Kinemeric

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a global wealth management platform that focuses on the US. As a product provider, our goal is to simplify the investment process in otherwise complicated investment securities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CemtrexLabs?

We were looking for a development firm to build our FinTech platform from scratch within a relatively short timeframe. Since it takes time to launch a business within a very competitive market, we needed to quickly onboard a cost-effective team that had expertise in several different areas.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CemtrexLabs developed a low-scale marketing and distribution platform that allows users to navigate the investment process easily. 

One of our main tasks was ensuring that the user interaction was simple and clean. Since we have a lot of domain experience, we guided CemtrexLabs through what we wanted to achieve. They worked with us to create and deliver a functional product, using React, MySQL, and Node.js.

There’s a standard user portal setup with dual authentication, which we use to collect data. Users can then set up notifications within the platform to regulate information distribution. This includes sending marketing emails, controlling which users receive notifications, and communicating via text through a Twilio integration. So, if a user wanted to buy a certain number of stocks in a company, they could just send a text directly to the portal.

Currently, we keep their team on as support to fill in any tech gaps. We don’t always have the resources available to service every area of the platform, which is always pretty robust. They’re also helpful with strategic thinking.

What is the team composition?

Lucky (Executive VP of Sales & Marketing, CemtrexLabs) is my main point of contact, but there are also 2–3 developers. Since the project kicked off, their team has run the process, and they’re all fantastic. It just feels seamless.

How did you come to work with CemtrexLabs?

I found them through a trusted friend who has been working with them for a long time. The all-around service that they provided felt right for our project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We followed a strategic development process: after building a stripped-down initial MVP, we tested it with beta users for a few months to make sure that there weren’t any critical errors. From that point on, we’d release constant iterations. Now, we gather pain points every few months on what isn’t working or needs improvement and address them in a new sprint.

How did CemtrexLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

CemtrexLabs has a really good team that’s easy to interact with. Their main sales reps are based in New York, so there’s always a touchpoint here in the US. If anything needs to be addressed, we lean on them for help. They also help us think strategically about what we want to build and how to go about it.

A lot of their coding power is actually overseas, and the developers are efficient at working remotely. The coders are leaders in the building process, and we interact with them on a daily basis when going through a sprint.

Typically, we communicate through email whenever we encounter an issue or want to develop something. We use their proprietary project management tool to coordinate tasks and they’ve been great at keeping to schedule. We’ve occasionally missed a few deadlines, but that hasn’t had a negative impact on our project. If anything, it’s always worked out for us. It’s better to take longer to do something right than to rush it and get it wrong.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been a supportive partner, and we’ve had a really good experience. The team takes the time to understand what we’re trying to accomplish before lying out a few options to proceed. I also appreciate their grasp on cutting-edge technology. They have a real understanding of all sorts of tech.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are lots of opportunities ahead of them to grow. At the moment, they’re exploring different areas of the market like AR, which is really cutting-edge.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend as much time as you can in advance to map out what you want to build. If you want to de-risk the project and keep your budget tight, it’s important to do the bulk of the prep work yourself. Figure out any nuances and details from the outset. The more you do beforehand to clearly explain your goals, the smoother your overall experience will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of my company. We’re creating a mobile app for barbershop management and appointment booking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CemtrexLabs?

We hired CemtrexLabs for mobile app development to support the creation of our new product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CemtrexLabs developed our app for both iOS and Android. They based the designs on wireframes we created in-house as well as the preliminary docs we provided them. The products’ key features allow barbershop clients to book appointments. The other part of our system lets shop owners track and manage general store processes and incoming revenue. Ultimately, our app helps independent small business owners run their own companies. With the support of our digital tool, there’s no need for an in-house team to execute additional marketing efforts. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Lucky (President and Co-founder, CemtrexLabs), the owner of the company. CemtrexLabs also assigned us a project manager for day-to-day tasks.

How did you come to work with CemtrexLabs?

I got along really well with Lucky (President and Co-founder, CemtrexLabs). I admired his hustle, and it felt like we had similar DNA. They were the obvious choice when I decided to create my mobile app.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000 on CemtrexLabs’ services so far. We’re in a maintenance phase right now as our company’s in-house dev team completes the full-scale app for our final launch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with CemtrexLabs from August through November of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

CemtrexLabs designed a seamless UX for our app that makes it effortless for users to maximize our service.  It’s currently in stealth launch mode. The MVP has presently 200 downloads and 30 active users. All of our customers have given us great feedback so far about the UX. We’re excited about the full launch when we start marketing the app in earnest.

