Xmartlabs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the cofounder of SwiftPet, a marketing automation tool for the pet care industry. We provide pet businesses with the necessary tools to attract, engage, and retain customers through our marketing tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We didn’t have any in-house technical resources, so we needed an external team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I did the designs with another company, but our platform was built by Xmartlabs in Ruby on Rails. The backend hosting is a combination between Linode and AWS. We use CircleCI for continuous integration and GitHub for our repository and our code.

What is the team composition?

There were three people involved in our team, including one project manager.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

I’d worked with them before and have known them for seven years. They were suggested to me by a company advisor, and we had a great relationship from the start. We looked at their portfolio and gave them a few test projects, and then we hired them full-time.

How much have you invested with them?

The last project was between $20,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them on the SwiftPet project in 2015. We completed phase one in early 2017, and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re actively working on quite a few items, and we plan to launch in January. Xmartlabs does quality work, and I have full access to all the continuous integration and code tests (pass or fail). When I’ve done demos for clients and the early adopters, the app’s worked perfectly. We signed up over 270 beta users in the last two months, and these results continue to prove why I work with Xmartlabs. I don’t see a need for an in-house team because of the quality Xmartlabs produces.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t have any complaints about project management. When I need to communicate, Slack makes us all more efficient. I get a response almost instantaneously when I post a comment or question. We also use Trello and Pivotal Tracker. I count on Xmartlabs to give me solid feedback, and I trust them to tell me when something should be pushed back. It’s been a collaborative experience.

I’ve met with one of the team members in LA or San Francisco on several occasions. He makes a point to see me when he’s in town.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The pet industry is pretty archaic, so there’s not a lot of marketing automation tools available, but Xmartlabs is able to adapt to our industry, and it’s been phenomenal. Their skillsets are incredibly diverse.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes there are communication barriers due to language differences. They now have U.S. based support, though, and that makes it easier.

There could be more frequent updates about what’s going on or any issues they run into.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be patient with the language barrier and understand that they’re experts. Their quality of work speaks for itself. If you don’t trust that, let them do it for you. Give them some tests so you can build a relationship with them. Just know that when you hire them, you’re hiring a team with talent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Meta Section, a contract development company. We provide CTO service engagements, due diligence research into potential acquisitions and investments, and custom engineering work usually in the payment space. We also invest in our own startups and technologies that we then sell off.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We don't have in-house Java Android or iOS Swift developers, and we had acquired a top-ranking app that was written in Objective-C. We don’t have experience with those languages, so we started the search for a firm that provided services in those areas.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We purchased the app, which helps track time off and began learning as much as we could about leave management techniques and services. We received feedback on how the program should work, and then we built a commercial SaaS platform to manage it.
Xmartlabs is engaged in all the mobile work, and they’re fully integrated with our in-house dev team.

What is the team dynamic?

We work mainly with Agustin [CEO, Xmartlabs] on our business issues, high-level objectives, and design components, and Enrique [COO, Xmartlabs] on logistical issues, billing concerns, and new project establishment. We also work with about 8–10 developers and the Xmartlabs designers.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We performed an extensive amount of research into different firms that provided the specific skill set that we needed. We talked to a few of our past vendors and then went to market, looking at apps that had similar components and design aspects that we wanted ours to have. We also looked in the open source space to see who was providing some of that technology, and Xmartlabs had quite a presence there. Because it was open source, we were able to go in and examine their code quality, revisions, and feedback on the implementation. When we finally engaged with Xmartlabs, they brought in designers to make the app more customer-friendly, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidetial]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2015 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They work in sprints, so we received deliverables every week, which helped us stay focused and on track. We did about 15 sprints, and we were satisfied with their work. The app has been downloaded about 12,000 times, and our customers are consistently giving positive feedback and suggestions.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Xmartlabs always communicates and is open to us. They’re on our Slack channels, and they respond even if we’re not running a current sprint. We use Atlassian tools like Bitbucket, Jira, and Confluence to manage tasks, and perform document sharing via Google.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly polite, competent, nimble, and their code is high-quality and maintainable. We’ve been pleased with all their work, and they’re committed to our project and want to see us succeed. As technologists, they’re exceptional. Combine that with their creativity, and their results often exceed our expectations. They collaborate with us, the designers, and the customer to consistently satisfy our user base. Most other agencies provide partial solutions or products, but Xmartlabs engages holistically to give you the best results possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Over the past couple of years, Xmartlab has continually improved, so I have nothing to complain about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Allow Xmartlabs some flexibility to be creative and they’ll come back with potential changes or solutions that you didn’t even think about.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ChefsFeed is a chef powered food media company. We produce different types of content in conjunction with chefs including videos, stories, guides, and restaurant and dish reviews. We distribute this content to users via our native iOS and Android apps, website, Apple TV app, social media, and the social property of our chefs. We also syndicate that content to a premium culinary network. My role is GM of product, so I oversee in-house and contract development teams and all of our products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

