Cheesecake Labs

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Volo and the American Dream TV. We’re a media and tech company in the real estate space. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We were building a video-infused real estate search mobile app. Our team developed the concept for the app for about two years. Then, we built our MVP in-house — a software engineer and I collaborated on it. We needed a vendor to help us bring our vision to life much faster, so we hired Cheesecake Labs. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs has taken our vision and assembled a team of six people to work directly with us. Other staff members also join at times, but the six-member team executes our backlog and delivers the product to the market. In terms of technology, we use the Flutter and Firebase tech stacks. 

For core app features and functionality, the app serves as a video-infused real estate search platform. When looking at traditional real estate search platforms in the US, they mainly feature homes with photos and descriptions. Meanwhile, we believe that video not only enhances real estate searches; they’re also the best medium for selling and searching for homes.

As a result, the main feature of our app is integrating real estate data with our media technology. We’ve developed searchable index map and video upload features where real estate professionals can add videos to their local marketplace on the app. This platform is currently available on iOS and Android, but we intend to add a desktop element in the future. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two frontend engineers, one backend engineer, a QA specialist, a tech lead, and a project manager. 

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

I found Cheesecake Labs through Google and hired them after interviewing multiple companies. They were one of the touted companies that had Flutter development as one of their core competencies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $300,000–$320,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Cheesecake Labs has managed to clear the backlogs we’ve given them before 2022 started. That’s the first milestone they hit. Currently, we work on a sprint schedule, and that’s how we monitor success. We develop the sprints and then prioritize backlogged items before scheduling our releases. Against this process, the team always hits our release deadlines. 

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. In fact, we’ve had an issue with our project manager and communicated it to them. They’ve been receptive and responsive to the matter. Within three business days, we’ve acquired a new phenomenal project manager. From there, the project management throughout the engagement has been great. 

In terms of tools, we use Jira to manage the project. Our teams also use Slack for daily communications. We do daily standups on Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cheesecake Labs’ talent is impressive. Their resources are all based in Brazil, and working with Brazilian developers has been a new experience for me. Their work ethic has been unmatched. On top of that, they’re highly educated and serve as experts in the field. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to scale down the team that Cheesecake Labs provides. We’re a small company, but we eight get 5–6 developers from them or we get none. Overall, the ability to easily scale up and down the team would be a good improvement in their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Voice your concerns. Cheesecake Labs’ leadership is highly involved if you engage them. They’re willing to step in if you have any issues, so be vocal to them — they’ll make things happen. Don’t let your concerns just reside on the project management level. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is Bemis Manufacturing Company, a family-owned and private company. We’ve recently celebrated our 100th year anniversary. Our brand has over 60% share in the toilet seat market — if customers go to Walmart or Target, they’ll most likely find a Bemis toilet seat. I lead all of our organic growth opportunities and manage our partnerships. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

I led an investment that resulted in the need for a smart device for toilet seats. We then engaged Cheesecake Labs to develop the app for that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We weren’t familiar with IoT — it wasn’t our sweet spot — but we wanted to take our toilet seats to the next level. As a result, we asked Cheesecake Labs to design an app that allowed users to control their seats better using their smartphones. We initially introduced our company and told them what kind of help we needed.

At present, we’re still developing the app, which will be available on both iOS and Android app stores. The app lets users use various smart toilet features, such as finding information about how long they’ve been on the seat and how many times they’ve used their toilets. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager as our single point of contact.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

One member of our team had used Cheesecake Labs before, and that was how we found them. We then used Clutch to search for their reviews, along with other development companies. Then, we interviewed Cheesecake Labs, and they did a fantastic job. It was important for us to find a team that was patient enough to guide us through the development process. Our company eventually decided to engage them.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget for this project is $220,000, and we’ve already spent around $180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cheesecake Labs in June 2021, and the project is ongoing.

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

Cheesecake Labs has been a valuable partner to us. They’ve guided us through the journey, and the team has been proactive — this is truly important for a company like ours. As first-timers in the IoT world, we’re glad that they approach the project from our perspective. They consider what we don’t know and our challenges, and then they anticipate issues and find solutions for us.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Cheesecake Labs does a great job of keeping us under budget. Every week, we know where we are in terms of our budget. We’re absolutely glad to be working with them because of this. Moreover, their scheduling is truly impressive, and their resources are always on time — we’ve experienced no delays so far, which is great. 

