Sidebench

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President of a healthcare company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We facilitate data collection for behavioral health research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Bug fixes and improvements to the existing platform
• New feature development

SOLUTION

How did you find Sidebench?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Sidebench over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

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

• Phase 1: Web and Mobile Platform Development (Sprints 1 - 5) 
  • Researcher Web Portal 
    • UI Updates 
    • Bug Fixes 
    • Additional features: 
      • Search 
      • List view 
      • Improved mobile responsiveness 
      • The investigation related to updating participant invites 
  • Mobile 
    • Wearable updates 
    • Google Play Store Listing 
• Phase 2: Maintenance and Support Part 1 (Sprints 6-9) 
  • Service Level Agreement driven bug fixes 
• Phase 3: Maintenance and Support Part 2 (Sprints 10-27)
  • Service Level Agreement driven bug fixes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Numerous bug fixes and improvements to the product addressing the key items laid out in the scope of work.

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

Items were, by and large, delivered on time. There were some delays as problems in the original codebase (not developed by Sidebench) were uncovered, but that is to be expected. Sidebench was very responsive to our needs. If critical problems affecting the overall service arose, Sidebench addressed them promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Sidebench?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I'm impressed by their professionalism and competence. Their ability to quickly take over as the primary development team on this project and produce high-quality results was impressive.

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

We have had three different project managers on the project since Sidebench took over. This isn't entirely their fault, but it did feel like the continuity of the relationships we developed with the team at Sidebench was interrupted more frequently than would be desirable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a mobile game called Bikewars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

I needed help to develop the game.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench helped us design and develop an iOS game. I initially gave Sidebench a 50-page document with ideas for the game and testing I had conducted. This game takes place in the real world, and players connect through an iOS application and hear announcements through headsets. 

The game is like a tag game while riding a bicycle. You can play tag teams, and the game results are registered through the app, so players don’t have to look at the screen. Players get updates through the headset. Users can register and invite their friends to play; it’s a pretty straightforward functionality.

Sidebench also designed our game’s logo and realized market research. They offered maintenance services as well. However, I had to stop the game’s development since I might need to seek outside funding in the future. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with a team of around five specialists from Sidebench, including developers, designers, and project managers. 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

I started asking around locally for development companies. However, I didn’t get many leads. I ended up looking on the internet and emailed the top companies. We received a few responses and decided to go with Sidebench.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested around $600,000 with Sidebench. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Sidebench from October 2021–January 2023. I paused the project since I needed to look for an angel investor — the project was more expensive than I expected. Sidebench hand offed the project in case I decide to continue with someone else. On the other hand, we also sketched ideas for Sidebench to provide maintenance service in case I decide to continue with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sidebench designed and developed a beta version of the game. However, it has a few glitches. We also realized during testing that we need to resolve some security issues to ensure the security of the players. We also had some issues with the geolocalization of the game since it didn’t show the map correctly. We realized these changes would’ve cost a lot of money. 

Moreover, I was expecting not to have these glitches for the project's budget. For instance, when a player is tagged, they’re supposed to see a screen that tells them not to move. However, all the players saw this screen, and it was confusing.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidebench met deadlines and stayed on budget. They were great communicators. We had weekly Zoom meetings and communicated through emails and text messages. Sidebench used Github, Trello, and Miro as in-house tools for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sidebench’s biggest strength is that they research thoroughly before working on a project. They work their best to give the client an accurate estimate of the project’s time and budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I realized the most important thing of this project was getting the tag system to work. I think Sidebench dedicated a lot of time to the design part. However, I had the impression Sidebench didn’t dedicate enough resources to the development phase of the project, which caused the final product to not work correctly. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend attending all the weekly meetings with Sidebench. I also recommend identifying any important milestones of your project and developing that piece first instead of diving in for the entire project. If that works flawlessly, then develop the entire project with Sidebench. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the solutions architect and CPO at Indha Health Solutions, an urban development corporation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We had an idea for a mobile and desktop platform, but we needed help with refining that idea to create a very robust product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench helped us refine our product’s look and features before building it. Initially, we gave them some documentation detailing what we wanted to get done. Then, they took our requirements and provided us with a design mock-up for us to start the development process based on it.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 3–6 people from Sidebench in total.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

