ChopDawg.com

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I founded and am the CEO of Open Silo. We built a fast enterprise chat tool. It’s like Slack meets Quora. We’re based in San Francisco, California with 15 full-time employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg?

Our business goal was to produce quick iterations of our initial product as we continued to do product research. We needed help with our frontend design. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an in-house backend team and had ChopDawg’s team to do the frontend design. They worked with our backend team to connect and iterate the product efficiently. They used HTML, CSS3, and we use the Angular framework. They were connecting to our backend, which was built on Django, Mongo, and Python.

What is the team dynamic? 

We rotated between one and two resources, depending on our need. 

How did you come to work with ChopDawg?

One of my friends referred me to ChopDawg. We had a few initial calls where they gave us a proposal. The price was low enough for us at our development stage, and was balanced in terms of quality and price. They beat out some of the others who were local to this area. Price was a huge consideration, but also ability to deliver and the quality of their work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2013 and finished the product in November 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The current UI we have is just a new iteration of what we built with them. It hasn't needed a full overhaul because we built it with great longevity. It’s something our customers like. It’s almost three years later and we’re still iterating and using that same version. 

How did ChopDawg perform from a project management standpoint?

We collaborated on HipChat and Jira. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was good communication. Communication is very key in a small team in terms of hitting project deadlines and communicating properly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing I can think of. At the time, our requirements perhaps weren’t stringent enough. We were in the early stages of our company, so I don’t think we hit the top end of what they were capable of. We didn’t see any red flags or problems. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of a lifestyle brand. We develop software for dog owners and the brands and businesses that target this  consumer base.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg?

We needed quality development and tech talent for an early-stage bootstrap startup. We originally tried to do our development in house, but hiring an internal dev team is a very costly undertaking. Recruiting good talent is also quite a challenge. We needed a developer to step in and take the weight off our shoulders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re developing an e-commerce platform where dog owners can sign up and pay a small monthly membership fee to access perks and premium products from our network of service providers.

Chopdawg walked through our strategy with us and helped us define our goals. Then they came up with and implemented features that would help us reach those goals. We are building the platform on WordPress with several plug-ins, such as Paid Membership Pro and WooCommerce. It will take users all the way from the discovery phase through purchasing from one of our partners in an environment that’s optimized for conversions. We’re using iFrames to bury discount codes and streamline the entire purchasing process.

We’re well on track to hit our deadlines and finish up the project over the coming weeks.

What is the team dynamic?

I work very closely with Josh [CEO, ChopDawg.com] on more high-level aspects of the project. We have a dedicated developer who handles all the actual implementation. To my knowledge, he’s handled a majority of the backend work and is currently doing the frontend. I’m not sure how many others are working on it. We’ve been able to maintain a very tight team and communication loop.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg?

Our relationship began 1½ years ago before we started a project with them. Early on, our social media coordinator informed me that ChopDawg had retweeted something we had posted. At the time, we were scoping out an Android app, so I got in touch with Josh. They completely scoped out our app based on the direction we opted to go with the business. We didn’t move on that proposal, but since day one, they were very professional and helpful in bringing the CTO side of things to the table.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did our first demo of the product and saw how we could edit and manipulate the backend on our side. Then we met with our developer at ChopDawg. Everything is incredibly easy to use. He included everything that we needed and gave us access to start building out our backend data set and pertinent information.

We’re right on track with our initial timeline. It was exciting to not only receive those deliverables, but to get them in time to go through them. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll continue to work closely with them to prepare for the launch. I have nothing but good things to say about how they conduct themselves.

How did ChopDawg perform from a project management standpoint?

Josh is unrivaled in terms of responsiveness and availability. We communicate a lot via email. I text him and jump on calls with him quite a bit. That’s the nature of our relationship.

ChopDawg offers a full stack development solution. They take a project all the way from strategy to problem solving to implementation. They are our current and long-term solution on the dev side. They are so good about providing timely feedback, hitting goals and milestones, and chiming in on top-level discussions. They help us think through why we’re doing something and what it means from a development perspective. It’s immensely helpful to receive that input in a way that’s built on trust.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have looked at other alternatives for getting this kind of development done. I haven’t come across another company that conducts themselves like ChopDawg or goes as far to truly provide an outsource CTO solution. That’s been huge from a financial perspective.

