HubSpire

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

 I’m the senior designer and web producer for a dentistry company. It’s my job to maintain the company’s website and deal with our marketing strategies to generate more revenue. I’m responsible for a monthly publication of a book as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We were looking for new ways to move toward digital publishing. The industry is facing an influx of younger people, so everything needed to be tech-savvy. We needed to develop an app for our company to keep us as a front runner and competitive publisher in the dental industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

From the ground up, Thomas (CEO, HubSpire) and his team developed a completely new mobile app for us. We started out by discussing how we wanted to develop the product, splitting it into phases. They offered us a wireframe that contained all of the features we wanted to see in the final solution. Once we approved that, we jumped into the iterative development process. The main app is complete, but we’ll be moving into the second phase of development soon.   

What is the team composition?

I worked with Thomas and George (HR Project Director, HubSpire) directly. I’m sure there were others that helped on the development front. 

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

We interviewed about five different companies to see who would be our best-fit partner. Their team stood out the most, so we chose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

It began in February 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. However, the app has been live since January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From a design aspect, their work is highly aesthetically pleasing. We don’t track any hard metrics for them, but they were able to provide us with a number of suggestions based on their development expertise, and we took them. They ended up being what was best for our app.

We launched the app at a large-scale dental industry conference. There, we got great responses from attendees. We also got verbal feedback that has allowed us to come up with additional improvements for the app.  

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

Their main developers were in India, but they had expert-level communication skills. Even when we ran into issues getting the app to go live after a crash at a show, they stayed up late into the night to fix the problem as quickly as possible. The owner gave me his personal number to use if I ever needed help.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional in the way they run their business. The team was very on top of things, letting us know when they needed information from us to meet our intended deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything’s been running very smoothly. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very organized and have a strong idea of what you want as a customer before going into the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of Safe Squad mobile app, which is a free safety app on the App Store and Google Play.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

My daughter is the creator of the app. She did some coding, but we needed a team to complete what she started.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My daughter is the youngest developer that HubSpire has ever partnered with, so we wanted a very hands-on team. In this very iterative process, we met frequently to discuss our goals and the overall progress of the app.

My daughter originally did some coding, but she didn’t know everything she needed to complete it. HubSpire picked up where she left off with the coding and also helped with beta testing and constructing the algorithm. 

In the end, we received a safety app that we could offer for free online. That way, despite someone’s gender, socioeconomic background, region, or political affiliation, they’d have access to this safety resource.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with Thomas (CEO, Hubspire). The team as a whole was about 4–5 people. They have a large team, but we didn’t require a huge amount of assistance.

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

My daughter browsed other apps online, looking further into ones she liked. We discovered HubSpire in that process. Their team had great reviews online, so we decided to hire them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

His work speaks for itself—it’s certainly up to my expectations. We’re very happy with the final product and found the staff to be both efficient and professional. We’ve built a strong relationship over the course of the engagement due to our notably positive experience.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

They went above and beyond our requirements. Thomas was hands-on every step of the was to assure that our project was exactly as my daughter wanted it.

Both Thomas and my daughter are on the East Coast while I’m located on the West Coast, so effective communication was major. I flew in for a few appointments and was always kept in the loop. They were thorough, always providing updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thomas was willing to listen to our needs and questions, explaining everything we asked about. His technical skills and ability to collaborate make him one of the best out there.

Outside of the development, he truly cares about my daughter’s success. When we tell him that she was on the news or a radio talk show, he is sincerely proud of her accomplishments. He’s invested in our future because of the relationship we’ve grown together. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t express enough how happy we are with the app. They’re a great company to work with, and I would certainly do business with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I wholeheartedly believe that you’ll be in good hands if you choose to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring and the Frank L. Boyden professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We had recently designed a course that requires students to conduct informational and mock interviews, and we wanted to develop an app to help us manage the process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HubSpire was brought in to bring our app concept to life. We needed the app to compile background information, allow easy navigation, and support sharing on social media platforms. In addition to making the app modular for admin users, they were asked to add a rating and review feature on the app. After discussing our project goals, they produced a few mockups to show us how the features would look on a mobile screen. They then moved on to build a beta version of the app per our requirements.

What is the team composition?

HubSpire’s CEO oversaw their development team, which consisted of a lead engineer and three additional programmers.

