Sidekick Interactive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a marketing agency.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a marketing agency that plans and launches digital products for our clients, from idea to real, working software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sidekick Interactive to accomplish?

• Reduce risk and confirm scope with a North American partner that specializes in native mobile.
• Deliver a production-ready MVP that matched our client’s expectations.
• Build a clear product strategy and technical roadmap for our client’s mobile app.

SOLUTION

How did you find Sidekick Interactive?

Referral

Why did you select Sidekick Interactive over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Sidekick Interactive were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We chose Sidekick Interactive after looking at many firms. Their reputation with larger companies stood out. Their case studies showed real depth in mobile, not just “pretty websites.” Together, we ran discovery workshops, set goals, and turned a loose brief into a focused roadmap with epics, user flows, and clear acceptance criteria. Sidekick then delivered UX/UI wireframes and a clickable prototype. After that, they built a native iOS MVP in Swift, added analytics, set up CI/CD, and shipped through TestFlight. Deliverables included the strategy deck, a well-organized backlog, design files, source code, QA test plans, TestFlight builds, and a short handoff guide so our client’s team could run with it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• A validated roadmap and budget range that reduced scope risk and aligned stakeholders. 
• The app met the brief precisely, accelerated the client’s go/no-go decision, and unlocked funding for the next phase.

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

Project management was steady and simple to follow. We had weekly stand-ups, sprint demos, and a transparent backlog. They met dates, told us about risks early, and adjusted quickly when our client needed changes. Communication was clear and fast. 

What was your primary form of communication with Sidekick Interactive?

Virtual Meeting

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

We did our homework. We spoke with references, read through many case studies, and compared vendors. Sidekick Interactive rose to the top because their work is built for real use, not just for looks. They have deep mobile skills, and they think like product people. That mix is rare. Sidekick Interactive’s track record with bigger companies gave us confidence, and they delivered exactly what our client expected. 

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

Nothing comes to mind. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founding Partner of Perspective Consulting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Perspective Consulting is a strategy consulting firm that helps organisations and their leaders focus on what truly makes a difference – backed by rigour, clarity, and real-world experience. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sidekick Interactive to accomplish?

• Build a clear product strategy and technical roadmap for a mobile app initiative.
• Validate scope and de-risk delivery with an expert North American mobile development partner.
• Deliver a small production app/MVP to prove the concept and inform the larger rollout.

SOLUTION

How did you find Sidekick Interactive?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Sidekick Interactive over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Sidekick Interactive were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Sidekick Interactive led a product strategy workshop, clarified requirements, and produced a mobile roadmap with prioritized epics and user flows. They designed UX/UI wireframes and clickable prototypes, then built and shipped a small production app (MVP) using Swift for iOS. Deliverables included the strategy deck, design files, source code, and deployment to TestFlight.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Strategy: validated the mobile vision with a clear roadmap and budget range, reducing scope risk.
Delivery: shipped an MVP in 8 weeks; no P1 incidents post-launch.
Business: accelerated the client’s go/no-go decision and unlocked funding for the next phase.

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

Sidekick’s project management was transparent and reliable. We had weekly stand-ups, a living roadmap in the backlog, and demo reviews at each sprint. Communication was crisp, and easy to follow.

What was your primary form of communication with Sidekick Interactive?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They combine senior, native-mobile engineering with real product strategy. They translated business goals into an actionable, right-sized plan and then proved it with a production-ready MVP.

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

Nothing comes to mind. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Sembit Corp

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sembit is a full-service software development firm in Oregon that builds custom web and mobile apps for complex business needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sidekick Interactive to accomplish?

• We needed help troubleshooting a complex mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Sidekick Interactive?

Referral

Why did you select Sidekick Interactive over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Sidekick Interactive were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We were having an issue with a complex mobile app. I know them through my network, and they subcontracted to help us with some specific errors we were facing. They brought in an expert and he was able to help debug our app. There were issues with native iOS and Android bluetooth connections when the app was talking to an EV Charger, and they were able to successfully debug those issues and get us back on track.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to resolve the bugs we were facing and get the project back on track.