And most don’t have a highly respected marketing expert like Josh. It’s rare for someone to have that dual expertise. That’s one of the things that gets me very excited about where we go from here. He’s more than willing to help with some of our go-to market strategies. I’ve never seen a company with such a robust skill set and that proves it on a daily basis.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve met every expectation we’ve had of them. I don’t know what I’d suggest they improve on. They’ve made our lives extremely easy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Guestroom.com, which will be an online app that will have a mobile component supporting both iOS and Android. The app itself is a home sharing network for friends and friends of friends with no nightly fees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg?

We needed someone to develop our iOS and Android apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided mockup wireframes to help me understand the complete flow of the site at the very beginning. We looked through the wireframes in detail and then moved on to a Highfive version thereof. The Highfive version has added some color to the actual site and also included some of the copy that we’re going to add to give me a better understanding of how the site will flow and the overall customer experience.

From there, they started to build out the backend in WordPress, which will allow me to make edits and support different landing pages, blog posts, and things along those lines. From what I understand, it’s a platform that makes it easier for less technical individuals to maintain ongoing activities on the site. We’re about four months into the project and will launch later this month, after which we’ll have one more month of development for creating the apps.

What is the team dynamic?

Josh [Founder & CEO, ChopDawg] joins our weekly call with the whole team which typically includes a designer, who has been responsible for the wireframes, branding, and all of the Highfives. There’s also a VP of design and a backend developer that attend as well. In total, we end up usually with four people on the call. The backend designer usually joins every other week and there is a fifth team member who supports a lot of the marketing strategy. I don’t have a lot of experience on the marketing side so he’s been very helpful with supporting a marketing plan and its execution.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg?

I interviewed three or four different development companies but Josh was always very engaged from the very beginning and answered all of my questions about pricing, scheduling, and more. ChopDawg is extremely responsive—I usually get responses to emails within 15–20 minutes.

The other thing that convinced me to hire them is that when I started the project, I had been considering a purely native app for iOS and Android. Josh explained that it would be an expensive route to go for a launch, especially for a product and a service that hadn’t really been proven and doesn’t have any subscribers yet.

He suggested that a web app might be the better choice because a web app, with a scaled mobile component, could hit all platforms. Native apps are more expensive and they’re built individually, so starting off with a web app in order to launch a product and then gradually work towards native apps made a lot more sense.

Ultimately, he was pitching a less expensive option and was very interested in making the project as affordable as possible. I felt a certain level of transparency when I spoke with him in the way that he communicated all of this information to me. Josh had a very clear commitment from the very beginning.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn’t been launched yet and the only people who have seen it are my business partner and me, however, we’ve been very pleased with everything we’ve seen thus far. They’ve been very collaborative in presenting different color options, fonts, and layouts based on our questions. They’re also very open to feedback.

All in all, we’re really appreciate what we’ve put together on the site, including the marketing and branding.

How did ChopDawg perform from a project management standpoint?

From the very beginning, they’ve been open about the schedule. We fell behind at one point and they quickly let me know so we could make up some of that time and launch according to plan. Josh has been incredibly helpful with getting everything in order, including things like SSL certifications, bank accounts, finding the right accountant, getting the company incorporated, and more.

They don’t really have a formalized project management tool; we communicate mainly through email. They provide updates on progress, agendas for upcoming meetings, and any materials I need to review. Josh provides a lot of guidance, especially with the things that could potentially delay a launch if they’re not in place on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I didn’t expect their support on the marketing aspect. It was probably two months into the project when I got very nervous about my ability to support a marketing plan and subscriber acquisition, to the point where I asked Josh to consider shutting the project down. He assured me that they would put together a plan and help me come up with a way to execute on that plan such that subscriber acquisition wouldn’t be as big of a challenge as what I had anticipated.

