Yellowstone Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Team Leader Engineering of ForSaleByOwner

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

For Sale By Owner is the United States' largest "by owner" real estate website that provides a real estate advertising service allowing owners to list their properties online without using traditional real estate brokers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Yellowstone Labs to accomplish?

• Modernize ForSaleByOwners 20-year-old legacy web application to improve performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Ensure the platform could handle immense traffic spikes during our Super Bowl LVI ad campaign without downtime or performance degradation
• Transition ForSaleByOwner technology stack to modern tools and infrastructure, including React, Go, and AWS, to future-proof the platform and enhance developer productivity

SOLUTION

How did you find Yellowstone Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Yellowstone Labs over others?

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

How many teammates from Yellowstone Labs were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We engaged Yellowstone Labs to help us address critical challenges with our platform, both in modernizing our aging system and ensuring its scalability for a major traffic event. Their work was comprehensive, and the results exceeded our expectations.

Key Deliverables:

Modernizing Our Legacy Application:

• Yellowstone Labs began by thoroughly auditing our 20-year-old legacy PHP application, identifying areas that needed modernization while preserving essential functionalities.
• They rebuilt the frontend using React, providing a sleek, dynamic, and responsive user interface that improved the experience for our users.
• They re-engineered the backend in Go, allowing us to handle high volumes of concurrent requests efficiently and future-proofing the platform with a modern and maintainable solution.
• Our infrastructure was migrated to AWS, with Yellowstone Labs implementing EC2 for computing, RDS for databases, and S3 for storage. This transition not only improved scalability but also gave us access to reliable cloud services

Preparing for a Super Bowl LVI Ad Traffic Surge:

• Yellowstone Labs implemented AWS AppConfig to give us the ability to make real-time adjustments to key configurations, such as feature flags and rate limits, without needing to redeploy the application.
• They conducted rigorous load testing to simulate the expected traffic during and after our Super Bowl commercial. Their efforts ensured our platform could handle the sudden spike in users without any downtime or degradation in performance.

Ongoing Collaboration and Knowledge Transfer:

• The team kept us informed at every stage, explaining their approach, providing regular updates, and addressing our questions promptly and thoroughly.
• They also delivered detailed documentation and guidance, making it easier for our internal developers to manage and expand upon the solutions they implemented.

Summary:

Yellowstone Labs handled the modernization and scalability improvements for our platform with unmatched expertise and professionalism. They transformed our legacy system into a high-performance, scalable solution while preparing us for one of the most critical events in our company’s history—the Super Bowl LVI ad campaign. Every deliverable was completed on time and with exceptional quality, positioning us for continued success.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Improved Performance and Scalability:

• The platform’s response times improved noticeably, ensuring a faster and more reliable user experience.
• The upgraded system successfully handled a significant traffic surge during and after the Super Bowl ad, with no downtime or performance issues.

Enhanced Developer Productivity:

• The migration to a modern tech stack (React, Go, and AWS) made the platform much easier to maintain and improved the efficiency of our development team.

Future-Ready Infrastructure:

• The move to AWS provided a scalable and cost-effective cloud infrastructure, reducing overall hosting complexities.
• Real-time configuration updates via AWS AppConfig allowed us to adapt to changing needs quickly without disrupting service.

Adoption of New Technologies Across the Parent Company:

• The success of this project led to Go being adopted as the preferred language for development across our parent company, benefiting future projects with its efficiency and scalability.

Seamless Super Bowl Campaign:

• The Super Bowl campaign was a success, with the platform remaining fully operational and delivering a smooth experience for users during the critical campaign period

These outcomes demonstrated Yellowstone Labs’ expertise in delivering impactful solutions that met and exceeded our expectations, leaving us with a robust and future-proof platform.

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

Yellowstone Labs demonstrated exceptional project management throughout our engagement. They maintained clear and consistent communication, keeping us informed at every stage of the project. Milestones and deliverables were well-defined from the beginning, and they adhered to the agreed timelines without any delays.

Their responsiveness to our needs was impressive. Whether it was addressing questions, refining aspects of the project based on our feedback, or providing additional insights, Mahendra and his team were always proactive and solution-oriented. They took the time to fully understand our goals and challenges, which was reflected in how effectively they tailored their approach to meet our specific requirements.

Overall, their project management ensured a smooth and efficient process, giving us confidence in their ability to deliver high-quality results on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Yellowstone Labs?