Originally, they were retained to redo the website, but we liked the work that they did, so we’ve expanded their role. We have somebody working on the website on an ongoing basis. We have one developer working full-time on our Android app. Since we have a homegrown CMS, we have another developer who works full-time on the server and infrastructure. They also have some designers in-house that we utilize for design mockups, etc. They’re a core part of our development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve focused on our website which is Ruby on Rails. Our whole stack on the server side is built on Heroku. On the web, it’s Ruby on Rails and JavaScript. We work with every modern software company with many third parties, so we have advertising via GFP integrated into our videos and products. On Android, the app is native.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

They were retained before I came on board.

I’ve been doing product management for the last 8 years, most of it managing remote development teams in Ukraine, India, and Western Europe. This was my first time working with a team in South America, which I like a lot. The time zone difference is a lot easier to work with. On the west coast, it’s only 4 hours difference.

Culturally, I think South America is closer to North America too. Generally, there are less cultural and language barriers, and the people there are brought up speaking English and went to European type schools. Our lead developer is based in Buenos Aries, Argentina. Those are some of the factors that played into hiring them at the time. I did a review of everything when I came on, and for these reasons, I chose to keep them on and expand their role.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January of this year, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This year, a lot of results have come from Xmartlabs, as they comprise 50%–60% of our development resources. We’re seeing increases in our web and Android traffic and higher retention and engagement of those users. This could reasonably be attributed with the work that they have done in conjunction with the product side, the features they’re implementing, how they look, etc.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They are fully integrated into our tools, so we communicate with them regularly in Slack, JIRA, Confluence, and GitHub. We’re in those tools all day. We run Agile development, and they’re full participants in all of the standard meetings that we have. We have daily standups, sprint reviews, planning meetings, and sprint retrospectives. We’re in constant communication with them throughout the day.

Regarding deadlines, despite being contractors, they have pulled several all-nighters, and they don’t bill for overtime, as we have hard external deadlines around feature releases or new operating system updates from Apple, etc. They have a sense of commitment to meeting deadlines, even if it requires working after hours or weekends.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Culturally, they are more similar to developers you would hire in the U.S., which is great. They don’t blindly do what you ask them to implement. I don’t always have time to exhaustively think through, test, and spec out the best way to implement new features. They proactively make suggestions if they think there is a better way to do something, and they bring that up in an amicable way, and we discuss it. Often times, we end up changing the implementation based on their recommendations.

Being contractors, they’ve worked on a lot of different projects. They’ve seen a lot of different code bases and challenges, so that’s been useful. In addition to the people we have full-time, Enrique [Co-Founder and COO, Xmartlabs] oversees and does some project managing of the team. He joins high-level meetings or technology strategy meetings to provide insight that you’d gain from working with a lot of different clients over the years. It’s useful to get that outside, diverse perspective on some things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Hiring developers full-time is a huge issue. It takes forever, and it’s expensive. They have scheduled their resources, but with a little upfront planning, like a month or so, we can bring on new developers without having to go through the huge cost of interviewing because they’ve done the vetting for us, and we trust that. Although there is disparity, of course, in how good all the developers are, which would be expected, there is some minimum level of competency that anyone they bring on has.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to make them as much a part of your organization as you can. You want them to feel like they’re part of the team, and you want to get to know them. To help them get motivated and committed to it, help them understand the context and the business case for the work that they’re doing.

Company Responses

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO at Noble, a mobile ordering and payment platform focused on the entertainment space. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

I needed help building an initial MVP [minimum viable product] for our product. At the time, I just had designs, an idea, and didn’t have a team. I chose to outsource, as a startup, because I was focused primarily on cost. I wasn’t funded, but instead bootstrapping. Looking overseas is definitely a more cost-effective way of doing it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the first version on the iOS platform. They primarily used Swift with the iOS app. Everything is completed. There was a little bit of maintenance in the beginning. Then I found my CTO here and we transitioned it all over to our in-house team. 

What is the team dynamic? 

I had 1 project manager, 1 backend person, and 1 frontend. The project manager also did some development time. 

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

I found them through a Google search. I found a handful of different outsource developers. I had a startup before this and understand the risks of outsourcing because I hired the wrong type of development company in the past. I learned from some of my mistakes in the sense of asking the right questions and really figuring out if they would be the right fit. 

