December Labs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Heaven, a lead generation and customer acquisition company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We hired December Labs to get our MVP operational and up and running.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using HTML5 and CSS, December Labs developed an e-commerce site with video capabilities built into SQL Server. 

What is the team composition?

It varies based on our needs, but we work with anywhere between 3-6 people from their team. 

How did you come to work with December Labs?

I received a referral from a friend who had worked with December Labs in the past. 

How much have you invested with them?

At this time, we have invested about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started engaging with December Labs in March 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

December Labs generally delivers work on time. They’re a very reliable team. Overall, our relationship has been great. 

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

The December Labs team has been very responsive. As a startup, we sometimes have new insights and have to reprioritize. They’ve been accommodating and reliable 100% of the time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a good breadth of experience and can build an array of digital products. December Labs communicates well. I’m very happy to continue working with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing specific comes to mind, but it would be nice to start negotiations on a long term contract.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and a co-founder of EllieGrid. We've designed a smart pillbox for people who take multiple medications. There are hardware and software components to it: the pillbox itself and a mobile app that allows you to program the pillbox with individual settings and alerts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We initially worked with individual developers and a few other firms to build a skeleton version of the application. We engaged December Labs because we needed to build it out more so that we could take it to market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

December Labs built the application for Android and iOS using React Native. We relied on their team to complete the backend and frontend development of the app. Within the product, users can create an account, connect to the pillbox via Bluetooth, and program the pillbox with information such as which compartment holds which medicine. December Labs also programmed the app to include smart alarms and push notifications that present a window of time for people to take their pills. The application also builds reports about whether or not the user took their medicine, which is information that can then be sent to caregivers.

What is the team composition?

December Labs has been flexible in terms of how many resources they dedicated to our project. Their team size has ranged from 1–3 developers at times, but they’ve also added designers when necessary.

How did you come to work with December Labs?

Their co-founder initially introduced himself to us to be friendly because we’re both in Houston, and I later ran into him at an event. We discussed his company at that time, but we were focused on other projects. Once the need arose for a development partner, I reached out to December Labs again to see if they could help. From that discussion, I determined that they could be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in 2018 and remains ongoing as we continue adding features and making improvements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have much in terms of metrics, but qualitatively, I can firmly say that December Labs has provided excellent service. I previously worked with other firms because they were inexpensive. December Labs was a step up in that regard, and I learned that you get what you pay for. They are more reliable than past vendors in terms of quality and speed of their development. They can work quickly without sacrificing product quality.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

December Labs was flexible in being willing to use Slack and Trello as we requested. We found those methods to be the best way to communicate and track their progress without bothering their developers too much. We also have weekly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been honest and forthcoming in all matters during our time together. I once asked them to complete a one-off project separate from the original product, and they gave me a price and a timeline quote. Though they didn’t meet the deadline estimate, they didn’t charge any extra costs, which has been rare in my experiences with development teams.

Additionally, their team has made an effort to visit with us in person, either in California or in Houston. Their management team has been very present and available. It’s refreshing to work with people who are dedicated to our project. December Lab is staffed with good, honest people who also have excellent technological capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they have exceeded my expectations, to be honest. They’re the highest-quality development firm I’ve ever worked with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Apartmentbutler.com. We're a B2B2C platform for apartment communities. We sell our services to large management companies and they offer those services to their residents as an amenity. Our platform is three-sided. We have a technical side for the property management companies to engage with their residents, and we have a supplier side, which we use to partner with local businesses. In addition, we have a dashboard and a web app that they use to schedule their jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We were looking for a company to help us migrate our tech stack from version 1 to version 2.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a mobile app and we were designing a new database schema. First, we brought them on for a very small project–they were going to do the migration for us. But the scope of the project expanded quickly and they brought more developers on. December Labs successfully implemented every project we gave them, properly estimating the costs and the timeline. They were primarily working in PHP with MySQL database. They also used JavaScript and React on the frontend and node.js on the backend. In addition, they did some iOS work for us.

They were very engaged and brought a lot of things to our attention that we were missing, such as security issues and better ways to do the schema. Relaunching our whole teck stack was a large and costly project, in which December Labs played a vital role.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and four developers, some of whom are still engaged on a retainer basis.  

How did you come to work with December Labs?

We desperately needed additional capacity. One of their co-founders lives in the area (even though they're primarily based internationally). He was working out of our co-working space, so we got in touch with him. We were lucky to find them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017 and the project lasted eight months, so it was completed in 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently closed our first venture capital round. We don't have in-house developers, which our venture capital considered a red flag. So having December Labs on our team made a big difference: our new investor became more comfortable (despite the fact that December Labs is an independent contractor) and ended up securing a deal with us.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a collaborative process, and we mostly used Trello for project management. Also, they were great at meeting our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took ownership of the project and made sure it was a success. That's something you don't see often from a contractor. They're still part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of strategy for a financial services firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We're launching a workstation for our clients, and we engaged December Labs to design its UX and UI.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

December Labs designed the UI and UX for our custom platform, producing mockups in Sketch.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one designer.

How did you come to work with December Labs?