While we haven’t gotten to the point of actual subscriber acquisition, the plan we put in place thus far has made me feel much more confident. It’s given me something to work on in the interim so that I’m not just waiting for the project to launch, but rather documenting blog content and preparing information so that when we do launch, there’s actually a rich site behind the services and not just an empty shell.

The marketing guidance that they’ve given has been really invaluable to me and made me feel much better about the overall project, especially since all the expenses are coming entirely out of my own pocket. It’s been really helpful to have their feedback and guidance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their expertise, at this point, is really in web page development and in communicating during the whole process the work that’s being done. They’re slowly becoming a more marketing-centric company as well, which is the one area of improvement that they could pursue. I know Josh would like to offer more marketing-focused services to startups like myself and other entrepreneurs, but they’re still refining that process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there

My business is called Findagig.com. I'm the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ChopDawg.com?

I'm starting the business and they are creating and developing the website and iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I've been working with about four developers on this website and iOS app development project. It's been a great experience so far. 

What is the team dynamic?

They're very timely with their responses and they're available at any time of day and night. All of the receivables have been on time. If they give me a deadline when they're going to provide me with a wireframe, they always met the deadline. They're great to work with and I've been happy with their services.

How did you come to work with ChopDawg.com?

I was just searching online for different places. I came up with ChopDawg.com and noticed that they were local since I'm also in the Philadelphia area. I contacted them along with a couple others. After considering all options, we chose them for the project. 

How much have you invested with ChopDawg.com? 

We've invested about $100,000 to $145,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in June 2017 and it's an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're still early on in the process and we have not started on the iOS app, yet. We're about three months into the web application, but it's certainly not a finished product yet.

How did ChopDawg.com perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication-wise everything has been great. I'm in constant contact with Josh, ChopDawg.com's founder. He has always followed-up to see how things are going. It's definitely a very personalized service, even though they're working on other projects as well. It's certainly a very good experience.

What did you find most impressive about ChopDawg.com? 

I've been very happy with what they delivered and where we are at this point in the process. They did the design elements, came up with a logo and the like. I'm really happy with their overall performance, the functionality of the web app, as well as its design and aesthetics. 

Any areas for improvement? 

Nothing comes to mind. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Suzie Bryan, and I am the vice president of process improvement and new business development for Aspirion Health Resources. Specifically, I have been focusing on new business opportunities for the company, which is how I started working with Chop Dawg.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

We are developing a platform geared at helping attorneys, patients, and hospitals work together better, specifically in cases where the patient has been involved in an accident of some kind and needs to have their hospital bill paid.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform will be made for desktop use initially, but we plan to roll out tablet and smartphone version.

We have a call every week with the person in charge of our wireframing and their assistant. We plan to move on to high-fidelity designs, where I believe that we’ll have 1–2 people involved. Joshua Davidson himself, their founder, has been a contributor.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

A local contact who has been working with offshore development companies recommended Chop Dawg. He had had some bad experiences with other companies but mentioned that Chop Dawg had been on time, always turned in perfect deliverables, and their conflict-resolution process was team oriented. We had a couple of conversations and submitted our idea to Chop Dawg. We agreed to a proposal and launched from there.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of their work has been close to $40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We expect to release a beta version in late summer or early fall, and hope for it to be live in November 2017. It is a complex 10-month build, involving a number of portals which need to be developed, including a patient portal, a user portal, and a medical portal on which bill records are submitted.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The Chop Dawg team has met deliverables 100% so far. If anything, our team has been the one which hasn’t met the schedule. This speaks to the fact that Chop Dawg’s members ask great questions, which force us to think through details which we hadn’t thought of before, in a good way. I believe that this will end up with us having a much better product.

Chop Dawg is helping us not code ourselves into a box by thinking about the vision going forward. If anything, the deliverables have been delayed because we didn’t give Chop Dawg as many details as we should have.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

The proposal given to us was very detailed, numbering around 120 pages, lining out not only the scope of the project, but also what the team would be doing, when we could expect deliverables, and when things were supposed to occur.

