they would reply to me in the morning, but they were able to respond within 15 minutes. Overall, they were really great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to identify workarounds if the features we were thinking of integrating weren’t possible. Furthermore, their transparency was impressive; they consistently brought up issues so that we could solve them efficiently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were awesome all throughout the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you communicate exactly what you want your product to be. If you can do that, you’ll save a lot of time and money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of project development for ClubLISI. We build software and website frontends for large membership organizations. We basically work with any organization and club that is membership-driven.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

We needed help to build a backend piece of software for one of our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ClearSummit is helping us build an admin panel on the backend of our client’s website. The client needed to utilize this piece of software for inputting data that they then could push to the frontend of the website for their members.

This backend development is Python-based, and the frontend is being built in Django. ClearSummit is only working on loading the admin panel, which is the backend part, and the frontend is being developed by our team. Both sides are being integrated by ClearSummit.

The first version has been released and deployed. It is a full calendar system that allows the client to add events and take and manage reservations from their members. This development also has a CRM element built into it. The client can keep a running profile for each of their members using a basic CRM system. This first project is complete, and now we’re moving forward into several more additions to the system.

What is the team composition?

We work with Nik (Sales & Marketing), who is the overall organizer, and Cole (Head of Product), who is our project manager. We also work with Ibsen (Full Stack Engineer), who is the developer and lead engineer on the project.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

I googled software engineering agencies and found a list of the best ones in the US for 2021. ClearSummit was one of those agencies.

How much have you invested with them?

The first part of the project cost around $50,000. For the next stage, I’m predicting the cost will end up somewhere around the $200,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our contract with ClearSummit started in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. The first project is complete, and now we’re working with ClearSummit to build more features onto the current system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Talking from my perspective alone, ClearSummit is one of the best engineering software development companies I’ve ever worked with. The product turned out exactly how we wanted it, and it required minimal fixes and adjustments after it was deployed.

We’re getting a lot of positive feedback from the client, who is now actively using the system through the front end of their website — everything is functioning really well. Our frontend developer is now able to pull in the data that is needed from the API that ClearSummit built.

This development has not only been built efficiently on the admin side, but it’s also pushing the data through properly to the front end so that we can engage with it and give it a face for the members — I have nothing but positive things to say about ClearSummit on this project.

ClearSummit understood that this was a new endeavor for us because it was not something that we’d ever attempted to build before. They’ve been able to provide a lot of insight and knowledge from their standpoint about how assets should be built.

I also really liked that the developer took the initiative when building the features. As a non-developer, I wouldn’t have been able to scope the project out entirely. I really needed someone that could guide me on how to develop what was needed to achieve for what we wanted. ClearSummit has been able to see into a future that I wasn’t able to, and that’s attributable to their knowledge. They’re very knowledgeable and know what they’re doing — I trust their judgment.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate in several ways and use Slack and Asana for project management. ClearSummit also uses Notion and Jira. All the tools that they use communicate with each other nicely and keep things really well organized.

ClearSummit is also able to handle communication between their team and people like me, who speak in plain English, regarding the features. Our requirements are translated and submitted to their systems, Notion and Jira, in a more technical wording.

ClearSummit can go from platform to platform very efficiently, and the tasks change accordingly based on who is using what platform. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The other providers that I spoke with when we were looking for agencies, were very set in their ways. They had a clear establishment of how they worked, what they did, and what code they used. Those other agencies had veteran engineers, so that made them be stuck in their ways. 

ClearSummit has a lot of young engineers, and they offered the flexibility we were looking for. They’ve been very flexible and easy to work with. I’ve never felt like I had to conform to the way they wanted to work, which has been really helpful because we’re in an industry that experiences a lot of changes. There are different types of users, so we’re constantly changing things based on the users’ feedback.