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

Yes - they were very timely. In fact, we had one emergency where they responded same-day, which was super helpful. Very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Sidekick Interactive?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have deep industry domain knowledge with connected devices and cross-platform native code on both iOS and Android.

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

None!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an orthotics printing app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

We needed help with iOS development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

By augmenting our staff, Sidekick Interactive has been helping us design and develop the UI/UX of a podiatrist-facing app from scratch. Regarding the process, we’ve started by determining how best to use 3D Structure Sensor with an iPad and get a good feet scan so our design engine could accurately digest the information for our clients. From that discovery phase, we’ve moved to a beta version of the app to let professionals use the platform and get the requirements for the product’s final development.

In terms of features, the product enables users to scan a patient using the Structure Sensor interface and submit patient data to an encrypted database. All of this while following the rules and guidelines of the healthcare industry. Regarding technologies, they’ve used Figma, Swift, and iOS responsive design elements.

Sidekick Interactive’s team will also provide maintenance to this solution.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly work with around six members of Sidekick Interactive’s team, including Sarah (Project Manager), Alex (Co-Founder), a QA team, and a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

We found them through the Structure Sensor’s website while looking for a platinum partner of theirs.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app that Sidekick Interactive is developing has been used by our major clinics that use iOS, which is important because we can support this particular avenue of revenue. In addition, Sidekick Interactive’s team is great at UI/UX design and suggesting improvements for the app.

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage the project, but Sidekick Interactive’s team follows our Agile methodology and has become a part of our team rather than just an app development provider. In addition, they adjust to deliver within our deadlines or even faster and align with our requirements.

In terms of communication, we have regular meetings to go over any questions and arrange the schedule based on the QA of the product — communication is very good. Regarding tools, we use Zoom, Confluence, and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sidekick Interactive’s team constantly offers suggestions and ideas, which I appreciate because they go outside the box to look for new solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having an end-to-end QA process before handling the product to us could be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their UX design suggestions because they can tell you the tricks of the trade and what has worked for their other customers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a transportation and logistics company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

We needed help to develop a mobile app to enable customers to return items they bought through online retailers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidekick Interactive did mobile app development for us from scratch using Swift. We started with a brief discovery process because we had already done the largest part of the research internally. After that, they documented our requirements and started with coding, testing, and developing the app and its UI/UX design.

Regarding the UI/UX, we asked them for a simple and effective design to make the platform quick, intuitive, straightforward, and easy to use for everyone.

In terms of features, the platform enables retail store clerks to process customer returns by scanning a label or a QR, which then notifies us when a return has been dropped off for pick up.

What was the team composition? 

We worked with 4–5 members of their team, including Gregory (Owner), a project manager, a UI/UX designer, and a tech lead.

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

I had worked with Sidekick Interactive on previous projects and was happy with the results, so I reached out to them for this task. I was sure they could give me what I needed at a good price and high quality.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $75,000–$90,000 CAD (approximately $55,600–$66,700 USD) with them on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app that Sidekick Interactive created worked as intended, and they delivered it within a package that included the approval process of the app stores. Thanks to their ability to connect with our backend and our APIs to send information back and forth, it was a very functional app. In addition, their team had the capacity to create a simple and user-friendly interface because they had widely varying degrees of computer literacy. Overall, they delivered a world-class mobile app.

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was great. Sidekick Interactive met our deadlines and stayed on budget, and they were very transparent whenever something changed due to our requests. In addition, they communicated directly with our internal team in charge of this project via Zoom and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sidekick Interactive had an extremely skilled development team

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t think they could improve anything; they delivered everything according to our requirements, and I was very pleased with their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them bring their ideas and expertise to the table because they have good experience in their field and can provide interesting solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT manager at a government entity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

We awarded them the contract to supply a solution for iOS and Android to inform the population of snow removal operations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidekick Interactive developed a mobile application for us. They used native technologies to build the iOS and Android versions, such as Swift for iOS. They also provide annual maintenance and customer support. 

In our city, we have 5–6 snowstorms per year on average, and the operation of removing the snow from the streets is huge, with 5,000–6,000 people involved, so we need to inform the population what will happen. The app shows plans for removal operations for both citizens and participants. This way, users can select a street and see when the removal will occur so they can prepare. For example, users receive a notification the day before the snow is removed from their road so that they can move their cars. 