We have a weekly call on Google Hangouts so that we can actually see each other. We don’t have formal, written-down agendas, but there is always a goal or topic to be covered. It’s not completely mandatory for everyone to be on the call, but we manage to have it as a weekly occurrence, and it helps move the project along. If anyone has failed, it’s been ourselves. We will probably be able to make up some ground in terms of coding, down the road, so we will likely hit the deadline.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

I’ve been working with technology people for 30 years, and I’ve never worked with a team which really did want to purposefully understand the workflow of the users in the way that Chop Dawg does. As an operations person, this is very important to me, since I know what work will flow into the system. The amount of time they’ve spent understanding the business we’re developing has been impressive. They worked hard to comprehend what we’re trying to do and whom we’re trying to help. Chop Dawg is as invested as us in the success of the project. They’re a part of the team.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Our team dropped the ball by not thinking through some details, but I’m appreciative of Chop Dawg for being so thorough.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SavySwap was aimed at helping people swap and barter items like furniture. We enabled the process and verified everyone on our platform, similarly to Airbnb. I was the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

We were using an Excel spreadsheet for all our operations, so we needed an actual web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chop Dawg helped us build a mobile-optimized web app, handling everything from rebranding to the actual development. The app was built using PHP. We worked with 2–4 developers from Chop Dawg's side. We only met with their lead developer during our calls, so I'm not sure how many people actually worked on our backend. We also worked with UI [user interface] and UX [user experience] designers.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

We contacted a number of companies after raising a round of funding and going to an accelerator in San Francisco. We stumbled upon Chop Dawg through Twitter, while we were promoting our business. They're a local company from Philadelphia and seemed to be an awesome group. Chop Dawg not only helped us build our product, but also gave us a lot of insight into branding, development, and social media. Being featured on their Twitter page has helped us out a lot.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of Chop Dawg's work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed, but our team broke apart. Chop Dawg's work took us to the next level while we were active.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

With our product, we were able to have people sign up and use the service. We attracted around 1,000 people within the first 30 days. We pitched the platform at LAUNCH Festival and got some direct feedback from one of our investors, as well as from other people interested in our business. Without a product, we wouldn't have had anything to show.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

I don't think that we used any project management software on our end. We had weekly calls with Chop Dawg and set up agendas for all our tasks. We were in constant communication via email, and Chop Dawg's principal was always accessible. I don't think Slack was a choice at the time, but that has changed since then. Project management wise, Chop Dawg was pretty good.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

I liked their down-to-earth approach. I have remained friends with Chop Dawg's team to this day since I was able to work with them on such an intimate basis. It always felt more like a friendship than a business transaction. Chop Dawg gave me advice and feedback on everything from how we were branding ourselves online to how we could get the product out and reach the press.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

I'm sure that Chop Dawg has grown since, but, at the time, they were only building in PHP. It's a great language, used by sites like Facebook, but it would have been interesting to have other options like Ruby on Rails, which are now becoming more common. Besides this, I had no qualms.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company was focused on marketing and event promotions for the nightlife in Atlantic City. I was the owner and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

We had an idea for a website and needed to build it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chop Dawg provided web and logo design and developed our site using HTML5. It was loosely based on a social gaming platform, mainly working as a public events calendar for nightlife and other types of events. The site featured some in-depth coding which I didn't fully understand. The finished product worked flawlessly and had a smooth and clean look.

I know that Chop Dawg assigned at least four developers to my project.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

Chop Dawg was referred to us by a business partner who had worked with them in the past. It grew to be a very good business relationship and friendship, which we've continued since then.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of Chop Dawg's work was around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The site was completed in full years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don't have any metrics for the site, but it received a lot of praise for its professional look. The site appeared to be more expensive than it actually was.