Their communication has also been fantastic. They keep us on task every week. Our teams have weekly calls, and it’s easy to communicate with the project manager. Overall, our communication is great. We mainly use Slack, but we also use Teams for conference calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything good that I’ve mentioned about them has been impressive. As a client, when we reach out to companies, we need to know who’s more responsive and organized — the Cheesecake Labs team has been extremely proactive and organized even from the beginning. In fact, before giving us a quote, they’ve already spent time understanding our product. Overall, their proactiveness and general communication skills set them apart from competitors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. Everything is going well, and we’re quite satisfied with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want, and communicate often. Work with their project manager — this is your go-to person, and this person is amazing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that builds lending technology for underserved populations.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We had a new website design that we needed help implementing. They were brought on to develop the frontend code.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked in React and Gatsby.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people, I believe.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

We interviewed a number of firms in our process and found them to be a great combination of professionalism and capacity for our given timeline. They were also transparent.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2021.

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

We haven’t had a chance to fully integrate the code yet, but our technical team was very pleased with Cheesecake Labs coding practices and frameworks. We’re in a good spot to implement the deliverable later this year.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was very strong. They were upfront about specific items that would take longer than expected. They prioritized what we needed and provided extra resources as required.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were perfectly fine.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Lys Academy, a development and training company. We create and implement courses through WhatsApp for big companies here in Brazil. Last year, we trained more than 80,000 students for people who work outside their office. We also train door-to-door sales people as well as do courses for Uber drivers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We had to officially integrate with WhatsApp. We needed to create all the software that communicates with Twilio, then Twilio communicates with WhatsApp.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs built the software for us from scratch. They created all the backend and connections with Twilio. Their team also developed a frontend where we have tutors and teachers who interact with our students. They developed a communication dashboard where our teachers can interact with the students. Their team developed both the front- and backend of our infrastructure as well.

Cheesecake Labs also created all the rules of the platform that configures our courses. We defined the standard, the number that we used for the project course. We created all the flows from each source when it starts and what day of the week we deliver the course. We also write all the courses that we deliver if it’s an image or a text. They did all of it.

What is the team composition?

There were almost five full-time individuals working on it and some part-time senior people who were involved also. There’s front- and backend developers, a UX designer, and a QA person who tests everything.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They were recommended by a friend. We liked their practical approach and understanding of our project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Our courses are working. In the beta version, we had some errors happening between 3–5% but this is reducing month by month as they correct the code and improve the servers.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They utilize Kanban for project management. We mainly interact using Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cheesecake Labs is very professional. They have a senior, skilled team. Their team is very transparent on billing. It’s a great combination.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear scope of work in order to have a good estimation of costs and time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Baton is a startup transforming how apps are discovered and shared. I am non-technical founder who was looking for a trustworthy app development agency to help guide early growth of the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Cheesecake Labs?

Baton hired Cheesecake Labs to conduct a technical validation of an app concept and lean product definition. This was the first project for Baton and Cheesecake Labs was selected after meetings with several other agencies. Cheesecake offered the best plan and proposal at the best price.

What were your goals for this project?

It was critical that the Baton app concept be technically validated in order to begin fundraising and advance other business discussions. Cheesecake took the time to understand the specific needs of Baton and quickly developed a customized plan for the project. Within days, a team was assigned to start work on a schedule.

How did you select Cheesecake Labs?

I contacted several app development agencies and other individual app developers. After a fairly extended vetting process, Cheesecake Labs was not only the most professional and proactive, but also showed a genuine interest in the project and its success.

Describe the project in detail.

The project began with an introduction to the team and the presentation of a project roadmap that outlined the deliverables and schedule. I then walked the team through the Baton app concept, business strategies and technical requirements. From there, a dedicated Slack channel was created so that I could stay in contact with members of my team and questions could go back and forth.

Cheesecake also replied promptly and always did what they said they were going to do. At each subsequent stage, Cheesecake did not just deliver project assets but also took the time to explain the latest developments and their thinking.

What was the team composition?

