Goji Labs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing director of LaHaV Learning. We’re a Jewish educational curriculum provider, creating content for Jewish schools worldwide. Part of that content is available through our online platform, which hosts learning resources for teachers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We’d worked with a freelance developer to build our online curriculum platform, but he was unable to continue servicing it because he was working on another job. So we reached out to Goji Labs to help us roll out new features and fix legacy bugs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

One of the main features that Goji Labs developed for our platform was a discussion forum that connected teachers across the globe. 

Before, educators had a difficult time exchanging materials with each other because there was no place to conveniently do so. The forum would serve as a way to bring schools and educators together around shared content. Teachers within our established network could post and answer questions in addition to sharing materials.

On the technical side of things, they refined our platform’s architecture to be more efficient. We’d been running into compatibility issues because we’d tied in so many different services through various APIs. 

The team updated the APIs and built a QA process that allowed us to perform more rigorous tests on different areas of our codebase. They’re currently patching up issues and mitigating technical debt in our systems. They primarily work using Django, Python, Heroku, and AWS.

What is the team composition? 

David (CEO, Goji Labs) is our main point of contact, but I’ve also interacted with two committed developers. We go through different sprints depending on our needs. 

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

Our original developer had actually referred us to David.

How much have you invested with them?

At this point, it's been about $26,000, and we're about to embark on another $8,000 sprint.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started the engagement in February 2018, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re trying to build an international network of educators, which simply isn’t possible without having a good technical foundation. In that sense, Goji Labs has really been an essential piece of the puzzle.

Their team has pushed our product past the initial MVP stage, helping us identify and meet our core needs. They’ve done everything from designing the interface to deploying new features, and we haven’t had any hiccups from their work.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

David is great on both a professional and personal level. Not only is he super friendly, but we’re also able to communicate smoothly. 

Sometimes when you speak to someone, there’s a gap in understanding between you and the other person. But David got our needs right away. He asks the right questions and pushes back when something isn’t feasible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The times that they’ve said “no” to me have been important moments. It’s easy to go beyond the scope of work when embarking on a project like this. However, David has kept us focused so that we don’t lose sight of our core goals. He’s realistic about our deliverables and helps us prioritize work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been really satisfied with their work. We haven’t had any major hiccups or delays.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides continuing education certification courses for healthcare professionals on our platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

For the first time in five years, we wanted a major upgrade of our databases, hoping to migrate to PostgreSQL. We also wanted to replace our existing contracted developers for smaller projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our custom web app was previously built in a MongoDB environment, which was great for a startup. However, we ran into issues when we began to scale our company. Goji Labs came on to migrate us to a PostgreSQL relational database system and upgrade our existing Ruby on Rails framework. Aside from that main project, they provide ongoing maintenance and jQuery work. 

What is the team composition?

For about the vast majority of the project, I worked with one developer. There was one other professional on their end that helped with some of the initial set up.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I was looking for a local, Los Angeles-based partner that was familiar with Ruby on Rails. After reading some of their reviews of Clutch and making sure they had the right experience for our team, I decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from April–August 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since partnering with them, our page load times and database response times have drastically improved. That benefited us both internally on the backend and with our users on the frontend almost immediately.

Anecdotally, the system is allowing us to operate much more efficiently, and bugs we’ve been dealing with for years have been fixed with the migration. 

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

The lead developer managed the project excellently across the board, keeping us up to date on his progress. He provided further explanations on his technical processes, which was helpful in my effort to fully grasp everything. That and the ease of communication really stood out. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated their level of transparency throughout the entirety of the project. Their response time has also been a refreshing aspect of the collaboration. They’ve done a great job of delivering the solutions we needed to scale our business in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that immediately comes to mind. Any small problems we dealt with in the beginning were solved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their feedback and trust their recommendations. Additionally, make sure they have enough time to dive into your existing code before starting up.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and founder of Fed & Fit, an online editorial platform. We started off as a wellness blog, growing into a real health and wellness resource over time. Our company has two published books, an online program, a social media presence, and an upcoming YouTube series. We publish new content every week.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We wanted to rebrand and rebuild our website. It’s been about five years since I’ve redone the site, and that’s the main storefront of our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked closely with the Goji Labs team to develop a custom WordPress website from scratch. With their designer, we decided on an entirely new visual layout and content verticles. They also helped us through the wireframing process, so we were able to flesh out those concepts together. Then, they built the site, customizing the backend of the CMS for our needs.

They handled three big overhauls in the development process: our video page, recipe index, and online shop. At that point, we had wanted a native video player on our site for quite some time. Goji Labs enabled us to host videos on our own site instead of having to rely on YouTube.

