Mutual Mobile (A Grid Dynamics Company)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an IT consulting company. We provide Salesforce and CRM consulting services to our clients around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We wanted to develop a fintech solution for one of our clients. Our goal was to collaborate with Mutual Mobile to create a platform for investors to trade stocks, receive live updates, and access stock trading advice.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Mutual Mobile to develop a fintech application from scratch. First, we shared our full requirements, including third-party applications, APIs, and major fintech providers that we wanted to include on the platform. Then, we used Oracle to develop the platform, which is hosted on AWS. 

After developing the application, Mutual Mobile also provided us with App Store Optimization services. Retail investors can use our application to access advice and create investment portfolios within their market. Users can also invest in mutual funds and derivatives and engage in forex trading. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 30 team members from Mutual Mobile, including the co-founder, CTO, and project manager. 

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

We found Mutual Mobile on Upwork. They had carried out similar projects, and we were comfortable with their pricing, so we moved forward with the partnership. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $40,000 in the project with Mutual Mobile. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Mutual Mobile between November 2020–July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mutual Mobile has successfully deployed the application, and we’ve been satisfied with the results thus far. Within just one month of our launch date, the application has garnered around 2,000 users. 

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite going over budget, Mutual Mobile met deadlines and managed the project well. We communicated via Skype and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with their strong expertise in the fintech industry. Mutual Mobile brought a wide breadth of knowledge to the table, especially concerning brokers and share market traders. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Mutual Mobile could improve on; I’m quite satisfied with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend utilizing Mutual Mobile for your project if your budget allows it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief client officer for a payments company. We get business by integrating with payment service providers for our clients to help them innovate in new ways.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

Our company is in the payments industry, but we started out by building several iOS apps for our clients. We had a request from a client to build an Android app, but the direction and strategy of our company were focused on backend payments orchestration and reconciliation and not app development. 

In order to maintain our client commitment, we decided to look for a company that could help us develop this app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile worked on two mobile app projects for us. The first one was for an app for iOS and Android, which they built from scratch and featured AR as part of the app. They did a great job of working with our client and our team to facilitate some design, backend, and UI development.

The second project that they worked on was for the continued development of a loyalty program app for iOS. They provided frontend development support, working with us through multiple iterations of minor updates and improvements. They helped us push 20 test versions of the app into major production releases in a two-year time span.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, backend engineer, frontend engineer, and a QA person from Mutual Mobile.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

I found Mutual Mobile through one of my fellow employees here. We ultimately went with them because of their ability to meet our needs in terms of the design and build of a whole new app. They showcased the technical skills and resources that we needed to keep the project going and take over support of an existing app while working within our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2019-January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to do multiple test version updates as well as two major production releases in just two years for the loyalty program app.

As for the app that they built from scratch, the main metric for success was their ability to complete the design and development of that iOS and Android app in just four months.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Mutual Mobile performed well in terms of project management — they were good at following up and meeting deadlines. Additionally, the team’s resources stayed exactly the same throughout our entire engagement, which was very helpful in terms of continuity.

Another great thing about working with Mutual Mobile was that they worked part-time for us, so we were able to stick to our budget but still get the projects completed and supported in that timeframe.

We primarily communicated through Slack, but we also had bi-weekly stand-ups with them. We set up a Google Drive to exchange documents and track the progress of their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed how quickly Mutual Mobile pulled together a team of resources for both projects, and how they were able to retain those resources for us even though they only worked part-time. 

That continuity of resources and their technical knowledge were exactly what we needed to solve whatever problems we had ahead of us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, the feedback loop was a little slow, but I think this is just a part of being in different time zones and us not having them full-time. However, this was a rare occurrence and something that’s not notable at all, so we would definitely hire them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to set up as many shared resources, such as Jira, Slack, and Google Drive, as possible so that they could work as an extension of your team and to ensure the efficiency of your workflow.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of the audio product line for Hay House. Hay House publishes self-improvement materials such as audiobooks and podcasts. However, we started as a traditional publisher.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

Although our business always included audio, that segment continued to grow. We started to see audio becoming more of an industry standard. Our audio catalog did well without much promotion, but we saw an opportunity to provide a better experience for our customers.