Everyone I’ve spoken with from ClearSummit is open to new ideas, and they know what’s been coming in in the coding and software development industry. They’re very knowledgeable about how things can be built to adjust to future developments and technologies — I appreciate that they’re young and innovative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of a single aspect that ClearSummit can do differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having a pretty good idea of exactly what is the scope of your project. With my project, I was new to that piece of development, so I didn’t come to the table with enough information for them. It implied more work for them, and they had to figure out what I hadn’t figured out yet.

Make sure you know exactly what you want and how it should function so ClearSummit can work faster for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a B2B software platform in the food and beverage industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

Our business is a web application, and ClearSummit built that application, offering every service from design and project management to full-blown engineering.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It’s a Django application that was programmed in Python. It’s a detailed, extensive application with multiple user types and feature sets that help connect businesses to one another through a marketplace. There’s also additional software for each user type.

We continue to work on the application with them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with at least two designers, a project manager, and at least three engineers.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

I’d worked with them for several years on a smaller project after finding them on Upwork. I’m not sure if they’ve remained on the platform as they’ve grown their business.

Because I trusted them and how they work, it was a no-brainer to choose them when we were ready to build out our core application.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $250,000 on the initial application build.

What is the status of this engagement?

This application development began in October 2020, and the solution launched in March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any statistics, but our business is growing. Users continue to join the application, and we’ve received positive feedback on it. ClearSummit has done a great job. Their work is very high quality. Other engineering advisors of mine reviewed their work favorably, too.

We trust the application and are going to build on it. I’m very pleased that they put the same level of quality into my project as they put into their own work.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great with communication. It was a super open engagement. They acted as an arm of the business.

We use Slack for communication, and Notion helps with our project management and tracking. We’ve shared designs over Sigma as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt that ClearSummit was very invested in our business and what we were building. Their customer management stands out in terms of responsiveness.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can continue to widen the scope of capabilities they’re able to offer companies, specifically around design. They’re already building out their team, though, so I don’t have much to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to them with clear goals. The project doesn’t need to be completely fleshed out but handing ClearSummit a set description of what you want to achieve is definitely a good strategy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: We’re both co-founders of an app that allows students to connect with other students to facilitate peer learning. Students sign up on the app and tell us which school they’re apart of. Once we have that piece of information, we know which courses are being offered. Then we index that school by those courses. So when a student needs help, they can search by course. Then students and tutors an participate in a chat conversation through our application. If they feel like they have a good working relationship, they can enter a video chat where learning can take place. At the end, the tutor gets paid and the student will get charged.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

R1: The challenge was creating a scalable application that we could use to onboard hundreds of schools across the US. When we came to Clear Summit, we had an application on the App Store, but it wasn’t written professionally and it wasn’t scalable. We wanted to have the best shot at success by having the best app possible. We had a bare-bones structure and asked them to revamp it to fit our needs.

R2: ClearSUmmit redid the entire app. Originally, we coded the app in Swift with a PHP backend, and it wasn’t very stable. ClearSummit attacked the original problem we were facing and theorized for us how we’d go about iterating and solving it. They totally redesigned the app, rebuilt it, and reactivated it with a Django Python backend, with a more scalable infrastructure so we could support users on iOS and Android. They took our product from 0 to 100.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R2: All of the functionality that we have in this application is a result of the work that ClearSummit did. So having a programmable chat interface, a video chat interface, processing payment between users, every design work that we did. They redefined our internal search. We had a natural language processing algorithm to determine which courses were similar to one another across different colleges. They restructured how we rant that and made it faster. They left their footprint on every facet of the application, and left it in a much better state than what we first presented them.

R1: They revamped the front- and backend for the entire site. I don’t think there isn’t a single page they didn’t change.

What is the team composition?

R1: We worked around five people.

R2: I think we worked with a few more than that. We worked with about five engineers, the founders of ClearSumit, their designers, and project managers.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

R1: I think we used Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

R1: We started working with them in May 2019 and we still work with them. We anticipate an ongoing collaboration well into the lifespan of our business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R2: They’ve added value in addition to development. As an example of what they’ve taken upon themselves — we were creating a new version of the app and we expressed interest of understanding our user base more and retrieving data. They came back to us and suggested incorporating a panel into the app. Essentially, we met with them for 15–20 minutes, and within a week or two, they implemented it.

