Utility

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Co-Chair of Babies Heart Fund, which is part of Columbia University Medical Center. We are devoted to supporting vital research initiatives that will allow all children suffering from heart disease to grow up to be heart-healthy, strong adults. Our group plays a pivotal role in making this life-saving research not only possible, but attainable.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Utility?

We hired a utility to re-design and develop our charitable website.

What were your goals for this project?

To launch a new site that was cleaner, more modern, with a really good CMS so we could have more control over everything, and to highlight the really great work we do in a more friendly way, that was also accessible and fully usable on mobile devices.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with Utility before during another e-commerce project that went really well, so we came back to them for their help on this project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We wanted to refresh our brand, and to more effectively highlight our mission and the work that we do, as well as our content and events that can all be controlled by a central CMS that’s easy to use. Given our direct association with Columbia University Medical Center, we needed to make sure that was obvious, but subtle enough not to take over the brand essence.

What was the team composition?

Comprised of a Project Director as well as designers and engineers working on the website and the CMS.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We were able to launch in good turnaround time, and the site was really much better than what we had previously, so it was a big upgrade all around. We were able to update everything as expected and it’s been used for 5 years now, so we have no complaints (in fact, we plan to hire them again to do yet another full redesign and refresh soon). We got a lot of accolades from other folks who saw the new re-launch, so that was really good to see too. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was good, they never dropped the ball even when we were busy and they stuck through the project despite a lot of stakeholders needing to be involved. We never had communication issues, and people on the Utility team were always friendly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to traverse across different mediums. We know they are most known for Mobile App development ,but they seem to really understand Web too and really excel at design and development of web portals and CMS systems. They also got our vision and extrapolated our brand really well into something more modern, which wasn’t simple.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that we can think of at the moment, it was a while back but it was a positive experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a new mobile app called KNOW.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We were looking for someone to help with mobile app development for our invitation platform. We had the entire app mapped out, and we just needed a technical team to help us build the first version in code, as we didn’t have those resources in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Utility to build the first version of the native mobile app for iOS. I have a 10-year background in technology product design. I had designed and built an entire prototype as well as all of the app’s UI and UX, end-to-end, before even approaching Utility. 

We needed external resources to help bring the app to life, but we had a very detailed map; it isn’t every day that a client comes to you with a high-level prototype that you can reference and click through on your phone. We also provided them with all of the design files. The scope was just to build what we had planned and to help us figure out some of the tougher technical issues, such as the logic of the app, how it would perform, and the functionality we wanted to implement.

They were supposed to provide a full first version of the app that we could launch and raise money with. They weren’t tasked with launching the actual app; we were going to do that, but they needed to build it and have it perform well, to our expectations, which they knew clearly.

What is the team composition?

This is where it got complicated. We interviewed the core team of about 4–5 people who were supposed to be working on this, including a product manager, a CTO or technical lead, and frontend and backend developers. About 2–3 weeks into the project, the product manager quit, and we never got another one back on the project. The CEO decided he would act as the product manager, which was not good, because he was managing a lot of projects. 

We were very lenient because we had no choice; we had already signed the contract. Their technical lead also left, so that was two people off the team that were never replaced. We had paid for them, and we actually paid more than what the scope was created for. During the process, we also eliminated a lot of features and things that were in the original scope that they couldn’t figure out.

How did you come to work with Utility?

We found them on Clutch. We’re both based in New York, which we liked.

How much have you invested in them?

The project cost was $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July 2019–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

The CEO was telling us what we did and didn’t need the whole time. He wouldn’t let us look at any of the code before the end of the engagement, so we couldn’t onboard any technical help internally until the engagement was done. We also have a lot of emails of the CEO just emailing nasty stuff, which we couldn’t believe as paying clients. I have never seen that kind of unprofessionalism. 

We had five different CTOs individually audit their work over a week. They each came back agreeing that it was the worst engagement development-wise that they had seen in a long time. We had one opportunity to make this startup happen, as it’s funded by pretty big people but not a lot of money. Utility essentially took $250,000, which is most of our money, and gave us something worth $75,000–$80,000, according to our CTO audits. I have had people say they would love to see what a $250,000 app looks like, and they have all been very disappointed. Anyone who works in this industry would be. 

