OAKS LAB

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Sindro. We’re creating a business management platform for fitness and wellness studios. So think of cycle or yoga studios—we’re building a platform to help them run their business. This includes everything from scheduling classes to managing staff and instructors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAK’S LAB?

We needed to pull together a team to do everything from design to build. Hiring for that is often difficult because we don’t need an entire team for the whole project. So, we wanted to find a team that could handle design and development, scale up or down when needed, and then leave when the project is completed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OAK’S LAB supplemented our team to web design and development. They designed the frontend and developed did everything on the front- and backend. The platform has several components. The backend design was for the studios themselves to schedule classes, book rooms, and coordinate with instructors.

The frontend would then display this information so users can make appointments, get involved, and know details like where the class is located and which instructor is teaching. They focused on UX/UI throughout design because it’s at the core of what we’re trying to build. We wanted to good, friendly, and easy to use platform, both for the business owner, and the member trying to book a class.

What is the team composition?

They scale their team up and down based on what we need. We always had one project manager who was dedicated to our project, a few designers, and developers.

How did you come to work with OAK’S LAB?

Our lead investor worked with them in the past and suggested that we look into them. We met to talk to them about our project, and we were able to see some work they’ve done in the past. They talked a lot about being able to scale up or down within a week, which would have been impossible for me to do on my own.

The leaders and members of their team were young and enthusiastic. They were hardworking and I trusted that they would push this project forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $300,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

They project started in June 2019 and is ongoing,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The functionality of the site is great. The results are the best part about working with them. Every two weeks, we conduct our own user testing. We find potential buyers and beta clients, and we always get positive feedback. CX has been the best part of our project and people like the direction we’re going in. We’re also able to pass that feedback on to OAK’S LAB and they implement it in the next sprint. Out of the hundreds of features we’ve implemented, we’ve only found eight bugs. Overall, the impact they’ve had on our business has been huge.

How did OAK’S LAB perform from a project management standpoint?

They assigned a project manager at the beginning of our collaboration and they’re 100% focused on our project. Our manager is younger and has less experience, but he makes up for it with effort and organization. He keeps the conversation between our team and theirs, despite a nine-hour time difference. He’s done a fantastic job and I’d love to keep working with him.

We communicate through Slack. We also use Figma to see designs in real-time, make comments, and the designers implement our feedback right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to execute and complete a project is very impressive. We’ve added an unbelievable number of features because they’re so efficient. Between June and August alone, they completed 125 features with very few bugs. Not only do they get things done quickly, they don’t sacrifice quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t think of anything. This has been the most positive experience I’ve had.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be well prepared. They’re always ready to get to work. The team is full of great problem-solvers and go-getters. So, you can’t be lackluster. Go in with everything you got, and be ready to work, because that’s how they work too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a product manager at Plotify. We’re creating a marketplace for investors to buy and sell property globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAK’S LAB?

We had a need to create a mobile app and an admin portal where we can manage some of the processes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OAK’S LAB created the apps for iOS and Android using JavaScript. The apps are currently in an early beta stage, so we’re controlling who is on our app. The investors that we’re onboarding are partners of our CEO and founders.

We have partnerships with our clients, and OAK’S LAB has implemented some functions to do our “know your customer” (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) protocols. They’ve also done some work that will allow for a multi-region onboarding flow. Each country has different regulatory landscapes that we need to tailor the onboarding flow to. 

At the moment, we plan to have a UK flow, a US flow, and an India flow, and then a flow for the rest of the world. As we onboard new clients, we will look at what countries they are coming from and what the regulatory landscape is. We’ll see if it falls within one of the four flows already or make a new flow. 

Once an investor onboards, they can check our listing section, scroll through different countries, and find the plots they want to invest in. It is a four-step purchase process where they look at some documents, confirm the figures, and purchase the plot. 

Through the admin portal, we check that everything is in order. The app allows for ongoing plot management so we can see some of the vague financial details of what everything costs. It also has support functions as well as a live chat with our admin portal. We also have information on how it works on the app. 

We need to finish off a couple of key features, and one of them is the multi-region onboarding flow. Once some of these features are complete, we will be able to go live on the App Store and Google Play Store.

What is the team composition?

We have a designated project manager and a lead engineer who I speak with every day. We also have a designer, a team of full-stack, backend, and frontend developers, and a testing team consisting of a QA person and QA technician.

How did you come to work with OAK’S LAB?

There are a few reasons we chose them. Some of our founders had worked with them before and had seen the quality of the work they produce. I went out to Prague and spent some time with them a few months ago. OAK’S LAB’s founders are fascinating people. They have worked together on 40 companies now, 20 of which were start-ups. The knowledge that they can pass on to their teams and clients is huge. I certainly learned a lot from just sitting with them. They also have a open workspace in a fantastic building in Prague. 

