Vermillion

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an IT company. We help employees go beyond their job descriptions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion?

We needed to build an MVP to reach one of our performance milestones.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vermillion worked on the whole project. They were with us at the concept stage, working with us, our design partners, and ultimately our initial users. Vermillion delivered a proposal, wireframe, clickable prototype, and MVP.

What is the team composition?

There were at least five people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Vermillion?

I met Ken, the founder and CEO, on LinkedIn. He responded to one of my posts. Ken was enthusiastic and genuinely interested in our product. I was confident that Ken would spend the necessary time to understand what we wanted to accomplish.

What is the status of this engagement?

This phase of the project began in January 2025 and ended in May 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vermillion completed the deliverables. Investors take us more seriously when we have an MVP built. They listen to us more seriously.

How did Vermillion perform from a project management standpoint?

Vermillion’s project management was great. They were very responsive. Some deadlines were missed, but they recovered quickly, and the project finished on time for our beta user program. We primarily communicated via Slack,

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with their thoughtfulness. They did their best to understand the concept as they built their learning, accelerated, and new insights emerged. Awesome experience! They were thoughtful, enthusiastic, and creative during the entire process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There could have been better documentation. But I wouldn’t sacrifice agility for documentation. The MVP emerged from our design and a collaboration between our design partners, us, and the team at Vermillion.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder/ GM of PicklePlay

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have built Pickleball software to support the growing Pickleball industry for individual players and community base clubs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build our web and mobile platforms
• Not only get it to market, but help us scale with additional feature offerings.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vermillion?

Referral

Why did you select Vermillion over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vermillion were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

iOS and Android react native mobile app and react web portal for club management. a very large project with a lot of functionality. Vermillion Sky built the entire app into a worldwide product. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measuring success by user growth, adoption, stability and was able to successfully get acquired last year. 

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

Typically delivered on time in cases where things were delayed it was communicated and addressed as a team. 

What was your primary form of communication with Vermillion?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Truly enjoy working with Ken. I think he is a great person. Very trustworthy

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

I think ensuring that we take our time even when there is customer pressure is important. I appreciate that Ken is always willing to stay in close communication and is available. Unlike other Deb teams I worked with in the past that are hard to get a hold of. Ken is always there to help or step in when needed. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of a tattoo artists marketplace

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A booking marketplace for Clients to discover, book and pay thier perfect Tattoo Artist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vermillion Sky to accomplish?

• Make improvements to the MVP app to make it scale-ready
• Clean up some existing tech debt
• Build V.2 features of the app after a redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Vermillion Sky?

Referral

Why did you select Vermillion Sky over others?

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

How many teammates from Vermillion Sky were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Vermillion helped us take a very slim V.1 of the app (that was quite broken) and execute on the development of the resdeign and ensuring the app was scale-ready vs just the MVP version. They addressed some poorly-written code and rebuilt some pieces of the app and then added onto the project with new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Timelines hit on new feature development.
• Releases every 2 weeks.

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

THe benefit of a smaller firm is that they're super communicative and attentive. I felt super close with the Vermillion Sky team and they truly felt like an extension of the company.

What was your primary form of communication with Vermillion Sky?

Virtual Meeting

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

The specialization in early-stage startups makes them super easy to work with as a Founder. They just understood our needs and objectives with more depth than a large firm working with mostly blue chip clients.

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

The scope definitely has to be well defined, so it's not a hands-off experience, but no Founder wants to be hands-off with their product buiuld anyways.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of The Group Home App

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I used to be a mental health case manager, and I know firsthand how stressful and overwhelming it can be when you don’t have the right resources and tools to help your clients. It was tough on me, and I knew there had to be a better way. That’s why I created The Group Home App. Our mission is to bring together behavioral health specialists, group home owners, and those seeking help for mental health and substance abuse issues onto one unified platform. We’re making it easier for everyone to find the support and resources they need, all in one place.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vermillion Sky to accomplish?

• App Development
• Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Vermillion Sky?

Podcast influencer

Why did you select Vermillion Sky over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vermillion Sky were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope of Work

Project Overview:
The Group Home App is a comprehensive platform designed to connect behavioral health specialists, group home owners, and individuals seeking mental health and substance abuse support. The app aims to streamline the process of finding suitable placements, providing valuable resources, and promoting self-care within the behavioral health field.