We wanted to increase our revenue too by ensuring our audio was easily accessible to customers. We also wanted to make our new authors more discoverable to help them gain a following. After looking around the market, we decided to create a mobile app that would allow our customers to access our audio catalog.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with a limited engagement during which we had a two-day onsite meeting with their whole team. We brainstormed and decided how we wanted the platform to look, feel, and function. After that session, we decided to engage them for the whole project.

Their team then started designing and developing the app. We discussed what features they needed to include in the MVP, which would be limited.  Their team then worked towards the features that we needed in the MVP. It’s for iOS and Android devices.

Following the MVP’s launch, they continue to enhance the app. Their team worked on the initial project of delivering the platform and continue to optimize it with new features such as a sleep-timer.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is our project manager. We’ve worked with multiple account managers throughout the project, but our project manager has remained the same. When we have our calls, usually 3–4 developers and QA specialists participate.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

Our director of web marketing and development led the search for a development team. At the time, we recently opened an office in Austin where she was located. She started her search for development teams there.

We talked to 3–4 agencies but Mutual Mobile stood out. Their sales team tried to understand our process. We wanted to start with a limited engagement and seriously scope the project, and their team was completely amenable to that. They put together a great discovery session that allowed us to understand what we wanted and helped them to understand us as a brand. That sealed the deal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $400,000–$600,000 on the initial project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with Mutual Mobile in July 2019 and launched the app around April 2020. We’re still working together to optimize the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As this was a new initiative, we created metrics based on public company information. We knew that we wanted to hit at least $1 million in gross revenue within a year, and we’re on track to hit that goal. We also wanted to have at least 20,000–30,000 active users at any given time, which we’re hitting too. We’re about 24,000–25,000 active users.

Additionally, we wanted good feedback from our customers. We’ve had people say that this is the best technology we’ve produced. Our customers say that the app’s useful and easy to use.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily stand-up calls with their team. We hit a few bumps related to communication early in the engagement. That caused us to miss deadlines. However, their team’s susceptible to feedback and want to listen to what we need. We worked through those bumps and found the best way to work with each other. We’re now in a good rhythm.

They’re communicative and open. Their team’s not only flexible but also honest. They’re willing to work with us in a way that works for us, which means it’s easy for us to resolve challenges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work is stellar. They delivered a great piece of technology that’s super smooth. Their UX design is great too.

Mutual Mobile also worked well with who we are as a company. They’re able to evolve and mold themselves to what we specifically require. Their team was also flexible with their processes and adapted them to best work with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They may not explain as early as possible why a task isn’t on track or why a feature isn’t working as expected. Their team also over-promises on timelines. They have the best of intentions, but challenges always arise. Their team can be a little overzealous with their timelines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We enjoyed the initial scoping process, which helped us to define the project and align with each other. I would recommend that scoping process to anything. It’s definitely worth it because it saved us a lot. I would also recommend having a dedicated project manager on both sides.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead product manager at Accuweather, a weather and digital media company. I work specifically in the B2B arm of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We didn’t have an app platform for our users. We only had our web interface.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile created the very first app for our B2B users. After the app was launched, they also provided design work. The app is for iOS and Android. They did a full suite of whatever we needed to make the app work. Initially, they did work, gave it to me, and then I’d make adjustments. 

After some time, we had so many products and interfaces between the new developments on mobile app and our internal new developments. They were so tied together that our design teams started to work in a more collaborative way. We’d go detail by detail together, bouncing ideas off each other.

What is the team composition?