Baton was assigned a project manager and two UX/UI designers. Additionally, when the project manager was out on vacation...Cheescake assigned the CTO of the company to the project to ensure that the project continued smoothly and uninterrupted.

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

The project was a success and Cheesecake Labs provided the assets needs to continue advancing the business. Even at the project's conclusion, Cheesecake continued to offer advice, networking opportunities and other advice to help ensure progress continues.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very efficient, effective and each project deliverable/milestone was well defined. Cheesecake was very proactive in scheduling calls, meeting deadlines and answering any questions I had.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their genuine interest in the Baton project and the effort to get to know our team. As a non-technical founder, they went above and beyond when it came to clarifying any areas of potential confusion or where there was not a full understanding of a technical component of the project.

They listened to feedback, but also did not hesitate to disagree or provide constructive criticism to further improve the project. Perhaps most importantly, they created a custom plan for Baton that proved a genuine interest in the project and not just the revenue it would bring. Thank you, Cheesecake Labs!

Are there any areas for improvement?

One area of improvement would be in the quality of written materials. Occasionally, there were some typos or awkward sentences.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a consulting company focused on financial planning for larger companies. I’m a managing partner, working on sales and marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We currently support a leading software solution focused on financial planning and analytics. However, we felt there were gaps in the marketplace that we couldn’t address with our current software. We brought them onto the team to develop solutions to our gaps in functionality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked them to build a solution from top to bottom. While our team has technical skills, we’re closely focused on the functional end of finance and accounting. They were responsible for developing the solution from the ground up, focusing on logins and client navigation. We brought them in to address the interface, and we had overlapping backend resources. Our goal was to build a beautiful interface for our modern application.  We just completed the first phase of the project with them.

What is the team composition?

At this point, we’ve worked with a team of 5–6. We’re looking at adding more resources for future tasks. The first phase was focused on the interface, so we worked with designers, a project manager, and an executive sponsor. In the future, we’ll add more backend developers and an architect.  

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

I found them on LinkedIn and recognized their region as being great for tech and development. As I did more research in their region, they continued to come up as one of the top shops. We reached out, and they put us in touch with a few references. They impressed us with the entire process, so we brought them on board. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000 so far. We’re expecting our spending to pick up significantly moving forward. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since October 2020.

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

After showing our prototype to five executives, we received great feedback on where we are in the project so far. They’re supportive of the user interface and functionality we’ve incorporated so far. 

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We had one formal call each week, but we were also able to collaborate pretty easily on Slack. That helped us stay productive and keep up communications. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very impressed with their talent for building modern user interfaces. They went beyond our expectations for both their talent and resources. Their work looks as good as any other modern interface on the market today. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They went beyond our expectations for quality, cost, and resources.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep up a strong communication system. They have a pretty deep bench, so feel free to voice your thoughts about the team staffed for your work. I’m sure they’d accommodate your requests there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Eu Quero Investir!, a brokerage firm in Brazil.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We were trying to scale our business through technology. We wanted to develop software for our internal sales team.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs is building our app so that we can offer better assistance to our clients. They’re using React Native. We’re working on version two with them.

We have an in-house software team of 12 developers. We handle backend development, while Cheesecake Labs does frontend development and design.

What is the team composition?

There’s one frontend person, a designer, a product manager, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

They came as a reference when we were searching for a software house.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and the work is ongoing.

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

The major impact was the speed at which they helped deliver what our client wanted. They delivered on time.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via Slack and email. The communication has a good flow and works well. I have nothing to complain about regarding project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project manager’s scheduling and organization are really good. He works really well with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could get a little better on the QA side. I already gave them feedback on what we needed from them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Woovit, which is effectively a CRM system for publishers. Our product connects people who make videos about video games with the publishers that distribute codes to them. It’s a platform that algorithmically sorts someone who is qualified to get a code automatically or gives an option for the publishers to manually review the code request.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

I needed to develop my platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs developed the software soup to nuts. I provided light product management, product direction, and customer feedback loops, but they engineered the CRM system. Woovit relies a lot on APIs from places like YouTube, Twitch, Steam, and Mixer. They used a standard open source stack.

Most recently, their team became the project designers too. They work on graphic design for the platform.

What is the team composition?