Secondly, the team fleshed out our very thorough recipe index, building out requested layers to make the final tool as interactive as possible. 

Finally, they handled our online shop. Since we aren’t an e-commerce platform, they helped us build an interface that allowed users to explore products from other sites. If they click on one of the products, they will be redirected to the retailer. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was David. We also worked with a designer and were recently introduced to our point person for hosting.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I hired a trusted industry leader for a brand boot camp to get a bird’s eye perspective on how to grow my company. She previously helped us revolutionize our content and verticles. During the session, she recommended David because of her positive work experience with him. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $50,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together started in September 2018, and the new site launched in September 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still a little too early to determine their impact at this point. However, our traffic and engagement raised after the site launched. Users were also staying on our pages longer, as a result of the new design. The quality of work the team provided was great. David was very hands-on. We learned a lot over the course of our project, and Goji Labs is primed to excel with similar projects.  

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job of making themselves available to us. David relied heavily on phone calls and email updates for communication. He liked getting all the parties together on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by the wireframing process and the care Goji Labs took in coordinating that phase. Some development shops I’ve worked with have moved too fast. I don’t understand all the complexities of web development, so that can be a problem. They made sure they were communicating clearly with our non-tech team to give us the exact UX we wanted. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We started implementing an issue tracker to keep everyone on the same page when bugs pop up. It was reliant on all parties logging into the site and manually entering feedback, though. I’ve relayed that to him and we’ve already improved upon it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prioritize your dream features for your website and communicate them to David. He’ll work with you to price out each component. In my case, that really helped me figure out what functionalities I wanted to invest in and when. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CEO of a mobile application company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We needed help with development and production on the tech side.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs was heavily involved in the project from the beginning, building our native iOS app from scratch. Their team also advised on the feasibility of the concept, which was a social interaction platform based on geographical proximity. The app would show you which of your friends were physically close to each other and would allow friends to share photos and videos with each other. Goji Labs helped us shape the app and bring it in for landing.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with David (Product Strategist, Goji Labs). While they had a team doing a lot of the development work, David was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I actually came across Goji Labs through a recommendation on Reddit. Around the same time, my partner had received the same recommendation from a friend. We figured they were a good option because we both independently received a referral for them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested at least $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Goji Labs ran from 2015–2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We weren’t able to scale the way we wanted, but Goji Labs did excellent work. The app worked exactly how we hoped it would. Their team was incredibly efficient. They aren’t a huge firm but did a great job within their scale. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

I never had any issues with their project management skills. We were frequently in their office, talking on the phone, or communicating through email constantly. Goji Labs was always very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our engagement with Goji Labs was a very personable and positive development experience. David was super responsive and upbeat throughout the whole process. He’s an incredibly smart guy and anytime he didn’t know how to do something, he was very quick to teach himself or figure it out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Things didn’t work out exactly how we wanted them to, but that had to do more with our team’s side. Goji Labs did a great job and I was happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Goji Labs is a perfect first stop for someone who is trying to get a project off the ground. They’re not a huge firm but they can take a very abstract idea and make it real, which is exactly what we were looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Monolith Collective, a design studio that primarily does branding and frontend design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We had the opportunity to design and develop a unique shipment-tracking dashboard for our trucking and shipping client; although we were capable of executing the UI/UX design, we needed development support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using our UI/UX designs, Goji Labs is developing a highly customizable dashboard. Multiple users can access the dashboard, and everyone has defined permissions. The dashboard enables team members to track different loads, confirm what is on the load, and apply their specific internal numbering system to it.

What is the team composition?

When we were scouting companies to work with, we were in contact with Adam (CTO, Goji Labs). Now, we primarily communicate with David (Product Strategist, Goji Labs), who oversees a team of developers.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

We interviewed a couple of different development companies for this project. We knew of Goji Labs because we’d utilized the same co-working space a few years ago, so we invited David to bid on the project.

My company ultimately chose Goji Labs because they had experience developing custom platforms and seemed very thorough and organized. The due diligence that they did upfront made them stand out. Goji Labs took it upon themselves to garner a good understanding of the project, and then they presented a very detailed overview of what the project would entail, the timeline and budget, etc. This upfront work made us feel confident that Goji Labs was a team that could execute this complex project with lots of customization features.   