They provided app developers, project managers, and product managers. There were 4–12 people at any given time. At the highest point, we had three iOS developers, three Android developers, QA specialists, and 1–2 designers depending on the situation.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

Mutual Mobile was hired by my organization before I started. This was not the first time they had worked together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2018–July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to convey the impact. We went from having a 20-year-old service-only website, and for the first time ever, we have a mobile app. We’re engaging with many more clients and onboarding thousands of new users because of the mobile capability. 

It’s something clients were looking for for many years. The overall impact was huge for us. Some of our largest deals would not be possible without a mobile component.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. I didn’t have to worry about it. We always had product meetings, and their project manager would create the tasks, convert those tasks, and talk to the team. We didn’t have to handle any of it. We had a few Slack channels where they collaborated on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I work with a few providers but what I found with Mutual Mobile that surpassed even in-house people was their level of commitment. I wasn’t expecting such a high level of commitment from a third-party vendor. 

We had timezone challenges with most of our Mutual Mobile team, but they were always there for us especially when things went down or we were getting close to a launch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You don’t have to give them fully-baked ideas just for implementation. Trust that they will help you with the creation process. They have good ideas, so you should listen to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re the country's premier building material supplier. We provide an assortment of products to customers ranging from national builders to individual consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We enlisted Mutual Mobile to help us build a customer quoting tool that would enable us to merge data from multiple sources and configuration home packages with various options.  We needed the ability to aggregate item-specific information and provide various levels of summarization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile played a key role in helping us design interfaces, enhance calculation and aggregation functionality, and design/create output artifacts.  The functionality of the application needed to interact with our ERP to send and receive data in real-time.  Security and permissions were a key component of the design process.

What is the team composition?

There were about half a dozen key members on the Mutual Mobile team. Their team members ranged from business liaison, project manager, UI/UX expert, and technical developers.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

Mutual Mobile was recommended to us from an internal resource.  Their expertise in web-based applications was promoted, and they delivered as expected.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been completed, and the application has been deployed on a pilot basis. The feedback has been outstanding, and our objectives were met.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We originally built an in-house application to accomplish the same objective.  The platform was not scalable, the security was minimal, and the system was overall fragile.  The new application from Mutual Mobile is extremely scalable and will provide us the opportunity to further expand its utilization.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Mutual Mobile's team was outstanding.  They clearly communicated expectations and met their obligations.  As decision points arose, they did a great job ensuring we stayed within the original scope regarding budget and timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered on their promises. They helped us look toward the future and build an application that has the potential to be further enhanced at a later date.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team overall did a fantastic job.  All of our objectives were met, both from a project and product delivery standpoint.

Any advice for potential customers?

Understand your core needs before starting the engagement.  We shifted gears strategically early in the process.  Mutual Mobile was extremely flexible and ensured our objectives were clearly defined.  The engagement took a little longer than anticipated because of our early change in direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the controller at Anderson Columbia Co., Inc. We’re a heavy highway contract, and we build roads and bridges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We needed to created software specific to the construction industry that would allow us to track labor time by the use of biometrics. You could find time clocks, mobile time clocks, and construction-based software, but you couldn’t find any of that combined to eliminate buddy punches.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile used our specifications to design software that allows us to clock people in and out assigned to a specific job so that we could do job-based accounting and pay everyone the appropriate wage rate.

By the use of biometrics, we’re able to know who is clocking in and we’ve got their GPS coordinates so we know where they’re clocking in. We know it’s a specific employee getting paid for a specific job at a specific time. 

It’s a cloud-based Android platform that can be used on phones or tablets, and it has on- and offline capabilities. It’s also written for personal computers so that payroll personnel and project managers can review it.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a group of 10 so far. The core group consists of eight teammates. 

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

We started this project on our own about three years ago, but we weren’t confident that we could explain the software well enough. We then hired some in-house programmers, but that didn’t go well because it was taking too long and there were too many bugs.

