ChicMic

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of BetterTogether the #1 social wellbeing and weight loss platform.

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

We wanted to expand our app capabilities and shorten the time to market of changes we need to deliver to our customers

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

We interviewed several providers and after a few rounds of interviews and reference calls we had we appreciated their attitude and their experience with other projects and clients and decided to select ChicMic

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

We started with an initial review of the existing functionality of the app and the business around it. They were followed by a code review by the developer and Q&A sessions to clear any misunderstandings or queries they had. Then we started with simple tasks sprint to validate the E2E delivery process and then moved to more complex sprints and ML. The developments were done on our iOS and Android apps including the backend server based on AWS services.

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

A project manager was assigned with 1-2 developers per expertise area depending on the load of each sprint.

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

With every sprint of about 3 weeks, we were able to deliver dozens of enhancements to support our subscription capabilities on both platforms and we saw a significant increase in the number of membership members

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

We based the communication on daily calls and communication over skype with all the team members and document the tasks requirements and their progress on Asana

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

On top of the app development skill what impresses us most is their attitude to our success and their commitment to high-quality deliveries. Their dedication is endless and even during the New Year holiday once we had technical issues they were committed to us and worked on fixing critical issues during the holiday and saved us a lot of embarrassments with our customers.

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

I think they are our perfect partners and being flexible on both sides is the key and would not change anything

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of a financial education company.

What challenge were you trying to address with ChicMic?

We reached out to ChicMic to develop our mobile learning app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ChicMic designed and developed our mobile learning app from scratch, incorporating the different training tools we provided. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with about five people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with ChicMic?

We found them through an online search. They were a highly rated overseas app developer. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January 2018–February 2019, but they continue to be available to fix any bugs as needed. 

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

ChicMic created exactly what we wanted, and the app has been very well received internally thus far. They also met all of our deadlines and milestones per our requirements. 

How did ChicMic perform from a project management standpoint?

They were outstanding. During initial meetings with their CEO, they laid out the UI screen by screen for us to view. In addition to meeting all timelines, they also provided a lot of helpful feedback throughout the project to help us improve outcomes. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills, timeliness, and attention to detail set them apart. Despite their offshore location, we had no issues with their responsiveness and nothing went wrong throughout the process. Their customer service was consistent from start to finish. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It was a great experience all around. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I just recommend working with them, because they're very knowledgeable, responsive to client needs, and committed to deadlines. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a mobile app publishing company called Vortex Ventures.

For what projects/services did your company hire ChicMic?

I hired ChicMic to complete the development of my company's first mobile app. My app was a bit too complex for the previous development company I had hired, so ChicMic was tasked to correct apparent glitches and apply new features while ensuring that existing features would function more smoothly. 

What were your goals for this project? 

My goal was to have my app fully functional and polished for release on the App Store.

How did you select this vendor?

I was looking for the right balance of price, experience, and expertise. Working with ChicMic for over a year, I can say with full confidence that finding them was like hitting the jackpot. 

Describe the project in detail. 

I constructed a checklist of all features that needed to be addressed. ChicMic’s programmers and supervisors updated the checklist as they completed features, and they shared queries whenever there were questions or requests for clarification.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project supervisor and 1–2 other programmers.

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

The app has only been released on the App Store for a short time, and ad campaigns are still ongoing. So far, users are very pleased. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs? 

Their workflow was very effective. Communication throughout the duration of the project was ongoing and very frequent, and we worked really well together. All issues were resolved due to our combined synergy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their programmers were highly skilled, and, more importantly, their communication was quick and constant, which is key in business.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, there’s nothing to note. I highly recommend ChicMic. They'll be my go-to development house for updating features in the future.

Please describe your organization.

The company is BLOCKish Pty Ltd. We're a game creator in Queensland, Australia.

What is your role at the company?

My title is dreamer and director of ideas, development, and prototypes.

What business challenge were you trying to address with ChicMic?

We had developed a skills game (board game) that we wanted to transform for the mobile market. We were looking for a small and affordable company to execute this project.       

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We were looking for full coding of the mobile game for iOS and Android, including game center, single player, multiplayer, and artificial intelligence, such as playing against the computer.   

How did you come to work with ChicMic?

