Slash

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of 360Wellness. We’re a software company that built an online wellness marketplace for fitness and wellness enthusiasts and professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We needed their team to help us design and develop our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started this project back in 2019, I wrote down all the product specifications and the vision that I wanted to portray through our MVP. I relayed everything to Slash, so they can picture the product that I wanted them to build. They were involved in the conceptualization, design, development, and implementation phases of our tech products. 

Slash improved the overall look and feel of our products, focusing on UX design. Their software engineers also helped us build and implement our new Android- and iOS-enabled mobile application, which we recently launched in the US market. They developed the entire platform, utilizing Agile Infrastructure to implement the necessary tech solutions.

Their executive team continues to support us by providing business growth strategies and advice on startup corporate structuring.

What is the team composition?

We initially onboarded four of Slash’s full-stack developers and two infrastructure architects, before ramping it up to a total of eight software engineers. Andrius (CEO) and Mark (CPO) are actively involved in building and launching innovative tech solutions for our business.

How did you come to work with Slash?

I actively looked for a tech agency to support our development needs, interviewing over 25 teams across Asia. Slash was part of the top three agencies I shortlisted — after going over their promising project proposal, I finally decided to choose their team as our tech partner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000–$300,000 SGD (approximately $151,000–$226,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in January 2020, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve surpassed 5,000 downloads during our product's beta phase. In addition to having been nominated as World Wellness Summit’s App of the Year, which will take place in Singapore next year, our app has averaged 4.8 and 5-star ratings on Android and iOS, respectively. We’re a bootstrapped startup, so obtaining this nomination through Slash’s efforts is a huge deal to us.

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira as our main project management tool. While I always want everything to progress faster, I understand that it takes time to create a great product. Slash has been highly cooperative and transparent in meeting deadlines and providing project updates. 

We’ve established an effective working relationship that allows us to get to a middle ground whenever there are delayed timelines due to unmet requirements. It’s impossible and ambitious to build and launch an app within two months, but we’ve been happily coordinating with their team to meet our sales goals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their impressive level of understanding and communication — I honestly feel like they are an extension of our company’s internal IT team. Slash has always been incredibly supportive of our business needs, so it’s always an easy decision to renew our partnership with their agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could focus on speeding up their workflow, as we always prefer our products to be built faster. However, I understand that app development is a tedious process, and I highly appreciate the fact that Slash cooperates well with us to deliver our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

There couldn't be a better tech partner than Slash, so you have to be a committed partner to their team as well— be willing to make certain compromises and listen to their suggestions. Once you create this working relationship with their team, they’ll be able to deliver your design and development needs more efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Talentora, a mobile app that connects talent with hirers in the media and entertainment industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We hired Slash to rebuild a completely new app for the company. The previous app was poorly built by the previous developers, so I suggested rebuilding the entire app again.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slash built a mobile app with a new backend function for us. The app was built for both iOS and Android systems. I had my own designers, so we provided the designs and the technical documentation, and they were in charge of the development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from Slash on this project: Andries (Partner & CEO), Henry (Product Engineer & Principal Developer), and one more person. One was a backend engineer, one was a frontend engineer, and Andries was the product manager. He reported to me.

How did you come to work with Slash?

We had an investor who knew Andries and his company, and he recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000 SGD (approximately $30,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2017–November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Slash’s work ethic was good, and their processes were systematic. Back in 2018, we reached the 5,000 users range, and the app was stable. However, we ran out of money, and we had to end our engagement with Slash.

They informed us that the app was not built to scale up and the architecture wasn’t completely built. They warned us that it would cause a problem in the future when we had a ton more users. What Slash told us, happened, and we’re currently experiencing problems with the app. We have a lot more users joining, and the app doesn’t perform as fast as it should.

We can’t blame Slash’s work for these issues because they did warn us, but we had to end our engagement nonetheless. Since then, we’ve engaged with a new set of developers to carry on Slash’s work.