We went back to Mutual Mobile, who we had spoken to previously, and told them where we were. They took a look at what we had done and told us that they could work on it. They were probably referred to us by someone.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $400,000–$500,000. The original project wasn’t scoped to be that high, but I made a change partway through.

We were originally going to use facial recognition, but it was too clunky, so we shifted gears and went to fingerprint scanners instead. The initial cost was supposed to be in the $350,000–$400,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had the initial conversation in Q3 2019, but we began the actual relationship in Q4 2019. We’re currently rolling the software out to our test group.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far it’s going well. We’re at the point of preliminary acceptance, and they’ve done QC. We did some testing initially, and we were able to save almost half an hour per day per person, by the use of biometrics, which is a lot of money for a company of our size.

We’ve been field testing for a couple of weeks now, and the product is solid. Mutual Mobile is a good team to work with. I have a list of about a dozen cleanup items, which is what you expect in this timeframe.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

The team works in sprints, just like other programming companies. We’ve kept in good contact, and they give lots of feedback. Mutual Mobile brings ideas to us, and then we pick them apart, so the back and forth has been good. 

They take a lot of consideration. Sometimes I have to teach them about the road and bridge construction industry, but they catch on very quickly and understand what I’m trying to explain to them. I deal with their US- and India-based offices.

I was initially concerned about the timezone difference, but we learned to adjust our schedules for each other, and they stay up late to have early morning conversations, which is going well. There are sometimes accent issues during conference calls, but the team speaks English very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like their approach. They did a good job in the architectural stage so that when we were programming, we were doing so according to what the final project would be. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework and legwork upfront. They came to my site and spent a week with me to understand our business and what we were looking for. Mutual Mobile interviewed the different departments that would be involved in the project to understand what each needed.

This meant that when they went back to the drawing board, they had a good base idea. They didn’t know everything, but they knew enough to start forming ideas and giving us some broad strokes that we could end up finetuning.

Do your due diligence with and without them, and get a good idea of what you want. You should also have a good project manager on your side.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager of a family-owned civil construction reporting service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

Mutual Mobile is helping us rebuild a legacy code from scratch for our reporting service, so we will be able to create a modern web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile is creating an administrative app that gathers data. I described what I wanted for the UX, and now their team is developing a  cloud-based platform that is hosted on AWS Lambda. Their team built the backend using C#, the frontend using Angular, and our database using MongoDB.

What is the team composition?

Our team has evolved as what we’ve focused on has changed. In the beginning, they had a team of 5–7 developers working on various pieces of the project depending on what they quoted for each segment. Now we have a sole developer coding. In addition to the development team, I communicate with about three other people in management on a frequent basis.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

I met Tarun (Co-founder, Mutual Mobile), and mentioned that I needed an affordable development team. Though he no longer works with Mutual Mobile, he thought their team could help. Then, I met them when they were in town and was extremely impressed because they were sharp and kind.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project hasn’t been completed yet, but they’re committed to doing a good job. They’ll work to deliver a solid product that meets our needs in order to make us happy. I really enjoy working with everyone on their team—they’re very bright, kind, and respectful.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

When it comes to project management, they’re on another level. Despite being in a different time zone, communication between our teams is great and they’re extremely easy to work with. They take project management very seriously and are quick to respond to any inquiries. If it’s the middle of the night, they get back to us in the morning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very flexible, accommodating and fair, especially when we have questions about billing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The distance can complicate things, so keep the communication between your teams flowing. The more frequently you communicate with them, the higher your success rate will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior product analyst at a famous cruise line that works with creating new features and enhancements within our app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We hired Mutual Mobile to help with an AR project that we’re working on to showcase our ships, destinations, and staterooms for guests on our ships. Instead of showing them pieces of paper or showing YouTube videos of our ships, destinations, and staterooms, the AR gives them real insight and perspective into what their next vacation could entail.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mutual Mobile created an immersive augmented reality app that allows guests onboard a specific ship to virtually explore our ships, destinations, and staterooms through 360˚ photos and videos.

