Guaraná Technologies

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

This is something that I started not too long ago, and it's something that I do as an extracurricular. It's an app based on discovering photos and videos, which have been left by users near you.

What is your position?

I would say in terms of the app, I'm an entrepreneur.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Guarana Technologies?

I approached Guarana to help me develop the app because I have limited technical experience.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The app is only available on iOS.

How did you come to work with Guarana Technologies?

I went through a lot to find the right partner, and it took me awhile to figure out what one I wanted to pick. However, what stood out about Guarana was that they knew the answer to every question I asked. They knew the best way to explain it to someone who wasn't familiar with app development. Overall, they stood out much more than the rest. Their prices were a little bit more expensive, but the confidence that was instantly given to me by the people at Guarana was worth it. I would use them again. 

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

This app cost was $24,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The app has been completed. The project started around September [2015]. It was completed around early December. It was about four months overall. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What distinguishes Guarana Technologies from other providers?

There are a few things. Guarana instills confidence. It felt like they were always standing on firm ground ready to give me what I was looking to include in the app. They always surprised me by what new features could be added.

Is there anything Guarana Technologies could have improved or done differently?

It wasn't a major issue because it may have been a flaw on my end. Sometimes, I felt there wasn't enough communication. It might be that I thought I said something, and it turned out I that didn't. That was the only thing, but I'm not necessarily blaming them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is an app for quick feedback. It sends questions to people via push notification. These are groups of people so they can answer by touching their phone a few times rather than going through their email to click a link to a survey. 

What is your position?

I'm the founder, and I work with four other students at my university. We'll be rolling out the app to the student body.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Guarana Technologies?

The big challenge was that our team didn't have technical expertise. A couple of us had taken some coding classes, but we found that making apps is hard. We realized we needed to bring in professional talent and that began our search. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We brought on Guarana to make an iOS app, Android app, and website that were all integrated.

How did you come to work with Guarana Technologies?

We started with Elance and oDesk. But, then, we found another site where they screen the developers first, so you have a higher caliber of developer. We probably talked to eight companies before landing on Guarana.

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

This project is in the range of $50,000 to $200,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We're all MBA [Master of Business Administration] students and we're in a community of about 1,000 people in one building, which is the perfect place to try an app because people are very patient with us. There are many clubs in our school and more than 90 percent have used our app to collect feedback from their club members. The cafeteria in the school, which is a for-profit restaurant, also uses our app to ask about food preferences from students.

Every rollout will show some bugs, and we have had some. But, the product is certainly working well enough to get these adoption opportunities without destroying the image of what our app is capable of. If it had been a worse product, that reputation would've spread very quickly and we would have been having doors slammed in our face. 

What distinguishes Guarana Technologies from other providers?

There are many positives in my partnership with Guarana Technologies. First, they're very responsive. I can usually expect an email within 24 hours Also, they listen well. They're good at managing me, which I really like. They're positive, they are reassuring, and they're easy to call because they're humorous. They've been through this process enough times that they understand it very well and they're able to educate someone who doesn't know how technology works and tell them what to expect. That's very valuable because, in any app process for a layman like me, there are many reasons to worry and, if you're not partnered with the right person, your stress level can go through the roof.

Is there anything Guarana Technologies could have improved or done differently?

I think every entrepreneur and every founder has this dream that their technology will be bug free. No product is. "The Wi-Fi at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference wasn't working. The SpaceX rocket crashed during the summer." If I could change anything, it would be that they made a completely bug-free product. But, that's not a practical expectation. They do a good job being responsive and fixing bugs. I accept that this is the imperfection of the process, and I think Guarana is doing everything that can be expected. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization. What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm the CEO of a startup that is developing a mobile application that puts two users in communication based on similar interests.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Guarana Technologies?

We were having technical issues and needed technical work done for the mobile app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We had developed an initial app that wasn't working well. Then, we went to Guarana Technologies to restart the entire process. We started with a complete UX [user experience] development, and then went into the UI [user interface]. After the UX/UI portion was complete, we then went into the development phase. Development so far is just for iOS.

What was your process for selecting Guarana Technologies?

We were looking at other app developers in Montreal. I wanted to work with somebody local. We were in discussions with a few companies, and I got along with Guarana Technologies. I also liked the work they had done previously.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

Our iOS app cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What differentiates Guarana Technologies from other partners?