I liked Xmartlabs communication style and enjoyed how easy it was to communicate our business needs and how that translated into their idea of what a technology roadmap would look like. It was a combination of the way they communicated, their understanding of the product, how they were able to contextualize it, and how they brought that to life within an organized technology roadmap that made me choose them.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2017 until June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I had my current tech team look at it and take it over, they were impressed with the quality of code. When our company took it over, there were aspects that we could spend time on to improve it, but all in all, for a project that is outsourced, and compared to what’s out there, they were impressive. I give credit to the quality of code. 

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was impressive. Being able to connect in a timely manner with the team was great. They communicated through Slack and were pretty responsive on all occasions. I can’t remember any times where I didn’t know what was going on. Outside of Slack, we used Asana. They’re very much open to being integrated with the processes that my team had. All of that was very well organized on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was one instance where they had a developer leave and they did a good job of being transparent with that situation. They communicated it in a way where they made sure there was no gap in the work. They introduced me to the replacement and the project kept going. That was good. They’re organized and make sure that their client experiences visibility and transparency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It was smooth and seamless. I’ve recommended others to use them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I was fortunate enough to talk to a handful of different development companies. What led me to Xmartlabs was just their style of communication and their quick understanding of my business. Make sure you find a development company that understands your goals as a business. That shows up in the quality of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a tech startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

I needed help with API and iPhone app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re working on an SDK for AR [augmented reality]. This will enable smartphone users to do a few new things that were previously impossible: for example, I leave a 3D animated puppy on the southwest corner of your office desk and you’ll be able to find that asset with your phone tomorrow. It also enables things like multiplayer smartphone AR gaming. We’re building an application on top of this SDK that enables people to leave specific types of 3D (unity) assets around for each other to find later.

Xmartlabs has built both products for us. They’ve been excellent by every possible metric. They have a lean and fast-moving engineering team that is full stack for iPhone AR development work. They also have skilled UX and graphic designers who have been helping us with the front end UI work.

What is the team dynamic?

There are 6–8 people, with a core team of 4–5 who do everything for us on both the SDK side and the app side. We’ve randomly drawn other people in for a few hours at a time for other projects, like building landing pages and making logos.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We posted the original project on Upwork, which was for building the SDK. Xmartlabs were the best fit and had worked on projects that showed us they’d be qualified. They were really great and very responsive. Being in similar time zones also helped.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of this year, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both quality and speed have been excellent. And they delivered it on time and quickly. It’s been a pleasure working with them.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage everything through a combination of Slack and Trello, and then email to lesser extents. Their English is great. They bill in sprints, with a flat fee for every week. I’m used to things being more itemized, but it’s fine with us. Things are managed smoothly and flexibly, overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They operate like a startup team: they’re not passive. They independently and creatively come up with solutions to technical problems that might happen down the road. If they encounter an issue, they deal with it and return with the solution. So, they’ll come to me with solved problems most of the time. They’re very proactive, and it feels like they’re part of the team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good if the founders were quicker to respond in general. I’ll often have a new idea for a feature I want to build and I’ll ask for a proposal/budget/timeline for that task. The longer it takes for them to get back to me, the more time and money I’m losing. This is the only area in which I think there’s room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Head of Engineering at Austin-based financial services company that provides full-service tax solutions. We help clients minimize their income and property tax liabilities while also donating a portion of our profits to charity and serving the community. I contribute cod, work with product stakeholders on roadmap and requirements, and guide the day-to-day work of the team in partnership with the XmartLabs project manager. The XmartLabs team encompasses the entirely of our software engineering and development resources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

At the start, our main goal was to improve the technology support of our business. We relied on an internal tool and a client-facing portal for our property tax business, but both were struggling to be reliable and meet the needs of our customers & staff members. Additionally, we had a lengthy backlog of desired features that had been waiting to be implemented.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs is responsible for our two main applications. For our internal tool, the main improvements have been around its reliability. Its performance was subpar and needed attention. The team has also expanded the capabilities for one county that we work in making our processes more efficient. Following that, we’ve expanded the tool’s usage into a new county with a different dataset, which has required data analysis, processing, and new code to make the data work with the existing feature set.
For our customer-facing tool, we’ve improved the security of the application, migrated to a new payment provider, expanded the payment options for customers, and worked to improve every administrative aspect of the application. Earlier this year, the team also implemented an entirely new customer registration flow that improves the user experience and gathers more data on how we can continue to evolve that experience.

What is the team composition?