How did CemtrexLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We used an online project management tool to communicate and organize tasks. In addition, we stayed in touch with frequent phone calls and emails. CemtrexLabs has fantastic project management skills.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CemtrexLabs’ greatest strength is passion coupled with technical proficiency. They have an innate ability to fully engage with a client's nascent idea and bring it to life.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future clients should be aware of potential language barriers. These are to be expected, given the nature of remote work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online wholesale marketplace for the cannabis industry. I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CemtrexLabs?

I wanted to build a platform to connect growers and product manufactures to end consumers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a broad vision for a huge two-tiered marketplace with a marketing engine built on top. With their help, we narrowed it down to a wholesale marketplace that we could pitch to investors. They’ve since completed an MVP that is gaining traction and we’re raising capital to build the consumer-facing side of the platform.

It's a web-based platform with a referral program that allows each business that uses it to have their own unique URL to track who they share the platform with. We can track user activity and have a lot of capabilities already with the MVP.

What is the team composition? 

Their president is our main point of contact. He serves on our advisory board and helps us track key performance indicators, test key features, select what we should work on next, and find ways to meet investors and raise money.

How did you come to work with CemtrexLabs?

I was introduced to them through our corporate attorney. We met several times and got good advice from their president. I considered other development shops but liked how no-nonsense they are. They were inexpensive and never tried to up-sell me on other features or services. They had a grounded approach and convinced us to start slow and grow. They were realistic, had a good attitude, and brought a helpful, third-party perspective.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $130,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and launched the MVP in May. We’re currently working together on other features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have over 20 businesses that already use the platform and haven’t experienced a single crash. Everyone has positive feedback for the interface, UX, and the quality of the code. I’ve given live demos of it and it always performs flawlessly.

How did CemtrexLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage their time really well. I can track their tasks and their hours down to 15-minute intervals to see what everyone worked on in a given day. Their project manager oversees the team and responds to us within minutes, even in the middle of the night there. We have daily standup calls each morning with the team in India. If there ever an urgent issue, they get on the phone at any hour to resolve it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They go above and beyond to help us. I’m an early-stage startup and am sharing every role within my company with my co-founder. They outline all our product features and break everything down into very specific details. They do all the UI/UX and save me hours of work each week. I don’t need to write spec sheets or wireframes or do any of the QA, they do all of that. They build incredible software and fill every blank. They do so much more than other dev shops.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any issues we’ve had with the process stemmed from miscommunication on my side. I can’t fault them for what I did and can’t think of anything negative about their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with them is the best business decision you can make. Familiarize yourself with company workflow as soon as they introduce you to it. They share a lot of information that will save you time if you orient yourself to their platform.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Founder of Crypco, a live-stream media network and consultancy focused on blockchain and the crypto space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CemtrexLabs?

We needed to create a media network web property. The project includes not just a website but also live-streaming media—which adds complexity and scale—as well as mobile and tablet versions because we believe our audience will be heavily weighted to the mobile environment. We also have to aggregate subscriber data, which is critical to for market research and data and reports for the consultancy side of the business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve started with the website, which is built on WordPress and launched recently. The platform is evolving and we have a roadmap for the next few months as we expand. We’re incorporating live-stream media. We’ll eventually build mobile and tablet versions for both iOS and Android. We plan to have native apps that incorporate CRM, notifications, and data aggregation that match the web-based media property. In the meantime, the website was built to be mobile friendly.

We’re building features that can be leveraged to deliver value back to the business. We’ve integrated HubSpot to aggregate subscriber data as well as custom messaging platforms that are specific to the blockchain community, like Telegram. We’ve included emojis and icons to capture sentiment in real time for the shows we live stream.

What is the team composition?

I work with a designer and a project manager running things out of India.

How did you come to work with CemtrexLabs?

I was referred to them by a friend. I built a relationship with them through other projects I consult on that we worked on together. I’d had good experiences and wanted to use them for my own company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off in May 2018 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What's been built has been solid and stable. They developed it quickly to get us up and running fast.