We found them online and called them to have an initial conversation with our CEO at the time. Sidebench was part of our narrow list of options, but after a series of interviews, we realized that they were the company we wanted to engage with. They were always very upfront and honest about their capabilities, highlighting what they could and couldn’t do. Moreover, they had a great experience in our industry.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–September 2022; it was a four-month partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sidebench took our product to the next level — they did an excellent job. However, the project didn’t end up being completed because the company’s management decided they didn’t want to move forward with that investment.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidebench delivered everything on the established deadlines, and we didn’t have any additional costs. We mostly communicated via Microsoft (MS) Teams meetings, and they used their own project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of Sidebench’s biggest strengths was their communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing Sidebench could have improved on; they exceeded every expectation we had.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your desires and expectations, and engage with them so that they can take your product to the next level.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a virtual dressing room and wardrobe management e-commerce platform. We aim to make it easier for people to try on clothes virtually to make more educated purchasing decisions, which would positively affect sustainability and body positivity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We wanted to develop a globally accessible phone application and web-based platform. We needed help designing and developing the software, so we engaged Sidebench.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We shared our preliminary design ideas with Sidebench through the Adobe Suite. They met with us to discuss the direction we wanted the brand to go in and redesigned our logo. They also collaborated with us to determine the feel of the brand and created a brand book from scratch. 

Then they conducted market research for us and developed the overall design for the application using Figma. They also delivered a navigable application prototype and provided a final overview of design options and potential next steps. Currently, the app is iOS based, but we plan to add Android functionality as we scale. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a Sidebench product manager, the VP of product, senior designer, senior tech specialist, account manager, strategy associate, and business development associate. 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

I found Sidebench and a few other service providers on Clutch. We gathered quotes and had several preliminary meetings with different development firms, and Sidebench was personable and invested in our idea. They had a great portfolio, and we felt comfortable engaging with them, so we moved forward. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested roughly $100,000 in the partnership with Sidebench.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Sidebench in January 2022, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sidebench understood the assignment and has effectively captured our vision for the branding and app design. They’ve done a fantastic job setting the tone for the company.

Our internal team has responded well to their work, and we’ve received positive feedback from potential investors. The biggest asset they’ve delivered is the navigable prototype, which has been impactful in helping us gain funding. The prototype is user-friendly and intuitive, and people feel comfortable using it; it’s almost addicting for them.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidebench has performed well from a project management perspective and has delivered assets under budget. They understood what we were looking for, and we’ve felt heard from day one.

They are communicative, talented, creative partners and always open to receiving feedback. They have been phenomenal to work with. We use Miro and Google Workspace to manage the project and communicate ideas. We also use Slack, Google Meet, and Zoom to maintain contact. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strengths are their communication, transparency, and positive vibes. The design team at Sidebench is also very impressive; they have truly blown us away. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing Sidebench could have improved on is introducing us to the project leader earlier in the process, but that’s a minor critique, and I know people have busy schedules. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be passionate about your project and be open to receiving constructive criticism from Sidebench. Sometimes, clients expect to hand off a development project and never look back. Sidebench is a collaborative partner who appreciates direction and feedback, so I advise communicating with them throughout the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Peer Health Exchange's (PHE) mission is to build healthier communities with young people. Together, we create education opportunities for peers to share the tools and resources young people need to make healthy decisions. I am the VP, Growth Hacker at PHE overseeing the Digital Products team. My team is responsible for overseeing the development of selfsea, a mobile app Sidebench has been developing for us focused on providing mental health support and resources to young people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Sidebench was hired to help us complete development of a MVP version of selfsea, a mobile app for iOS and Android that was to be launch in April 2022.

SOLUTION

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

Sidebench was among a list of vendors that we identified that were minority owned/led and had experience working with young people. We selected Sidebench after an exhausted RFP process where we felt they were most aligned mission-wise to what we were trying to accomplish with our app.

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

Sidebench took on an already developed prototype from a previous development partner and began a discovery phase with PHE to see if this prototype was what we still wanted to develop. It was after this discovery phase we decided to redo the app with an explicit focus on the communities feature. Then we commenced on the development phase.

The app is developed in React Native for both iOS and Android. The MVP version of the app includes SSO (Apple/Google), ability for users to interact with one another in pre-moderated communities (Sidebench also built a web portal to support moderation and admin of the app by PHE), and a built in browser to view resources and videos curated by PHE.