We were very transparent with the CEO from the very beginning about the amount of money we had and what we wanted to build. It wasn’t just written down in text; they had full design files and everything. We didn’t pay for any designers on the project because we didn’t need to. Utility had an entire map to look at, so they knew exactly what features we needed. 

How was project management handled?

We had to do the product management ourselves, and it was just me and my co-founder. We kept track of the project and managed most of it on our own. The CEO just managed the project through email, which was very unprofessional. We also had a Trello board that allowed for tasks to be done right and by certain times. There was no communication.

They didn’t honor any deadlines. They were supposed to deliver a working product by October, but that got pushed to November and then to December. They never really honored the timelines we had agreed upon, which became a problem. When they finally handed us the source code — and I had to force that handoff — they deleted all of their history and delivered old code from months ago. We need to be able to see when things were migrated and pushed, and when code was committed. Everything we had gone through with them over the course of four months was completely erased. That was a huge and very intentional move. We now have to rebuild pretty much everything they did.

The CEO basically sold us a Ferrari and gave us a used Toyota Camry. He took everything very personally, which was really disappointing. I have had a great career managing massive development agencies, but it was as if he just assumed that I didn’t know what I was doing. Even when we voiced our concerns over and over again, he constantly pushed back. 

We then had a pretty weird relationship with them; they wouldn’t let us come into the office very often. We had asked for in-person meetings every Monday, and they declined and just ignored our request. This left us wondering what was going on. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

They did do one thing well, which was building a strong backend for the app. A lot of our senior technologists said they did a good job on the app’s backend, so we were still able to use that piece of it, but they really messed up the frontend. The frontend was very sparse and confusing. We found that a lot of the work they did was not thought through. Ultimately, the app was not usable. We couldn’t launch with it, and it crashed every two seconds. 

Utility had a lot of people working on the app, and that was very clear. They actually lied to us and said that all of the development was happening locally, but we found in our analytics that there were a few people in India that had worked on the app. They were using outsourced development, even though I had clearly stated that we were hiring them because they had internal developers and were local to us; we didn’t want outsourced developers.

When we looked at all of the source code, it had seven different types of formatting. That is very rare when developing a product, because that means seven different people touched it, and there was no one controlling the formatting. You should always have the same formatting throughout an app; that way, it makes sense. There were a lot of things built on top of things that had already been done. There was also a lot of unused code; it was just a mess.

In what specific areas can they improve?

We didn’t hear much from them unless we pried. There was no thorough communication, which was also a requirement that we had laid out at the beginning of the project. We didn’t have our own development help, so we needed to thoroughly understand every stage of the app and how they were building it, the problems they were facing, and the third-party services they were using within the app. When you go to raise money, you need to be able to talk about how the product is being built and the choices that are being made. They provided none of that. When we had to onboard our own CTO, they were very hesitant and wouldn’t show him anything until they were done and paid in full. We honored every single one of their payments perfectly on time; they honored none of our deadlines.

If they had stated that they were facing a lot of challenges and that this was going to take them longer than expected, things wouldn’t have been that bad. They left us in the dark and let it get worse and worse. There was no communication happening; the product manager quit two weeks in, and they never replaced her. The CEO of an agency managing several other projects in-house isn’t going to be able to pay enough attention. We were paying for a project manager to be there every step of the way because it is the most critical position when doing such a complex project with hundreds of tasks, lots of challenges, and tons of technical documentation. They provided zero technical documentation. Communication and honesty around who is working on the project are crucial. It was really unfortunate.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Communication is key.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of a company that provides a smart lockbox system. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Utility?

We engaged Utility as a full-scale web and mobile development partner. 
 
What were your goals for this project?

We wanted high-quality, scalable, stable and technology systems to build our business on. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Utility though in-depth online searches. They popped up on multiple lists and had stellar reviews, so we reached out to them. The team gave us immediate attention and in-depth conversations right off the bat, and our face-to-face meeting at their office sealed the deal.
 
Describe the project in detail.

Utility developed a full suite of digital products. The team built the system’s backend infrastructure and server management tools. They also created a web application, an Android and iOS application, and a sophisticated Bluetooth and encryption integration between the apps and the lockbox hardware.

How much did you spend with this vendor?

We spent over $300,000.
 
When did the project begin and end?

We began in mid-2017, and our partnership is ongoing as we evolve our product and business.