How did CentrexLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They use a customized dashboard to manage the project and centralize things. All communication goes through that dashboard. We have calls with web demos to review things visually in real time and talk through any items. They always send an agenda in advance and follow up with notes on next steps that are logged and tracking within their platform.

They do a really good job of staying on track of things. They build in an agile model so we can easily make changes and adjustments. It’s very easy to work with them even though they’re global in nature with a team out of India. They work and respond rapidly around the clock.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, it was speed to engagement as well as their agile working model. They're also very cost effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Once you get used to the working model, they’re very easy to work with. With them, everything unfolds in real time versus via a lot of preparation and planning. As a result, my key guidance would be to clarify all the details of the project as much as you possibly can up front to stay within scope. Generally, though, they make sure that it all works out favorably for both sides.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what you want in advance of starting the conversation. You don’t need to have a full spec or a waterfall design or anything like that. You need to be able to work in an agile model but, at the same time, make sure you've thought as deeply as you possibly can in preparation. Once the project is underway and sprints begin, changes can cause delays or other issues. That’s with any agile model, not specific to CemtrexLabs. You can’t expect a lot of discovery or planning in advance so you need to have things thought through upfront in order to stick to the scope and stay on schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO for Today’s Business, a full-service digital marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cemtrex Labs?

They’ve given us the ability to scale our development. We’ve worked on over 100 projects with them, and they’re a very critical part of the business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started working on 5–6 different WordPress websites. They’ve worked on some of our bigger technology partners, backend systems, internal websites, etc.

One of the larger projects was building a custom ERP [enterprise resource planning] platform for our internal use. They customized a QuickBase ERP system for us, which I refer to as an extension repository. It’s a database of information that uses different formulas that function together. It keeps a lot of our data about our clients organized and in one place.

I’m probably one of their bigger clients on an annualization basis. They are my entire website development team, so they handle all of my projects. I co-manage the projects, and we have an entrepreneur mentality. We collaborate with them on different ideas about business all the time.

What is the team composition?

I work with Lucky [Cemtrex Labs] and Ash [Cemtrex Labs] directly, and my team works with their team. There are 3–5 people working on our project at any given time.

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

A colleague of mine introduced me to Lucky and Ash early on. They were a little further ahead of us in our startup team and developing some big projects. We had the opportunity to grow an unbelievable working relationship.  Their leadership attracted me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $60,000–$100,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November of last year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re one of the most professional groups I’ve ever done business with. They make us much more efficient, and probably save me $250,000 per year.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve created an extremely accurate process, including project management, billing, and invoicing. Their service and responsiveness are of the highest quality. We use Teamwork for project management and communication, and we also talk on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall structure, way of functioning, and processes are really good. I learned a lot from them. The integration of their project management and how they work on the project management software are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Everything is great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re extremely intelligent, so try to learn as much as possible from them. Trust the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Prime58 Fitness app. We acquire the fitness content of professional athletes and release training videos on the platform for people to train like their favorite superstar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cemtrex Labs.

I had a rough app pieced together, and was looking for a developer to really bring it to life and improve the functionality and user experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I brought them the rough version of the app; the function wasn’t as smooth or easy going as I would have liked. It was very rugged and his team vetted the app, and cleaned up everything to create a solid end product. 

The app functions to connect users with their favorite athletes or role models, at a price point of $5 per month. They are able to follow the fitness routine of any athlete on a day to day basis. We’re putting together content that allows users to be able to relate to some of their favorite athletes, and do the same things.

It’s built to hold a large capacity of videos, and transitions easily between wireframes. It has a number of built features in terms of communication, photos, sharing, comments, and that sort of thing. Their team brought all that to light. They also did video integration on the user end and additionally, on the content of the athletes.

What is the team dynamic? 

I primarily worked with Lucky [Cemtrex Labs], but also a number of members on his team.

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

I found out about them through a mutual friend. I had been previously working with another company that I was unhappy with, and she introduced me to Lucky. We hit it off in terms of the vision of the app and what his company would be able to do to bring my dream to reality.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested approximately $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2016, and the iOS app launched about a month ago. They haven’t done any work on bringing the app to Android yet, but will be responsible for doing so in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is incredibly solid in terms of functionality. The users absolutely love it. I attribute all of that to Lucky and his team – they made it happen. We have upwards of 1,500 downloads and are continuing to push forward and grow.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We used video hangouts as our main method of communication, as well as phone calls and email. We also used a tool called Teamwork for project management to keep the timeline and everything in one place. They’ve done a great job of being open and honest about the work they’re doing.