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent over $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback we have been getting from our investors has been really positive. They like the feel of the app and how easy and simple it is to use. Our regulators have also said they really like the app and how slick it was. OAK’S LAB is always trying to find ways of improving the apps. The testing team not only test new functionalities, but they also think of ways we can improve. That comes into my role as well—managing the product. 

We want to keep this app at the forefront, and OAK’S LAB delivers that. They know what works and what doesn’t work, and they have been extremely flexible while giving us invaluable input. The work and designs they produce are innovative. The knowledge they have passed on by working with so many startups has really accelerated our app.

How did OAK’S LAB perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had two project managers in the time we’ve worked with OAK’S LAB. They go through project management training that’s tailored by the CEO because that is what his background is in. As a result, OAK’S LAB actually delivers what they promise in a sprint. Nothing gets pushed over into the next sprint, which allows me to plan ahead. 

From that standpoint, I have been really impressed. I worked in project management myself, where it was a lot more structured and rigid, and OAK’S LAB seems to have this intuition. They are very good at estimating and having the whole team involved when they do estimates. The entire process is very well-engineered. They use GitHub and Zenhub to manage the tickets, bugs, and future enhancements. We use Google G Suite as well to manage what we do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The founders’ depth of knowledge has been key for us. It feels very personal with them. They take a huge interest in us even though they have quite a few companies on their books. 

The amount of people we come into contact with at OAK’S LAB is really a credit to them. It has fast-forwarded us as a business; we have implemented their ideas in how we look at our company's vision, milestones, and culture, to create a place where we want to work. OAK'S Lab is at the head of the pack in these areas when building itself as a company. To me, that is important.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The main issue for me is just the distance between our offices. When I went over to Prague for a couple of weeks, the amount of work that we got done was incredible. However, this really isn’t their fault. Plus, the time zone difference between Prague and the UK is one hour, which is not a problem whatsoever. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief commercial officer and head of product at Dot Residential, a full-service real estate agent for property investors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAK’S LAB?

Our main challenge was that we didn’t have any technical expertise in-house, so we hired OAK’S LAB for development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re a tech-enabled, full-service, real estate agency for property investors. We give them a platform where they can find companies that they want to invest in and own.

OAK’S LAB built the whole technology platform for us from scratch as well as all our other technology products. They’re our development experts and provide hosting for our platform. They develop all our new features and ensure that things are closely controlled and secure. They use React frameworks, Google Cloud, AWS, and all the other modern technologies.

We ended up having a longer-term relationship with OAK’S LAB. We’ve used them for the MVP and now we’re up to the first version. We’ve started recruiting our own in-house tech team, but OAK’S LAB has done a great job for us and we continue to work with them.

What is the team composition?

There’s one frontend developer, two full-stack developers, and a project manager assigned to our project. There have been times where we had a QA specialist on board full-time as well as a product designer.

How did you come to work with OAK’S LAB?

They were recommended to us by our original venture capital investor, who OAK’S LAB had an existing relationship with. We did look at a couple of other vendors at the time, but given OAK’S LAB’s relationship with our main investor, we chose them. They’re friendly and extremely professional. They made us feel confident that they’d be able to get us to this initial product build.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000–$30,000 per month for the past 12 months so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing. There have been periods where we’ve backed off and didn’t need their help. The actual work has lasted about 12 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re approaching 1,500 investor members on our platform who are looking at our property investment opportunities. We’ve listed over £5 million (approximately $6,576,025 USD) worth of properties with the average price of around £200,000 (approximately $263,041 USD). We’ve also transacted on about 10–15 properties, though it’s still relatively early in terms of the evolution of the whole business. The platform that OAK’S LAB built has allowed us to do all of this despite being only being launched since May.

The experience we provide to investors is very tailored and customized. Customers can choose how much mortgage they want to take on and select from various furniture and design options. OAK’S LAB built our whole customized experience, which has been key for transacting properties. They’ve been there from start to finish and feel like they’re part of your in-house team.

The quality of the overall build has been great, without any major bugs or glitches. OAK’S LAB has addressed any minor issues right away. I can’t speak highly enough of them and we continue to rely on them.

How did OAK’S LAB perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team has always been very receptive and helpful to any issues or challenges. OAK’S LAB is available on the weekend and late at night, and they go the extra mile. We use Slack to communicate on a daily basis, and clients can be as involved or uninvolved as they want. We tend to be very involved and we work very closely with them. We have set processes in place and we always know where everything is in the process.

We also have a GitHub board for all the tickets and for tracking work. We use Google Hangouts for a couple of weekly calls we have together. Together with OAK’S LAB, we do a sprint plan every two weeks and have a monthly call for going over the previous month’s work and catching up on our business goals. We’ve pushed them quite hard on several occasions and deadlines are always met. Several members of their team have had to work late nights to meet particular deadlines for new feature launches.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism is pretty awesome and the work they’ve delivered is amazing. The manner in which OAK’S LAB goes about their work really stands out. They feel like an in-house team, which is really good when you’re at a very early stage and you’re going through a lot of changes.

