Cuttlesoft

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

Our app downloads increased by up to 200% or 300%. We didn’t get any negative feedback — everyone loved it. They may have wanted more out of it, but they understood this was our first iteration. It was a great first step. 

The most interaction with the app happened during big events or when important legislation was being passed. Users could use their app as the gateway into the information they needed (e.g. looking at event agendas). 

During the partnership, they came up with ideas we weren’t expecting that we really liked. When we highlighted those new features to vice presidents and management, that won them over. Their creativity, thoughtfulness, and detail-orientation showed they really cared about the organization.

Cuttlesoft had excellent customer service. They explained their tasks, how they would get accomplish them, and then they didn’t miss deadlines. At the end of the day, that was huge.

How did Cuttlesoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They were the easiest company I worked with while I was employed there. I asked questions throughout the partnership, but they also reached out independently with updates. They would say, “We’re through with wireframing, let us know if you see anything that’s off.” Then, I would take those things and filter them to people that I trust. 

If I had questions, they always answered them and provided a reason for what they were doing. In particular, they were very good about making sure features made sense on a larger level (e.g. how it would produce an ROI). 

Also, they were very upfront, transparent, and helpful. They would say, “Hey, this is a place where you can make changes, but once we go past this step, it’s going to be difficult to go back.” They’d tell us the cost and let us know if they thought something wouldn’t add value. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really good at breaking down the information we needed in a way that I could understand it. Whenever I brought them into a meeting with my vice president, who wasn’t as technologically advanced, they broke down the information into bite-sized pieces. Since cost is very important for nonprofits, they helped him understand how we were going to recoup some of the money we were spending.

Cuttlesoft never tried to sell me on things. Instead of promising us the world and then giving a proposal that didn’t match, they explained how their work would help our organization. They set my expectations from the beginning and then exceeded them. 

They do a good job of marrying complicated technical solutions with real-world talk. Also, I never felt like they were talking down to us. Their transparency and communication are two big things that stand out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Their services are expensive, but I don’t fault them for that. They do such a good job of explaining why something will cost a certain amount that I never question it. They know what they’re worth, and that’s good.

If they provided examples of how other people have used revenue from their apps to offset the cost, that could be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Someone considering Cuttlesoft should sit down with the principals and talk honestly about what they’re trying to do. Cuttlesoft is really capable and extraordinarily talented. So, if you tell them your vision, they can scale it up or down appropriately. 

It would be a good idea to have a conversation with them even if you’ve already picked a vendor. Since Cuttlesoft thinks outside of the box, they might be able to bring ideas that other folks aren’t utilizing.

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

Since this is a brand-new product, we’re closely monitoring its functionality. The rollout was very impressive; we experienced no major issues, bugs, or downtime. They launched the product on time and very close to the budget we’d put out six months prior. Our clients expected a complete product, and that’s what they got.

How did Cuttlesoft perform from a project management standpoint?

From the beginning, Cuttlesoft was very willing to accommodate our process and how we wanted to do things. Rather than just taking our instructions and going off to build the product, they consulted us throughout the process. This is evident in how they helped us with outside tasks, such as providing input on building our internal engineering team.

Cuttlesoft was very flexible. We had weekly technical meetings, during which we discussed any issues. The team also sent us weekly status emails to let us know what was being worked on or extra information we needed to move the process along. They gave us more detailed pieces of information, such as Gantt charts, providing us with all of the necessary information to get up to speed.

I had monthly calls with Frank to get a general sense of how the project was going in terms of budget, timeline, features, and scope. With complex projects such as this one, there are usually overlooked or unexpected components that arise, and Cuttlesoft always helped us with those.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to being a partner stood out. They were aligned around helping us make a difference in the marketplace. They delivered great code, but a lot of companies do that; where they really excelled was being a great partner. The team did a great job internalizing our use cases and user personas, which was impressive to me as a non-technical client leader.

The engineering team didn’t hesitate to questions some of the designs or workflows we initially put forth, and they provided great recommendations alongside their push back. A good part of our product came from the thoughtfulness of the Cuttlesoft team. They went beyond just shipping code to really help us achieve our business objectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve better communicated the value upfront. We hired them because we believed the value would be there, and this proved extensively true, but we would’ve liked to hear how they were oriented toward the value and not just shopping code. In terms of the day-to-day work, they exceeded our expectations.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you’re trying to accomplish through whatever product you’re hiring them to develop. Trust the team at Cuttlesoft to understand your business and market, and to provide recommendations. The more we let them push back, the better off we were for it.