Naked Development

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of McCoy Kreations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

I had an idea to stop the fighting and squabbling I would hear online, as it sometimes leads to real-world altercations and violence. I created an app that allows people to take their issues online and let social media resolve them.

All I had was an idea and pitch deck in my head, and Adrian and Zena captured everything that was in my head in an app. It will be live in the next three months.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app functions a lot like a game. Say my friend and I have been having a disagreement for over a year; the app lets us take our disagreement to social media and have everyone there decide whether my friend or I am correct. Then, the loser has to give the winner a gift card. The app has a digital wallet to hold the gift cards.

Psychologically, people can deal with their animosity through the application by finding a resolution to their problem. They put everything together and we reviewed it all. During our get-to-know-you calls, they reviewed my background and grew to be close, like family.

What is the team composition?

I work with two people: Jenna (Senior Client Success Manager) and Adrien (UX/UI Designer). Jenna organizes the work and designs the graphics.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

I was referred to them. They were excited about the idea, and John (Founder) was ready to go.

How much have you invested with them?

The total is $20,000 so far, with another $10,000 or so coming very soon, as I’m adding features to the app. The final amount will be around $50,000–$60,000 to get me to launch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2022. They work in week-long periods around my traveling schedule before we come back together for reviews.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been amazing. All the visuals were only in my head when I brought them the ideas, and Naked. brought them all to life. They were very patient as I articulated my idea in the beginning, and the quality they’ve given me is outstanding. Also, they’ve coached me along and given me more energy than I was expecting. I can ask them anything.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Everybody comes on time to our calls and brings great energy. Even though this is my first time working with an app development company, I’ve felt comfortable throughout the project. They started to feel just like family after the second or third meeting.

They’ll show me what they’ve done, and I’ll add my comments. It’s been a really great experience working with them.

They walked me step-by-step through the tools they use, and they were very patient about it. This has given me confidence that they can execute my vision. We communicate over Slack, Google Meet, and more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very professional, so I felt confident investing in them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only wish is that I would’ve hopped on a plane and met them in person already. I really want to take them all out to dinner to thank them for what they’re doing to me.

There’s only really been one change that we had to make, and that was turning the cash-out function from a barcode to a QR code. This wasn’t a big deal, however

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and one of the founders of My Private Shares. Our technology platform connects shareholders of private companies, private partnerships, or private investments. There, they can potentially communicate with other shareholders within the same company who might want to sell or purchase shares.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We hired Naked to build a user-friendly platform for our niche market. This platform will be delivered in the form of a web app, which we will integrate into our website in time for its July 2022 launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first explained to Naked the core problem our company is solving. We also shared our business model and plans to expand into a company communication tool, as opposed to simply being a bulletin board for private shareholders.

Our discovery sessions evolved into weekly sessions joined by Naked’s project manager and lead designer. They also brought in an expert who helped develop the wireframes for the web app. We mapped out the user journey, from how a potential shareholder or underlying company would log into the website all the way through the experience that they would have in intersecting with our company.

Jason (Co-Founder) proposed to develop the web app such that it was highly intuitive and user-friendly, so he and his team made sure that the multiple wireframes were easy to utilize. We proceeded to engage in a process where we shared different semantics and nomenclature to develop the simplest and best program for our customer experience. Even the president of our company provided them with additional information during that process.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Jenna (Senior Client Success Manager), Jason, who is the lead designer, and Juan (UX/UI Designer), who has been participating in every part in the background and will be one of the programmers during development. John (Co-Founder & CEO) has also been leading the project —  helping get the project set and building a comfort process around a broad-scaled team.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

I found Naked. through our general counsel who had a positive reference from working with them previously. Additionally, we spoke to one of their referential clients who spoke very highly about the interaction that they had together. He was sort of in the same mindset as us where he didn’t know anything about technology when he started the project but found it very easy to work with Naked. I have no technical skills, so we needed a partner that could educate us through the process.

