White Prompt

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fund That Flip loans to established builders who rehab existing home and build new hopes. We provide retail investors a strong rate of return for investing in both individual projects and funds Im director of software engineering leading an effort to modernize and transform our systems

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We are building out product-focused, value-stream-aligned teams to accelerate the growth of our business This involves integrating our existing core Rails monoliths with new Javascript microservices that run serverless in AWS

SOLUTION

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

We got a great referral We have 3 software engineers via WhitePrompt that are making a major impact on our transition to new tech stack

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

The team has helped build out a monorepo template we are using to encapsulate critical patterns, frameworks and tools It is helping us accelerate out transformation we clone it to build out new use cases for our customers

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

There are currently 3 White Prompt engineers working on two different teams They are working as senior or staff engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first two hires have been instrumental in building out our monorepo template They are great communicators, super curious, hard working and technically creative

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

Our partnership with WhitePrompt has been easy, and they continue to do an incredible job.

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

See above Love the people they have helped us find Want to do more with them as we continue to grow

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

Nope

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a media-tech startup. We help companies create quality, user-generated video content with their customers, staff, and partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with White Prompt?

 We wanted to create an Android version of our app that reflected the functionality of our iOS platform. We needed to port our app from iOS to Android using a different codebase.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

White Prompt built a one-to-one match with our native iOS app. Their team managed the wireframing to make sure that they kept all the functionalities we required. Then, they created an Android version of the platform in React Native. Their team made optimizations in the way that we approached video rendering, which was good. They also built features that we didn’t have in our iOS product that were value adds. We then reused the React Native backend on our iOS app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a full-time developer.

How did you come to work with White Prompt?

Colleagues recommended White Prompt and their work had a positive reputation. Since we’re a startup in our first year of operation, our cash flows are lumpy because we don’t have repeat business yet. We looked for an agency that offered flexibility to make partial payments.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 on the project. White Prompt was fantastic with our payment terms, giving us breathing room to get back on track for investments and close the account.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between April 2019–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with the Android app, which will increase our user base by 50% because that’s the split between iOS and Android users. Everyone’s excited about it. There were some initial problems with usability that were solved. Their team did good work.

We reached out to our investors who were interested but had to push back our fundraising activities. We’ll go back to investors at the end of January 2020 and will put the Android version in their hands. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get the feedback we’d hoped.

How did White Prompt perform from a project management standpoint?

We had catchups weekly via Skype that were good. We trusted their expertise and professionalism all the way through.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re a startup in our early stages. White Prompt was supportive of that status and supportive in terms of payment flexibility enabling us to get an ROI from the Android app. They’re a professional team. White Prompt was a Godsend.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been nice if the issues wrapped up a bit faster. Otherwise, it was a good experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a good team. White Prompt’s professional in their approach to ­work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Common Desk is a coworking and hospitality management company with the ultimate goal of enhancing people's workday experience, but also provide sustainable management solutions for landlords and their properties.

We started with a focus in coworking in October of 2012 and have since expanded our offerings to include a coffee experience, enterprise suites for larger teams, and building activation solutions for landlords.

I started as a Host for our Fort Worth, Texas location and have since (after moving around to a few other places) become our Product Manager for the tech initiatives. I began helping with the tech starting in October of 2018 and continued to help grow, refine, and enhance the tech experience throughout the next year (and future).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire White Prompt?

We hired White Prompt to build our web platform and our mobile application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to create a powerful and sustainable coworking technology that could expand to be used in larger tenant buildings, as well as our own spaces.

We wanted a technology that enabled our members (and tenants) to book conference rooms seamlessly, order food or coffee from the palm of their hand, and have access to everything going on in the community from events to receiving gifts from staff members.

We also wanted a web platform that could house all of our members/visitors/tenants and could give us an overview of our entire space (i.e. occupancy, conversions, invoices, etc).

The overview of the space can also be used for landlords to get a pulse on what's happening within their building, as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a lot of research and interviews with companies detailing what we were looking for and relaying our budget for making this happen. We chose WP not only because we connected with them company to company, but they were in line with our vision and budget.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After a discovery phase of figuring out what we were wanting to create, doing competitive research and analysis, both of us created a roadmap and vision for what we were wanting in the application. They then developed, designed and created mockups for each phase. They would send to us, we would approve, and they would implement.