Initially, we had several discussions with the Australian company Appster. They completed an initial functional scope and, through the process, referred us to ChicMic in India.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The budget was between $50,000 and $60,000, and the project was completed within nine months.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed between January and September 2014.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The project was completed within the time frame and budget – several changes were made during the development process, and the ChicMic team was very professional in accommodating those. Communication was clear and precise, and their team provided valuable suggestions – some of which were included in the game release.

What distinguishes ChicMic from other providers?

Fantastic all round attitude, clear communication, and always willing to go the extra mile. I would not hesitate to use ChicMic again.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

As this was our first mobile release, there are definitely changes that would be incorporated in the next release. Our game, BLOCKish a simple challenger game that's addictive and, is comprised of 400 levels in five different worlds, with single player, multiplayer, guest mode and a three-tier artificial intelligence, it was probably too much as a first release. In hindsight, it would have been far more effective to release with fewer levels and more frequent upgrades. However, ChicMic provided what was requested, and we more than satisfied with the outcome. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a NY-based media company.

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

I hired ChicMic to design and develop the web site for 6 unique card games.

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

After an extensive search at Upwork, I thought that ChicMic was the best combination of expertise and price.

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

From start to finish, we had 19 Milestones - the process involved designing and developing 6 separate online card games and then building a Landing Page for all of them.

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

Vinod G was the first-rate project manager which Manish G assigned to my project. Vinod oversaw the process with the creative designer and the exceptional developer.

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

I just launched the games this past weekend at 6perDay.com - you can critique them for yourselves. I thought ChicMic did terrific work.

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

Vinod and I corresponded through Upwork Messages on a daily basis for months. His communication skills are excellent and all the work was done in a timely manner.

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

Their thoroughness, expertise, courtesy, and attention to detail impressed me greatly.

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

No.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner of Royalty Gamez. This is a place where we create games for multiple platforms for adults and children to enjoy.

For what projects/services did your company hire ChicMic?

ChicMic has worked with us to help with adding details and beautiful work on our games by providing graphic designs, coding, testing & debugging skills, creative concepts and ideas to enhance our ideas.

How did you select Chicmic and what were the deciding factors?

My team and I selected ChicMic because when we had the opportunity to review their portfolio and some of their past work, we were completely blown away. The fact that they were willing to be interviewed by us and answer every question we had about their services and their abilities was phenomenal.

We felt confident in their answers and their abilities. The timelines that they provided for us and the costs for our projects were quite reasonable too.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project in detail is to create a hyper-casual game because we are super game fanatics. The scope of the project was to create something engaging, fun and making sure that we create colorful and bright graphics while also making it addictive. We also wanted to create a multi-gamer experience so that gamers could compete worldwide.

We had several meetings where we collaborated with each other. Milestones were also created and it was easy to follow the process.

How many resources from the Chicmic team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with Harshdeep who was the project manager. He was our close connect who headed up our projects and made sure that everything ran smoothly. He's easy to work with and super organized.

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

Some of the things that I can share are the fact that anytime we receive creative input from the ChicMic team, it always exceeds our own thoughts and opinions on the design. Another point to add is that there is never an issue with completion times or collaborations. As mentioned before, the team is easy to work with and they are always open and available to hear and understand your point of view.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been awesome. It's been easy to follow the timelines of the work

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

The most impressive thing that I've found in working with this company is, Every aspect of our projects is handled to the fullest ability possible.

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

ChicMic is wonderful with making sure that all deadlines are completed. However, for simple projects, I would suggest faster turnaround times.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the creator of a fantasy football app.

For what projects/services did your company hire ChicMic?

I needed full-stack design and development for my app.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a visually appealing and innovative app that would be available for offline use. My ideas for functionality included game simulations based on variable inputs. I also wanted the app to update with new data each year.

How did you select this vendor?

I chose ChicMic from 25 competitors based on their strong record of delivering unique code and graphic design.

Describe the project in detail.

I asked the team to watch a movie that I found relevant to the app’s core features. They then developed a core code to support game simulation.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a developer.

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

The app has been updated several times since its release in 2014 and users continue to provide positive feedback on the updates.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The developer listened to my ideas and brought them to life. I have constantly kept abreast of the app’s progress using Skype video and messaging.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team had a deep understanding of the core aspects of the app. They distilled a complicated idea into a very simple design.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In some instances, development took slightly longer than anticipated. ChicMic is a firm that would rather ensure quality than rush a shoddy product to market.