We liked Naked because, ultimately, they aren’t just a technology company but are also a marketing company and a capital advisor to technology companies. They easily understood the value proposition we were offering because it was something they could see their own clients using and it was something they were really knowledgeable about.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $20,000 to date, and we have a project budget of about $100,000–$125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in April 2022, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are excited to see our vision being realized by the team. The president of our company is also very enthusiastic about this business model because he has had some experience relative to the business opportunity that we are exploring. 

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Naked has been very adaptable to pivoting to our different needs and understanding how the product is supposed to be built for our customers. They’ve kept to a very specific timeline and currently use Google Drive as a primary communication tool. 

We’re using a dashboard to track the project, which is very helpful, but we’ve found it more meaningful to communicate our progress through conversations and weekly meetings. It isn’t a very complicated business that we are starting, but they have been very intuitive from the beginning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a very strong knowledge base and were able to quickly grasp our business model and value proposition. The tools that they use and the wireframes that they’ve developed are also very simple. 

We appreciate that they easily understand our need to have a technology that isn’t too complex or confusing. We’ve been able to move well through the process of determining different options —  relative to esthetics on the marketing side. Whatever difference I am paying for an onshore provider is well worth it from a value perspective. With Naked, nothing is lost in translation, and everything is easily understood.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive feedback, except for them to maybe have a bit more flexibility towards Eastern time zones. As they are Pacific, all of our calls are generally done in the afternoon. It would be nice if they allot one day a week to accommodate East Coast clients, but they don’t need to do that for lifestyle purposes. They’re really good about setting appointments, though, and together, we’ve established a good system to stay on task. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What is most important is the understanding that Jason has of the product opportunity. When I first started with them, I didn’t know who was going to be the quarterback, so to speak, on the deal. Jenna is a very effective account manager, but ultimately, your efficiency boils down to the interaction that you have with your primary lead designer and developer, and that is Jason. He has done a great job. 

From my standpoint, in framing out what the responsibilities are through the project, Jason should be clearly identified in my mind as the quarterback relative to this. I think they like to put their project manager as the lead, but it is really the person that is directly involved in the design of the wireframes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a real estate education tech company. We provide educational information for people to learn about real estate and how the can maximize their asset.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Naked., and what were your goals?

Naked, their team, John, Jason and Jenna are the bomb.com! Through carful consideration of the competition, I decided to go with John and his team. I wanted to build a real estate app that could compete with the best. The first steps in designing were a real eye opener as to how much I have to be grateful for in using Naked. It's not just the fact that the design is pretty as heck, but they've made it highly functioning as well. I had issues finding solutions to certain parts of the app build out. Their dev team is highly professional and has clout "out there" to help find solutions to these problems. Bringing in their own personal touches that make people want to use and recommend the app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I researched many companies over time. I found that John was very personable and a has been a great reflection of the quality people that are behind him at Naked. John was the most responsive and capable of helping see my vision in real time and how it can become applicable in the real world. Helping clarify this vision was more important than I thought. This helped move the project from start to finish with minimal speedbumps.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The beginning was a discovery meeting with a design vision and even a layout of our target market. This definition with design helped make the buildout process more understandable and clear. The detail in the details was impressive and helped me to understand how much work was being done behind the scenes. In the build out phase we have dev meeting bi-weekly with sprint objective outlined and detailed with status updates and completion reports. Every week there was a review of updated development on the app and the features that were added or upgraded. The dev team built out using API plugs and exterior data information to display clear and friendly UI.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