When I’ve spoken about the technology stacks we used with other developers, they’ve been impressed with OAK’S LAB and have said that they’re using the latest technologies that most large organizations would be adopting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes when projects are in the testing environment, some things can get a little bit lost in translation. This could be improved but it has nothing to do with the actual technical build. For instance, it could be a label that’s spelled incorrectly. It’s just small details that are missed but that’s mainly because they’re focused on development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and co-CEO at Aperture Real Estate. We are a data and technology company focused on the residential real estate market. Our company is located in Los Angeles.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAK’S LAB?

We had a two-part software development project. First, wanted a customer and data interface portal. Second, we needed a tool for aggregating and analyzing big data. We needed help laying the groundwork for this effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They work as an outsourced software development team that helped us write code and develop the project. I assisted with creating wireframes, but they ultimately produced them. They were building the wireframes with InVision, but we switched to Figma. They used HTML, CSS, TypeScript, React, and Java during the course of development.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager, but we also worked directly with the developers. At its peak, there were 20 developers working on the project, but we worked primarily with a team of six.

How did you come to work with OAK’S LAB?

I got a recommendation from someone we trusted. Through an extensive interview process, we determined OAK’S LAB was very process-focused, and we liked that.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement ran from March 2017 to March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were very focused and successfully with hit deadlines. Aside from one deadline where we made a last-second change, they were very good at reaching benchmarks.

How did OAK’S LAB perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. Even in the one case where we missed the deadline, they were very upfront about what that meant and building a reasonable project timeline after that. We used Slack and Google Chat to communicate. The CEO and CFO are great and always very helpful. They’re willing to work with us on West Coast time. It’s very helpful to have a team based in Europe that can work on our hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

OAK’S LAB has done many projects in the FinTech and real estate mortgage space. They’re very adept in that field. Anyone looking for a project in that area would be wise to reach out to them. They have a great team and they’re true professionals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a bit of a steep learning curve getting them up to speed on the intricacies of the US real estate market.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general partner of an early stage venture fund.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAK’S LAB?

We needed a development partner to build out our web platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OAK’S LAB developed our website for the fund. Based on the early success that we had with them, many of the companies associated with us chose to work with them as well. The nature of each project varies depending on the individual company’s needs. They’re capable of providing website development, designing backend architecture, and implementing frontend interfaces. Specifically, they built the entire tech stack for our global real estate exchange company.

The work they perform is fairly robust from a front– and backend perspective. The platform’s UI/UX had to be extremely customer friendly and maneuverable so that users can purchase a rental property with the click of a button. While the system is complex, the actual process must be simple to operate. Luckily, they allocated a massive team to ensure everything functions smoothly. From a regulatory perspective, there’s a lot of challenges regarding what features can be available on each platform. OAK’S LAB was involved from day one and completed development. The platform will be launching in the near future.

What is the team composition?

We usually work with a project manager and several developers. Each development cycle is customized toward the client’s needs. Jakub (CEO & Co-Founder, OAK’S LAB) and Theo (Executive Director & Co-Founder, OAK’S LAB) stay involved as consistent contacts.

How did you come to work with OAK’S LAB?

My partner had worked with them on a particular project before we started the fund. He liked the work they did, so we gave them the opportunity to win some business in our portfolio.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2017, and it’s an ongoing relationship. They’re currently working on projects for our portfolio companies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

OAK’S LAB helped each of our companies launch their websites. Frontend design is one of their greatest strengths. As a result, they’ve done UI/UX work for a company that supports 80 of the world’s top financial institutions. Also, we haven’t received any negative feedback regarding their deliverables. Clients rave about the work OAK’S LAB provides. We’re incredibly happy with their performance.

How did OAK’S LAB perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re well-organized when it comes to project management. Their communication skills are another of their greatest strengths. Also, their work ethic is second to none. Jakub and Theo are committed to creating quality products. We’ve visited their office multiple times and have developed a cordial relationship with them. They’ve created a great company culture that influences their deliverables. Their systems are built with passion and vigor. Additionally, they do an excellent job of evaluating new projects and assigning the proper resources. All of that is run through the project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jakub and Theo grew up in the United States, so we don’t feel like we’re using an outsourced team. Instead, it’s like they’re working in the office right down the hall from us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Simultaneously managing multiple projects takes some experience. Considering how close we are to them, I’d say that is something they could work on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more you communicate with them, the better they can perform. They build exactly what is asked of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner/CEO of SwitchFit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

This company takes you from start to finish and leading you along the way with suggestions and help to create the most perfect scenario for success!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire OAKS LAB to accomplish?