We work with five full-time teammates and three part-time teammates from Xmartlabs.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

I found Xmartlabs through a referral from a contact at another fractional project I work on. The strong recommendations from the references were a big factor in our decision. Both individuals described working with Xmartlabs for years across several projects and companies. The reliability, longevity, and continued trust they shared in the Xmartlabs team were key things I was looking for in a nearshore partner. I was also highly interested in a partner that was close to US time zones, cost-effective, and had a large enough bench to get started quickly.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve increased the rate of payments from customers, bringing more revenue to the business. Many customers have opted for the new ACH payment method, which has reduced costs for customers and the business. Approximately 60% of customers have opted for the ACH payment method, saving customers and the company $27,000 in credit card fees in 2024. 
We’ve also seen improvements in turnaround times in communication and response to production issues. Problems that often wouldn’t get a response for 24 hours and a fix in 48–72 hours now get responses within 60–90 minutes and often a resolution on the same business day.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Generally, they deliver on time and go above and beyond to do so. Any challenges we’ve had with delivery have mostly been attributed to unknowns with the project and codebase. We primarily communicate via Slack and email, with the team running daily video stand-ups that I also attend.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of communication and investment in the project has been impressive. Every team member speaks up with questions about the work, raises challenges they’re facing that could cause delays or shifts from the original plan, and is excellent at communicating directly with non-technical stakeholders. The team strives to produce the highest quality of work possible while keeping the business needs and timelines in mind. They often proactively bring iterative plans to the table to keep things improving on the technology and business sides.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any feedback provided on concerns with a team member’s work has been addressed quickly with visible, positive results. The team turnover has been a minimal, expected level for typical technology workers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a principal at a data analytics and strategic consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We needed to test the validity of a product idea, build a prototype, and conduct market research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs carried out a product discovery phase for a data-driven MVP aimed at improving member engagement metrics within the client’s organization. They documented interviews and testing results and provided evidence and data from continuous testing points.

After that, they built a prototype and validated the MVP. The team analyzed and defined the data model structure and worked on an Argyle API integration proof of concept. They also defined the infrastructure and MVP architecture.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates from Xmartlabs.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We found Xmartlabs through a referral. We chose them over other options because of their alignment with the principles of agile product development.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Xmartlabs from August 2024–February 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Xmartlabs delivered working prototypes, backend infrastructure, survey results, focus group series, and slide deck support. The working prototypes allowed us to communicate product ideas to the client and test value propositions to end users. Customers said the design was excellent, and end users appreciated the intuitive interfaces that allowed them to consider the value proposition.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Xmartlabs had exceptional project management. They always delivered on time and met our needs. We had twice-weekly standup meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with Xmartlabs' great communication, quick and quality work, terrific design, and ability to understand our business goals and partner well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren't any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your goals clearly, and Xmartlabs will help you achieve them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of NeuroNet Learning

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Neuroscience-based educational curriculum company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Update Aging Rails Application
• Migrate Servers to US
• Add Features

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Online Search

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

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

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We have a Rails application and that had not been properly maintained. The project objectives were to:

• Update Rails to a supported version
• Migrate our servers from Europe to the US
• Add features for the new school year

During the engagement, XSmartLabs suggested putting our production and staging environments on separate servers. They completed this work too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All targeted deliverables were accomplished.

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

• The project management and communications were excellent.
• Daily stand-ups were run reliably and on time and were effective at keeping the project moving forward.
• Tickets were managed in Jira.
• Communication was managed on Slack.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their project management and development were both effective.

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

The work went smoothly, the team performed well, attitudes were positive, quality work was accomplished, and our objectives were met within our budget. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of a dental info company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a fun resource for credible and evidence-based dental information to help you confidently make the right choices for your smile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebuild the front end of our website.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Rebuild our website through the implementation of a new Frontend app that will address current shortcomings, introduce new designs and features.
• Make adjustments to the existing backend and infrastructure to support the new frontend and have a solid foundation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lighthouse score and increased website traffic. 

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

XmartLabs consistently held weekly status meetings throughout the project, ensuring we were always informed about their progress. Their proactive communication kept us fully updated every step of the way, providing us with great peace of mind.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Working with them felt less like having contractors and more like having them as part of our team.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of Charge Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help hospitals engage and retain their caregivers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Xmartlabs to accomplish?
Create a stable app in the iOS and Android Stores

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We had an MVP app and needed to build it into an enterprise grade solution.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Development Milestones

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

xmart delivered all items on time and with excellent quality. They also were able to go beyond mere execution and suggest better ways for us to build our product. They are a value add partner and the best development shop I have worked with.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their good communication instilled trust that they were a reliable part of our team. They felt engaged and had an understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.

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

They are great!