Gorilla Arm

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Erika Lust, a film production and distribution company. We produce adult films for women and couples.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm?

We engaged Gorilla Arm to develop a mobile game application XCONFESSIONS for our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Due to our budgetary limits, Gorilla Arm developed the app only in iOS. They took our original idea—which involved multiple games that users can swipe through and play with two devices—and helped refine it. We chose to not put ads on it to distinguish the interface from other free apps.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people: Duncan (CEO, Gorilla Arm) who managed the project, Marek (iOS Developer, Gorilla Arm), and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

We met their team at Soho House Barcelona, and they gave us a great impression. We thought of them when we decided to embark on this project.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about €15,000 (approximately $17,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has nearly gone viral; it has received 20,000 downloads since its launch in October. We’re very happy with Gorilla Arm’s results, and we’re now developing the Android version for 2019.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

The project ran smoothly from start to finish. Gorilla Arm was a highly professional team that delivered high-quality products on time and bug-free. We used Basecamp and Slack to communicate and track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team demonstrated experience, polish, and honesty throughout the development process, which produced clean and simple products. They made the collaboration transparent and personable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re highly satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the creative director of a small studio, outsourcing different services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm

I had to develop a service app for a healthcare company that wanted to connect company administrators with doctors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an iOS app. If required, they will later develop the Android one.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the project manager. I don’t know exactly how many developers were involved.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

I used to work at a coworking space in Barcelona, which is where I first heard from them. I knew their work was very good, and that they were very professional and attentive.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January and the product has already been finished.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're now on the App Store. We’ve had some very good reviews and are even thinking about expanding to other countries.

They were fast and the app was very well executed—everyone has been delighted.

How did Gorilla Arm it perform from a project management standpoint?

There was great follow up and great timing; I always received immediate responses. If there were any setbacks, they were taken care of immediately.

We created a document where we kept track of everything. At the end of every meeting, they would send a document stating everything we talked about and everything that remained pending. I've worked with many developers and no one has ever given a service like that.

After finishing the project, they gave me an additional document outlining the functionalities and everything we needed to know.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I never received a service that was so fast, for such good value for money. I would definitely recommend them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The project was perfect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Little Riot, and we have a product called Pillow Talk. It connects people who can’t be in the same place by using their heartbeats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm?

We did most of the hardware dev and electronics engineering in-house, but we needed help with the software. We wanted a firm that could build the app and entire backend system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The product is a wristband and a speaker device; the wristband picks up your real-time heartbeat and sends the sound and feeling to a loved one. Users can create accounts and pair with whomever they want. Gorilla Arm built the iOS app and its backend, integrating Bluetooth and low energy features. They worked with our firmware dev team to connect the hardware to the app and do over-the-air firmware updates.

What is the team composition?

The have three developers.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

Someone recommended Gorilla Arm, and I’d met the owner at a conference before.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their product is great. We had a different company develop the Android app, and the iOS version is considerably more robust; it hardly ever crashes.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate over email, WhatsApp, and sometimes Slack. We use Trello to track changes and fix requests. In general, Gorilla Arm solves problems quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team and founder are always willing to help with any phase of the project. They collaborate well with my firmware team and require little oversight on my part. I trust Gorilla Arm and wouldn’t work with anyone else. They always have my back.

When finalizing the manufacturing in China, Gorilla Arm’s founder stayed up early into the morning to make sure everything went well. I was able to send him updates and questions, and he answered right away. He never complained and always seemed happy to help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Adviewers. We are an app that provides real-time video ads to users based on interest groups that they choose.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm?

We contracted with them for the design and development of our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled the creation of the app for iOS from scratch. They developed all designs and implemented all of the necessary software.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with the owner of Gorilla Arm, and he led a team of three or four developers.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

We were very impressed with their past work. We felt comfortable with them from the start.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $40,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in April or May 2017. The app has been completed, but we’re always adding new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re receiving positive feedback from the marketplace. Everybody loves the design and the app itself.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

They were based in Barcelona, Spain, and I’m based in New York, but they communicated very well, and they were there for me every step of the way. Every time there was a problem, they resolved it quickly. I dealt directly with the owner, and for the most part, they met all deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The design was something that always stood out from the beginning. Every step of the way, the design was incredible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am communications manager at Bandwith, a platform that helps musicians meet in cities around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla arm?

