Neocoast

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP, Technology of Cambiar Education

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cambiar Education is a nonprofit US K-12 education venture studio. We have multiple education programs, initiatives and ventures working towards the mission of student success for all.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Design & Build MVP for a career exploration product/platform involving simulations, AI chat & reflections.
• Launch & support pilots and scale the product to serve 200+ students
• Pilot and scale the product to serve 200+ students

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

Referral

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Neocoast helped us design and build and a career exploration edtech product from scratch (in close collaboration with us on design & content within product) ; and launch it with few pilot partners with 200+ students using the product successfully. Key deliverables included:

• Product discovery & roadmap/execution plan
• Product design with detailed end to end user flow & interactive mockups for early tests.
• Product delivery with specific & well tracked milestones: Base framework/AWS infra, individual role types, AI chat & reflections, dashboard & next steps, scaling & data exports, privacy  & security support for launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Detailed product design as interactive prototypes/mocks delivered upfront before each development cycle
• Product build timelines, budget & quality close to early estimates; and tracked and shared throughout process.
• Product was launched with pilot partner to 100+ students and ran successfully without major issues; and team received and was responsive to feedback.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, Neocoast team worked very collboratively and in close feedback loops with us. They were transparent in sharing timelines and costs throughout the process; and delivered all agreed upon stuff in time. Some new product alignment & project needs also came up during process, and they worked with us closely and flexibly to clarify, juggle and deliver on those reasonably well.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• The team is very collaborative and enthusiastic, and has people of varying skills and experience; they seem to enjoy what they do and care about their projects and customers deeply.
• We are in quite different time zones but that never showed up as a pain point. The communication & responsiveness was great.

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

There were a couple glitches in early phase of development where we had a bit of  misalignment in product details understanding. We were able to navigate with discussion & bringing in another product lead  - may be good to see how this sort of alignment and deeper product understanding can be done in the discovery phase itself.
It has been great to have AI expertise & development from their extended team - encourage them to develop more inhouse AI learning & use as well; will help them grow!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a sports and concert ticket reseller.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sports and concert ticket reseller.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Builk a custom web app in the sports ticketing industry to help our internal team vizualize our data.

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

Referral

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Neocoast was hired to create, maintain, and improve a web app from scratch to allow my team to better manage tickets in the sports and concert industry within venues. They added an interactive map, integrated with multiple tables and various custom features to better manage venue maps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Completion of project based on both the original specifications, and additional features added over time.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they were methodical and gave expected timelines for tasks and allowed me to prioritize in advance of work performed. I didn't set hard deadlines but I found that they generally stayed on a good schedule and would push harder towards a goal if required.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

Email or Messaging App

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

Attention to detail and raising many potential corner cases before they would be encountered in production. When they are covering all of the possible use cases of the application, you trust they have the entire scope handled.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder and CPO of Almond Digital Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide self-guided digital solutions to help people overcome gambling addiction or develop healthy gambling habits. This requires a mobile app containing interactive features, content and forums.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Launch a mobile app that provides effective support for those struggling with gambling addiction and their supporters.
• Provide users with resources, community support, and tracking tools to aid their recovery.
• Encourage self-reflection and growth through interactive features like assessments, goal-setting, and wellness tracking.
• Enhance user engagement with dynamic visual elements and real-time feedback mechanisms.
• Offer a support system that allows users to connect with supporters and engage in meaningful conversations.
• Continuously improve and expand features, with future plans including Google Analytics integration, an achievement system, a multilingual UI, and an enhanced supporter experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

Referral

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The main goal of the project was to develop a mobile app from scratch, turning requirements into a fully functional MVP to provide safe and impactful support for individuals struggling with gambling addiction, as well as their supporters.
The team's project management approach ensured clear priorities, an optimized roadmap, and seamless coordination across development, design, and QA.
The UX/UI team conducted user research, crafted a scalable design system, and delivered an intuitive mobile-first experience.
The application was engineered using React Native, with a secure and scalable API built in Ruby on Rails and deployed on AWS. Key features included authentication, a community forum, in-app messaging, urge tracking, a CMS for resource management, and dynamic UI elements.
A comprehensive QA strategy was implemented, incorporating rigorous testing to ensure performance, security, and scalability.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

New Partnership Opportunities: Held positive meetings with potential investors and partners, indicating market interest and growth potential.
UXtweak testing results showed positive impressions of key features and functionalities, demonstrating ease of use and intuitive interaction with essential app components.

App launched on appstore and playstore for use by users as well as prospective clients wanting to test the product.