James is the best and most professional and has a complete delight to work with. Very cool and calm about everything. He oozes confidence and backs it up with his dev skills. Hien is an incredibly hard worker and has shown up strong with her dev skills. And Jenna is the backbone of the operation keeping things running smooth. Her job has to be the most intensive by making sure everyone plays well in the sandbox. Alan gave great feedback and mad dev skills too. Firing on all cylinders, for sure.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Throughout the buildout there were many challenges that needed to be faced. As we approached a new problem, the dev team stepped up and found solutions that worked all around. James went out of his way to find a data source that worked with our end goals and cost significantly less than what I had found. This and many other situations that helped me avoid pitfalls from poor choice of vendors has been huge. This has made the project flow more smoothly and has kept me in gratitude for working with such a professional team.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We worked with Monday.com to outline the sprints and we used Google calendar and Zoom to coordinate remote meetings. All meetings were on time and were quick and to the point.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I enjoyed how much they enjoyed working on my project. They truly enjoy their work, where they work and who they work for. I'm grateful to have them work on my project. They put such care and attention to detail that will make all the difference to the end user. They put in these cutting edge features cuz they want to, to put their touch on the project, not cuz we specifically went over one small feature. Their work ethics and diversity compliment my company values and mission statement. So we naturally work well together, and this has made all the difference.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I relatively new to the space of running a tech business. But, in real estate, they've nailed it. Attention to detail and customer needs, check. Real life results in a timely manner with continual updates, check. ALL staff is excited to work with you(it's very fun to go into the office and meet all the wonderful, hard working people that make my dream a reality), check. If you could get this kind of service and results in real estate you'd be very rare indeed. But, also very busy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of BossFightz, an online gaming platform that connects gamers all over the world. We also connect celebrities to their fans on the gaming platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We needed a partner to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Naked. took our idea and is developing our mobile app. They first created a prototype, did our screens, and did everything other than the coding. The app will be available in the App Store soon — we're about a month away from a full launch.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

We did our research and found them. After meeting with Naked., they opened our eyes to intellectual properties' possibilities to create a viable mobile app that’s viable and more attractive to investors.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $15,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Naked. was the missing piece and the glue to connect everyone on one platform, use all the resources available, and educate us on all the phases and processes. It was a fantastic turnaround;  they helped me take this business venture and turn it into a viable company that would be attractive to investors and consumers.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is impressive; they’re organized, ensure everyone has everything they need, and the whole team is on every call. Communication is good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re amazing. Their strongest suit is their confidence in their ability; they under-promise and overdeliver. Naked. also looks to charge the least to get everything done to make us successful.

They not only help with marketing and developing your product, but they also help secure funding and create an investors deck. Naked. wants to save us money, time, and they dive in with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t waste your time and your money; hire Naked.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Pioneering Tech Ventures, a newly founded technology company. Some of my family members have ownership as well, and we’re developing a mobile application that will be placed on the App Store and the Googe Play Store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We brought in Naked. to help us build our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Naked. on both sides of this project: design and development. After signing the NDA, we had some meetings where I pitched my idea. They asked questions to understand better what product I wanted to create and which problems I was trying to solve.

During the 4–6-week design process, they simplified the terms to help understand what it would take to create the app. We also bounced ideas off of each other, and they helped me define some aspects in areas where I was unsure of things so we could take my idea to the highest level possible.

They’ve also helped me define my app’s UI and create a 2D wireframe, so I can take it to investors if I need to get money behind it to fund my venture. Now, we’re getting started in the development process, so this wireframe will also help us make it easier.

This will be a cross-platform app, available for both Android and iOS systems, and we might also have a web version. However, we’re still defining some things.

What is the team composition?

I’ve had contact with John (Co-Founder & CEO), and I’ve talked to 5–6 people at least once a week during the design process, including Robby (Executive Creative Director), Jason (Co-Founder), and Jenna (Senior Client Success Manager), who is the main communication point between Naked. and me. I know that a few more people are working on the project behind the scenes, and as we transition into the development process, we’re going to have more people assigned to us.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

I started researching the top app development companies and stumbled upon Naked. Their reputation and the way that they marketed themselves attracted me at first, but the conversation that I had with John was what convinced me. He was very knowledgeable, nice, and patient in helping me understand this process.

It was also very comfortable to hear John’s track record; he had worked behind many successful apps, and he had constantly been pushing himself and his team to be better and bigger. This attracted me to them; I wanted to be part of the success of a team that seemed inspired to find the next big thing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Naked. has done a great job of setting up the wireframes and bringing my idea almost to life. They’ve also given me a lot of options to pick from and made me feel very included as if I were leading the whole process, even when I haven’t understood some of the parts.