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

We were staffed with a Director of Product, Product Manager, UX Designer, UI Designer and a Sr Technical Manager along with a senior account manager and a host of development engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Young people who have used the app so far have been impressed by it. We have a steadily growing user base and Sidebench has been great in ensuring updates to the app are pushed out in a timely manner so users have the best experience possible.

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

Sidebench has great attention to detail. Everything is documented and tracked in Asana, Zepplin, Slack and Jira. Overall, Sidebench was on time until COVID impacted the development team. It was only then did the project fall a month behind. Sidebench worked closely with PHE to mitigate delay as much as possible.

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

Once development was impacted by COVID, Sidebench took on the additional cost to ensure the delay would be minimal and even took on the cost of the development post MVP for a month or two to ensure the project stayed on track.

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

Initial makeup of the development team left it vulnerable once members of the team began to be impacted by COVID. Sidebench has since remade the team with a better a mix of onshore and offshore and more senior folks onboard make the team less vulnerable to disruptions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a custom software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We needed to transform and build a product for our company quickly, and we wanted a trusted partner to execute.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench is doing web-based development for us; the product has an admin portal for coaches to access messaging, calendaring, scheduling, and document uploading functionalities. It also has interactive elements where members can fill out a will evaluating their health in different parts of their lives. In terms of technologies, the system is built through AWS and React.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with product managers, directors, product leads, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

We researched a dozen different agencies, and we chose them because we thought they had impressive consumer apps. In addition to that, they were likable people, and we felt like they would fit into our working culture.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $1 million with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been excellent partners and are essential to our processes. Overall, I’ve been impressed with their professionalism and ability to teach our team many project management skills and best practices.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been very positive; they communicate with us and are flexible to make things work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team adapts to our systems and norms very well, including our project management tools, and sitting in our Monday meetings — they feel like a part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — their work has been overall positive throughout the engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Evaluate your options, but they provide what they offer from the beginning of the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and chief product officer at Diathrive, a chronic disease management company focused on diabetes. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We brought on Sidebench for several reasons. We needed to redo our enterprise infrastructure in the wake of switching to a complete B2B application from a B2C. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench is developing the backend of our B2B platform, helping us configure our CRM, and developing a React Native application for us. They’re building out a more robust enterprise infrastructure. Their team covers everything from website and app development to backend infrastructure creation. We’ve provided Sidebench with the technical and architectural considerations they need to utilize to keep our platform secure. 

What is the team composition?

I primarily interface with Austin (Product Manager) and Haley (Senior Product Manager), who run 4–5 of our workstreams. I also work with Brandon (Head of Strategy and Partnerships) biweekly. 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

I went through several different channels before I found Sidebench — we needed to be careful about picking the right partner because our company was so new. I narrowed down our potential partners to two vendors after interviewing six firms. We flew out to meet Sidebench and were impressed with their understanding of our business and their experiences with healthcare startups. We thought they’d be great partners, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $500,000 with Sidebench, although that will increase by the end of the year as we continue to give them additional projects. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Sidebench began in October 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sidebench is absolutely fantastic to work and collaborate with. Their team has taken the time to understand our business in-depth and our development constraints. We’ve collaborated closely with them to work through our project constraints — they use their experience to ensure we achieve our project goals. 

Overall, the development process has been very good. Our communication is very clear, and Sidebench is very open to taking on new projects. Not only that, but Sidebench has provided us with excellent feedback on what directions to take the project, the app structure, and how to increase engagement. Their suggestions have been wonderful.  

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidebench hits all of our deadlines — we’re actually ahead of schedule right now, which is virtually unheard of in the development industry. They identify project blockers early on and detail project plans so we’re aware of approaching project-dependent deliverable deadlines. We use several collaborative tools to communicate, which is great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way Sidebench collaborates is amazing, and so is how they can translate project concepts into reality is amazing. Our industry is complicated, and chronic disease management is even more nuanced. It takes a partner like Sidebench to collaborate with us and execute our business idea within our timeline and budget constraints. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re pleased with Sidebench’s services, so there is nothing for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My team is incredibly happy with Sidebench’s service, and I’d advise customers to be straightforward with them about their projects. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a large app and digital platform that connects consumers to black-owned business through technology. I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We were working with another technology company, but they did a horrible job building and launching our site. Sidebench came in to fix those issues and create a new app for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app will be a black-owned business discovery app that will be available on iOS and Android devices. We’ve gone through the discovery and design phases and are now in development.