Annually, Sidekick Interactive builds new features at our request and integrates them into the application. Users who experience issues can call or email them to get support. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked directly with a project manager, a designer, and a tech lead who’s also a developer. 

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

We opened a contest for companies to submit prototypes of the solution. Sidekick Interactive saw the contest, submitted their participation, and theirs was the best of all the proposals, so we chose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000–$250,000 CAD (approximately $73,000–$182,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2015, they delivered the app in November 2015, and our engagement is ongoing. Sidekick Interactive has been awarded the contract every year since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sidekick Interactive’s work has met our expectations. As of April 2022, the iOS version of the app has over 200,000 downloads, and the Android version has 43,000 downloads. 

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver within the scope, the budget, and the timeframe. As for communication, when they first developed the app in 2015, we met in person. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by the app’s concept and design. Sidekick Interactive’s prototype presentation and product were far ahead of the other candidates’ proposals. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sidekick Interactive is a very good company for application development. My advice is to have very specific design requirements and clear expectations for the app; this applies to working with any supplier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of digital marketing at a publishing company. We own around 25 print newspapers in our area, and we also have an equivalent publishing business online. Our company is focused on local and hyperlocal news. I handle the operations of our website and everything related to strategic planning and product development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

In 2019, we started the digital transformation of our legacy print business. We realized in 2020 that a great portion of our online readers was accessing information and our content on mobile devices. As a result, we figured that a mobile app presenting all of our content would be the way to go in terms of digital transformation. We reached out to Sidekick to fulfill this mandate. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidekick developed our mobile app for both iOS and Android. So far, they’ve delivered the app on both Google Play Store and App Store. 

At present, they’re providing maintenance services for the app. In terms of features and functionality, the app’s content mirrors our website content. Since we manage news headlines and news changes every minute, the app has to be as accurate as the website; data synchronization is important. 

Since we feature hyperlocal news, the app also has a localization function that shows the users’ location in the city. The app then pushes news from that location first. Moreover, for breaking news, the app sends alerts to all users that have subscribed to our push notification feature. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a project manager and a couple of developers. Meanwhile, at least a dozen of their resources have worked on the project since we’ve developed both the iOS and Android versions of the app at the same time. 

For the development phase, my main point of contact was Afnen (Project Manager). Now, I mainly communicate with Liam (Co-Founder & Software Architect). 

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

I met them through word of mouth. I was searching for a Montreal-based mobile app developer when a couple of people in my network recommended Sidekick. As a result, I called them and introduced myself. It seemed that they had the experience that I wanted and that they could deliver within the timeframe we set, so we hired them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. We launched the app on the app stores in September 2021, but we have a maintenance contract with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been accepted by the app stores within 24 hours of submission. Within 36 hours, the app has entered the market. In other words, we’ve had a smooth landing in terms of app launch. We also haven’t had any major errors, and the app has generated great engagement among the users that have downloaded it. In fact, they’re far more engaged with the app than the website. 

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidekick knows what they’re doing. The team handles every situation promptly, and they always look for the right answers. Moreover, their resources have much expertise in terms of app development — that’s their specialty. On top of that, we don’t have any major hiccups, which is quite amazing when developing from scratch. Overall, they make the process look like a smooth ride. To communicate, we use Teams, Slack, and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole team — from the project manager to the iOS and Android developers — is highly knowledgeable. If I ask them a question, they’ll go and find the right answer. If they don’t have the answer, they don’t make excuses; there’s plenty of transparency in their communication. I truly appreciate that they’re not trying to hide anything. 

Moreover, they’re highly engaged and willing to work with us since day one. I’ve never had to chase them, and they always manage the relationship quite well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re a media company, while Sidekick’s expertise isn’t 100% related to the media industry. As a result, they’re not aware of all our business models. To be specific, they can improve their services in relation to advertising for media companies.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Sidekick, and give them clear guidelines of what you want and expect. They’ll do a great job. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the head of digital marketing and products at a private network of education institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

We wanted to build an app to help staff and students with stress levels and any problems they may encounter due to the switch to remote education and work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidekick Interactive helped us through the ideation and early design phases of building our app. We did three ideation sessions with a broad group of stakeholders within the business. Based on those sessions, we established what we thought would be the best path to an MVP. Then, I had a number of meetings with the Sidekick team to look at mockup creation and review.
  