Additionally, we’re very impressed with their openness in communication and how easy it is to get a hold of them; it doesn’t feel like we’re working with a giant company. On the contrary, it feels like they made our idea their own, and they want it to be as successful as possible.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Naked. has gone above and beyond on deadlines, delivering assets earlier than requested and exceeding our expectations. John and his whole team have been very open to communication throughout the whole process, being on top of everything.

They’ve laid out a great plan for me, and they’ve aided me in setting up things outside of their job. For example, they helped me with the business essentials. Additionally, we’ve changed things at the last minute, and they’ve been very open to helping us.

I’m in Texas, and they’re in California, so we have a two-hour difference. However, they’re very willing to work with me on what I need.

They are also very available for questions, which is very helpful for a 22-year-old entrepreneur like me. They’ve helped me bounce ideas off and start my business. They’ve gone above and beyond in doing more than what they were required to do and made sure that this process is easy.

John and Jenna are easily available through calls, texts, and emails. They’re very responsive and help the process be as stress-free and easy as possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best thing about working with Naked. is the environment they bring with them. They’re serious about their work and get the job done, but they also provide a fun environment to nurture our ideas, making a scary process seem much less scary.

Additionally, they really try to know what we’re thinking; they don’t try to steer us but help us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they could improve on anything. It’s hard seeing them do anything better because they’ve exceeded our expectations in most areas.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be scared to ask questions. They’ll likely know the answer, and if not, they’ll help you find it. They’re very easy to communicate with, which is what you want from a company that’s helping you build your business. Additionally, they want you to succeed as much as you do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a professional consultation mobile application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked?

We needed mobile app design services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a meeting with Naked. where we talked about the app concept. The team then started putting some deliverables together, such as wireframes, user stories, design concepts, and all kinds of prework needed to get ready to develop our app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around six people: a chief design officer, a creative director, a UI/UX designer, a project manager, and a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with Naked?

I knew about Naked. because an acquaintance had met their chief design officer, so I went with them because I already had a contact there. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from June–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact was that we were able to take the deliverables they produced and go to other providers to see if we could get estimates to develop the app. We were able to meet more developers and present them with a more advanced project, rather than with just an app idea. 

How did Naked perform from a project management standpoint?

Naked.’s project management was average. The team had set up a deadline to deliver the user stories, and we didn’t get them until a week or more later. They didn’t communicate to give us updates on this issue or to apologize for the inconvenience.

We communicated mostly through Zoom meetings.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was really good at wireframing and figuring out how to deliver the best experience for the end customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have better communication around deliverables, updates, and statuses. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to set expectations and timeframes. Define clearly what the final deliverables are going to look like and request examples of them so that other providers can understand clearly what they can later offer to the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and designer of a swimming pool company. I’m also a contractor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We need help to develop a design app and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now they’re designing and developing a prototype from scratch for a cross-platform app and a website. The app has design-based functionalities. The final platform will be available on iOS, Android, and the web. I’m sure we’ll go back to them once we get the funding for the building of the app.

What is the team composition?

Our first contact was John (Owner), and there are about five people currently working with our team.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

I found them on Google when we were searching for app developers. Naked. offers a $395 master class that goes through all the steps needed to build an app, from templates to funding. I purchased the class because it’s expensive to build an app, and I don’t have the funding for it myself. 

After watching the video I had questions, so I contacted John and sent him my idea with images and thoughts. He called me back right away, and we were in touch for the next three days; I didn’t even call other companies when I decided to do the prototype with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Our total investment will be $30,000 at the end of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2021. We still have several weeks before we finish developing this app, so the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in the prototype stage, so we don’t have any metrics, but we’re excited about this project. I’ve been working hard my entire life and this project is going to make a life-changing difference for me. When I talk to Naked’s team, I can see they’re as excited as me,  and that’s very cool.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good and consistent; we have weekly meetings as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal attention we get from their team is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, I don’t think there’s anything they could improve. 