They did all our development. After we gave them our idea, they managed the project and turned it into an Android app.

SOLUTION

What is the team composition?

We were always in touch with the CEO, the person in charge of iOS development, and the person in charge of Android development. Not considering design, we worked with three people.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

We’re located in Barcelona. We started searching and talking to colleagues in the digital world. They suggested Gorilla Arm, and since we already liked some of their previous work, we decided to get in touch.

How much have you invested in them?

The first phase of the project cost around $30,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although our niche is very specific, we now have about 20,000 users around the world. Our biggest markets are in France and Spain. They also translated the app for the German, Portuguese, and Catalan markets. Many magazines and media have contacted us because of the app's beauty.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was always very direct and personal. We’re in the same city, and the manager was with the whole time we were developing the app. Compared to other agencies in the city, they provided the best service.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always met deadlines, which was very important to us. We always struggled to deliver things on time during previous similar projects. Their designs were also great; their designers really know how to do their work well. About 99% of our experience with them was positive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Aktivus, a sporting, social networking app. We help people find and create events around their cities, create teams, and follow others.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm?

We had no technical resources on our co-founding team, so they’ve been our entire development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gorilla Arm has handled everything on the front- and backend development side. They used Firebase and Swift and built the app for iOS.

What is the team composition?

They’re a small business, so I believe their whole team was working on our project. I’m not too sure how big Gorilla Arm is, but I think their whole team contributed with their particular technical specialties, whether it was coding, design, or strategy.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

We looked through a lot of different firms in Barcelona, Spain, where we’re based, and we reviewed a few freelance people as well. We found Gorilla Arm on a website that was advertising them, and we determined that they understood what we were looking for. We met their CEO, who stood out the most in terms of energy and enthusiasm for helping us achieve our goal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2016 until March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any tangible results because we didn’t have the necessary marketing budget at the time. It’s still an ongoing project, and the app came out amazing. Everyone who’s interacted with it has said so. I don’t fault them in any way.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

We had biweekly, face-to-face meetings, and we received constant updates via email. They were very good at organizing the project and managing our expectations at the same time. They were very flexible as well, in terms of pricing. I don’t know whether they used any project management systems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never developed an app before, so I don’t have anything to benchmark their performance against. But, after showing the app to different people—even ones in the development field—everyone told us that it was developed by professionals. When we were building the app, many of the ideas would be in our heads, but we wouldn’t know how to make them real. Gorilla Army really connected with us and understood everything we wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Gorilla Army is the only company I’ve ever worked with, in terms of creating apps, so I have no comparison points. I wish they were cheaper so that we could use them more, but they deserve to have premium prices. They do excellent work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of COIN, a platform that connects sellers of art, jewelry and collectibles with 150 experts, galleries, and boutiques in London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorilla Arm?

We needed mobile app development for our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an iOS app based on the broad ideas we initially presented to them. Development focused on UX, graphic design, and the entire technical architecture. The iOS app is now complete and Gorilla Arm is making final tweaks before the AppStore launch. We’re also considering an Android version if the budget allows.

What is the team composition?

The founder and CEO is my liaison.

How did you come to work with Gorilla Arm?

We researched specialist app companies and liked the products Gorilla Arm previously built. After meeting them, the team felt like the right fit because they came up with ideas we hadn’t considered. Those ideas eventually ended up in our app.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and the project should end in May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is essential to our business; we are nothing without it. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to realize our mission. With their advice and direction, we ended up with a more beneficially technical app than expected.

How did Gorilla Arm perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had no complaints because they pick up messages right away and respond quickly. The founder has been very helpful; I can’t imagine getting to this point with anyone else. We use Slack, WhatsApp, and phone calls to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s transparency and communication skills helped them explain each step in a clear manner for people without a technical background. They suggested certain development techniques and supplied different options for optimizing the app’s connective communication features. By implementing their outstanding ideas, we can now showcase people’s items in a unique way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I am pretty happy with them and can’t see any way they can improve. They have been outstanding from the start and the process was very quick. I had quite a few meetings with different developers, but these guys got it straight away. I recommend them to anyone looking for a developer.