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

I have worked with HubSpire on numerous projects, and they always manage to exceed my expectations. They are also highly professional and able to work within our suggested timeline and budgets.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent less than $10,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working on the app in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within a single month, HubSpire delivered a phenomenal app. Several instructors have adopted the tool, and another university is planning to connect with HubSpire to develop additional features for the app.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was exceptionally responsive to our feedback. We were given access to their project management tools, which enabled fast and efficient communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

HubSpire consistently produces high-quality work at a fast pace and a reasonable price. Their customer service efforts are also notable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could not have asked for a better development partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a client relations manager at the BP Group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

Our committee had a goal of bringing our company closer together by building an internal communications tool. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HubSpire met with our team initially to go over goals and brainstorm solutions. They suggested developing an intranetwork app that they then built and we've started testing. They continue to work with us to make additional enhancements that we'd like to see included based on user feedback.

What is the team composition? 

We mostly work with Thomas (CEO, HubSpire), as well as a team of about 4–5 people. We're in touch with him every week and hop on larger calls with the rest of the team once or twice a month. 

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

One of our interns found them through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $20,000 thus far, but expect that to climb to $25,000–$30,000 as they implement the next round of iterations. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2018 and completed the initial version of the app by January 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

HubSpire's intranetwork solution has exceeded expectations, receiving a tremendous amount of positive feedback. Our employees are loving the content being shared on the app, and it's performing in the exact way we intended it to. 

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

They're proactive about meeting deadlines and keeping us in the loop on project milestones.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Thomas provides a lot of personal attention and he's very approachable. It feels as though he's part of our own team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a one-on-one conversation with Thomas to brainstorm the best solutions for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Academic Web Pages, a web design company specializing in academic projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

A university client was trying to make the story of immigration and individual immigrants more well known. We had a website and wanted an app that would allow students to interview immigrant classmates so their stories would be heard. We hired HubSpire to develop that app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HubSpire used a software platform that enabled them to develop the iOS and Android versions in tandem. It was an extremely intense app, requiring video recording and tagging on the interviews. We used a carefully curated list of questions to ask during the interview, and we collected specific data points during them. Users can tag spots during a recording that someone could jump to hear the answer to a specific question. It’s also possible to tag poignant moments during an interview by touching the screen and making a note. A tag could be “discusses family left behind,” and someone interested in it could touch it to jump to that part of the video. That was a tricky piece, and HubSpire did a nice job of it, especially considering that it works on both Android and iOS. HubSpire also had to provide the ability for people to be interviewed anonymously including audio-only interviews and muffled voices when necessary.

We wanted to make the app available to a classroom, which turned out to be its most common use. An entire classroom would interview each other, and HubSpire created a way to sequester interviews so students could see each other’s interviews but not those of other classrooms. We set up a form for teachers to register their classrooms and manage the interviews via a username and password.

What is the team composition?

I was the point person for the end client, and I had one main contact, an account manager at HubSpire, whom I directed emails to if the client found a bug or if we needed an enhancement made. We had conference calls with as many as 5–6 people from their team. There was a lot of give and take about who the team was at any given point. 

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

Not understanding the scope of the project, we hired an individual programmer who wrote us a borderline unusable app. A friend described the process that her friend who used HubSpire went through to develop a social media app for finding roommates. I spent an hour on the phone with her and found out that she started the same way as we did with two unsuccessful collaborations. Afterward, she found HubSpire and had a positive experience and great success. 

How much have you invested with them?

The cost for this project was $100,000–$120,000, including subsequent enhancements.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with HubSpire in the spring of 2016. They delivered the product in the fall of that year, around the end of October. We went back to them for enhancements a year later.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been out for two years, and there are dozens of schools across the world using it. There are tons of public-facing interviews on the website, but the biggest impact has come from the ones the public can’t see, which are private amongst classrooms. There are 128 public interviews and five or more times as many private interviews.

At one level, we’re allowing students to easily create annotated interviews that tell the stories of their friends’ immigration experiences. At a bigger level, we achieved the goal we had to make a more empathic environment for immigrants, and for them to be seen as people with stories.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good at maintaining a shared Google Doc with outstanding bugs and newly implemented features with their status, cost, and how those would be implemented. We didn’t have daily communication. We would agree on what was needed, and they would do it. They’d require some clarification once in a while, and we would both test the deliverables on the set deadlines. We identified problems and made lists on spreadsheets.

We had follow-on versions made based on usage patterns we saw, and I worked with the team on how to implement what the client wanted. At times, various members of their team were talking to me, and our client would be in on it.