Guests can explore our top-of-the-line staterooms to get a feel of what their next cruise vacation could be like through 360-degree images. From pianos to dining room tables to private jacuzzis, our staterooms have it all. Never been to the Caribbean? Get ready to be surrounded by the Caribbean sun in the NextCruise Office.

From remarkable visual effects of the ocean to adorable sea life animations, NextCruise Portals also delivers authenticity and excitement to our guests. The app features beautiful renditions of the ships and destinations--but its high level of accuracy and detail brings a level of authenticity to the experience. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with about eight team members. There are designers, UX/UI designers, project managers, product analysts, and QA testers helping out. Along with their in-house developers, they employ a few based in India.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

I wasn’t here for that, but I know that they considered other firms before choosing Mutual Mobile.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Mutual Mobile began in September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been a pleasure working with Mutual Mobile.

One speed bump we had was changing from Vuforia to ARCore & Kit. This happened when we were deep within the project. We essentially had to start from scratch, but Mutual Mobile realized that it would be the best fit for the future of the project. It can be a frustrating process, but throughout, their team was patient and understanding.

During user testing, they were a great team to have around while working or just getting dinner together. Despite being on a cruise ship for work, they made sure to stay on task. Users absolutely loved the work Mutual Mobile has done. In the beginning, a lot of feedback involved users who didn’t know how to use AR technology. They weren’t sure where to point or where the anchor should be. That was a slight struggle, but as a result, we made a tutorial for guests to read before their experience starts. We also added helper text within the experience to guide users on what to click and walk around. A lot of users found the experience enjoyable and helpful in planning their next vacation.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’re incredibly organized.  The project managers were in charge of maintaining the backlog and going through daily grooming and standups. We went out to meet them twice in person, which was way more helpful than meeting through Webex every single day. It was a better way to hash out ideas with their team. Since my boss and I had never been to Texas before, their team was super welcoming by making sure everything was planned for us.-

Working with Mutual Mobile on a day-to-day basis is extremely convenient. They use Slack and Jira as communication platforms as we do internally. It was nice not to have to use something else.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think it was helpful that some of their team members are actual cruisers on our line. They’ve been in our industry and know what we’re trying to go after. Their team also has a passion for what we want to do to help our guests. Compared to other companies, they’re flexible. For example, if they didn’t use Slack already, their team would’ve created a channel for us because that’s what we wanted. Other agencies I’ve worked with wouldn’t necessarily be that conforming or accommodating. It makes it harder on our side that a team we hired wouldn’t make it easier for us to communicate every day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really like working with them. The only issues we had dealt with turnaround time with the contracts, but that’s an issue with every company. It depends on time and the availability of lawyers that need to sign the documents. There’s no real way to control that. They also did work with a lot of developers in India, which sometimes made the project difficult. We needed things finished a bit quicker than they were. Paying for in-house developers is a bit costly, though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to be open to reaching out to them if they have questions or anything that needs clarification. They’re always willing to jump on a call, even if it’s just for five minutes. Just ask them an hour before. Their team is open and flexible in regards to helping customers understand everything that’s going on. If you want changes done, even if all the work is finished, they’re super conforming to what you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

BeatBiz is a workflow tool for music industry professionals. By aggregating the business and music applications they use to run their business, we are able to help them save time and run their business more efficiently. I'm the founder. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mutual Mobile?