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we will spend $160,000–$175,000. We’ve paid a little less than half of that so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in April 2018, and it’s ongoing. Because it’s such a sophisticated platform, this is a longer project, but we should be able to start doing testing on our own soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The dashboard is functional and true to design, which is essential for us as a design company. Goji Labs helped break down the project’s complexities and create a digestible, user-friendly product, bringing our client’s idea to life. We’re very pleased with the progress Goji Labs has made so far.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

David is our project lead and main point of contact; rather than having to interface with multiple layers of developers, we work directly with him, which has made the process seamless. They’re incredibly organized, and the platform that they use to manage the project is great. We have weekly check-ins, for which David ensures everyone is available and creates the calendar invite. During our check-ins, we see live demonstrations of the dashboard. Our work together is frictionless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Goji Labs’ team is friendly, which is an important but often overlooked aspect. They’re personable and want to do great work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their process instead of trying to force your own. They’ve found a great formula of what works and what doesn’t, not just in terms of development but also client relations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of DoADollar, a micro-funding initiative. We make donating to nonprofits simple by encouraging people to give a dollar and to then share that act on their social media pages, so that a one-dollar donation can turn into thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We needed help developing a web app. We are confident that our initiative will be successful, so the challenge lies in creating an app that can scale to millions of users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs developed our web app. They worked in conjunction with another company that designed the app and provided an analysis of what we wanted to do. Goji Labs built the app’s screens and connected them. They also configured the database.

They continue to make changes and pursue smaller projects to enhance the product.

What is the team composition?

David (Product Strategist, Goji Labs) is our main point of contact. We’ve also engaged with two other programmers.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

We found Goji Labs through the agency that designed our web app. When I interviewed David, he was extremely thorough in explaining the process, and he had all of the right answers to my questions. I was satisfied with the process they were going to take. David also assured me that they could develop a sufficiently scalable app.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in October 2018, and it is ongoing. I don’t plan on ending our engagement anytime soon; I want Goji Labs to be there when the app takes off.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Goji Labs delivers what they say they can deliver. They’ve been spot on with everything they’ve done. We only launched the app a month ago, so we don’t have metrics yet.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

David laid out the whole project and timeframes before they started working. In some cases, they outpaced the deadlines they set. Goji Labs goes the extra mile to ensure they deliver on what they promise. Whenever we have a problem or are concerned about something, David is extremely responsive. We communicate via WhatsApp and text, and we have weekly phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have a technical background and have been involved in big projects, so I was very impressed by how well David walked us through the development process, such as how the screens would connect and what the database would look like. David is understanding and professional, and he excels at managing the project. He’s also willing to push back and give constructive criticism. Many developers I’ve worked with conform to the client’s wishes and ideas, but David owns his work and will speak up if he doesn’t think something is in the app’s best interest.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

If you want a developer that is invested in your project—that won’t just do what you tell them to—then Goji Labs is your team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Wanderful, an international lifestyle brand for female travelers. We host events for women around the world, and we just launched a home-sharing network that enables women who are traveling to stay together.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

My company wanted to build a platform to host our new home-sharing network. We had a basic site on WordPress, on which women could post listings and book spaces from other women. We wanted something more custom, with key features that were specific to our community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially brought Goji Labs onboard to design and develop the entire platform, but due to funding on our side, we scaled back the scope of their work to just be the platform's design. My team gave Goji Labs our logos and style guide, and they did all of the design work for the platform. We underwent a discovery process in which Goji Labs identified what our design aesthetic was.

They designed a video verification process, which requires new users to provide a video of themselves to ensure safe digital interactions. Goji Labs also designed a few unique features, such as a language filter, so that travelers can see what different languages hostesses speak, and a messaging feature, which allows travelers and hostesses to communicate directly. On our current site, only the host pays a service fee, but Goji Labs designed a dual fee process that will charge both the host and the traveler.

Although Goji Labs didn’t do any development work, a key part of the design process was identifying key functionalities that we’ll need and distinguishing how they’ll fit into the user experience. They helped us determine everything we will need to code, from the financial to the social aspects of the platform.

We’re still using the WordPress site, but we have Goji Labs’s designs ready for when we implement the new platform.  

What is the team composition?

Our project manager is David (Product Development, Goji Labs). My team also works with a designer.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

A friend who’d worked with Goji Labs recommended them. Goji Labs had experience working with another sharing economy platform. We figured that their knowledge about creating two-sided marketplaces would relieve communicate barriers and even educate us on the process.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2019, and we’re finishing everything now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Goji Labs delivered beautiful, modern, user-friendly designs, and we’re excited to implement them soon. My team loves all of the colors.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Goji Labs was responsive to what we asked for. They were receptive to whatever provided feedback we provided on the design specs and little details. David communicated well and kept the project focused, which helped my team because we’re very busy. He was friendly and easy to work with. Our teams had weekly calls that we scheduled using Google Calendar.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Goji Labs was incredibly thoughtful. Their expertise in the sharing economy was very helpful; they proposed ideas we hadn’t thought of yet. They were prepared to have conversations about how the platform would work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there was nothing.