What was the team composition?

We have a project director in charge of the entire project. We’ve also worked with various lead engineers and designers, as well as QA testers, product strategists, and even the founders of the agency throughout the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Their technology allowed us to launch the business and gain capital and prospective customers right away.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Utility excels at communication; they’re always available and accommodating even on off-hours. We interface through phone, video, email, and the occasional in-person meeting.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Utility is dedicated to building products correctly and thoroughly the first time, which we appreciate.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would like more hand-holding through the technical complexities of some of the products. However, we appreciate having a partner with enough in-depth expertise to handle those elements without us having to worry.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a mobile application that lets users predict each NFL game in a season. We have cash prizes and social gaming features.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Utility?

Utility needed to develop the app from scratch.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a supportive development partner that could launch the app during the 2018 NFL season. The solution needed to remain stable and functional with thousands of users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our internal lead UX/UI designer knew Utility’s team from past successful projects. Utility’s founders were also from the sports media and tech field. We felt they would prioritize us as a partner, not just another client.

Describe the project in detail.

Utility built a custom backend. Features included complex statistics, a prediction engine, and an admin panel that enables real-time updates.

How much did you spend with this vendor?

We’ve spent $500,000.

 When did the project begin and end?

We started working together in May 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

 What was the team composition?

The team comprises project leads, lead backend engineers, iOS engineers, QA engineers, web developers, and UX/UI designers. The team has fluctuated in size based on need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The app has a slick and modern design. We launched midway through the season and received incredibly positive user feedback. Users have stayed on the solution for upwards of 55 minutes per session, which is unheard of in our industry. The app achieved great reviews and significant social media activity from high-profile industry stakeholders. This success enabled us to raise over $1 million.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have no complaints. Utility demonstrates leadership with responsive daily communication and the willingness to work weekend hours. The team is honest and transparent; they keep us in the loop. We’ve developed a great camaraderie as a result. They work in sprints and communicate with us whenever something is unrealistic.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Utility works with several moving components at a rapid pace. The four-month build was incredibly rapid for a product as complex as ours. We continue to be impressed with their engineering capabilities and ability to hit deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they’re great at their jobs. Sometimes, they overreach and try to fit in too much into individual sprints. But we put that pressure on ourselves as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time of this project, I was the CMO of Fivestar Training. This was a funded mobile tech startup that had acquired the license to the famous Five Star Basketball brand. We leveraged that brand to produce new youth sports applications that incorporated pro-level instruction across soccer, lacrosse, and other sports to allow regular families to work with their children at home in a systematic way. One of my charges was to help hire the product team to carry out this vision.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We wanted to produce a cutting edge mobile application that served up premium sports instructional content and training programs to the masses.

We needed a mobile app partner who could build out our entire product. Fivestar was not founded by technical people, but rather by people from finance, investment banking, marketing, and media. We also had high profile celebrity athletes on board like Wayne Rooney and Alex Morgan (both global soccer stars), among others, so we needed a partner that was used to playing at high levels of sensitivity and spotlight.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Utility provided everything from UX and UI design services to mobile technology services, backend technology services (including server setup), CMS [content management system] web platform development, website design and development, and strategic digital counsel.

They basically handled an end-to-end buildout of a slick mobile app, iOS only, that worked in all environments. The user was able to sign up, unlock and pay for professionally-led training programs, complete drills and tasks, track progress, receive feedback, and even engage in a side-by-side contest with some of the celebrity athletes we had on board. There were also robust sets of tutorials and guides to help users through the experience. Utility also designed and developed our marketing site, which went through several iterations and updates.

While Utility did most the thinking and executing, we did work alongside them at times to help steer our vision. They were definitely creative, especially in terms of mobile-based solutions that we would never have come up with on our own.

What is the team dynamic?

We know there was a branding designer, a UX/UI designer, at least two iOS developers, a senior web services engineer, and a few key project managers who were managing delivery with us.

How did you come to work with Utility?

I knew one of the founders; he was a former colleague from agencies we’d worked at together in the past. I knew he had teamed up with a partner (when forming Utility) who was overseeing digital and mobile initiatives over at Major League Baseball, so that was the main reason we reached out.