Objectives:

 1. Unify Resources: Create a centralized platform where behavioral health specialists can access and share resources.
 2. Simplify Placements: Facilitate easier connections between clients and suitable group homes.
 3. Enhance Support: Provide tools and features that support the mental health professionals in their daily tasks.
 4. Promote Self-Care: Offer self-care tips and tools to help professionals maintain their well-being.

Key Deliverables

1. Platform Development:

 • User Interface (UI): Design a user-friendly interface for both web and mobile applications.
 • User Experience (UX): Ensure seamless navigation and interaction for users, with a focus on accessibility and ease of use.
 • Backend Development: Implement a robust backend system to manage data, user accounts, and interactions securely.

2. The Care Compass Feature:

 • Goal Setting: Develop functionality to help specialists set and track personal goals for their clients.
 • Activity Planning: Create tools for planning and managing client activities that align with their goals.
 • Progress Tracking: Implement a system to monitor and report on client progress.
 • Customized Plans: Develop AI-driven personalized recommendations for client care plans.
 • Support and Motivation: Include resources and motivational tools to support clients and caregivers.

3. Resource Locator:

 • Community Resources: Integrate a directory of community resources like payee services, transportation, food banks, and day programs.
 • Search and Filter: Provide advanced search and filtering options to help users find the resources they need quickly.

4. Self-Care Tools:

 • Daily Tips: Implement a feature that sends daily self-care tips to users.
 • Wellness Tracking: Include tools for tracking personal wellness and self-care activities.

5. Administrative Features:

 • User Management: Develop features for managing user accounts, roles, and permissions.
 • Analytics and Reporting: Provide tools for generating reports and analytics on usage, engagement, and outcomes.
 • Feedback and Support: Include mechanisms for users to provide feedback and receive support.

6. Marketing and Outreach:

 • Partnerships: Develop strategies to partner with agencies, organizations, and government bodies.
 • Promotion: Create marketing materials and campaigns to promote the app to potential users and partners.
 • Affiliate Marketing: Establish an affiliate marketing program to generate additional revenue streams.

7. Testing and Quality Assurance:

 • User Testing: Conduct thorough testing with real users to gather feedback and make necessary improvements.
 • Bug Fixing: Identify and resolve any technical issues or bugs to ensure a smooth user experience.
 • Compliance: Ensure the platform complies with relevant data privacy and security regulations.

Summary of Key Deliverables

 • Fully functional web and mobile applications with user-friendly UI/UX.
 • The Care Compass feature with goal setting, activity planning, progress tracking, personalized plans, and support tools.
 • Comprehensive resource locator for community services.
 • Self-care tools including daily tips and wellness tracking.
 • Administrative features for user management, analytics, and support.
 • Marketing and outreach materials for promoting the app and building partnerships.
 • Affiliate marketing program setup.
 • Thorough testing and quality assurance to ensure reliability and compliance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable Outcomes from The Group Home App Project

User Engagement:

 • Active Users: Increase in registered and daily/monthly active users.

Resource Utilization:

 • Access Frequency: High frequency of resource access.
 • Satisfaction Ratings: Positive user feedback on resources.

Goal and Activity Management:

 • Goals Achieved: High rate of goals set and achieved.
 • Activity Engagement: Frequent planning and execution of activities.

Progress Tracking:

 • Reports Generated: Regular generation of progress reports.
 • Client Improvement: Positive changes in client metrics.

Customized Plans:

 • Plan Adoption: High adoption rate of personalized plans.
 • Feedback: Positive user feedback on recommendations.

Self-Care Tools:

 • Daily Tips: High engagement with daily self-care tips.
 • Wellness Tracking: Active participation in wellness tracking.

Administrative Efficiency:

 • User Management: Efficient management of user accounts.
 • Analytics Usage: Regular use of reporting tools.

Marketing and Outreach:

 • Partnerships: Establishment of new partnerships.
 • Campaign Reach: Effective reach and engagement.
 • Affiliate Revenue: Revenue from affiliate marketing.

User Satisfaction:

 • Satisfaction Scores: High user satisfaction and NPS.

Technical Performance:

 • App Stability: Reliable app performance and quick issue resolution.