Guarana Technologies did a great job. They were good at challenging our ideas and working to help guide strategy – not just to give us what we had asked for, but to also give their input and reach the best product.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a San Francisco-based company that is developing cross-platform solution. As part of that effort, we are developing a mobile application with Guarana Technologies.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with Guarana Technologies?

I was looking for a small studio that could develop a Geographic Information System for us. We wanted a company that had a track record in mobile applications and that had good graphic design expertise.

Please describe the scope of their work.

We started with the UI [user interface] and UX [user experience], and they started the development as well. It’s in beta testing now.

SOLUTION

What was your process in selecting Guarana Technologies with which to work?

I initially consulted somewhere between 10 and 15 different companies. I was, of course, looking for availability, cost, and quality. With the timing of the release, I needed to start the development pretty fast, so I needed someone who could start right away. They were competitive in cost, actually a little bit cheaper than companies in this country, which I assume is due to their available labor workforce. I gave them a full briefing on what I was expecting with the mobile app and a sense of the larger project as well. The discussions we had were extremely professional and precise. I ended up working with them because they actually understood what I proposed in my specifications, and they had very good solutions in terms of mobile development. So, for all these reasons, I chose Guarana.

When did you start working with them, and is the relationship ongoing?

The relationship started in February [2015]. We are still working with them, and I think we’re going to work together for quite some time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or general feedback from the project?

The graphic design is excellent, which makes a real difference. It’s very important for the user interface, and they are delivering. The development is of very good quality as well, and that’s what the investors are interested in.

Is there anything unique about Guarana Technologies that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

They’re extremely professional, and I am very positive about the work they’ve been doing. They are extremely committed and very reliable. They had a clear understanding of our requirements. They are proactive in advising in what would be best in UX and UI. They are extremely professional in the way they develop the coding, which will be very important in terms of maintenance. 

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

I haven’t seen anything that I would change so far.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

You need to be clear on what you expect. That’s very important with any agency.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company.

Our company’s primary product is a social network iOS app. We're based in Montreal, Canada.   

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the CEO and owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with Guarana Technologies?

I'm not very tech savvy in terms of building or coding a new piece of software, so I needed some developers. I wanted someone good with design as well as development.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Guarana was responsible for the design and development of an app for iOS.

What was your process in selecting Guarana Technologies with which to work?

I contacted a company where I knew the owner and told them about my project, and they referred me to Guarana. They could do modern design layouts with no problem, where the other companies I was thinking about were more basic Web development companies.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We’ve spent around $20,000 working with Guarana.

What was the timeline of the project?

We started working on the design in November. The actual development started at the end of December or the beginning of January. We’re at the end of development now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you talk about how they performed in terms of the quality of the work they delivered to this point?

In terms of creativity, I was quite surprised because they were great. Every version so far has come through with very few bugs because they make sure they test it before they send it to me. I know when I get the current version to test, it will be better than the last. All I need to check are the new features and the progress, and it’s great to be able to test it live with no bugs. I was quite positively surprised with the quality of their work, and I’m satisfied with what they have done.

Is there anything unique about Guarana Technologies that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

They obviously wanted to develop a good product and they took the time to develop a good relationship with me. They understand the product and the current technology as well as emerging technologies. I like to work with them because they not only understand our product, but they also understand our future needs, so we’re always thinking about the next steps. If I need to get in touch with them either by email, text, or phone, and they are always there for me. They respond quite quickly to each of my questions.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

I really don’t see anything that either of us would do differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a marketing agency, we deliver digital marketing services to companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Guaraná Technologies, and what were your goals?

We hired Guarana to create a custom web portal that enables us to customize client reporting and integrate their apps with advanced customization based on their needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Their expertise and the way they were able to build something 100% custom based on our needs.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting so that they could properly scope all the different aspects we wanted. They suggested some different approaches, solutions and designs which we validated with them and then developed everything perfectly and tailored to our needs while keeping us updated at each stage of the project.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4 people were involved:

• owner
• front-end designer
• 2 developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Our clients were immediately delighted with our new web portal and it enables us to provide more value to actual and new clients moving forward.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had bi-weekly meetings with progress and next steps. Timeline was respected as per project's scope.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were impressed by their understanding of the technology and fully customized approach.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No, flawless execution. Very happy.