Around five other vendors were under consideration. Some were way too expensive, and others were too much like consultants. We needed a full service mobile agency, but one that was boutique enough to make us feel like we were really important. We also needed to go with someone we trusted, and Utility folks convinced us of this early on, not just from the personal connection, but from the meetings we had before we signed the contract and from their body of work.

How much have you invested with them?

It was originally contracted at 250K, but I think it ended up going over a bit because of other, smaller assignments we added along the way.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2013 and finished up at the end of August 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t share data, but the celebrity fan bases were very positive about the app, and we got tons of great comments and write-ups about it. We got great reviews in the App Store as well. The app has since been taken down for updates, but when it was live, we had a very good standing.

I’ve worked with tons of digital vendors personally, and Utility stacks up with the best. And I’m not just saying that because I know these guys. I cannot risk my reputation when recommending or hiring firms, but I’ve only had positive experiences with them, and the Fivestar project was no different, honestly.

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

Their supervision comes from the top-down, and because they aren’t too big like some other agencies, they have leadership roles ironed into each project. They’re super organized too, with project management and with meetings.

I don’t remember all the project management tools we used, but I’m pretty sure we used Basecamp a lot, as well as Google Docs and some others. We met in person often and did a lot of phone calls on demand as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They over-deliver and don’t nickel-and-dime you. They make products that actually work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area that we could consider an “underestimation” was the video streaming functionality, and getting that to work in all environments seamlessly, without hiccups. That is the nature, though, with anything video-related.

We didn’t have any issues once live, and Utility ended up getting it nailed down perfectly, but it did take time to really get it right and we weren’t aware in the beginning how much work they really needed to put into that. All in all, though, they got it to where it needed to be without us even needing to prod or push.

Advice for potential customers?

It’s very hard to hit timelines, so leave extra room for the unknown. Always assume you will need extra time for testing, refining, and polishing. Utility is as good as they come, but even still, we needed some more time before we were totally comfortable launching this in front of millions of users.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the operations manager at The Mount Sinai Hospital Parenting Center [MSPC]. We are a 2-year-old startup housed in the Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Pediatrics but are entirely funded by donors, including the Bezos Family Foundation. I have spearheaded all the digital initiatives around our group since the beginning, and I continue to oversee all digital e-learning projects related to our efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We decided early on that digital was going to be a very big part of what we do here at the MSPC. We wanted to first create a fresh look for our brand new website, but we also had plans to develop a robust e-learning software portal that brought to life all of our learnings, teachings, and engagement with families.

We are made up of physicians, Ph.D.s, social workers, and other practitioners, most of which do not know much about digital at all. We knew what we wanted to achieve, but we needed a partner to help bring to life all of our plans in an online and mobile way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first part of the project was to design and develop a new, responsive web portal for our entire organization, and the second part was to create an entire interactive e-learning portal with tons of animated video content, as well as “course programming” software development. Utility also manages our server and backend.

They designed and developed an awesome website for the MSPC, one that has been recognized internally as a really great step forward in carrying out the Mount Sinai brand within a new division. The website is optimized for mobile, and has a deep collection of editorial content, video content, and other helpful resources for families and practitioners. They also are in the process of completing the massive e-learning platform that has more than 75+ minutes of animated educational video instruction for new doctors, as well as the entire tech platform needed to facilitate these learning cycles within the course.

There are a lot of features included in this platform, including account profiles, course selection, lesson interaction, a custom media player, progress tracking, content unlocking, quizzes and tests, and also an entire backend portal to allow our organization, as well as other partner institutions, to administer the course to their own residents and doctors.

Utility has become an ongoing regular resource for our group, not just a project vendor. Utility works on our web and e-learning portal on an ongoing basis and they are contracted by us to be our everyday digital arm.

Utility was as creative as we’ve needed them to be, as we’re not digital/tech savvy folks. We’ve been very prepared and able to offer our guidance on goals, objectives, and content, but in terms of functional user experience, layouts, graphic design, etc., Utility has steered all of that from the beginning. There were intense brand guidelines required, and Utility actually did a really good job of creatively integrating our mother brand into the new products we’re developing.

What is the team dynamic?

It started off smaller, but there are probably half a dozen people on the project now, as we enter the bigger parts of the project. We didn’t have any hand in who was assigned to the account, but we’ve also never had any issues with the staff running things on their end. That said, we have direct access to the leadership at Utility and have been assured that if we ever had any issues with anyone, or any of the processes, we could voice that and it could be discussed. Thankfully, this has never needed to come up.

