Rapptr Labs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company offers a swimming tracker and software that takes the form of a mobile and web app. It allows swimmers and coaches to view their analytics, share information, and interact with their data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapptr Labs?

For our startup, having the capacity to develop our app was important. With an outsourced team like Rapptr Labs, we had access to front- and backend developers, designers, and UI/UX designers. On top of that, we’re able to scale up and down as we see fit. Not all employees have to take on full-time roles. We only pay for the resources that we truly need, which took some weight off of our shoulders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team is acting as our development branch, developing the apps for both mobile and web. We created our own hardware in-house, but all the machine algorithms were developed by them from the ground up. They were key in interfacing our data to the world. We handled the designs, but they took it over from there. They compiled all the code to make the final apps what they are today.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with six of their developers right now. That includes iOS and Android developers, a project manager, and a UI/UX designer. 

How did you come to work with Rapptr Labs?

We did a general search online for partner companies. Based on their pricing and communication skills, they seemed like a good match for us. They ensured that they would support us regardless of the situation. That gave us confidence in them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $150,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just started shipping our product three months ago, so it’s still early. So far, though, the app has been downloaded 1,000 times. Bugs happen here and there, but they’ve been able to fix them quickly. Within a few hours of contacting them about an issue, they can create a fix for it.

How did Rapptr Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re available to us around the clock. They may be a young team without loads of experience, but they will work through any issue to support our team. We use Slack to communicate. The project manager has been the most available out of the entire team. So, their project management skills are a big plus. We used Basecamp to track progress throughout the development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and responsiveness to our problems have impressed me the most. They’re on to of all issues, addressing them in hours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a fairly new company, but they make up for it with effort. The experience will come with time, and then they can be a major player in the industry. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have some technical people on our team and found that it was best when they interacted with Rapptr Labs on technical aspects of the project. It’s good to have someone on your staff that understands everything that they’re doing. That way, there aren’t any miscommunications.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an online personal development company. We’ve been around for over 10 years, mostly as a web-based business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapptr Labs?

We decided to launch a mobile app and started working on that with Rapptr Labs around 2018.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapptr Labs was involved in every stage of this project. They have delivered everything we wanted and offered helpful suggestions and direction along the way. The app is a library of “tapping meditations.” Tapping is a self-help tool and stress-relief technique, similar to meditation but also different.

We started with just an iOS app as an MVP, at their recommendation. It was actually pretty robust. We rolled right into Android development after that.

Nobody within our organization had mobile app experience. I led the project on our team, but my background isn’t in technology. Rapptr Labs was a great partner in terms of explaining things as we went along, making sure we understood and letting us make the decisions we needed to make.

What is the team composition?

We met with their project manager for the most part, and we had conversations with the developers as needed. That was good for us, given that none of us spoke the technology language.

How did you come to work with Rapptr Labs?

We found them through an internet search (it might have even been Clutch since I’ve definitely found some resources on the site). We chose Rapptr Labs because they made us feel very comfortable. We felt a true partnership and a positive working relationship. They did a really good job of giving us technical explanations and following those up with explanations in our own terms.

We also liked that they were local. In fact, we had them come to our office one time for the kick-off meeting, but we never took advantage of that ability after that. Rapptr Labs seemed competent and capable.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2018, and it’s ongoing. We launched the iOS app in October 2018 and the Android one in January 2019. We’re continually updating the app with new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app and how it’s been received have exceeded our expectations. Rapptr Labs helped us build a user-friendly, beautiful, and high-quality product. It’s not bug-free—since nothing is—but it’s a really well-functioning mobile app. One year from the day we launched, we crossed the one million sessions threshold, meaning that a tapping meditation was completed one million times to lower someone’s stress or anxiety. In addition to how pleased we are with the product performance, we’re very passionate about spreading the knowledge of Tapping and super excited about how many people Rapptr Labs helped us reach. We only expect it to take off from here.

How did Rapptr Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Basecamp, and we’ve used Jira when working in a more dedicated capacity when there was more going on. I’d say that their style is very customer-friendly and flexible. They were always willing to take the time to explain issues. They’re a patient, communicative, responsive and smart team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt comfortable with them. They had good morals, and I never felt concerned that they were going to do the wrong thing to save a little money. Rapptr Labs is a team of good people who want to be as helpful as possible, and that stood out to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve never built a mobile app before, so that’s hard for me to answer. We have run into some bugs, but I don’t think it is reasonable to expect otherwise. Rapptr Labs did the best they could to knock those out as fast as they could. I wish those never happened, of course, but it seems par for the course. I wouldn’t say there’s something I wish they did differently. Compared to other apps, I feel we didn’t have nearly as many bugs.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to know as much as you can about what you think you want. Go into the project with an open mind, listen to Rapptr Labs’ experience with building apps, and consider the routes they suggest. Sometimes, we absolutely wanted something different from their suggestion, and they implemented it like we asked. Then, there were times when we were glad they gave us another suggestion and adopted it.