Sidekick built an initial feature roadmap and a series of mid–high-fidelity design prototypes. The team came up with a plan on cost and deadlines to actually code the app and make it happen.

I just left the company, but we were almost at the point of presenting to executives how much the development would cost and what the roadmap would be. The plan was to build the app for iOS first and then Android.

My understanding is that my former company will continue working with Sidekick. I don’t know what the future of the project will look like. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Greg (Co-Founder & President). 

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

An acquaintance of our CEO had worked with Sidekick in the past and referred them. I put them through the RFP process with a couple of other companies.

There were a few reasons why we contacted them, one of which was that they had experience building apps related to stress management and help requests. They had done work with another higher education institution, so they had relevant experience. They were also a bit more of a smaller, boutique company. Finally, I had a good personal contact with Greg. We got along well early on, and I liked his approach and how pragmatic he was about things.

How much have you invested with them?

The total mandate was $30,000. I believe about $20,000¬–$25,000 was built.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in June or July 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I really enjoyed how straightforward and unassuming the process was. I have done a lot of these design-thinking workshops, and Sidekick Interactive was very good at stimulating discussion and getting ideas from people without making them feel like they didn’t know anything. A lot of people in education aren’t very tech-savvy.

The process was very collaborative and pragmatic in all of the right ways; it focused on what needed to be done. They made it very easy for people to interact and participate, even though we were remote. 

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidekick delivered everything on time. They were very diligent and respected their deadlines well. The deliverables were also very high-quality. When I got user-testing reports, the feedback was concise, precise, and well-documented. All in all, I was satisfied with them.

We mostly communicated through email, which was my preferred method. We also used a virtual whiteboard tool, and that was well-suited to what we were doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked their simple, pragmatic approach. Sidekick interacted well with our teams, even when we didn’t make their lives easy. Also, the deliverables — from the prototypes to the interview summaries — were very high-quality and good for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I knew that they were a small agency. Resourcing was not an issue for us, since we were just in the ideation phase, but it may have become an issue when we got to development. My understanding is that their developers are very busy. Overall, though, I was very satisfied.

Any advice for potential customers?

If you want to work with a hands-on agency and be able to build a relationship with one of their founders, go for it. If you’re looking to work with a big company, keep in mind that Sidekick is smaller, which has its advantages and disadvantages. 

Because they’re smaller, they require a higher degree of client involvement. I didn’t mind being involved. If you want a partner with whom you can collaborate very closely and have a relationship of equals, then I’d highly recommend Sidekick.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Allevio Clinic, a healthcare clinic that deals with chronic pain management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidekick Interactive?

We needed someone to develop our mobile app and the middleware that helps to run it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re developing our iOS mobile app, which will facilitate interaction with our patients. The first iteration of the app is focused on appointment management, a very hands-on function that currently requires a lot of our organization’s time and resources. The app will allow patients to more easily manage their appointments.

The first phase of the project is wrapped up; we just need to do testing and bug fixes before it goes live. We have additional phases of the project planned. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 5–6 people directly. Our main points of contact are Liam and Greg (Co-Founders). Liam is more involved with design and part of the development team. Greg does project management and manages the whole development team.

How did you come to work with Sidekick Interactive?

I wasn’t involved in the initial contact with them. Our CEO was introduced to them about a year ago.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $115,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were five distinct sprints to complete phase one of the project, and they were all completed on time. The deliverables came through as promised.

How did Sidekick Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very clear as to what they were going to do, and they stuck with it. We meet almost weekly as a whole a team to get feedback via Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered what they said they would on time. There was no slippage in the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It wasn’t an ongoing issue, but at the beginning, we didn’t have an understanding of some of the key barriers that might delay components of the project. That was quickly ironed out, and the communication gap was fixed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is always the key. Give them as much information as you can to make the process clearer.