How did you come to work with Utility?

A strong recommendation came from a very close friend. Other suppliers were under consideration. My brother has a big position at a media company, and he was able to recommend some web/mobile partners for us. I also found some options online by searching around. But there really was no comparison in the attention we got from Utility early on in the process, and I also had a high level of trust in the connection I had to the founder already. So, for us, it was an easy decision.

They were not the cheapest option at all (although not the most expensive either), but they struck us as the most capable of handling the wide range of digital work we were going to need over time.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in November 2016 and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of the already-launched portion of the project was not going to be based on any specific metrics, so there’s nothing concrete to gauge success in terms of numbers. That said, we have anecdotal feedback within Mount Sinai that Utility’s work is very impressive, effective, and worthy of continuing into much bigger assignments. So that says something.

On the other hand, the new [e-learning] platform that will be launching soon is going to be very metrics-heavy, and we will have more data about how users interact, engage, succeed, fail, etc. It won’t be all due to Utility’s work, since a lot of this platform was devised in a truly collaborative way, but we’ll know more then.

I have not used a lot of digital vendors, although I have friends and family that have, and I’m told that my positive experiences are fairly unique and that we’ve gotten lucky in choosing who we decided to link arms with. We have definitely hired other creative/print/video type of vendors, though, and Utility does stand out as more professional, capable, and forward-thinking than some others we’ve dealt with.

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

Utility is very organized and we know their leadership team, so we know it’s also supervised well. We aren’t the most organized team, and we are doing such a large project for the first time, so a lot of patience and coordination has been required. Yet, nothing has ever felt disorganized or off-track. So I’d say we have it pretty good in that area. We also have had a very available and responsive lead producer on the project since the beginning, so that kind of continuity has really been great.

We use Trello (new to us) and it’s made life so much easier. We of course also use email, lots of phone calls, etc. We get together in person when needed. Lots of Google Docs and sheets for project tracking too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Being flexible, patient, and accommodating would stand out as the top quality that has made this relationship work so well. Their work is solid; the design, tech, animation work is all really top quality. But the part that stands out is how easy they have been to work with, especially on such a big and complicated project with so many stakeholders.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The scope of the project grew beyond what we thought it was originally, although to be fair, that’s very much due to the fact that there were lots of uncertainties early on. Sometimes, Utility likes saying “yes” to a lot of the extra things we request, so perhaps they could be a little stronger on pushing back. But again, that’s always a two-way street and we recognize that.

Advice for potential customers?

Be ready to move fast, give the projects lots of attention, and communicate regularly with the vendor. Utility is really great about making this easy on us, but it’s still a lot of work and one just needs to be prepared to be collaborative in an ongoing way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Clarity (claritystaffing.com) is a recruiting firm in New York City. We handle staffing for a variety of clients. I am an account executive, but I am also the marketing manager overseeing things like our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We needed someone urgently to take over our website design and development, as our previous developer was not delivering and we couldn’t wait any longer. The goal of our website is to promote our company’s services, our methods, our successes, and our leadership. We needed to not only finish the redesign and rebuild we were working on, but we had a lot more we wanted to accomplish and it was all on hold. We needed a fresh set of eyes and hands to take over.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Utility took over all things digital—mostly website work. We needed to clean up the previous developer’s work, tons of it, and develop the new things we wanted that we simply had not gotten to yet.

They first fixed dozens of bugs and other issues across our entire site—everything from issues between browsers, mobile compatibility, and broken functionalities all over. Then, they helped us implement many more dozens of features and functionalities (and redesigns) that our previous developer never got to. They helped with graphic design, UX, UI, backend and frontend development, QA, testing, and release management. The project they inherited required a lot of code refactoring and improvements before they could stabilize the product and help us prepare it for a public re-launch.

They were definitely creative and proactive. We are not digital people, so we needed them to help us there. We had ideas and we helped steer the direction of how we fixed things up, but we needed Utility to advise and help us understand what the possibilities were for each solution we wanted.

What is the team dynamic?

We didn’t really have a hand in the process, but that’s not our specialty. We had a few project managers as well as developers and designers working on the project throughout.

How did you come to work with Utility?