They were great about deadlines. They didn’t over-communicate or distract us from our work. They simply did what we asked and came back when we needed to test something or weigh in. I couldn’t have asked for a more responsive, professional, reasonably priced partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They never say, “No, that can’t be done.” They encourage us to relay how we want the app to be used, and they come up with the best ways of implementing that. HubSpire is creative in terms of implementation, and they’re amazingly responsive. I had a Google chat window with their owner, and, if I said hello, he instantly told me whether he could talk or if he was in a meeting. I loved their immediacy and responsiveness.

They designed the look and feel of the app and didn’t charge us for it. The woman who sent me to HubSpire paid $50,000 just for the design, but we didn’t have that money. It was truly amazing.

They meet deadlines and create a quality product with very few bugs. Of the few bugs that appeared, each one was fixed immediately. It was a high-quality product at a reasonable price, delivered on schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any areas of improvement. HubSpire goes above and beyond.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to describe the goal of the project and allow HubSpire to suggest implementations that would be cost-effective and functional. We told them how we wanted something to work and they did it, and we later found out it wasn’t the best idea on our part.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Rosehip Partners. We’re a real estate company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We needed a development firm to build a website that could serve as a lead generator for our company. A publicly accessible platform for searching rental properties didn’t exist in our industry, so the goal was to fulfill that need with an optimized product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HubSpire collaborated with us and built out the entire web platform. They worked through three iterations before delivering the final product. Ultimately, they made our thoughts into reality. The frontend is basically a search engine for rental properties that are available in local areas. The challenging aspect of the engagement was building a backend CRM that allows our agents to track customer activity in a manageable way while also responding to inquiries. So the frontend component generates leads while the platform’s backend organizes them. They also developed a listings database that stores rental information and can be updated in real-time. Additionally, the site allows homeowners to register and post properties themselves. Overall, it’s quite a functional and versatile platform.

What is the team composition?

Their owner functioned as our primary point of contact throughout the engagement. He assigned a project manager and a whole development team to our account.

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

We came to know HubSpire because they possessed a domain name we were trying to acquire. After reaching out to them, our relationship evolved from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just under $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They developed multiple versions of our website from 2008–2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A real measure of any website’s success is where it ranks on Google. Our platform consistently shows up first or at least near the top of relevant searches via the use of strategic keywords. That performance indicates to us that people are visiting the site and making inquiries. Also, the backend filtering system ensures that agents are reasonably delegated leads.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive, organized, and always dedicated to the task at hand. We encouraged a team-oriented approach, so they made a spreadsheet where our agents can input their experience with the platform and make feature suggestions. Their processes allow us to communicate and keep a record of changes that need to be made.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re capable of fast responses and quick solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re still there whenever we need them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’re satisfied with our results and I know they tackle projects much bigger than ours. That speaks to the fact that they can serve both large and small accounts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I hold a senior position at LuBax. Our company collects and processes images for dermatologists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We needed an improved interface for our app that would allow physicians to submit images and refine our data collection methods.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They essentially rebuilt our app. After we gave HubSpire our project goals, they started building wireframes to flesh out the concept. We had sessions of feedback and discussion on this work. They assisted in everything from the design and image-submission features to the finished product.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their CEO, project manager, and some developers near the end of the project.

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

Though we considered four other companies, HubSpire came highly recommended to us. Once they responded to our RFP, we were impressed with their understanding of the project and overall knowledge. They asked the right questions, and we felt the price was very reasonable.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The interface is easier to use and helps physicians communicate quicker, which was our overall goal. It's a streamlined process that allows us to collect more data by submitting images on the platform.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

HubSpire was an effective partner. They were always available when we needed them. Their team addressed all issues quickly, and we could email or call them whenever.

What did you find most impressive about them?

HubSpire’s ability to listen and fully understand our goals stood out. They provided quick recommendations and had a great turnaround time throughout the design and implementation process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s a good idea to ask them for their input throughout the project. The final product benefits from talking with the HubSpire team and seeking their recommendations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of BINKABLE. We provide a talent acquisition application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We needed a company to help us develop an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to have an application that is easy to use and high-touch, but also elegant and creative. We worked collaboratively with them on the wireframes and then, they developed a web application and a mobile app for iOS and Android. They also integrated it with some other creative applications, so users can touch an image and see a portfolio of work from our creators on YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, and Dribbble.

What is the team composition?

I worked mostly with their CEO Thomas Abraham, but there were also 4–5 developers working on our application.