Right now, we effectively have six people working on this project.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

I asked a startup CTO for a recommendation for an outsourced development agency. He suggested Cheesecake. I evaluated a large number of outsourced firms, but Cheesecake came with a strong recommendation, which they validated. Since then, I haven’t looked for other third-party providers.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested over $500,000 in their services. We’ve had a substantial commitment over many years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on our first project together about seven years ago but this project started in 2016. Our collaboration’s ongoing.

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

The main impact of the engagement is that Woovit works. They’ve been able to execute on the vision, doing so in an overwhelmingly efficient and engaged manner.

The project wasn’t trivial. They had to weave together a lot of different code bases. To get the componentization of the codebase done properly is beyond what is often done. They’ve always handled ingesting a lot of data from different services well.

They also care. When a bug happens, they resolve it quickly. Their team takes pride in their work and feels like an internal team. They want to see the project succeed and often brainstorm insightful ideas. Many of their suggestions have been incorporated into the platform.

The product manager on the Cheesecake side saw me wearing a Woovit t-shirt. And then, she quite sincerely asked for Woovit t-shirts for her own team. It’s a small story, but it’s representative of their genuine care for the project.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Jira is our primary project management tool. If there’s a delay in the project, their team communicates it to us.

One of the biggest fears and failures with outsourced development is communication. Everyone on the Cheesecake team communicates well. We almost never have a misunderstanding when it comes to discussions of objectives.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their clear communication is one of their standout qualities. Their team brings the strongest engineering resources to bear.

I’ve seen Cheesecake grow from a small firm. They have good process discipline in a way that isn’t there to only churn out billable hours.

That’s been an improvement on the already excellent services that I’ve received from them over the years. Cheesecake’s an excellent option for anyone considering outsourced development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For their services, it’s had to have an expectation beyond what they deliver. They’re not full-time engineers at a startup, so they aren’t working around the clock. That’s not a criticism because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. They’ve improved their process management over the years.

In terms of a comprehensive outsourced solution, they could bring on stronger design resources. But we’re happy with a recent UX/UI addition to the team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of 3778, a healthcare tech startup. We develop B2B and B2C solutions for hospitals and medical providers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We wanted to outsource the front- and backend development for one of our projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs developed the front- and backend of a web app. Their team built a backend service that feeds into our database and collects the data, which we gathered from the provider. They also developed the frontend.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with the project manager and established a connection with their VP of engineering. I also communicated with the three developers involved in this project.

How did you come to work with Cheesecake Labs?

We’re based in the same city as Cheesecake Labs and heard a lot about them. The combination of their location and quality of work made them a great option.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between February–June 2020.

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

I’m satisfied with the quality of their work overall. Their team conducted a lot of user tests. We had coverage metrics of more than 80%, which they reached.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Every two weeks, we made plans together but also had biweekly meetings. Their team was transparent, informing us of any challenges. They were productive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cheesecake Labs was highly committed to the project. You can’t always find that level of dedication with an outsourced provider.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, there were architectural features that could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to provide them with detailed specifications.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the R&D and innovation coordinator at AES Tietê. We're an energy solutions corporation located in more than 15 countries around the world. We have assets including hydro, solar, and wind generation around the world.

What challenge were you trying to address with Cheesecake Labs?

We needed help with web development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cheesecake Labs helped us to develop our platform called Virtual Powerplant (VPT). They were responsible for an algorithm that affects our partner, which is a research institute. Their team also manages a portfolio of our clients and local assets generation behind the mirror.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and two developers directly. We also worked with another 2–3 people from Cheesecake Labs for different tasks such as frontend development.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We didn’t ask them to develop the platform alone. Rather, we collaborated on this project easily. Their collaborative style, communication, and knowledge led us to achieve our goal of having this platform at the end of the project. The project’s three parts and we intend to work with Cheesecake Labs for the second phase.

How did Cheesecake Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We reviewed any features that Cheesecake Labs developed during weekly meetings. We used Microsoft Office Calendar to check their progress and that worked well. Their team was part of every meeting with the research center, which was the key point of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though it was one of Cheesecake Labs’ first projects with an energy company, their team understood our business quickly. They developed an understanding of the energy sector and applied that to the product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could manage the hours and the contract’s a bit better.