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

Yes, they delivered on time. Their project management was excellent. They maintained clear communication throughout the project, promptly addressed any issues, and adapted to our needs efficiently. Regular updates and a proactive approach ensured that all milestones were met as scheduled, and their responsiveness made collaboration smooth and effective.

What was your primary form of communication with Vermillion Sky?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found unique about this company was their deep understanding of the behavioral health field combined with their innovative use of technology. Their commitment to creating solutions that genuinely address the needs of mental health professionals and clients stood out, along with their ability to seamlessly integrate valuable features into a user-friendly platform.

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

Got it. Here's an adjusted response:

Honestly, Vermillion Sky did a great job, and their onboarding was excellent. If I had to suggest something, it might be to enhance ongoing support with more regular check-ins or updates. But overall, they exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

SirenMD is a secure, real-time communication and collaboration platform designed for sports medicine and athletic teams. I run SirenMD's operations

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Vermillion Sky served as a development resource for SirenMD.

SOLUTION

How did you select Vermillion Sky and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Vermillion Sky based on our previous work with Ken and his good recommendations.

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

Work was conducted on our native iOS and Android applications, as well as our web-based portal.

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

Ken and other resources

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All components of the platform have been updated during the project.

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

We primarily used Notion, Jira, and Slack.

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

We found their ability to be flexible the most impressive and unique.

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

One area for improvement is more structure and communication. Weekly one-page development reports and regular communication would be helpful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a fashion company focusing on Fashion News , Castings calls and Advise in todays world

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Web development of my site. along with updates and changes of brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select Vermillion Sky and what were the deciding factors?

Product results, expertise in the field and the ability to execute. Also Ken is very knowledgeable

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

The development of site. Castings call sections. The blog for fashion information

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

There were 2 people who were on the team that I spoke with. I spoke to Ken Vermeille and Kim Alban. There were other developers assigned to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to get a lot of signups for a fashion show and we were able to make some revenue on the project. In addition shortly after that we were in a magazine

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

We used Slack, email and phone calls on a weekly timeline. He used something called scrum.

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

I love the energy of the team. They were very understanding of my needs and what we wanted to accomplish

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

I think that they were great, there were some times that I was too busy to make a meeting and we had to wait a couple of days to get another meeting.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a beauty tutorial app that allows users to shop for beauty products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Sky?

I was looking for a company to help me build the first version of the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I came to them with the designs and Vermillion Sky handled all the development and provided feedback on the design. This is an iOS app that creates a three-step photo/video tutorial. Users can take pictures and the app puts them together into a single post with a caption for each individual photo. The app allows to rearrange the video clips and then publish the post. There is also a social component, so customers can follow other people. We use a third-party shopping cart and APIs to make the app shoppable.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with their CEO.

How did you come to work with them?

Someone recommended them to me. We had a quick meeting to make sure our goals aligned and our relationship started there.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in June 2014 and the project was completed in August 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I received a lot of positive feedback on the app. I had to continue improving the design (Vermillion Sky didn't do the design for the app), but there were no major issues with the development. If there were bugs, they addressed them immediately.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They took a lead and met all the milestones. We stayed in touch via Skype and email, and we also had in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We worked collaboratively and their feedback was very beneficial. I didn’t have to make all the decisions alone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leverage the positive aspects of the collaborative process. Stay involved and consider it a partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a founder and product manager at Foodeaze, a food online ordering company. Foodeaze offers a combined service of food photography and food online ordering where hungry diners swipe through restaurant photo menus to place delivery and pickup orders. Swipe, order, and eat!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vermillion Sky?

There are three things all food-ordering apps have in common being diners order the food, they want the food hot, and they want the food fast. Well, a lot of food online ordering companies don’t have a full-service delivery option for restaurants along with having basically no control over the restaurant’s kitchens and wait line management system. With that being said our company can really only control one part of that process being the ordering system provided to diners from the app. In order to achieve offering a better option to diners, our company needed overall design help for the app, including UI and UX services, to make our designs and functionality stand out from our competitors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Vermillion Sky lots of documentation in the beginning like general designs, wireframes, and mockups. While we had some familiarity in front-end code, we mostly followed Vermillion Sky’s lead on the back end. The full stack for our web app included HTML, CSS, Core Java, react.JS, PHP along with several additional integration technologies.

