Mobile App Dev & Web App for Startup
- Custom Software Development
- $10,000 to $49,999
- Feb. 2016 - Apr. 2017
- Quality
- 4.5
- Schedule
- 5.0
- Cost
- 5.0
- Willing to Refer
- 5.0
“People look at [it] now and say, ‘How did you get this done for the budget that you are allotted?’”
- Other industries
- Boston, Massachusetts
- 1-10 Employees
- Phone Interview
- Verified
JetRuby developed a prototype for a college-market social safety iOS and web app. They coded in React and Objective-C. They also consulted to refine the app’s features, and integrated with a Bluetooth device.
JetRuby’s price tag was significantly lower than other firms, but their deliverables were exceptional. They met sprint deadlines and exceeded the final deadline, and they were quick to address any requests. Personal communication with developers led to a sense of team accountability.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
My company is a social safety application that keeps college students safe while making college campuses safer. I’m the founder and CEO.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with JetRuby Agency?
When we were working with JetRuby, it was at a point when we were trying to develop our first rough MVP prototype of our mobile and web app as well as Bluetooth integration, which included firmware development between the mobile app and a Bluetooth-enabled device. We were also addressing specific user stories, all under a very tight budget. It wasn't just me going to them and saying, "I need to get this done," but more "What should I get done first?" Overall, it was a prototype creation process as well as development work.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
We worked on developing the web app first. That's developed in React, and it was a live-updating web dashboard that receives signals from the API of the mobile apps—it's like an integrated server software solution. The mobile app was coded in Objective-C for iOS and had to communicate with the dashboard. Those were the two main rough prototypes that we put together. We focused on getting the systems integrated first. Then we developed admin databases and user experience into the mobile app and web dashboard. I worked with them to go through user stories and figure out what specific features I wanted first, and what I could fit within my budget. They were super helpful because they outlined what it would take to get to a certain feature or product, and we could go through an outline, specifically "must-haves" and "good-to-haves," and what would need to be included on the next project development sprint.
How did you come to work with JetRuby Agency?
I'm in the Northeastern Venture Accelerator Program, and JetRuby came highly recommended from another company called LinkSquare. I know that when I was going into outsourcing the prototype, I was very wary of entering a relationship at a point where the technical features were still not that thoroughly developed. I received a really great recommendation not just on the coding and the development work, but on the communication and relationship that JetRuby provides their customers. I reached out and started talking with Ivan [Linko], the CEO, about developing a relationship, and we started with the first development sprint. I was extremely happy with their work, and then we moved into a second one.
How much have you invested with JetRuby Agency?
It was less than $20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began budget creation in February 2016. The first development sprint wrapped up in October 2016, and then the second one in April 2017.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
I came in having an idea and some mockups for an app. Now, less than a year later, I have a complete MVP of my network that I can demo, that I can data pilot, that's been approved by the App Store for me to launch on TestFlight, and for an unbelievable price that’s nothing like what I was quoted for in-house development or any other development firm. Also, it’s code that my CGO can work off of. It's not like we have to start from scratch—it's great quality code.
How did JetRuby Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
It was great. I experienced two project managers throughout my course with JetRuby. It was great because these people were the middlemen between me and the tech, and I had great communication with them. We worked with several trackers and had video calls to discuss development. I could email them. There was a time difference, which is one thing, but if the time zones lined up, I would get very quick responses, and bugs would be fixed post immediately. If it was taking more time to do something, I'd have visibility into everything that was happening with the app. Whenever I had a question, it would get answered, and whenever I wanted them to do something, they would do it.
I know I had at least three developers that I had a direct correspondence with who are the main leads who would troubleshoot the bugs for me, but the number of developers switched over from different development sprints. It would be great because then they would send me an email saying they fixed the bugs personally. It wouldn't be the project manager, but the exact developer.
They definitely met deadlines within those sprints. We went a little over budget in the second development sprint, but I felt that it was justified as everything came under the terms of our contract. Besides that, deadlines were very well set, and I knew what was taking longer or shorter than expected.
What did you find most impressive about JetRuby Agency?
The ability for me, a very early-stage venture, to come into a professional development agency to create a prototype under a very tight budget was a really important distinguisher. It's not just about delivering certain features; it’s about working together with JetRuby to know which user stories should and need to be included in an MVP. I only received very personal communication into what I should do first. It was almost like a guidance into how to create the best prototype for the best price. We really went into what it would take to develop prototypes that I wanted. A lot of development agencies don't really get into that; they just want a scope of work delivered to them right up front and don't really take the time to get into what should be done. They delivered that, which was vital to me, being a very early-stage venture. From there, it was really professional quality code that people look at now and say, "How did you get this done for the budget that you are allotted?" I think that's such a great situation for me to be in.
Are there any areas JetRuby Agency could improve?
I think they're already on this track, but standardizing the visibility into the actual specific tasks that are getting done every day. I'm not that much of a project manager and I didn't request that much visibility into the Pivotal Tracker. They did give me that, but in the first round, we didn't use it as much. In the second round, we used it more. For me, it was totally fine. I'm not sure exactly how they interact with their other clients, but having more visibility and a more standardized use of tools like Pivotal Tracker. If they want to scale to a more professional and later stage company for development, they're going to need that to be really well-developed. Then again, I don't know how they interacted with their later-stage clients, and it could have just been a situation for me that I was completely fine with
RATINGS
-
Quality
4.5Service & Deliverables
"They delivered high-quality code within an amazing budget. They worked really well with the technical user story that I'd given them and created a very sustainable MVP."
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Schedule
5.0On time / deadlines
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Cost
5.0Value / within estimates
-
Willing to Refer
5.0NPS