We knew one of the heads at Utility really well, so it was one of the first calls we made. Not many other suppliers were under consideration. We didn’t know what to do, and we knew Utility typically takes on larger projects, but they saw the potential in working with us and growing with us. We needed to fix our issues fast and we didn’t think others could do it.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been more than $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Utility took over our project in April 2017 and we finished up in July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well, our previous developer failed and Utility completely cleaned up their mess. I don’t think there are specific metrics I can provide, but our team is very happy and our owners are getting good feedback from people they show. That said, we did end up getting more leads over the past few months, so maybe it is working!

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

Things went really smoothly even though we moved really fast. They were totally in control and organized. We know the founders; it was definitely supervised well.

We used Trello for tracking all deliverables, approvals, features, etc. We didn’t need Skype or Slack as much, but we definitely used phone and text and email all the time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're extremely thorough, which, for non-digital people, makes it nice since we don’t know what we don’t know. They also decided to be really flexible with us on pricing, knowing the situation we were in, knowing there was more budget being carved out for future rounds.

Advice for potential customers?

Have someone digitally-minded manage the agency that is running the tech.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SkyBridge Capital is a global alternative investment firm that bought the rights to Wall Street Week, a once-popular weekly financial TV show that we wanted to resurrect with our CEO as the host. I was the managing director of media content, so I was in charge of the entire website design and development of the Wall Street Week web portal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We needed to make a robust web portal to server as the digital outlet for all things Wall Street Week. We needed to have live-streaming, tons of content, blogs, and other news and information circulating through the site in a dynamic way. We also needed a team on top of it in real time every day and every week since it was an ongoing live show.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Utility designed and built out a totally new, custom web portal for the revived Wall Street Week show with host Anthony Scaramucci (former CEO of SkyBridge Capital), which ran weekly before getting sold to FOX.

Ultimately, Utility was in charge of all things digital. They were the lead design and development team for the entire web portal, including backend, frontend, UI, UX, the live video streaming service architecture, and the CMS [content management system] to control all the content on the web portal. They built out our entire mobile version of the portal, so it could operate across all devices and screen sizes. They also trained us on how to manage content and they made changes and edits to the site as needed.

The robust web portal they built us was our digital extension of the brand and the TV show. It had tons of regularly posted content, video streaming, archived videos, advanced filtering, blogging, mobile compatibility, social media feeds, and other features.

They did almost all of the thinking in terms of how the website was designed and built, as we are not necessarily digital mavens. We did provide our goals and tell them what we needed to get out of the site, and collaborated during the rounds of UX designs, but they took it all from there and steered the strategies around how to implement and execute everything digitally. This included things we never would have thought about, especially mobile considerations and optimizations.

What is the team dynamic?

The team assigned to us was probably about 5 people or so. There was a project manager who was our dedicated point of contact, and we also had a technical product manager who was in charge of day-to-day operations on the technical side of things. There were also some web engineers and designers assigned to our project that seemed to always be working. I think they also had some testing people who were in charge of quality control.

How did you come to work with Utility?

We learned of them from our head producer’s colleague Leslie Gittess, who had introduced us to them as a personal referral. We had talked to our current providers who do digital work, and we also talked to a few other web design studios (all of which do good work), but we ultimately landed on Utility since they seemed to stand out as the team which really understood our topic matter, as well as live streaming, especially in a mobile world.

They had such a good reputation, but they also made a point to come into our offices multiple times early on to strategize and discuss the assignment and how it might take shape. I remember also liking their previous work on web and live-streaming products, so it was a natural fit.

We had some other vendors we could have used, but we wanted a fresh take, and also, we were on a time crunch and Utility seemed to be able to get going the fastest. They also seemed the most interested.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $100,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in November 2014 and completed the project in April or May of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The live streams (and the website) were viewed by hundreds of thousands of viewers over many months, and we got almost all positive reviews on our digital execution. The property Wall Street Week also ended up getting acquired by FOX, so ultimately it was a big success.

From what I’ve seen, they are more attentive and on top of things in real-time than most agencies we have used in the past. They produced really quality work, but their strongest quality is being responsive and communicative, and responding to issues quickly when they arise.

We also really like their design and development skills. We felt it was higher quality and less buggy on the first try than most agencies we’ve worked with. I was really impressed.