Any advice for potential customers?

At the moment, I can just recommend letting them guide the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an online retail company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We needed someone to develop a mobile app and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Naked is in the process of developing an e-commerce platform for our company. They’re starting from scratch and have just finished the prototyping phase where we did a lot of discovery to define the purpose of the app. It also involved identifying the problems and then solving them, coming up with the concept, the flow, the different functionalities, and creating the prototypes and screens based on what we discovered.

The final product will be a mobile app with a couple of different components. It’ll be a website for the admin part, and then the mobile app will be the other piece. It will be available for both iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

I talk to John (Co-Founder & CEO), Jason (Co-Founder), Robbie (Executive Creative Director), and Jenna (Account Manager). Jenna is kind of like the gatekeeper of all the information. She goes to all the meetings and makes sure that our communication goes to the team. John was the person that I originally talked to, and made me want to work with their company.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

It all started with a Google search and it led me to another company with whom I had a consultation. My search led me to Clutch and I wasn’t too pleased with their reviews so I started looking for other companies. I probably consulted with at least six different developers on Clutch before I decided to go with Naked.

Naked. was one of the last companies that I talked to, and I was sold after just talking to John because he’s very transparent. He gives very honest feedback and he just sounds like he really knows the business — he also likes my idea. On top of all that, I love their website’s aesthetic and content because that is important in the development of my app. I wanted to go with a company whose own aesthetic really reflected what I wanted with the app. 

Just talking directly to John makes me excited about developing the app.

What is the status of this engagement?

The actual project started in January 2021, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The process in itself is amazing. The collaboration that we had with the weekly meetings was very productive, encouraging, and inspiring — it got us even more excited about the app. They asked all the questions about things I haven’t really considered and helped me answer them. They bring our ideas to life, as well as the technical aspect of how the app will function.

As far as the deliverables go, we saw the product evolve from being a basic idea, to being a good representation of our initial vision for the app. They do a good job of letting you take the lead on your idea, and giving you very valuable and insightful guidance about the industry standards. That was a big part of me understanding things from a technical aspect so I can put them into our marketing.

Moreover, they’re very receptive to feedback. I’m very picky and tedious about every small detail, but they don’t even bat an eye when I request small revisions on pieces. That’s a good thing for me because I can be very specific, and I want to make sure everything is perfect. They’re also willing to make even the smallest changes to ensure we’re happy with the results.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly Zoom meetings and we typically communicate through email. They’re sort of like an extension of our team, and you would think that we all worked together already.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their knowledge. You can tell they’re really knowledgeable in the areas they specialize in, and they’re a really diverse team — which I really appreciate. Their communication style is also good and enjoyable. I remember when we had our first meeting, it took hours, but we talked so much and it went by so fast because it wasn’t just a mundane meeting. I like meeting with them, and I’m excited to continue the relationship and further develop the app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From my perspective, there’s nothing I want to change. I just think our team is a really good fit for them. Our personality and aesthetic really match, so that’s why I think everything went so smoothly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to just be prepared to think outside the box, and prepare to articulate exactly what you want and what your vision is.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Agents of Radical, and we are building an e-commerce platform targeted towards beauty professionals. This is so they can build and create their own e-commerce site with products from our inventory.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We were going to build a small number of Shopify sites for our clients when we realized it was a much larger need in our industry. Naked. is our solution to basically everything when we decided to make our own version of Shopify.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re building this platform from scratch. This is a web-based application that uses unique domains per store. We are using other platforms like Stripe for payment and Zoho for inventory processing. Everything is customized, and Naked. is overseeing the entire process from design to development.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Jenna (Project Manager). They also have different people stepping in and out on different stages of the site, so I probably work with around 8–12 people at a time.

How did you come to work with Naked.?

They’re actually an acquaintance of my business partner. He’s been trying to work with them for several years, but the right idea just hasn’t come across his plate until we partnered up. I’m not actually sure how they met but they’ve known each other for over 15 years.