Virtual Meeting

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

What stood out most about Yellowstone Labs was their deep technical expertise combined with an exceptional ability to grasp our business goals and challenges. Mahendra and his team demonstrated a profound understanding of modern technologies and how to apply them strategically to solve complex problems.

Their proactive approach to problem-solving was also remarkable. Rather than just executing tasks, they took the initiative to propose innovative solutions that improved our platform far beyond what we had initially envisioned. The use of AWS AppConfig to dynamically adapt to traffic spikes during the Super Bowl was a prime example of their forward-thinking approach.

Additionally, their seamless communication and responsiveness made the entire collaboration feel effortless. It was clear that they genuinely cared about our success, which is not something you find in every vendor. They truly operated as a partner, not just a service provider.

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

Nothing stands out at the moment. Working with Yellowstone Labs was a very positive experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Buildpeer

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Buildpeer is a project management and team collaboration software for the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Yellowstone Labs to accomplish?

• We needed to expand our user base by making our platform accessible to non-Spanish speaking users.
• We required a solution to enable our on-site construction teams to effectively use the mobile app even in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
• We sought to enhance the overall user experience by offering seamless, real-time translation of both text and voice communications within the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you find Yellowstone Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Yellowstone Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Yellowstone Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work was comprehensive, addressing both our web and mobile platforms. Yellowstone Labs was tasked with integrating AI-driven translation capabilities for text and voice notes, as well as developing robust offline functionality for our mobile app.

For the translation piece, this involved working across our entire tech stack: the Express.js backend, the React.js web frontend, and our Expo-based mobile app. They had to seamlessly weave in Google Translate for common languages and OpenAI for more nuanced, context-aware translations, especially for the voice notes, which required speech-to-text conversion, translation, and then text-to-speech.
This was no small feat, particularly the voice note translation, which is quite sophisticated.

The offline capability was another major deliverable. Mahendra and his team implemented this using CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types), which I was particularly impressed with. This allowed our on-site teams to continue working even without a connection, with changes syncing flawlessly once connectivity was restored. They also handled local storage and caching to make the offline experience truly smooth.

Key deliverables included:

• Real-time text translation integrated across web and mobile platforms.
• AI-powered voice note translation with multilingual support.
• Offline functionality for the mobile app using CRDTs.
• Comprehensive documentation and support for the implemented features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen several measurable outcomes that clearly demonstrate the project's success. First, we've observed a significant increase in user engagement from non-Spanish speaking users. The real-time translation has broken down the language barrier, opening up our platform to a much wider audience. We've also seen a marked improvement in user satisfaction among our on-site construction teams. 
The offline functionality has been a game-changer for them, eliminating frustration caused by connectivity issues and boosting their productivity. While we don't have hard numbers yet on the increase in productivity, anecdotally, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Finally, the improved user experience has strengthened our brand reputation within the construction tech space, which is invaluable.

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

Yellowstone Labs' project management was excellent. Mahendra and his team were highly organized and communicative throughout the entire process. They established clear timelines and milestones from the outset, and they consistently delivered on time. We had regular check-in meetings where they provided progress updates and proactively addressed any potential roadblocks. 
They were also very responsive to our needs. Whenever we had questions or requests, they were quick to get back to us with thoughtful solutions. Their team's understanding of our business needs was impressive. They didn't just build what we asked for; they truly grasped the "why" behind it, often offering valuable suggestions and improvements along the way. They were a true partner in this project, not just a vendor.

What was your primary form of communication with Yellowstone Labs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Several things impressed me about Yellowstone Labs, but what stood out most was their deep technical expertise combined with their genuine understanding of our business. Many development firms can build software, but Mahendra and his team truly understood the nuances of our industry and the specific challenges we faced. Their ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies like OpenAI and CRDTs into our existing platform was remarkable.
It wasn't just about throwing technology at the problem; they carefully considered the best approach for our specific needs. Beyond their technical skills, their communication and project management were top-notch. They were proactive, responsive, and genuinely cared about the success of our project. It felt like a true partnership, and that's something you don't often find.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of DataStreet

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

DataStreet is a Change Order solution used by Specialty Contractors and Self Perform Contractors in the commercial construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Yellowstone Labs to accomplish?

• Expand the accessibility of our mobile app by converting it into a progressive web application.
• Enable faster deployment of new features without relying on app store approval processes.
• Improve overall platform usability for users with outdated or unsupported mobile devices.