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was managed well. We had weekly calls on Fridays to follow through on what had been done in the week and what were the goals for the next week. We also had a daily check in on Trello, where I could monitor and see what was happening.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found Slash to be the best developers’ team at some point because they knew what they were doing. They did walk the talk in terms of product development and communication, and our engagement was strong. They were great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Slash’s pricing was quite expensive compared to their competitors.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Slash is a great team to work with, and they offer open communication. They have the knowledge and are adept at client service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of a digital tourist tax refund provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We needed support on the technology side of our company to provide our services via our app and to ensure that we meet the requirements established by different parties. We hired Slash to work on our app’s back- and frontend as well as on our collaboration with blockchain technology companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Native mobile app is being developed for Android and iOS. It has many interesting features such as biometric checking, automated tax forms and invoice generation, and automatic linking to government servers. There is also a web app that we are devoting to management and backend administration. 

What is the team composition?

I work with 5–6 people from Slash but communicate mainly with the tech lead.

How did you come to work with Slash?

Slash has offices in different countries including Singapore, where we are based. We thought that them having a local presence would make working together very convenient. Being able to visit their team personally is very important for us and is one of the main reasons why we chose to collaborate with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested Close to half a million dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2019 and it is an ongoing project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The high-quality technology that Slash has helped develop has been audited and approved by the government. This allows us to operate and provide our services.

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been very good at project management. We communicate via a Slack channel and it has proven to be pretty fast and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Slash team’s flexibility is impressive. In our experience, other service providers tended to have very strict processes. Since our project is complex and subject to many changes based on government regulations, it’s important that we work with a company like Slash. They’re open to constantly making modifications. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have more resources. There are times when we need to speed up processes which is impossible to do without new developers. It would help if they had more people available.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as transparent as possible in terms of your needs and expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Hourvillage, a private limited Singapore-based company. Hourvillage is a social equalizing platform where people can spend hour credits on services, knowledge, volunteer work, or errands. 

On Hourvillage, time is the currency. For example, if a person wants to volunteer his or her time for a cause or a charity, the app shows different sectors to choose from. It could be helping animals, children, the elderly, or women causes. Hourvillage identifies where and when charity events are held and then the user can subscribe to these and attend them. For the time spent on these events, the app will then give the user time credits that can be redeemed for rewards, like a cup of coffee or a meal. Users can also acquire services offered by other members on the platform. 

The beauty of this project is the social equalizer aspect. Hour credits are the same for everyone. The person’s gender, background, wealth, social status, or education doesn’t matter. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We hired them to build our mobile application and the desktop version for corporations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Slash helped us clarify our business model and figure out the target audience. The team then designed the app in about 3–4 months and built it in four months. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 8–10 people. We collaborate with the two founders, 2–3 members from the app team that work full time, 2–3 developers, and UI staff. 

How did you come to work with Slash?

We met Slash through mutual friends in the IT industry in Singapore. I chose Slash over other competitors because they showed a lot of interest in the project and saw the potential to expand it on a global scale. The team decided to be paid partially in shares — this indicated that they truly believed in Hourvillage. They were extremely professional in the negotiation stage and very knowledgeable about what they were talking about.

What is the status of this engagement?

Discussions started in March 2020. The engagement officially started in August 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m confident that the prototype they’ve built is good enough to raise more money. 

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very good. We communicate mainly through email, Whatsapp, and several video calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We don’t have an average client and vendor relationship. They’ve been more like co-founders. This has been very important for us because the team doesn’t just build the app. They think about the business side and the future of the project. They’ve become a major shareholder of Hourvillage by building the app. 

The team is also efficient and professional. I’m not a technical person, and they’ve been very patient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything has been spot on. I’d definitely recommend them to someone else. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about the business model and work with them as a partner, not just as a service provider. I’d also advise potential customers to ask questions and don’t be shy about it, so they can get the most out of the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a payments company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We were a startup with a good idea but we didn’t have the in-house skill sets to develop our web and mobile app. We decided to outsource our initial development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our web and mobile app that enables the owner of a business to create and order cards for employees. They can see the transactions that those cards have made, give them management information, link it to the web and mobile app. 

Slash built the backend API connectivity to multiple partners where we get transactional information. They enabled that backend transaction into the frontend design and the display of the design information to the customer.

What is the team composition?

The maximum size of the team was 10 people or slightly more. We didn’t start with a full-time dedicated project manager but as the project progressed, we then put in place a restructure of the team to have a project manager from their side full-time.

How did you come to work with Slash?

We were doing our UX/UI design out of Singapore and one of the founders of the company had a relationship with Slash so we hired them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2018–June 2020. We’re now taking it over in-house.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything was good overall even despite the time differences between us. They understood our requirements really well and developed them. They delivered very high-quality work.