We still shopped around with other development companies and web builders, but the experience and expertise that Naked. had far surpassed everyone else’s. They had the clients and reviews from other startups like us. Basically, they just had a lot of proof of concepts (POCs), and that’s how we chose to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

On the first round of development, we have spent about $300,000. There are several layers that we’re going to be adding in, so starting at that price point, it will go up significantly.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership with them started in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any financial metrics as of the moment since we’re in pre-launch. However, one thing I can say for them is their attention to detail and their intuitiveness are absolutely incredible. 

I went in with the creative idea and spent several hours together in their boardroom drawing up this entire concept. Nine times out of 10 it would take 3–5 rounds of explaining before a typical dev team would get the idea — these guys got it on the first shot. They came back to me about a week or two later with a mock-up of the design, and they put exactly what I envisioned on the screen.

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Jenna is one of the most prompt and timely people that I’ve ever worked with. She’s always on Zoom two minutes before the actual hour and replies to our emails regardless of what time in the day they come in. She’s always so responsive and makes sure that I know she received my messages.

As far as timeliness and deadlines go, the entire team has been phenomenal. There have been some setbacks, but I don’t consider any of them to be reflective of the team. It’s more of a COVID-19 pandemic situation, and honestly, when things are late it’s probably coming from me and my partner’s side of things.

They use the Monday dashboard to keep track of all the progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What’s impressive about them is collectively, they all understand what we’re doing. It feels like they’re really dedicated to our process, and I always feel like we’re a priority — I’ve never felt shuffled around the mix with Naked.

Their team is so open to critiques and new ideas. They will pivot on a dime if I have an idea that wasn’t originally part of the game plan. Everything that I have asked for, as wild and impossible as it may seem, has always been answered with a “Yes,” and they have always followed through with it. They have never misled us and have always made everything happen. Even if it’s a little bit difficult, they always find the answer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really don’t know. Truthfully, I’ve been so happy with this experience that I haven’t had any critique for them. Even in a pandemic and living in a state where things are pretty rough, they’re constantly always working.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to meet them with the same attitude you want them to meet you with. I’m always open and happy to see them and excited to see what they’re presenting.  We’re very communicative and are happy to critique back and forth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of Agents of Radical, an e-commerce platform looking to democratize retail in the beauty space. One of the unsung heroes in the beauty industry is the independent professional. They get very little compensation, and we are looking to bridge the gap between large retailers and independent professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Naked.?

We were looking for help in building our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Naked. Developed our e-commerce platform for us. They are the technology team that is helping bring my concept to life. Our platform allows independent beauty professionals to create a unique URL that allows them to sell their products directly to customers. 

First, we went through a 4–6 week design process. During this time, we met with their team on a weekly basis and shared our entire hearts with them. We took them through our notes and drawings so they could really understand what it is we’re trying to do. Then, they mapped out exactly what we wanted to build.

Within a month after that process, we pulled the trigger and had them start developing the platform for us. Their team builds the engine that will house my platform. 

What is the team composition?

We work with John (Founder & CEO), Jason (Co-Founder), and Jenna (Account Manager), and a few developers. We’ve been consistently working with a team of seven. 

How did you come to work with Naked.?

I’ve known John for about 25 years and Jason for 40. In past positions in the beauty space, I’ve wanted to work with them but was never able to. I always knew that when I had the possibility to build my own thing that I was going to partner with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $305,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we are still in the pre-launch phase, I am overwhelmingly happy with the product. We’ve looked at what other models exist in the beauty space and we have really outdone those existing platforms. 

How did Naked. perform from a project management standpoint?

Every week, we have a dev team meeting where they walk us through everything they’re working on. There’s never any question of where we’re at in the process with them. We communicate via text or email and I can always get ahold of anybody that I need to. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to understand what we wanted to accomplish set them apart. They spent the whole design phase trying to get a deep understanding of our project. They don’t just create an outline or a blueprint, they put the time in to map the whole thing out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend going through their design process or at least speaking to John. He’ll be able to tell you in five minutes if your idea is good or not. By starting there, at least you can revise from there.