How did you come to work with them?

They were recommended to us by one of our consultants.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March–September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients love the application and we've experienced a very steady increase in downloads. It's a professional application for the entertainment and advertising community, so there are a lot of agencies that use it.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They always kept us up-to-date with the progress and provided detailed reports, so we knew what was going on with the project. We usually used Slack and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listened to me and were very detailed when creating the wireframes, making sure the product met our needs. They put together a great scope of work that kept both their team and ours on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They exceeded our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open. Often, people are nervous about spending quite a bit of their money on an application, but HubSpire can put you at ease. It'd be great if you could get an in-person meeting with their CEO Thomas Abraham–he can instill confidence in you and assure you that he'll get the job done. I'd definitely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

HubSpire was the development team for a previous business where I worked.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HubSpire?

We were building an online marketplace for shared housing rentals and hired HubSpire to create a website and mobile app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we first met with HubSpire, they showed us samples of their previous work. We gave them an outline of the products we wanted to build. During several meetings, we put together a simple product plan. HubSpire gave us a quote and full contract proposal which we negotiated for a few weeks until it represented our exact concept. From there, we moved into the full development phase. 

Our product is both a web application and a mobile app for the latest version of iOS. HubSpire built the backend on a MySQL database and used Python as the connecting piece. The search functionality sorts through our entire marketplace of property listings. Users can upload and edit pictures and chat with one another in real time. Built-in social media verification connects to their Facebook and Google Plus accounts. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked with about five people from HubSpire. The team included the main engineer who specializes in Python, 1-2 iOS programmers and a web app developer. The CEO worked as our project manager. HubSpire pulled in some design resources, as well. 

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

We had already tried and failed this project with two previous groups of developers we hadn't liked. Our cofounder's family friend recommended HubSpire. We personally enjoyed the team when we met, really liked their previous projects, and knew they could execute for us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016 and launched the first version of our products that April. We spent a month planning, two months building, and a month refining the product before the final launch in May 2016. Over the course of the next year, they provided ongoing advancements and maintenance for several new releases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we launched the products, we got up to roughly 50,000 users. We were getting 1,000 app downloads per week that were all organic. Our company was eventually acquired. All these metrics are most directly attributable to HubSpire's work. 

Hubspire’s investment in our project surpassed my expectations for how closely a third-party team could work with us. The CEO treats every customer like they're a part of his own company or even family. He genuinely cared about what we were building, which was very helpful.

How did HubSpire perform from a project management standpoint?

I worked as the product manager, and HubSpire functioned as our engineering team on a daily basis. We went through multiple product iterations of building, launching, and refinement. 

HubSpire was actively engaged in problem-solving. I could submit tickets directly into their system for known issues. Similarly, they surfaced ones they saw on their end. We had such a close relationship that they essentially functioned as an internal engineering team. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I most appreciated how much they care. The amount of work they produce and the speed at which they do it is very impressive. HubSpire is a team of special, extremely hardworking people who did whatever it took to complete our project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Building up their service offerings will help HubSpire support clients who need more than just technical expertise. I know they're working on this and already have relatively comprehensive capabilities at this point. Eventually, they could bring more full-time designers onsite and expand to user experience, as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

HubSpire will work with you hands-on and will want you to do the same. Their collaborative and interactive method ensures they’re building a product that truly captures your vision. They're not a team that will work in isolation and return with something low-quality that’s not what you want. Instead, they'll offer you expertise that provides a better perspective. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of LivingRoomChef. We manage an app-based mobile platform to help chefs grow their business and run social events. Users can post events, book reservations, book payments, and grow their network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire HubSpire?

We needed a partner to work with us through the design and development processes and help us go live.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to help chefs manage their business and give guests a new way to find private dining experiences.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I worked with HubSpire on previous projects with different companies. I call on them when I need to create an app or website.

Describe the project in detail.

We first drafted a proposal, then began designing the app and website. HubSpire expertly developed the products with great attention to detail. After completion, the team continued to update and manage the platforms.

What was the team composition?

We mostly interacted with a project manager for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We recorded hundreds of downloads immediately following the app’s launch. It was a seamless process, there were no issues with the user log in, social media integrations, or any of the payment processing elements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They approached our partnership with professionalism and a close attention to detail. The team was available to communicate at any time of day.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Each member of the HubSpire team was very knowledgeable in each step of the development process for the app, website, and additional integrations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are an excellent company. I look forward to working with them on future projects.