Branding created by Neocoast for the app used across website and marketing materials to positive responses from collaborators and customers.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Excellent project management - delivered all deliverables on time, communicating early and clearly about any uncertainties, issues or scope adjustments. Always ready to listen to our needs and questions, and work collaboratively to arrive at solutions.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Really really wonderful human beings - fun to work with, understanding about urgent asks or rescheduling etc, showed genuine enthusiasm  for the work and helped keep us motivated about the project.

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

No, they have been fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of NSE Solutions Corp.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neocoast?

We needed a team to develop a web B2B platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neocoast developed our web app from scratch. The team was mainly involved in development since we had already designed the app. We initially provided Neocoast with an outline of what we were looking for, and they helped us polish the technology stack. After that, Neocoast started building the front- and backend simultaneously. The team used Ruby for the backend, React for the frontend, AWS for hosting, and PostgreSQL for the database.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a backend developer, and two frontend developers. For a brief time, we also worked with a QA specialist who was responsible for testing the app.

How did you come to work with Neocoast?

We found them through a Google search and saw their reviews on Clutch. We chose Neocoast because they had worked on other B2B software applications. Their portfolio and pricing also helped us make the decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $65,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Neocoast delivered a B2B web agricultural platform. The platform was a beta version and hasn't had any downtime or bugs since the launch. Neocoast delivered a robust platform and did a great job, especially on the backend.

How did Neocoast perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated a lot. We had a Slack channel for updates and almost daily meetings via Google Meet. I also had access to Neocoast's Jira, where I could track the work. Neocoast's project management was good. There was a little schedule extension; we needed more development time, and it wasn’t a problem for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was young and creative. Neocoast was hands-on in the project and always suggested new ideas for solving problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The estimated development times could've been a little better. We could've had a more detailed plan for executing the times.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest having smaller goals and a detailed plan and then working on that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Stupendastic Films

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an audiovisual production company specialized in Architecture, Construction and Real Estate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Renew our Backend and Frontend of the Client Area of our website.
• Renovate the corporate image of the company (logo, typography, colors...)

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

UpWork

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

NeoCoast was in charge of renewing our corporate image and improving our Client Area, changing its architecture for more modern and reliable languages with more possibilities. We improved performance, appearance and added new services for the client, in addition to establishing the foundations of a backend and frontend with the ability to integrate and incorporate more features in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The added improvements for our customers since working with NeoCoast are immeasurable, as we are bringing much more value to our services.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They have always delivered everything on time and provided us with a schedule and forecasts that they have met. They are organized and attentive.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

Virtual Meeting

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

The good vibes and professionalism of the entire staff.

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

Sometimes it is difficult to understand who is in charge of what within the company, since its organizational chart is complex and its tasks and roles are unknown to someone who is not an expert in the field. Even so, they are very didactic and try to help the client understand what they are doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive of eSystem Training Solutions.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

eSystem Training Solutions creates online and instructor-led training to support the telecommunications construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Launch a proprietary LMS
• Launch a proprietary Rigging Application
• Refine the LMS to offer greater functionality to our end users

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

Referral

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

NeoCoast stepped into the project as we went live with the first version of an LMS developed with a prior development group. We worked together to identify priorities to include the functionality that was not completed by the previous group prior to launch and then created a backlog of functions that had been envisioned since the project inception.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We use JIRA to track our backlog and create our sprints. As sprint items move through the workflow, we can easily see who is working on each issue, which needs review, which needs refining, etc. Several times each week, we review these tasks to ensure we are on track to meet the timeline for the development and release of the current sprint.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

NeoCoast is consistently on time and often ahead of schedule. They are very responsive to our needs and any questions we have. Our project manager is always easy to reach, typically responds in a matter of minutes, and is always willing to jump on a call if it is needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Working with NeoCoast has been a dream for us. They are well-organized and communicative. They have a wonderful grasp of our project, and in grooming sessions, we work collaboratively to create the best possible solution for the functionality we are developing at the time.

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

We are very happy. Nothing comes to mind at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a resource hub for travel advisors, including a directory, podcasts, blog, events calendar, and jobs board.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NeoCoast to accomplish?

• Fix bugs, keep site updated and secure
• Create new features and functionality

SOLUTION

How did you find NeoCoast?

Online Search

Why did you select NeoCoast over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from NeoCoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

NeoCoast has been fantastic work with in both our day to day upkeep needs, as well as larger projects and functionality we've implemented on the site. The small bug fixes are always done quickly and pushed out immediately if needed. NeoCoast inherited an existing website and has done a great job of getting to know the site and improving it. The frontend was built using several techs: html, vue, coffee script and jquery. 