They’ve also offered to make changes that are going to help the business. We don’t see them just as a development partner, but also as a business partner. We can trust them to ask about the best user journey, user flow, and what we should change.

R1: They have a multi-faceted team. They help us figure out not just what we want, but what else we should be asking. They’ve done a great job at getting us to where we are now.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

R1: One of their main strengths is how responsive and organized they are. It feels like they’re moving as a team rather than as individuals. Everyone’s in sync and on the same page. We’ve looked at how their team functions when it comes to communication, and we want to incorporate some of those principles into our business as well.

R2: They perform at a high level. We use Slack, Zoom, and Notion to have clear communication with them so everyone is on the same page. We have meeting notes that are done every time we discuss new things. Everything has always been clear. They’re so responsive, so we feel like we have a constant back and forth over our Slack channel.

R1: We use a myriad of tools depending on what type of information we’re transferring. We often use Notion, but we also use Slack for cost communication and Jira for bug ticketing. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

R1: One thing that sets them apart is the friendliness of their code. We’re both technical and have never coded in React Native before but once they transferred the entire application, it was organized in such a neat way, it was written clearly, and was so optimized from database and rendering perspective, it was very easy for us to follow what they produced. We could take off from there and actually were able to engage with them in the development process.

Beyond that, communication is a huge advantage for them. They’re clear in where they are in the development process, so it’s very easy for us to track their progress and ask pointed questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R1: I don’t think anything comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

R2: Open communication goes a really long way it helps with a) understanding the features and bugs they’re working with, but also b) it helps set and align goals and expectations for the coming week. So communication is key.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an early-stage company called Two Sparx, a social app designed specifically for grandparents and grandchildren to stay in touch.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

I hired them to build the app. As a first-time founder who has never launched an app before, it was important for me to find a firm with whom I could develop a strong, longterm relationship.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided them with very low-fidelity wireframes just to give them a sense of what I was looking to do. ClearSummit then used React to design and develop the app.

I knew that my audience primarily used iOS but I also wanted the infrastructure to allow for the flexibility to be used for Android as well. The UX designers also provided suggestions on the color palette.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a total of five teammates but I interacted most frequently with the UX designer in the first phase, the lead engineer in the second phase, and the project manager during QA. 

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

I interviewed over 12 firms including ClearSummit to educate myself on the different services that they could offer. What stood out to me was Shane’s (Founder & CEO) technical expertise. He came back with incredibly thoughtful questions about my needs and opportunities. He was also very candid about time and costs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project kicked off in October 2019 but they only started working on the app in November of that year. We wrapped up the first delivery of the build in February 2020. I still have a support and maintenance package with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although Shane took more of a behind-the-scenes role after the initial engagement, if there were ever any issues, I was able to call him. He cares about client satisfaction and holds himself accountable for the quality of his team. 

There were a couple of times where we could’ve had major hiccups or bumps, but Shane was very hands-on and forthcoming in terms of finding a solution. 

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication is one of ClearSummit’s strengths. I also have a strong relationship with the project manager which is key since I don’t have a technical background and this is the first app that I’m building. 

We communicated through Slack and the bulk of the project management was done through Notion. I also had access to Figma where I was able to see the designs and the backend.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ClearSummit is not cookie-cutter — they tailored their approach according to my project while keeping in line with initial expectations around budget, scope, and deadline. Additionally, they do what they say they’re going to do, and their UX designers are incredible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. No project is perfect and nothing ever goes to plan. That said, I’m a very forthcoming person and they met me with equal transparency, so we were able to quickly find a solution to anything that came up.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get out of something what you put in. Have a clear vision of what you want and don’t want to do because scope creep can happen quickly and easily. Going into it as a partnership. Everyone’s taking a risk and both parties need to trust each other because that will affect the quality of the end-product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup company focused on the insurance industry, with some financial services overlap. We primarily cater to high-net-worth investors. 