• Create a Fitness App
• Execute Mapping and Scheduling
• Give Personalitiy

SOLUTION

How did you find OAKS LAB?

Referral

Why did you select OAKS LAB over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from OAKS LAB were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

From start to finish they developed my whole project and prepared it ready for sale and acquisition. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We created an app in the most unprecedented times via COVID we still made it work 

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

We met regularly with updated progress, they were on time and with suggestions

What was your primary form of communication with OAKS LAB?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Theo and Jake truly cared about my success and I would love to work with them again

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

We were all growing together so no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the founder and CEO of a platform in the segment of grief tech.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OAKS LAB?

I was looking to work with a partner and team experienced enough to deal with the complex digital product that I was developing. The product is a digital platform that simplifies the administrative process after someone from your family passes away unexpectedly. The platform aims to automatize and ease the bureaucratic burden that a person has to deal with when a relative passes away. 

Our product is complex and highly focused on security with different layers. The platform focuses on connecting users with professionals such as government consultants and mental health professionals. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

OAKS LAB supports the development of our web platform and will build a mobile app in the second release. OAKS LAB is my external development team and has helped create the product's user journey, MVP's scoping, and go-to-market strategy. The team has conducted in-depth interviews with users and designed and optimized the strategy of our Meta and Google marketing campaigns currently running in the US. 

OAKS LAB does comprehensive research and analyses competitors. The team also looks deeper into competitors' security and enables me to collaborate with security third parties. The team uses Java, Python, and AI architecture to build my MVP. 

What is the team composition?
I work with a dedicated team that includes Jake (CEO & Founder), Igor (Head of Product), Marek (Product Manager), a project manager, a designer, a business analyst, a financial analyst, and a product engineer, and two marketing specialist who help with campaigns. I'm mostly in contact with Marek, who is the project leader.

How did you come to work with OAKS LAB?

I knew about OAKS LAB because I was watching their work. Two years ago, I considered applying for an open CMO position they had. While working for a partner, I met Jake at a networking event where I met my past colleagues, a venture builder I used to work for. I had several meetings with Jake and immediately saw he was already helping me without any promise from my side. I also talked with the team's chief of innovation and CTO.

I did extensive due diligence on venture builders and couldn't find a relevant team to work with at first. I asked around, reviewed use cases, and had several interviews with owners of various companies. OAKS LAB came as the most experienced team among the two other service providers I was considering.

The team offered added value from the beginning by looking into how to connect me with other enterprise partners and investors, which was something that none of the other companies offered me. OAKS LAB was keen to work on my project and had experience building products with high-security layering.

How much have you invested with them?
We've spent around €50,000 (approximately $55,000 USD), and we're planning to start another phase that will cost around €80,000 (approximately $88,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with OAKS LAB in May 2024, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to OAKS LAB, I now have good traction and have negotiated with investors, which I lacked before. We're pivoting to MVP scoping, which is very important after the market validation and was my key objective for this cooperation. The team runs a successful product, and I'm very happy with our MVP scope. 

OAKS LAB is patient with me. The team's professionalism is high, and I'm very happy. OAKS LAB has more on their mind than I have, providing an external point of view of the project. Each teammate does very well at different tasks.

How did OAKS LAB perform from a project management standpoint?
I meet with OAKS LAB in person two times a week. We also communicate daily in Slack and call each other for urgent matters. We discuss every week with OAKS LAB and analyze results every second day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

OAKS LAB's most impressive quality is their dedication to work. I can see that they really believe in the product and want to make it successful. OAKS LAB shares our drive for success. When I've worked with other agencies, I've felt that some teammates just want to do their job and receive an invoice. With OAKS LAB, every day, I sense that the team believes they can help me make the product successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?
I can't think of anything OAKS LAB can improve on. The team has gone above and beyond what I pay. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest being transparent with OAKS LAB. Believe in your product even though you get bad results or things don't go as you want during the process. Don't lose yourself in the middle of the development process because if you believe in your product, it will come true.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a venture capitalist and the company we funded created a platform that allowed users to instantly create templated video with both structure and authenticity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OAK'S LAB, and what were your goals?

Oaks was our outsourced technology partner that drove both the front and back end of the project.

SOLUTION

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

We have always respected their quality work. This project in particular, their expertise was paramount because we had non technical founders.

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

Oaks literally implemented and developed the entire project from ideation to commercialization.

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

It varied but at any time it was 6 to 8 people. From project manager to back end engineers to U/I U/X engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully launched and we able to hire our own in house team which Oaks successfully transferred to.

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

High levels of communication, daily stand ups via slack and zoom. Outside of when the founders changed the scope, Oaks was very timely on deliverables.

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

Level and care and service. They felt like an extension of the founding team.

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

Not on this project.