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

The supervision was good; we had a real-time project manager behind the scenes and with us who owned all parts of the project. One of Utility’s founders was always around too; who joined various strategy meetings and was around to talk to our CEO when needed as well. We felt our project was very well taken care of, and was in good hands.

We used in-person meetings for a lot of the bigger discussions, as we found it really helpful to see eye to eye on how things were going to roll out. For everything else, daily processing of the project, we worked with the regular mix of communication tools (email, phone, etc). Utility liked to use a lot of project management tools but we weren’t as used to them, so they helped us by using Google Docs and that sort of thing. I think, on their end, they used Trello and JIRA for most project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were really impressed with their attention to detail early on, as well as their ability to act less like a hired agency and more like a partner.

They were really helpful in educating us about digital and technology along the way, and I think that’s probably unique. They were patient with us, but very aggressive with making sure we hit timelines. We felt like we had someone on our side, versus having an “outsourced web designer.”

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn’t ever really mess up or anything, and they were really likeable, so it’s hard to come up with suggestions to improve. I think digital projects are complicated, and Utility fought through a lot of hurdles to get to the finish line.

The only thing we could have known up front was that video streaming costs were going to be a little more substantial than we thought (using a third-party service provider). But that’s not exactly their fault, it’s just something we didn’t know a lot about when the project started.

Advice for potential customers?

I’m sure every project is really different, so it’s hard to say. But one thing we could have done better was define all content and strategic vision a little more. Being as prepared as possible before engaging with an agency will make the process as smooth as possible. We weren’t all on exactly the same page internally, and that caused a slightly slower start.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an experiential marketing company based in New York City. I’m the senior account director, and our office is in Los Angeles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We needed some work done for our online marketplace and hospitality business. We needed a digital provider for the project we were embarking on, so Utility did the online experience and platform for the large-scale conference which brought users together in one place.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to develop a clean, simple, online portal to drive people to the information that they needed. The more complicated challenge was putting forth the speaker series schedule where users could go in and see the content over multiple days, select certain sessions, then receive confirmation emails and instructions on how to check in. Utility was instrumental in helping us work through this challenge.

We briefed them on our vision for the program and development for the online portal, then started the initial build. There were a lot of changes during development due to trying to pull the speaker symposium together with all the stakeholders, speakers, content, bios, headshots, travel, etc. It was hard to have all that information completely prepared and ready to launch on-site at an early stage.

After the initial portal build, they started revising what we thought we originally needed in order to approach the situation a bit differently. Basically, phase two was more of a follow-up redevelopment. We then planned on moving onto information gathering and working towards the actual launch date.

We also needed to provide a scheduling tool for the 8 meeting rooms in the booth, which added an additional phase to the separate scope and acted as a landing page. Utility built the online meeting schedule tool for our clients to use for meetings, cancellations, additions to the calendar, and other functionalities. They created a seamless on-site process.

The registration portal had a reporting site, so it was important for us to see who was registered for what. It was a robust site due to its flexibility and ability to allow us to make changes, launch communications, and have an easily-viewable and manipulatable check-in sheet for the on-site process.

The portals were also optimized for mobile. The entire schedule acted like a Google Calendar, so users could go in and select the room they wanted for particular time slots, then it would be shaded out. There was also a series of drop-down menus for users to input their information, and a series of automated email notifications that provided a clean and user-friendly process.

The entire project was a collaborative effort, but Utility provided insight and creative thinking. They balanced the project with a budget and what they thought was reasonable. They may have had some experience already built that they could leverage, but for the most part, we worked through it together. We had a tight timeline, and it was a big project, so it wasn’t the easiest thing to accomplish. It was our first time handling this type of thing, so we had to really work with Utility to figure everything out.

What is the team dynamic?

We had one dedicated project manager who we worked with on the frontlines with oversight from their leadership, David [Co-Founder, Utility]. I’m not sure how many people they had on staff or what resources they kept on-call, but I believe they had to pull in some additional resources in order to execute quickly.

David provided the resources who worked on the project, so we spoke with him frequently. We had a couple of in-person meetings where he and Derek, our project manager, came to the office. David was visible and invested in the project, details, and edits with Derek, but he also worked with Derek on the project holistically and oversaw things.

After the initial build, and once we mapped out the details for the redevelopment, they had to onboard a few additional people.

How did you come to work with Utility?