There is someone who is currently trying to start a company with the same name as ours, and he's trying to buy our logo because of how professional and clean it was.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

Chop Dawg gave us weekly updates every step of the way. Anytime something was completed, I received either an email or a text, and felt that I was working on the site along with Chop Dawg, given how much information I had.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

I haven't worked with any other companies since that project. Every time I needed to develop something, I went to Chop Dawg because they did the work right the first time. The level of professionalism and expertise for everything that Chop Dawg does makes it hard for me to look anywhere else. From a customer's standpoint, I've been satisfied with everything Chop Dawg has provided.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

Not that I can think of. Chop Dawg went above and beyond for everything we asked for. I've referred them a number of times and told everyone that Chop Dawg is a one-stop shop for everything they're looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Incept is a conversational marketing firm offering contact center support work, primarily for healthcare, technology, and membership organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

We had a separate startup concept, unconnected to the main business. We wanted to build a marketplace website which worked similarly to 99designs but targeting high-end professional firms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chop Dawg built a non-functional prototype of our platform. We've had a number of business and technology challenges to get through. Chop Dawg mainly helped in terms of product definition; the prototype is code-agnostic. We interfaced with one designer from Chop Dawg's team, but there may have been others in the background.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

I was introduced to Chop Dawg's principal on social media and followed him for a while. I appreciated the quality of Chop Dawg's content, including their case studies. They had done enough quality work in a similar space and felt like the right partner.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of Chop Dawg's work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Chop Dawg in mid-2016. The project duration was 5 months. We're a week away from being done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We only have a non-functional prototype, so there's very little feedback for it at the moment. Chop Dawg was 100% on time in terms of delivery. They didn't miss any deadlines or calls.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

Our main interface is Google Drive, with no additional project management tools. Chop Dawg has been good in terms of communication and deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

We went to Chop Dawg with a specific idea. They were able to help us think through its business implications much better than we had done previously. Chop Dawg had some very insightful questions, helping us improve the product. Their CEO scheduled a call for each of our invoices, in order to make sure that there was a good level of satisfaction from us, as a client. I haven't found many other service providers who do this.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

No.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Chop Dawg?

The commitment on our end was greater than we originally anticipated. The more engaged we were, the better the project became.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Citizen's Cafe is an early stage startup developing an application meant to save the world. Our slogan is "Compassion, Cooperation, Creation", and we aim to become a global network of citizen compassion, empowering human coexistence through cooperation, creating maximum freedom within ourselves, within our relationships with others, and with the world as a whole. We aim to become truly social, as opposed to the social networks we have currently. We offer a platform through which people can purchase as well as create civic-empowerment technology. It increases and maximizes the individual freedom of global citizens' life experiences so that they can be more empowered to create change effectively, making the world a better place without the help of any higher authority.

Our first product is called Reality Finder, which has a mission of eliminating ignorance from society. I have developed what I call a "crowd-verification technology", which empowers people to conduct open-source online investigations and determine the validity of various information.

I am the founder of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

I needed to build an initial product for my company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chop Dawg is working on a non-functional prototype for our web and mobile app.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

A big consideration was finding a local partner in Boston in order to have face-to-face meetings. It's hard to make a differentiation between one company and another on the basis of a phone call. Chop Dawg had prices on par with everyone else, but they stood out through a blog post that their principal made about entrepreneurship. I looked at their website and found Chop Dawg to be more than a coding shop; they were focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed, looking at things like usability and branding.

Given the immensity and novelty of my idea, it took me a long time to boil down an accurate description of it. One of the main reasons for choosing Chop Dawg was that they were willing to work with someone like me, who is more of an artist than a businessman. The typical venture capitalists I approached didn't respond well to my "Compassion, Cooperation, Creation" message, looking more to see where the profit was in that. Chop Dawg's principal had the patience and ability to connect with me, even though our first phone conversation consisted of me rambling. He gave me a chance and saw something in my idea. We slowly worked together towards painting a clearer picture and started talking about cost.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of Chop Dawg's services has been $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Chop Dawg in July 2016, with an initial contract of 4 months. We have an ongoing relationship. We expect to launch the non-functioning prototype shortly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Having a team actually work with me, as a client, outside of the timetable itself, is critically important. The fact that Chop Dawg never pressured me has contributed to the solid relationship we've developed. There's no arbitrary emphasis on time; Chop Dawg is working with me and allowing the product to develop.