From wire framing to demo environments to production, they had us test and approve everything along the way. We rolled out our initial version of the web in October of 2018 at our Deep Ellum (Dallas) location and once some of the initial kinks were worked out, we began rolling out to every other location every 2 weeks or so.

In January of 2019, we rolled out our mobile app. Along the way, anytime there was a bug or issue, the WP team immediately jumped in to fix and implement changes we needed to add. They worked round the clock for us and it was so evident in their product.

We have since rebranded and implemented a brand new look and they followed the same thing they've always done (received our vision, mocked it up, tested it, and implemented it).

One thing that they are so great at is never shying away from an idea we have. They will bring some sound advice to the request, but they always try it out instead of immediately telling us know. Their willingness to test something is so appreciated.

What was the team composition?

The project team originally consisted of 6 individuals. We communicate with and work primarily with the Project Manager who relays to the entire team what we are needing fixed or added.

They have since kept it at 4 people for some additions and maintenance. I communicate with any as needed, but still primarily with the PM for the project. We also have weekly calls with me and the team to check in and see how the goals/projects are going.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before we implemented this application, our members and our staff were shuffling through so many different platforms to get the job done.

From booking rooms on a web platform that people saved to their bookmarks to having them come up to order food, to having to make sure they see signs all over for events...nothing was really in "order" or "easy" for them to be in the know.

Once we introduced this app, it allowed for everyone to be on ONE application instead of multiple and they could do so much more than what they could do before it was introduced.

Our staff was also able to have a much better pulse on what was going inside of their spaces. They didn't have to keep a Google doc or sheet to see all of their members anymore or to see who paid or who didn't. We all of a sudden had control over what was going on from one platform. Honestly, a game changer.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We started with one PM who had been with WP for awhile and he was so fantastic. Kept us in the loop, had a lot of calls with us, sent us updates, etc.

We then moved over to another member of the team who was promoted to PM over the project and he has been just as fantastic and helpful. He communicates with me daily and we are able to stay in line with the roadmap and vision for the tech, as well as fix things quickly and efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their willingness to run with us. We gave them a big bit to swallow and they jumped in with an eager and "can do" attitude. We couldn't have done this without them, and they have become dear friends through the process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As with anything, I think just continue researching and learning new and effective methods for creating a really clean and solid application. Bugs are inevitable, but I think finding and implementing new ways of testing the product before it is launched could be super effective.

The other area would be UX/UI. I think that bulking that up and gaining some more experience in that area would be helpful! They did good for what we gave, but we did do more hand holding on that portion so I think expanding experience there is a good idea!

They really tackled a hard project with us being in the U.S. and them being in Argentina. We were their second language and they have still figured it out so overall, they really have a solid team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We make business management software for marinas, yacht clubs, and other marine businesses. Our software is a solution for reservations, payments, invoicing, service and repair, inventory, and point of sale. I'm the co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with White Prompt?

We wanted to scale our engineering resources, specifically frontend specialists in React and React Native.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They augment our internal team for all of our projects, and they worked independently on React Native mobile apps and React web applications.

What is the team composition?

We work with two developers, and we occasionally interact with a project manager.

How did you come to work with White Prompt?

They reached out to me in June 2017. I asked them background questions about their capabilities, their rates, and the resources they had available. From there, I met with their CEO to understand their motivations, and I looked over the resumes of a couple of resources they had available.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $8,000-$10,000 a month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first resource started working for us around the end of 2017. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're very satisfied with the services they offer.

How did White Prompt perform from a project management standpoint?

We do run into delays, but often that's because they're waiting for things on our side. We manage the work in Pivotal Tracker, where we send out tasks and bug fix requests. They're diligent about resolving any issues that arise. We also use Slack and Bitbucket.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills are exceptional. They understand and contextualize all our requests. They execute tasks independently, and they always find ways to complete our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm the only manager on my end, and it would be helpful to have an additional resource on our side to oversee the project. Things can slow down, but that's usually because of issues on our side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider your needs. If you have enough management resources on your side, pure staff augmentation works really well. Otherwise, hire them as a vendor and utilize their project management.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a startup that provides an end-to-end workflow solution for tracking all things music, in the entertainment space. We help people license music, develop entire tracks, and manage royalties and collections.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with White Prompt?