Mutual Mobile developed our beta product 1.0 for BeatBiz over the course of Q1 & Q2 2019. They built an electron web app that works on both PC and Mac OS.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build a functional beta that could prove the concept of what we were trying to build with BeatBiz so that we could get it into the hands of some beta customers to give us feedback. We were happy with the results of BeatBiz version 1.0 and we are currently in discussions about version 2.0 now, before we go live with the product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met John briefly at an event in LA last fall, and the timing was good for both parties, so we met in Austin to discuss more details. After reviewing the project with his team, we set everything in motion for the Mutual Mobile India office to help build out the initial product. We compared their proposals and scope of work with 3–4 other firms and we felt that Mutual Mobile was the most professional, responsive, and best understood what we were trying to build.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Mutual Mobile took my InVision prototype and Sketch designs and developed, built, and deployed an electron web app for BeatBiz. We built a dashboard for artists through Chartmetric's API, and built an i-frame with the ability to easily navigate across multiple business and music applications. We also built the ability to easily switch from artist to artist to save the end-user time from logging in and out of their different platforms.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of 5–6 people in the Mutual Mobile India Office, plus me working on designs and making sure everything was built correctly. We had project managers as well as front- and backend developers helping with the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We already have out beta product in the hands of some of the top artist management firms in Austin. We are still in private beta, so we are not marketing the product heavily right now, but we have had good feedback from our customers. We have also figured out what needs to be changed, updated, or enhanced for version 2.0, which we plan to build soon.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was very effective from Mutual Mobile. This was one of the best teams I have worked with in the software development community. I was very impressed with their responsiveness (especially with the 8–9 hour time change), as well as their ability to execute on the development side. We are excited to continue working with Mutual Mobile in the future.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their communication and delivery of products and sprints on time. By using Slack, Jira, and email, we were able to stay on top of everything that was going on and track progress by Mutual Mobile.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't have any areas for improvement at this point.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of BassForecast, a mobile app for bass anglers focusing on environmental conditions such as weather and solunar (how the position of the sun and moon affect fish movement).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mutual Mobile?

We needed someone to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They executed everything from designing and laying out the app to engineering and coding. We gave them the idea, the desired output, and the market information, and they did the rest. After rolling out the iOS version and seeing it work great, we launched the Android version. They also helped with some marketing strategy and branding.

The app compiles all the factors that help anglers determine what day the fish will be biting. It uses a complex algorithm and calculates a 10-day range when the fish will be easiest to catch. This way, anglers have an easier time finding great experiences.

What is the team composition?

David (Director of Business Development, Mutual Mobile) was assigned to us, and we’ve had as many as 6–8 people working on the app at any given time. Other times, there’s only one or two people on the team. We like how flexible they are and trust them not to run up the bill on us.

How did you come to work with Mutual Mobile?

My business partner found them. Vetting app companies was challenging because we didn’t have much experience and didn’t know how to structure our RFP. Mutual Mobile did the best job of helping us understand the process and learn as we went. Additionally, Mutual Mobile built an app for NASCAR, so they had experience developing a sports app.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000. It would have been a lot more, but we gave them an equity stake in our company worth $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app is performing quite well compared to the market average for user adoption, user retention, and user feedback. Some of that is the concept laid out by us, and some of it is Mutual Mobile’s execution. We don’t know how to isolate Mutual Mobile’s value specifically, but we’ll never switch to another provider unless there’s a drastic change that affects their pricing or ability to meet our needs.

We have over 100,000 downloads and 2,000 reviews on the App and Play stores, which is an astronomical ratio. There’s another fishing industry app that has 7 million downloads and 3,000–4,000 reviews. We’ve never emailed customers asking for them to leave a review, so it’s purely organic—an underlying indicator of quality. Our customers love the app.

How did Mutual Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

They always complete tasks on time and within budget, and we communicate over email and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was a little hesitant about working with their offshore division—I didn’t know their level of education or English skill—but, when they came to visit, it was clear they were high-quality. Mutual Mobile’s owner is a prominent business figure in his region and can choose the cream of the crop for his team. We’re getting American quality at one-third the price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

More transparency regarding the quoting process would be nice. When they give us a quote, we have to ask for a breakdown of how many people they’re going to assign, how many hours it’s going to take, and why. They always give us that, but we shouldn’t have to ask for it.