In terms of concrete results, Chop Dawg has recently come up with an incredible logo design for me. They have a great scheme for how we will be going forward for all derivative products.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

Having weekly calls with the team for updates around the MVP [minimum viable product] has brought the project to where it is. I've never placed a time demand on Chop Dawg, so I can't comment in this respect. We use Google Hangouts and email for communication. I can also contact any member of the team by phone at any time.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

I can't overemphasize the importance of the patience that Chop Dawg has had with me. I contacted other software development firms and could tell that the experience would be horrible. Chop Dawg's team has made me feel welcomed and at home.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

Even though Chop Dawg is a transparent company, they may not be transparent enough. There is a bit of a black box while the work is being done. I don't know what Chop Dawg's team is doing exactly, how many other clients they have onboard, and so on. I've gone with the flow and let Chop Dawg be the expert, but having a fully transparent process would be great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is a Philadelphia-based online trading and bartering business. It was founded 5 years ago and has 10-15 employees.

I was a co-founder and the COO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chop Dawg?

We were looking to find a development and social media firm which could bring our business model and dream to life. The partner needed to not only develop a minimum viable product, but rather a sleek, Web 3.0 website under a tight budget. We had raised seed funding of $25,000 but had no coding experience.

There are many development firms on the market, but many of them are charging above the sum we could spend, and they're inflexible when it comes to working with a budget-constrained or Agile company.

Chop Dawg put together a proposal for us, detailing every line item of what they could do to make our vision a reality, within our limited budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once Chop Dawg understood the scope of our work, namely a mobile-adaptive website with a new approach on the front-end, they assembled a team of 4-5 members, each with a different specialty.

We were assigned a VP of branding who worked with us on creating a logo, as well as the entire design brand for the site. We had one backend, one front-end, and one full-stack developer, as well as a project manager. We brought in different team members, suitable for our needs at the time. Chop Dawg's resources were mainly remote, and their principal was responsible for changing them to suit our needs, when necessary.

How did you come to work with Chop Dawg?

I was introduced to Chop Dawg's CEO through the Philadelphia tech network. Value was definitely a piece of the equation, namely what results we could expect for the fee. More than this, the trust in working with Chop Dawg was a consideration. They always made us feel that we could spend the appropriate amount of time in order to understand the vision and make it come to life.

I've worked with other outsourced companies who treated our project as a job which needed to be done, taking our money and leaving things at that. Chop Dawg always asked critical questions which we may not have considered, helping our project get better. They went above and beyond in providing advice based on user demands, making us feel that we were working with a partner, rather than having a cold, transactional relationship.

How much have you invested with Chop Dawg?

The cost of Chop Dawg's work was between $10,000 and $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Chop Dawg in April 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We didn't include marketing in our scope with Chop Dawg, but they promoted our product and website via their own channels. It was a good-faith gesture which amounted to a bump in our engagement.

Everyone who visited our site loved it. Its design was professional and identical to our vision.

How did Chop Dawg perform from a project management standpoint?

When it comes to technologies, there will always be occasions when time will be stretched and truncated, based on client expectations. Chop Dawg remained accurate to the range proposed. Whenever something did come up, like a need to change functionalities, Chop Dawg was transparent about our need to change timelines. We were given the appropriate information in order to make such decisions, and everyone was held accountable.

Chop Dawg arranged weekly Skype calls around our schedule, during which each party was expected to be present and contribute. Having dual accountability was appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about Chop Dawg?

Chop Dawg's guidance and honesty was a point of value. We talked to actual team members and advisors instead of hearing "Yes" for everything we requested.

I have used Chop Dawg for a different company, for rebranding and the development of a basic website. The branding created by Chop Dawg is used to this day, even though the project had the same cost, and that company has about a million dollars in revenue. Chop Dawg is able to create value for companies of all different sizes.

Are there any areas Chop Dawg could improve?

The only improvements were on our side. We needed to do more research and listen to customers. I've had no issues with what’s being developed. When hiring a firm for marketing, we will pay more for different iterations, but this is the nature of the business. Chop Dawg was willing to make additional changes on a good-faith basis, as long as it wasn't a dramatic change.