We were looking for a vendor to create our flagship product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our web-based workflow platform, the system of record for all administrative communications in the music industry. It consolidates the millions of emails and communication platforms associated with the contracting and licensing of music. It’s essentially a large database and the site of different transactions.

It’s extremely robust and very complex in terms of its security model. Their team utilized JavaScript, Node.js and React to construct both the front- and back-ends of the platform. While they’re still building it for us, we hope to migrate the data of our old legacy platforms onto it once it’s finished.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three backend developers and four frontend developers. I interfaced with a project manager who managed their day-to-day operations, although we handled much of the project management ourselves.

How did you come to work with White Prompt?

I found them through various references and websites. After a vendor selection process, they were one of the few that we shortlisted. We decided to go with them after an interview.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 with them every month. That totals to roughly $400,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started ramping them up in March 2019 but went full-speed with them in June 2019. The work is currently ongoing.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their engineers are fantastic, very intelligent. While White Prompt onboards its engineers depending on demand, they’ve interviewed very well to select the very best talent. They’ve provided us with top-notch candidates who understand our goals and requirements very well.

I can see that their team focuses on delivering the best solution with the lowest amount of risk. Since I’ve worked with firms that just try to “get it done,” their focus on quality has been really refreshing.

I’ve entrusted them to deliver the system architecture; their delivery improves with every iteration. I’ve been more and more impressed with their solutions.

How did White Prompt perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project through JIRA. Their project manager ensures that there are no bottlenecks. Whenever there were any issues, they’re very communicative, so these get resolved fairly quickly. We communicate on Slack or Skype and hold frequent scrum meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve both worked with and managed different companies across the globe, and I commend them for the competence and intelligence of their engineers. Their ability to think their way to a viable solution is my primary yardstick, and they’ve exceeded my expectations.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re still a growing company, so I think that as they gain more customers, they’ll have more engineers readily available. I don’t hold it against them, because they’ll learn to onboard engineers in their growth.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them know of your requirements way in advance, so they can seek out the best talent for you. Expect to do some onboarding and interviewing with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a startup launching an app on iOS, Android, and the web. It’s a platform that connects people who travel to local people around the world according to the interests or activities they have in common.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with White Prompt?

I have a background in architectural design and my co-founder works in business, so we reached out to White Prompt to help us actually develop our app from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our application using React Native for iOS and Android, and HTML for the web. We discussed our idea and how to implement it with them and developed some early road maps for the development. From there, we provided frontend UX/UI design, and they built everything else.

What is the team composition?

We had two full-time developers and a project manager from their team working with us at any given time. Some specialized in the frontend, some worked more on the backend, and now we have two full-stack developers, one of whom is senior.

How did you come to work with White Prompt?

We found out about them through a friend who had used them for a project that ended up being very successful. We trusted that recommendation and had a good experience in the preliminary outlining stages, so we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2018 and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve done a couple of summits and trade shows and presentations so far, and things have been going extremely well. There is a lot of interest in our app, and that’s thanks to the work delivered by White Prompt.

How did White Prompt perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m used to a lot of push and pull between designers and technical people where I come from, because of conflict between the need for things to look good and the need for them to function. White Prompt made that back-and-forth extremely smooth.

If I sent out an email, I would get a reply in five minutes. We had weekly conference calls to review progress and plan our next steps, and they were always available to take my calls outside of that, too.

Their project manager has been the star of the show. He solves any problem we have, whether that’s getting paperwork done, replacing development talent, or organizing communication and getting everyone up to date. The only real tool we used is TestFlight to practice using the product in a development environment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They demonstrated a really high level of commitment to the success of our project. Their founder came out to one of our conferences with us and represented our product, which was awesome because it helped out with our publicity efforts and just demonstrated a level of dedication that you really don’t find that often in the business world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only difficulty we had was with one developer assigned to us at one point, but he was replaced without causing any serious waves in the project. For the vast majority, it was very smooth sailing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do a lot of consultation and research before you get started. That way, you can minimize how much you have to add things that you forgot or didn’t know you needed while you’re in the middle of development.