They’re very timely; everything I’ve asked to get done or speak about is returned that day or the next, which I really appreciate. They haven’t missed a single deadline or fallen short of any expectations. He’s really almost exceeded every expectation in terms of the how the app plays out in your hand. I’m super excited about what he’s done with it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found their communication most impressive. With our previous company, that was one of the biggest problems with them. Their ability to communicate and actually execute what they say they’re going to do is great. The most helpful thing I’ve experienced with them is being able to talk and feel out the process with Lucky and his whole team. They’re all working hard to get it done, and that line of communication is the biggest attribute to who they are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to find something that I would want them to improve on. They’ve been really good to me, and I don’t know if it’s because I came from a disastrous experience beforehand, but there’s nothing I can be upset about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To take your time, have a couple of conversations with them, and make sure you’re comfortable with the work they’re going to do. Lucky and I spoked for about a month before I let his team work on the app, and they did the first 30–90 days pro bono. He went through and helped me understand the problems going on in the backend, and how he was going to build the app moving forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m executive director at Frisky Radio, which is a music streaming service with on-demand and off-line listening. We have radio streams available via web, iOS and Android.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cemtrex Labs?

We needed new talent to develop an Android app based on the existing iOS version. We were not happy with the independent iOS developers we used and subsequently required a new vendor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the Android app from scratch by following the style guide and functional designs that were in place for the iOS version. We provided digital assets; they connected to our backend APIs.

Android development was the main project, but we have initiated others too. We’re about to launch a new iOS update with added features, which the App Store just approved. The team also redesigned and re-architected the entire iOS structure to improve stability and reliability.

What is the team composition?

I served as their project manager. The team was very small. We had 1 developer that doubled as the architect-engineer and 1 QA tester.

We ended up with 2 developers when the project transitioned to supporting both the iOS and Android versions. One developer’s decision to leave the company represents the only turnover we’ve experienced.

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

I worked with them on another project (when I worked at another company) involving a personalized sports app for Android and iOS. Since I was familiar with their set-up, I recommended them to Frisky.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent almost $50,000 on the main Android project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started October 2016 and is on-going. The Android soft launch occurred in June 2017 and the hard launch followed in July.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I gauge success in business by how clients respond to what we deliver. The Android version was extremely successful because it fulfilled a specific demand for one from our clients. The project cost more than we wanted to spend, but we realize that that investment resulted in a highly functional tool. Feedback did not indicate the app was unstable.

We tested the new iOS version considerably and expect it to perform well. The iOS team did have a slower learning curve than their Android counterparts, but that reflects the large scope of redesigning the former’s backend. We will look to see how many users engage with the iOS version and their satisfaction with the app.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We reviewed our financial constraints prior to development. They were flexible in identifying solutions we could afford that aligned with expectations. The iOS upgrades made the project more expensive than we anticipated but they were necessary given the first iteration’s problems.

The flexibility they demonstrated in issue resolutions exceeded expectations. The team had an open-door policy that allowed us to call with requests. They always followed-up with reasonable timeframes for the solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We placed significant demands on the developers and they responded very well. They were flexible in contouring their process to our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to vet resources more, as opposed to assigning personnel to a project. We suggested a new process in which we interview their recommendations for team members. While we approached them on this issue, we don’t anticipate it being a problem. We’re happy with the work they’ve done so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Overall, be open-minded and flexible. Although they’re headquartered in New York, the development teams are in India. Prepare to adjust schedules to accommodate the time difference. While team members work Eastern Standard Time hours for our convenience, we had to hold calls regularly between 7am and 10am. The overseas resources speak English well, but it may take some time to adapt to different accents.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for a sports platform that provides customization and personalization around sports news, scores, stats, etc. Our comprehensive platform allows users to follow teams, athletes, clubs, and leagues and get specific content based on what they care about across 300 different sports and about 23,000 leagues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cemtrex Labs?

We initially needed help to build our mobile presence for iOS and Android through a number of apps. We eventually sought web help, too, so we needed a firm that could build and manage the entire frontend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company focused on building the backend and APIs, and Cemtrex Labs focused on building the frontend, web experience, and Android and iOS experience. The apps are built in Objective-C for iOS, Java for Android, and Angular for the web. The core components of integration on the backend are Scala, Ruby, a bit of Python, a number of technologies with MySQL, and Elasticsearch.