They separated the frontend and the backend, keeping it in another repo and not mixing the backend code with the frontend one. They've successfully orchestrated a huge site rehaul to being written only in React instead of multiple techs. They have also created entirely new section of the site for one of our podcasts (graphic design for it was also done inhouse at NeoCoast), and added new features and functionality to our directory/blog/event cal/jobs board (filters, tags, being able to copy and paste from Google Docs into our blog and keep formatting, etc).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• The projects were done on time, well, and to spec. Our site depends on organic traffic for our income. While NeoCoast isn't focused on SEO, the devs have been great at working with us and taking extra care to make sure changes don't affect our organic traffic.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We've been very happy with both project managers that have led our team. Their responsiveness is awesome and they keep on top of what's happening. Giving me a nudge when I forget something. Nearly every sprint has been estimated correctly and if there is a change, they let me know. Whenever we've needed something quickly, they always get to it right away and make it a priority.

What was your primary form of communication with NeoCoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The NeoCoast team is really enjoyable to work and interact with. We're a Midwest company and I'm so appreciative of their lack of ego despite being great at their jobs, their ability to do a job well but still have fun. They're honest, smart, and great partners to have. They are the type of people I would hire if I were to have an in-house team!

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

On the very rare occasion I've had a concern, the NeoCoast team and management has been on it right away and fixed it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're an experiential learning company that offers software that allows companies to train employees through live experiences rather than presentations. As the CTO, I am responsible for all technology decisions and forward vision for the platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Neocoast provided continuing application support for our SAAS platform, handling bugs, new features and infrastructure changes. Our goals for them were:

1. to design a sprint system to handle product changes and modifications

2. engage in weekly application development and system changes

3. to monitor the application for quality and ensure reliability of systems.

SOLUTION

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

We selected this vendor as part of a multi-vendor analysis of current technology needs and future platform decisions. Their expertise both in Javascript and Ruby allowed us to feel confident that they had the right tools and experience to handle our product and infrastructure development needs.

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

We worked with the team to analyze our current platforms, perform a code review of the state of the application, and then they proposed a work plan to meet our needs for continuous development and release. Neocast was able to scale with our needs for additional talent and worked with us to respond to critical demands at moments of high urgency.

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

At the peak, 6 members of their team were part of the project:

• (1) a project manager
• 2 senior software engineers
• 2 junior engineers
• a QA lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at Neocoast continuously met our expectations for the quality and process of their work. They responded to feedback and set in motion strategies to mitigate against any challenges that were communicated.

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

We had bi weekly standup and product checkins. All communication on a more frequent bases was managed through Slack and less urgent tasks through email. They followed a loose agile process that was based upon the dynamic demands of a fast-moving product release cycle.

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

NeoCoast expressed a highly adaptable process for software development. They maintain a strong group of software engineers on their staff, but all have excellent project management resources to communicate and plan their work appropriately. Overall we have been impressed by their abilities to release and respond proactively to any urgent situations that arise.

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

By and large most of the issues that have arisen have self-corrected after they have been identified. At some points there have been instances of QA mishandling, but they have been addressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of Ronin Ventures - a blockchain software and infrastructure company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired NeoCoast for the development of a Web Browser Extension to be utilized in the blockchain space.

SOLUTION

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

We selected NeoCoast as a result of their enthusiasm for the project and desire to break into the blockchain space. We felt that NeoCoast had excellent project management skills that would allow them to properly develop the project.

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

The project was the development of a web browser extension application in the blockchain space. It was to be built utilizing ReactJS and built in such a fashion to later allow wrapping of the codebase into React Native. The application was to utilize various SDKs to interact with multiple different blockchain APIs.

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

Actively there were 2 React developers working on the project in addition to the project management provided by their CTO and code review by their lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NeoCoast was able to meet initial deliverables for an MVP allowing the software to be brought in-house for long-term development and improvements.

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

NeoCoast does an excellent job of utilizing Jira for Agile project management as well as Slack for communication. Tasks were broken down into tickets which were prioritized in 2-week sprints according to our needs. Bi-weekly meetings to review the previous sprint and plan the next sprints were planned in advance. Additionally, code reviews were conducted automatically as part of their process.

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

NeoCoast presented itself in a varied professional and organized manner. They have a solid team with various skill sets, allowing them to cover all aspects of software development. We were highly satisfied and impressed by their project management and consistency in their methodology of planning, designing, developing, testing, and reviewing.

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

We think NeoCoast is already a very strong team with strong internal practices that allow a smooth development life cycle and have strong communication processes both from a development and managerial standpoint.