What is the team composition?

We have a main point of contact and have interacted with 5–10 people in total.

How did you come to work with Sidebench

We found them on Clutch after a Google Search. After contacting a few options, we went with Sidebench.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $550,000 on the app development specifically.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For one, they fixed our site. Our payment system was down for a few months while the previous team was troubleshooting it. They came in and cleaned up everything on a quick timeline, allowing us to continue operating as were before the issue arose.

The app development has been a great process. It’s clear that they are a competent team. We trust them a lot. The product that they’re in the process of creating is well beyond what we thought we were signing up for.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

There are weekly meetings where Sidebench goes through the different deliverables and any questions that we have.

Project management was our number one request from them because of our previous experience, and we haven’t run into any delays. They’ve been very communicative since the beginning of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We interviewed a couple of companies at first, and what stood out about Sidebench was that they were very passionate about what they were doing and what they could do for our platform. They came with specific ideas about how to improve our platform.

Additionally, their team is very easy to relate to. With other companies, it’s clear that you’re speaking to an engineer without a lot of interpersonal skills, but with Sidebench, it’s clear that they have both the technical skill and the ability to communicate well with others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I hate not having an answer for this question, but I really can’t think of anything they could improve. They’re certainly the best of the 3–4 technology companies that we’ve worked with over the last few years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get what you pay for. They’re a bit pricey, but they’re worth it. Additionally, keep an open mind. We had designs that another company had done when we first approached Sidebench, but after the discovery process, they came up with another idea that made much more sense. You may come out with something more in-line with what your audience wants than what you came in with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a non-fungible (NFT) marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We hired Sidebench to create our NFT marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We recently finished the discovery process with Sidebench, which allowed us to read the market and figure out exactly what approach we should take. For several weeks, we sat down with their project manager to map out all of the features we wanted to see on our MVP.

Then, their designer and technical architect did all of the planning that would be handed over to the development team. At the end of the discovery phase, we had a navigable prototype. We’re now moving to the development phase, and the team will build our NFT marketplace, which will be available in both a mobile app and a website. The next goal is to create a product that will be essentially used by the public.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with 4–5 people from Sidebench, including a project manager, designer, and technical architect. We’re also working with Kyle (Growth Strategy Manager) who acts as a liaison between our two teams. We don’t talk to him on a daily basis, but we can reach out to him if we have any issues.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

My business partner and I did a lot of research into finding a good firm to help us. We also knew that hiring five random developers wouldn’t work in the type of project we were envisioning. Once we reached out to a couple of companies, we chose Sidebench because they offered a valuable process to us and they executed larger projects than what we were going to assign to them.

In addition, we were in the NFT space, which was super new, but with a massive number of platforms popping every single day. As a result, we wanted to go with somebody who could help us turn our project into something unique — a company that could separate us from our competition. In the end, we didn’t want to go with anybody else.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $80,000 during the discovery phase, and we’re about to spend another $400,000–$450,000 for the development phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration started in May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been amazing the whole time, and we don’t regret hiring them. The prototype they've created has allowed us to present something to our investors. Based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re very confident about our project’s outcome.

On top of that, they know how to pick people that can manage our project, hand-selecting them based on their prior experience and level of interest. They also have an internal assessment in order to decide who’s going to work on each project. In pairing us with qualified people, they really ensure our project’s success.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidebench’s process is so in-depth — they definitely know what they’re doing. Our communication is great; we have virtual check-ins almost every day, and we‘ve been able to visit their office once. They reach out to us whenever they have questions, which allows them to create exactly what we’re asking for. Furthermore, they always meet our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everybody on Sidebench is similar to a piece of the puzzle because they have diverse talents capable of building things for some of the best companies in the world. They make things happen because they know what their employees can bring to the table. In addition, they don’t hesitate in doing things because they already know how they’re going to accomplish things, and they're capable of supporting clients without a technical background.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything we pay them is worth it. They get things done the right way; they explain things and think through how they’re going to build something.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you want to do, but be open to suggestions from their team. In the end, they’ll make your project come to life.