HashTag Labs Private Limited

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at a sports tech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HashTag Labs Private Limited?

We’d been working with a previous provider who built the initial platform, and we hired HashTag Labs Private Limited (#Labs) to build new features for our software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

#Labs has done many projects with us. During the first phase of our engagement, I told them what we needed and explained the scope of the project. I shared all the existing files with them because they had to understand the platform’s backbone. From there, they gave me a price, the milestones, and the delivery date. 

Then, #Labs worked on top of the existing phpSocial platform and developed complex features. They did some basic design work when developing the specific features and functions of the platform, building the whole skeleton. The team has made adjustments to the platform since then. 

The product we had before they got involved was a social media platform. On top of it, #Labs built software for users to watch a sports match and input data on what they’re seeing. They also built a feature that enables the platform to show infographics, videos, and other graphic data on users’ profiles.

The team has also provided database work; they’ve organized it to improve the platform’s performance. For other projects we work on, I tell them what we need, and they come up with the idea of how to build it and provide suggestions on how to make it easier and better for our customers. Currently, #Labs provides maintenance, and they handle emergencies such as server crashing.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with two founders and two developers from #Labs.

How did you come to work with HashTag Labs Private Limited?

I posted on Upwork looking for freelancers, #Labs applied, and I interviewed them. I chose them because they fit the criteria to build what I needed and explained how they’d do it. Plus, they were a startup like us, so it was in their best interest to make sure the platform was successful. I saw an opportunity to work with a provider that could deliver. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around £8,000–£9,000 (approximately $10,000–$12,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

#Labs helps us when we have issues, giving us full IT support, which we don’t have in-house. Whether it’s an issue with email, the AWS server, or anything technical, they take a look and take care of it — this makes them unique. We have a strong relationship, and I probably would find it hard to go with a different supplier.

How did HashTag Labs Private Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well in terms of project management. Developers are copied into communication, and I’ve had the main developer on a group chat, and we’ve updated them and given them feedback and documents to iterate on the work.

#Labs is quite responsive every day; much better than other suppliers I’ve used. No matter how busy they are, they always keep in touch, even if it’s late at night and they’re at home; this has helped me build trust with them.

Although they constantly work hard to try and finish projects sooner, they’re never completed on time. We often don’t anticipate some buffer time, and there have been misunderstandings about how the features should function. In the latter case, I give them feedback, and we do testing. If this keeps happening, the project can take up to two months more to complete. Other times, they don’t anticipate the input from our side. They’re also trying to be resourceful due to the budget we have.

However, they’re not late because of poor planning and management. I’m working alone, asking for something quite big, and I’m not putting my requests in writing. They probably don’t get the full details necessary to deliver the proper execution on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by how #Labs responds and reacts to requests; they have our best interest at heart. Even if the work is delivered late, I get what I expect, and I don’t need to worry about it. Additionally, the team is very technical, and I’m not, so they try to mentor me and give me the best solution — they’re understanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve the quality of their developers so they could build things more quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be very specific about your requirements, and you’ll get what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and interior designer at Spaces of Hue, an interior design studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HashTag Labs Private Limited?

We wanted to build an attractive website for our target audience, where users could easily access the content. The site had to be easily searchable and accessible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HashTag Labs Private Limited (#Labs) built our WordPress website. Our previous site was on Squarespace, and we originally wanted to migrate it. However, since the platforms are so different, #Labs built the new site from scratch. We gave them a brief and provided them with the site’s content. They gave us feedback about the content’s accessibility and helped us with its placement.

In terms of design, we requested that the photos look great and that social media pages be easily accessible. #Labs proposed options for the size of the buttons, the header, and a theme that would best suit our company. We initially intended to roll out an online store, which didn’t work out from our end, so #Labs removed it from the site and put it on the backburner. 

They recently helped us overhaul our site in response to market changes from the past two years. We just relaunched the website. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 people from #Labs. We had a project lead who handled the brief, two teammates who implemented everything for us, and sometimes the founder stepped in when we needed additional support.

How did you come to work with HashTag Labs Private Limited?

In our initial conversations, #Labs showcased the brands they’d worked with and how they’d been growing, which spoke about their work. They’d also assisted many offshore projects, giving me an understanding of the kind of quality they offered, which was what I was looking for. 

India is a price-sensitive market, and there are many web design options. #Labs wasn’t too expensive, nor cheap in a way that would make us second-guess them. Ultimately I chose them because they were willing to put many people into a small project like mine, which initially involved a very basic website.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $4,000–$5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2018–March 2022. However, we’ve been in talks with #Labs to engage them for SEO services when we can support it financially.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Many people have told us they really like our website. #Labs placed the content very smartly, and it looks great. The calls to action are clear, and they’ve ensured that internal links circle back to the site so that potential clients that come to the website don’t bounce off. 

Additionally, they monitored the analytics with us to detect issues and fix them. #Labs didn’t just build the website and run away; they came back to ask if we needed anything or wanted to review the analytics again. They were willing to provide more feedback, and they were happy to add plug-ins or fix issues for us. They helped us every step of the way, and we developed a partnership — that was their unique selling point. 

How did HashTag Labs Private Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They were pretty alright with deadlines. When there were issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, they quickly worked around their flow and made things happen. I really appreciated that they ensured the situation didn’t push things back for us.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a tough time for everyone. #Labs has pulled through to ensure a backup plan; they had many people on deck to support us. Even if something fell through, there was someone else who could take up that role and run with the brief.

Their turnaround time during a crisis was really quick, too. We typically communicated via Google Meet, Zoom, and email. Overall, I had a fabulous experience with their project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

# Labs’ personalized and customized experience was the key offering that other providers didn’t have. So many organizations out there forget that when they have a customer, it’s for life. Meanwhile, #Labs doesn’t forget their past customers. The team still checks in on me, even without me asking for anything — this pushes the envelope, in my opinion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have improved the tools they used. Instead of using 2–3 tools for project management, they could have settled on one platform, such as Google Meet or a workspace package. This would have made the process more concise, enabling them to manage their customers and projects in one place.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give #Labs very specific requirements. Do your homework to know what you really what, because that way, they can help you better. If I don’t tell a stylist what I want, they might give me a haircut they like but might not work for me. Meanwhile, if I request a length, they can work around that, as the expert they are. 

In the same way, when you’re going to a provider like #Labs, do your research and have your notes ready so they know that you’ve come prepared. Have lots of examples, especially if your project is very visual. This will give them the confidence that you can provide input that’ll help them get you to the next level – help them help you.