Any advice for potential customers?

They’re just great to work with. Goji Labs was good at communicating and proposing good ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a food and lifestyle blogger.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

I wanted to revamp my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs completely redesigned my website. They delivered a variety of different designs, including a framework that showed the flow of the website.

After they designed the site, the team implemented a Shopify integration and built custom web pages. The site is now live, and Goji Labs provides ongoing maintenance and updates.

What is the team composition?

I have direct contact with David (CEO, Goji Labs) and a designer.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I had worked with a branding company who had previously partnered with Goji Labs, and they suggested that I use them. I interviewed the team and ultimately chose them as my vendor.

How much have you invested in them?

I’ve spent close to $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in October 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve met every deadline and have implemented each of my requirements. My blog works and looks exactly how I envisioned.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent. I’ve built out websites before, and none of my previous partners have been as accessible as Goji Labs. David and I schedule weekly meetings, and he is very quick to respond to any emails or questions that I have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

David and his team understand my project and continue to meet deadlines. David always has a positive demeanor, and his team has the soft skills required to collaborate effectively with others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there are any. Last time I built out an e-commerce site, the whole experience was a nightmare. David and his team have been a much better partner to me. I’ve never felt like they were talking down to me, which sometimes happens with other designers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you can solidify what you want and create a sort of path or blueprint, that will make the process go faster. Your preparation will help David and his team do what needs to be done to meet your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own MVP Visuals. We sell custom brand displays.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

We hired Goji Labs to design and develop our new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the project by collaborating with Goji Labs to finalize a set of designs that we had created. They implemented our designs on a Shopify template and added several customizations that we requested. The team also built a modal window for our quote request form.

What is the team composition?

David (CEO, Goji Labs) was my point of contact. I’m not sure how many developers worked on the project.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I was referred to Goji Labs by a design agency that had previously completed work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent somewhere between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in January 2019, and we completed it in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Goji Labs, we’ve been able to maintain a stable level of traffic. They also provided us with a list of post-launch issues that we plan to address.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We added David to some of our Slack channels, and he was very responsive. We also requested weekly updates, and he obliged. I don’t think this is standard protocol, but David was willing to meet our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by the excellent customer service that David provided.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication might have been more efficient if I was speaking to the developers, although I understand that using a point of contact is common practice amongst agencies.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your requirements and specifications. If you give them precise information, they will be able to meet your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Swipe Out Hunger, a nonprofit committed to ending hunger amongst college students. We work with universities across the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Goji Labs?

Swipe Out Hunter went from being a grassroots movement with one site to scaling across the country and having dozens of sites. We needed a clear message and a strong digital presence. In particular, we wanted a beautiful website that would clearly explain to people who we are, what we do, and how they can get involved in our work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Goji Labs built out our website using Ruby on Rails. After providing wireframes, they created an interactive map feature of every campus we’re involved with. Each campus page provides students with information on how they can obtain resources or become involved as an advocate. Goji Labs also made our donation feature more front-and-center. We’ve discussed several site features that we’d like Goji Labs to build out in the future.

What is the team composition?

Our key contact person is David (Product Development, Goji Labs). During the design stage, he brought in a designer who was very personable and worked efficiently. Backend engineers were working on the project as well.

How did you come to work with Goji Labs?

I met Goji Labs at a startup event a few years ago. We chose them for this project because they seemed more invested than larger vendors. Also, David and his team are entrepreneurs that built Goji Labs from the ground up, so we knew they’d ask the right questions and implement the best processes. We felt as though we could fully trust them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in October 2018, and the work is ongoing. When the website launches in a couple of days, I’m hoping that we gain a strong digital footprint. I know technology will be increasingly central to our work, so I’m sure we will continue to work with Goji Labs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We think the map feature could go viral on college campuses. Although the site hasn’t launched yet, we believe we’ll see an increase in donations made through the website. Also, since the FAQ and About Us pages are easier to find and navigate through, we think there will be a decrease in the number of phone calls and emails we get with questions.

How did Goji Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Goji Labs was process-oriented and strove to understand what we were looking for as an organization. At the start of the project, they presented communication and scheduling expectations. The project stayed on a clear timeline, and we as the client knew what to prepare for. Goji Labs was flexible when we needed time extensions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Instead of simply doing the work and delivering the site, as our last developer did, Goji Labs asked for our feedback and opinions throughout the project. They ensured that they were designing the website we wanted.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. They’ve given us exactly what we wanted, so I have no complaints.

Any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of the process, work closely with Goji Labs, and be prepared to present your vision.