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

Once we had the project manager in place, along with our own project manager, everything went really well. The last nine months have been more productive than the first nine months because we were more organized and had more staff on our side. They were responsive to changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It wasn’t a typical client and vendor relationship; we worked in full partnership as one team together. We shared good times working together. Their familial, collaborative approach was the most important thing for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have been better at pushing back at us at times when things weren’t 100% clear or when there was a misunderstanding.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work in a collaborative, trusting way. If you trust them, they’ll trust you. We also spent some time making it clear what the product was and what we wanted to do. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP of Engineering of a fintech company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide a one-stop solution for our users to manage their B2B transactions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Help to speed up development of some initiatives

SOLUTION

How did you find Slash?

Referral

Why did you select Slash over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Slash were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

UI/UX Revamp for one of the payment functionalities in the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Time of delivery (on-time or not)
• All requirements are met
• Readiness for production release (e.g. free of bugs)

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

• Items are delivered on time
• Have an organized approach to gather requirement/feedback from client
• Multiple alignment meetings to ensure expectation are met

What was your primary form of communication with Slash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• The team is agile and flexible enough to handle customer needs/requirements
• The team is communicative and transparent throughout the whole process.
• Able to set up a cross-functional team within a short notice to do the project

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Magic Mirror, an AI-powered, goal-setting visualization tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Slash?

We were looking for a team that could help us build our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Slash helped us turn our idea into a product. The product is a mirror with a camera that can be used for makeup. After helping us figure out the mechanisms behind our product, they proceeded with the work, handling both the development and design process. They helped build the software and hardware components of the product and implemented certain features, such as motion sensing and facial recognition.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 4–5 team members, including two managers.

How did you come to work with Slash?

A friend recommended Slash to me. When I spoke with their team, I could tell they were true experts who cared about their clients’ success. They also cared about being involved in projects that were impact-based and not just for profit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $8,000 on this project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from October–December 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our product is still a work in progress, but we were very satisfied with Slash’s work. They did a fantastic job of turning our idea into reality.

How did Slash perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and within budget. We mainly communicated using WhatsApp.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to shout out to in this review?

I worked closely with Marc (Co-Founder & CEO), and he was brilliant to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They cared about the positive impact their clients would make.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there’s anything Slash needs to improve on. The delays were caused by our internal team, not theirs.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs

Have a call with Marc; he’s a genius and can help you solve your problems.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Engineering of Cynapse

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Computer Vision

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Mobile application development

SOLUTION

How did you find Slash?

Referral

Why did you select Slash over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Slash were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We had to make some improvements to our mobile application

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Slash did great. We and our customers are happy about the mobile appication.

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

Everything was delivered ahead of time.

What was your primary form of communication with Slash?

Virtual Meeting

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

I was impressed with their flexibility.

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

no, it was good

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Allowing people to invest in gold seamlessly

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design of the platform
• Development of the platform
• Maintenance of the platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Slash?

Referral

Why did you select Slash over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Slash were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired in order to design, develop and launch our trading platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

the launch of the project with most of the features

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

some delay

What was your primary form of communication with Slash?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their communication and seriousness were remarkable.

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

scope alignment

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive of Kuak Pte Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Design, build and commercialise a casual mobile game.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design and develop the game.
• Optimise user acquisition, retention and monetisation.
• Investing and raise funds.

SOLUTION

How did you find Slash?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Slash over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Slash were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Basic branding with naming, icon and brand identity. Design, develop and launch a casual mobile game, multiplayer, with in-app purchases. Manage acquisition strategy and campaigns. Iterate and increment the game to increase user retention and monetisation. User testing and interviews. 

Key deliverables: 

• 4 versions/iterations of the game
• weekly performance reports 
• weekly strategy workshops

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We reached 30% retention day 1 and increased significantly retention day 3 and 7. We managed to start selling in app purchases.

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

The team works efficiently. They adopted a mix of Lean and Agile mindset to help us reach our goal. Their venture building mindset was a perfect fit for us as everyone focussed on success rather than transactional tasks. They managed to help us pivote 3 times until we found our product market fit.

What was your primary form of communication with Slash?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their willingness to see us as equals, not just a contract. Our targets became their target.

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

Slash has a lot of knowledge and experience in venture building and at the early stage of the project it took us time to follow their advice. Not sure how but improving their ability to convince strong headed clients like us could benefit everyone.