When a user initially opens the app, they don’t have to login but just select their favorite sports, teams, and athletes. That sends them to a page with all the news and videos that are specifically related to the individual and teams that they’re following. Users immediately start getting content based on what you care about, and they can click into a scores and events section to see when a game starts or ends, who won it, etc. The app pulls everything into one place, and users can even select to be notified when there's interesting news related to their preferences.

What is the team dynamic?

We have a project manager and team leads for Android, iOS, and web. We also have consistent communication with Ash [Cemtrex Labs] and Lucky [Cemtrex Labs]. 

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

We were referred by a company that had worked with them previously. We talked to a number of developers, and it came down to three. We chose Cemtrex Labs because their team had a good personality and synergy, and we felt they understood how to build what we wanted.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in March of last year, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For most of the products, we’re in the last stages of testing and validation. They’re built in a white label fashion, and clients have been highly pleased with them. The demo of the first app has already been downloaded around the world, including places like China and Africa, and it hasn’t even been marketed or promoted.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We use JIRA, and Cemtrex Labs uses a tool we’re not familiar with. That took a little getting used to, but it helps them track things on a much more granular basis, which is nice because they can get precise estimates on how long or how much a certain project or feature will be. The team is responsive, and we have daily scrums with the project manager and the lead developers from each team (iOS, Android, and web). After the initial onboarding, they integrated well with our team.

We had some difficulty at the beginning of our partnership in developing an efficient working rhythm, but our teams figured it out within a month or so. They had to learn quite a bit of domain knowledge about sports and the complex relationships between entities, teams, clubs, etc.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Most everything has been good. The communication is great, they’re responsive, and Ash and Lucky are both highly involved and invested in our project. The app looks fantastic, and Cemtrex Labs has created a smooth-performing experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their mobile team is great, however the web team initially lagged behind a bit. That may have been because of the technology we asked them to use. Cemtrex Labs proactively reorganized the web team and they caught up with the mobile team pretty quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Documentation is key. Make sure you know what you're building, especially if you’re integrating Cemtrex Labs with your own team.  Have a clear direction and communicate what you want. Be ready to give details because they'll ask for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of LENS, which is a new division under IMG Fashion within the universe of WME IMG, a globally recognized brand and media agency. Essentially, LENS is a division of representation and we represent image makers—photographers, filmmakers, and creative directors. We aim to represent them editorially and commercially like a traditional agency would while plugging them into the world of WME IMG.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cemtrex Labs helped me set up a digital presence, building out the website for the division and helping to strategize the UX around our specific needs as a growing business. They designed and built out the site thinking about where we could see ourselves five years later, which is instrumental as a startup. They also created a custom built content management system.

Because our agency is very visually focused, it was important that the images of our artists' work were front and center and that there were elegant designs and functionalities, for instance, animations that would emphasize but not over overpower or diminish the work of the artists. The way the images are displayed was beautifully done and the site operates seamlessly.

Some of our artists are multi-disciplinary, so there were templates built to speak to their unique needs. You can navigate through the entirety of one project that an artist has and get the full effect of it in a way that feels continuous and in line with the rest of their work. The navigation of the imagery within each artist on a project-to-project basis was really powerful and effective for us.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with Ash [Gobindram, CEO] quite a bit and with Lucky [Gobindram, Co-Founder], and their development team, so I was in constant communication with everyone throughout the process. They would guide the conversation but the development team was incredible with how they worked and what they were able to turn around. It was very impressive.

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

I think it was an introduction. I had an initial conversation with them and it was very apparent that they were an agency that could straddle both the strategy and aesthetics. They designed and developed in accordance with those two things and with an eye to who our audience was and how they would want to navigate the site and consume the content we were putting out.

What is the status of this engagement?

I had worked with them in mid-2015 at a fashion magazine where they helped develop and refine the publication's website, but we started working with them on this project in December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was extremely powerful for us to launch the site because it gave a vision to this endeavor in a whole new way. It's not really quantifiable in metrics, but it's been invaluable.