SOLUTION

How did you find Yellowstone Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Yellowstone Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Yellowstone Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work involved transforming our mobile-only time and materials tracking app into a fully functional progressive web application (PWA) to improve accessibility and scalability. Yellowstone Labs leveraged our existing React Native codebase and used Expo Web to seamlessly extend the app’s functionality to web browsers. Key deliverables included optimizing the app’s user interface for web environments, implementing responsive design to ensure compatibility across devices, and refining navigation to align with web interactions while maintaining the intuitive feel of the original mobile app. Additionally, they addressed browser-specific events and ensured smooth performance across different screen sizes and orientations. The result was a flexible, high-performing web application that expanded our reach and allowed us to deploy updates rapidly without app store delays. The entire process was handled with precision, and the final product exceeded our expectations in both usability and quality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes from the project were highly impactful. First, the app's reach expanded significantly, as it became accessible to users on any device with a web browser, broadening the platform's user base. We also achieved faster feature rollouts, as we could deploy updates without waiting for app store approval, which reduced our time-to-market. Additionally, the transition to a progressive web application greatly improved usability, providing a smoother performance and a better user experience across various devices and screen sizes. This increased accessibility and quicker updates led to higher user engagement and overall satisfaction.

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

Yellowstone Labs' project management was outstanding. They delivered every milestone on time, consistently meeting deadlines without compromising quality. Their team was highly responsive to our needs and always ready to address any concerns or adjustments. Communication was seamless, with regular updates and clear timelines that kept us informed throughout the project. Whenever new requirements or challenges arose, they were quick to adapt, offering practical solutions and ensuring that the project stayed on track. Their proactive approach made the entire process smooth and efficient, and we always felt confident in their ability to meet our objectives.

What was your primary form of communication with Yellowstone Labs?

Virtual Meeting

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

What I found most impressive about Yellowstone Labs was their ability to deeply understand our business and technical requirements from the outset. They didn’t just deliver a technical solution—they became true partners in the process, offering valuable insights that improved the final product. Their blend of technical expertise, practical problem-solving, and seamless communication set them apart. They consistently demonstrated a rare combination of precision, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to our success, which made working with them a truly exceptional experience.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former Owner Consultant of Buddyworks, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provide Media Technology consulting services to traditional and new media companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Yellowstone Labs to accomplish?

• Build a web server to run custom media transformation and deliver workflows

SOLUTION

How did you find Yellowstone Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Yellowstone Labs over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Yellowstone Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The work Yellowstone Labs provided my client involved building a web server, connecting to the client's cloud based asset management system containing nearly a pedabyte's worth of media assets, and implementing many custom workflow actions for media ingest, transformation, analysis and delivery to various digital media endpoints like Amagi, JWPlayer, Zype 

 Specifically, activities Yellowstone provided on behalf of my company, Buddyworks LLC included:

• Integrated with Telestream Cloud and AWS MediaConvert to run media transformation actions on finished media in many source formats for publishing
• Created analysis workflows to identify ad marker locations in finished media, generated reports on duplicate assets in the archive, archive migration validation scripts to ensure all client source media on a production was duplicated to the cloud archive
• Created reporting tools for the client to track in-progress, completed and errored job statuses in Slack and the asset management system metadata schema, as well as weekly email jobs and activity reports
• Built delivery workflows that generated appropriately formatted streaming files and metadata sidecars for delivery to Amagi, JWPlayer, Zype, YouTube and other digital publishing services

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Thousands of successful workflows triggered by the client reduced the amount of repetitive and manual work the client team had to perform to deliver media
• Deduplication of media efforts in the cloud saved thousand of dollars in storage costs a month
• Migration of the primary web server and services to AWS reduced annual costs by close to $10k a year.

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

The Yellowstone Labs Project Manager was always available via Slack and responded quickly to requests for information and scoping.  Additionally, the team supplied deliverables on time, and were adaptable to last minute requirements refinement or enhancements requested by the client.  Overall, they are very easy to work with and are still involved in another project I am working on.

What was your primary form of communication with Yellowstone Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The company was thoughtful about scoping, taking time to evaluate the balance between performance and cost.  When the client had technical issues that were clearly outside the parameters of the solution built by Yellowstone Labs, the PM always took the time to participate in troubleshooting. 

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

I can't think of anything