These integrations included our order-receivable faxing partner, multiple credit card processors, and a Geolocation tool to name just a few of them. Currently, we’re working on a point of sale integration. Vermillion Sky also did focus group work throughout the development process, to ensure customer satisfaction and helping to keep us being a stakeholder involved in the process from start to finish. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with multiple user experience designers and developers all managed by a project manager.

How did you come to work with Vermillion Sky?

The founder of Vermillion Sky and I actually met through WeWork when it first started in New York City., We had back and forth communications for a while We were looking at other development options. Interestingly enough, we kept running into each other, and then one thing led to another where we decided to hire Vermillion Sky. Now, it’s been three years of our company working with his company. In that decision process though, Vermillion Sky’s moral integrity and sense of social responsibility stood out to us and matched our own company culture.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000 and $200,000 working with Vermillion Sky.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Vermillion Sky since August 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Client acquisition has increased approximately 150% within the last year. We have also gotten some great brand recognition in our niche marketplace, which has increased consumer engagement.

​​​​​​How did Vermillion Sky perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Skype and email to communicate with Vermillion Sky along with Slack and Trello for collaborative tool purposes. We also use Mixpanel to track KPIs and address pain points in order to come up with new features and integrate them into app roadmap for Vermillion Sky. For the actual development process, we have been working on Agile methodologies continually going through redesigns and adding new app features, as a result of focus group research provided by Vermillion Sky

During our first year working with Vermillion Sky, our company was going through its beta stage and Vermillion Sky did its best to match our continually changing deadlines. After the success of the beta our scheduling for launch deadlines on new and enhanced app features became much more organized with Vermillion Sky.. Once our app moved from its beta to live launch, the deliverables and timelines much better matched our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vermillion Sky helped us build an app that as it grows brand presence will work even better in the future than it does now. Based on the UX and UI decisions we made with Vermillion Sky, the customer base will grow into our technology, functionality, and designs, until it becomes mainstream and adopted by other companies and their apps.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A lot of development companies do weekly or bi-weekly updates, but daily responses would be most efficient for Agile methodologies depending on sprint timetables. Since tech-oriented companies tend to move at such a fast pace, the update protocol of many development companies in the New York City area has this issue in our opinion.

Any advice for potential customers?

In our experience, everything’s on an app development spectrum where there are two anchorage points of providing too much documentation or providing a sentence or a paragraph. Since the development of any app is a team effort when hiring a development company to collaborate with on it, you can’t expect a development company to build a great app if you can’t communicate it to them or are not open to changes anything your current plans. It really is all about balance. You should come with ideas and open to the development company’s suggestions and ideas. It all works best when the process is truly a collaborative one.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of an advertising & marketing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Helping businesses grow through user acquisition and performance-based marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vermillion Sky to accomplish?

Mobile App Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Vermillion Sky?

Referral

Why did you select Vermillion Sky over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

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

Ken & team helped design, build and implenent mobile and AI technologies into a suite of apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team always meets deadlines, troubleshoots bugs and issues and understands the business requirements outside of the specific development tasks requested.

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

Constant communication, weekly standups, met all deadlines. 

What was your primary form of communication with Vermillion Sky?

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

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

We're impressed by the team's ability to take development tasks and align them with business needs without having to spell out everything in detail. Able to work on what is most important for the business and not spending extra development cycles to complicate tasks.

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

Vermillion Sky has been incredible. Considering we went from zero to having several apps in production within a few weeks, the team has been able to keep up with our requests and deliver products above and beyond the scope of work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Daily Leaf. The daily leaf is a discounted cannabis site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vermillion Sky?

App and website development.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a comprehensive app that helps our users save money.

SOLUTION

How did you select Vermillion Sky?

He built a cross platform app that helps us limit data entry to just one step.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we hired Ken, we were off to the races. It did take a while to complete the project, but it was built from the ground up.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Ken directly with any and all issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ken was great, he can get busy and sometimes difficult to Get on the phone but overall we are very happy

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

When we started using Slack it made everything really smooth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Ken was very organized and his break down was very comprehensive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The team was very organized and they explained everything comprehensively.