Just having someone staying on the site and navigating through multiple pages, multiple artists, and multiple images is a powerful metric for us. It has been pretty incredible and it definitely exceeded my expectations.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management throughout the entirety of the process was always extremely airtight, which is important when you embark with a partner in this kind of capacity. It's a healthy mix of self-direction and collaboration.

They’re also very fluid with their communication, so I always have a clear idea of what items are being worked on and for how long.

Naturally, issues come up and the project evolves as you address them. They're not only able to help us address those things but they're also very collaborative in their approach so we can come up with different problem-solving strategies. That process adds to the betterment of the project and the website. It goes above and beyond just project management— it's really a partnership in that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to take the seed of an idea or the direction of a project and realize it in a way that checks all the boxes aesthetically, strategically, and functionally is quite powerful. They work they deliver consistently exceeds my expectations, which is pretty exceptional.

Their developers and designers are adept at solving problems while being very timely and meticulous in a way that is rare within the product development ecosystem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I want to work with them more.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive officer [CEO] and founder of PaidEasy. My company is a mobile payments app. We work with restaurants and bars to facilitate discovery for consumers, allowing them to figure out where they want to go and find discounts at local restaurants and bars. Our direct point-of-sale integration allows the consumer to view, split, tip, and pay their bills without having to wait for a check.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cemtrex Labs?

I was looking for a development shop when working up initial wireframes for PaidEasy. The cost of building in-house when you’re not a technical founder is prohibitive. Cemtrex Labs worked with me in developing the initial minimum viable product [MVP], figuring out our go-to-market strategy and who to target.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It started as an iOS app and mainly focused around plugging in a lot of different APIs. In the beginning, we were working with point-of-sale companies directly, so it was them working on server integrations and backend API integrations. They then did everything else from design to development of the app. There is not yet an Android app as we are in the process of raising our seed.

How did you come to work with Cemtrex Labs?

When I started working on PaidEasy, I put a post on my Facebook looking to hire a development shop and I interviewed a couple of them. A friend of a friend, who was a sales rep for Cemtrex Labs, reached out and set up a meeting with Lucky Gobindram, who is the president, and Ashwin, the CEO. I discussed my vision and idea. From the get-go, they were not your typical development shop where they were just yes-men and said, “We will build it. Here’s the cost.”

How much have you invested with Cemtrex Labs?

We have invested between $100,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2014. They sit on my board.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I think the value that they added to PaidEasy was not only transactional. Lucky has made introductions, including venture capital firms, to some of our venues that we work with. They add value way beyond the scope of the work that we have done together, which makes sense in terms of a product standpoint as well as for the future vision. Lucky is an extremely smart guy and knows the space that we are in. He definitely knows players in the space and venture capital firms, so it made sense to have them as a part of the company. It was not like “Develop the app and I will give you a board seat arrangement" since I still paid for all of the work. The value that they were able to bring to the table dictated that.

I cannot disclose our consumer usage for the iOS app, but I can tell you that venues love our app. We went from working with 15 venues to now having 500 restaurant partnerships across New York, Miami, and DC.

How did Cemtrex Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello for project management. I am the type of person where I like immediate responses. There has never been a time, whether it is two in the morning or three in the afternoon, where I have not been able to speak with someone. They work with a lot of teams offshore, and they also have Lucky and Ash based in New York. They are overly communicative, meaning there is always someone you can speak with.

Expectations were set from the beginning in terms of how long will it take and when we will launch. Obviously, things come up in development when we are working on something that no one has done before, which is a lot of point-of-sale integrations, but they were always managing expectations and kept me up-to-date.

What did you find most impressive about Cemtrex Labs?

They do not operate as a typical development shop. For someone like myself who is not technical, but mainly sales and business oriented, it is a breath of fresh air from a development shop where you can call them, tell them an idea, and they build it. It is helpful for someone who is not technical to hear “that is not possible and this is why”, or “this is possible and this is what it will take”, not in technical terms but in a way that I understand what we are able to do.

Are there any areas Cemtrex Labs could improve?

Towards the end of our project, they were more upfront on how they do things in terms of hours. In the beginning, it was all project-based, but then we switched to an hourly base where you can see a breakdown of how many hours this task took. I wish we did that from the beginning. Not to say it was bad in the beginning, it was extremely helpful for me as I progress with the company knowing that X change will take X amount of hours instead of relating it to a direct cost.