They had worked on a similar account, so we knew of them from our internal practices. Aside from them being an existing client of ours, there was an existing relationship with one of their executives from a previous agency.

We’ve worked with some good companies in the past, but we like Utility because of their small size. They’re very hands-on, and make the client feel like they’re really invested in their business.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with them in October 2016, and the event took place in February 2017. They weren’t working constantly during that period, but there were intervals of heavy production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with the way things looked and how they functioned. They developed a clean and sleek portal, and also took our brand guidelines and delivered accordingly. The functionality worked well, but since our forward-facing portal wasn’t broadly distributed, we didn’t have any external feedback. We’re very happy with their work, and the feedback was very good. It exceeded some of the work we’ve received in the past.

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well, and were always on top of things. There were times when we required resources around the clock, and they pushed themselves to be able to do that. They did their best to keep us on track with deadlines and dependencies. We worked together in terms of project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to jump in and get the job done right under a tight deadline with many moving variables is impressive. They were flexible, which is something we require of any agency. Things change and information comes in late, so we oftentimes have to work very hard to execute accurately and quickly. Utility did a good job of staying by our side throughout the entire process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could maybe benefit from paying more attention to details in some aspects. For example, we would have to proof and catch some things, but this may have been a product of rapid development. That’s a minor criticism.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an entertainment marketing agency, and we service many different CPG [consumer package goods] across the board from multiple different companies. I’ve been here for 6–7 years, and I manage the experimental division of our business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Utility?

We knew they were knowledgeable in the space. We were looking for a turnkey solution because we were facing a tight deadline and wanted to provide an additional engagement piece for consumers during a large sporting event weekend for one of our clients.

Many of the assets already existed, but the process of being able to refine them and ensure our client was happy was of the utmost importance. We reached out to the client and discussed some sort of field goal challenge, then worked with Utility to create the AR [augmented reality] solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app was for iOS and Android, and development was a 2–3 month process. We didn’t have the time and resources to make sure it got approved on the App Store, which was the biggest challenge. We were able to execute and still have an effective engagement tool that we could leverage on-site through our experiential activation.

Utility provided all the wireframes, and we assisted them with how the brand would be incorporated. With our activations, we try to find organic times that resonate with the event function and also the brand. They took something that could be a cookie-cutter app or game and made the experience a lot more immersive.

Users could download the app, but since the AR mechanism was in our space, they had to be within our footprint in order to use it. Consumers could download it on their phone, but we had it set up as an activation on an iPad so they could do the field goal challenge through AR.

There were two teams and a challenge within the game, and it also had both single-player and multiplayer functions. The client’s branding was really incorporated throughout the entire app, including on the welcome screens and when the user kicked the ball. Utility was able to organically tie the client into the football field. There’s also a big megatron in the back that we’re able to plug in with the client’s assets. Consumers use a mobile phone which leverages a camera and triggers an image, ultimately providing an immersive experience.

The creative balance was no problem. Our client had a lot of trust in us since they’d been with us for 6 years. We were pretty clear about what we needed to achieve.

Utility was not asked to help with marketing.

What is the team dynamic?

There were 2–3 resources from their team working on the project. Our main point of contact was David Cohen [Co-Founder, Utility], and we spoke 2–3 times a week due to our tight deadline. The size of the team remained consistent.

How did you come to work with Utility?

We have mutual friends of the agency, and we’ve also worked with them in the past. We’re an experimental agency, and they’re more of a software-dev agency, so we’ve brought each other business.

We might have reached out to other companies, but because of our cost and turnaround, Utility made the most sense. For them, it wasn’t so much about making money than it was creating a case study. We have a good relationship with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We were working on this project for the large sporting event in 2015, so we started in November or December of 2014. The project was completed a couple days before the event.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client was thrilled. We had a handful of consumers go through our space, and they really enjoyed the technology. A couple notable celebrities played the game, and they also thought it was really cool.

Unfortunately, our contact at the company is no longer present. It’s less about how we can do more AR and more about thinking about new technologies, leveraging them, and tying them into our events.

From a process, overall budget, and solution standpoint, I believe it was a good case study.

How did Utility perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They delivered on a tight timeline and budget, and we managed to get the game loaded and working. Everyone was happy.

We communicated via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to get the project done by any means is commendable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re a good group.