I’m the director of client services, and I help with the ongoing administration of insurance policy portfolios that clients acquire with us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ClearSummit?

Prior to the launch of our company, it was really important to us that we have a very crisp, visual presentation of our website. However, most crucial was the development of a portal that would allow our clients to easily access their portfolios. We needed support building both of those technologies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ClearSummit helped us develop blueprints for and ultimately build both our website and our client portal with Django.

In the beginning stages of the project, ClearSummit took the lead, as we didn’t provide any technical contribution. Now, since the bulk of the work has been done, they’re starting to train us around additional features we could implement in the future. The team is collaborating with us to introduce new ways to navigate ongoing maintenance and administration of the portal on our own.

On the website, the team helped us customize our own version of traditional pages. Also, the portal itself, which is part of the website, is invitation only. Because it’s not freely accessible, ClearSummit supported us in developing the communication flow for new clients— such as what triggers invitations and what that invitation should look like. 

We also worked on some imaging, charts, and graphs that would capture a lot of the information found in the documents we house on the portal.

Currently, though the website has launched, ClearSummit assists with some minor adjustments and tweaking. 

What is the team composition?

At any given moment, there were four to eight people involved, though there were more people toward the end of the project.

How did you come to work with ClearSummit?

We found out about ClearSummit through one of our contacts. 

We had a thorough interviewing process with them, calling up references and conducting comparative analyses between their team and others. We ultimately decided to pair with ClearSummit because of their extensive expertise and their familiarity with our industry.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $500,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with ClearSummit in April 2019. We officially launched in January 2020, though the work is ongoing as the team supports the revision process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is officially up and running, and it represents us, our business, and our core values well. We saw a lot of activity at launch, and we’ve received very positive feedback from users on both the design and functionality. As we haven’t been live long, we’re continuing to work with ClearSummit to implement modifications based on user feedback. 

We’re really pleased with a lot of the functionalities ClearSummit applied, especially the visual representation aspect of the portal. We wanted something different from the typical dashboard layout of investment portfolios, and ClearSummit helped us achieve that. Formatting and presentation are extremely important to us, and ClearSummit has taught us what platforms we could use to keep things succinct.

How did ClearSummit perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed really well. I have my own project management style, but I’ve learned a lot from them in terms of valuable tools to use. Since our engagement, everyone in my firm is an expert in Jira and in agile project management. 

The entire process was very collaborative, and ClearSummit was always willing to dedicate time and effort to understanding both our product and any disconnects that occurred between our two teams. 

A lot of discussion and knowledge-trading took place between our organization and theirs, as we’re both experienced in our respective fields. At times, we both had to be willing to understand why we were moving in a specific direction, and to compromise in order to navigate the project successfully. 

ClearSummit was very amenable throughout that process, remaining receptive to feedback and available to speak with at all times. We never had a problem connecting with someone, from our day-to-day developers to some of the company’s top members. I had the opportunity to work closely with one of the founders, who made himself available to me whenever I needed.

It was a nice touch to have someone at a high level come down and actually work over the shoulder with the programmers, to get the project off the ground and be sensitive to our timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ClearSummit’s entire team has great chemistry, and they all give total, 100% effort. We never witnessed anyone slacking, and it wouldn’t be unusual for me to receive an email late at night or early in the morning. That quality really makes them stand out.

They also bring a degree of maturity and sophistication to the project. While they didn’t have highly specific knowledge of our industry, they were able to speak to best practices and provide sound advice to our team. We really appreciated ClearSummit’s foresight and willingness to push back against our ideas when necessary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

ClearSummit could benefit from tightening up the QA process. They definitely provided QA and never gave us anything that didn’t get a pass or a look-over, but the nuance associated with our specific industry requires a different level. However, the team did adjust to our needs and develop that skill internally.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

When deciding who to work with for a tech project, develop a scenario to give them a small, bite-sized piece of the project as a test-run, to be confident in their capabilities.