We found them through Clutch after researching various design firms. We liked that they had experience in our industry, and they also offered competitive pricing and had a very professional website.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the project from April–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

December Labs provided high-quality design work, and they delivered exactly on time. They estimated the work would take eight weeks, and they weren't a day late.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very easy to work with; any feedback we provided was incorporated well, and they understood where we were coming from. We mostly communicated through Skype without any issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We enjoyed working with them overall. One of their representatives even visited our office, which showed how much they cared about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Welwaze Medical, a startup that is developing technologies for early breast cancer detection. We have two products: a pad that detects cancer and an app that reads the pad’s results.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We needed help developing the full app. We didn’t have the expertise we needed in-house, so we partnered with them to complete the development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided a full solution. They oversaw project management, design, front- and backend development, and all the technical aspects. They also worked with AI to develop a computer vision algorithm to read results.

They have multiple technological capabilities and really took ownership of the product. They asked to speak with an oncologist to understand the data and get their insight. They were very involved and were like a part of our company.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Washington (Executive VP of Mobile & UX, December Labs).

How did you come to work with December Labs?

I needed a team with a range of capabilities, including computer vision expertise and blockchain knowhow. I interviewed four different suppliers and December Labs was the only company that could fill all our needs. I explained everything over several calls and they came back with suggestions. I met with them in person and decided they were the right group to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018. We’re currently in development and will launch the beta in August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered a good quality product.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They execute everything according to the project plan. Their timelines are always realistic and they’ve hit every milestone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take ownership of the product and are a part of the team. They are available at all hours and their level of commitment and engagement is very high. They understand our philosophy and are willing to argue their points and make improvements. They operate as an extension of our startup.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of engineering at Seneca Systems. We sell our application to local governments to help them manage their communications and workflows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

Our application was primarily web-based and we needed someone to develop a subset of the features from the web app into a mobile app for both Android and iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began by giving them a demo of the web app, listing out which features we wanted in the mobile app, and providing them with documentation of our API. Then, they developed the wireframe and preliminary design work. That went through a few cycles of revision until it was approved, and from there they started doing the design work.

Every two weeks they would give us a new build, we’d provide feedback, and they would implement that for the next build. Toward the end of the project, they went through the web app and identified and implemented additional features they thought would increase the user experience.

They developed the app with React Native and it’s available for iOS and Android. They designed everything from login to listing out communications, and enabling city employees to respond across multiple channels from one interface. Users can also manage workflow so that they can track progress details until completion, as well as add notes and locations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two engineers, two designers, and had a business contact that would check in every few weeks.

How did you come to work with December Labs?

They reached out to us through email. We decided to work with them after I spoke with one of their customers who had a great experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with December Labs February–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The only metric we were tracking was project length, and they exceeded our expectations.

We haven’t launched yet, but I can say that their design skills are great. The user interface they created is beautiful and easy to use.

They pay attention to detail, try to understand the problem, and come up with solutions instead of just meeting requirements. December Labs thinks through what you tell them to do and suggests alternatives when they are better for the project. Most of the time, they were able to identify and solve problems before I ever mentioned them.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave us updates every two weeks on changes in the build, project progress, what work remained, where the project was in relation to the established timeline, and the expected end. In addition to these updates, we had daily communication through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

December Labs was familiar with the agile management methodology, which enabled them to adapt to changes in the app and overall project needs. I appreciated that they didn’t need much detailed guidance. They knew our API, and whatever they weren’t familiar with, they would find out. We didn’t have to invest a lot of our own project management or development time to support their development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, I was impressed with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think December Labs works better when they are given an entire project versus working as part of a team mixed with their developers and their customers’ development teams. It requires trusting them, but it’s worth it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an iOS investment app that people can use to generate intelligently-tailored portfolios and have our team of investment professionals actively manage their accounts. We’re part robo-advisor and part traditional advisor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

We started off with some other developers to build the app’s backend foundation, but they were too slow and some of the code was a bit sloppy. We were trying to create a scalable, robust system that could grow with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

December Labs worked on our platform. It’s a native iOS app with a .NET backend that’s hosted on Microsoft Azure. We have some deep integrations with our custodian bank and broker dealer, as well as with Plaid for ACH authentication.

What is the team composition?

They assigned two developers and a project manager to the project.

How did you come to work with December Labs?

Another startup we knew had used and recommended them. We were ending our angel round and looking to enter the seed investment phase, so timing was very important. I used to be software engineer, so I know how hard it is to find talented and affordable in-house developers and convince them to join a startup.

Within two weeks, December Labs gave us two senior developers who worked well and fit our budget. We didn’t have to pay additional expenses, so it wasn’t just a matter of outsourcing, but being able to scale up and down. They essentially helped us get to the next stage.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far has been around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October or November 2017. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve fixed all of the bugs and the app is scalable. We’ve become confident in our ability to grow without the technology platform becoming an issue. Our users are happy and so are we.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve worked well with them. Their English-speaking abilities and communication skills are great. December Labs works according to U.S. time zones, so it’s worked out well.

We use Slack, Google Hangouts, and Trello for project management. Their process is on par with that of any top-tier, U.S. startup.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re willing to work with startups and understand the hardships we’re facing. Their team can act as a good sounding board for us because they’ve been there before. They simply employ quality developers. Everyone on their team is great.

I know of another startup that’s using them. They have machine learning and AI components, and December Labs gives them access to anything they need. They have developers who can do anything effectively. We’re hoping to implement some machine learning later on as well for some parts of the app. We’ll easily be able to do that because of them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a company working with renewable energies, and the main product that we’re entering the market with is a turbine for residential and commercial use. I don’t have an established position since we’re a startup, but I’m generally in charge of all marketing activities. I also assist with human resources.

Our turbine is small enough that it can be placed on the roof of any home and supply its energy consumption. We started in Argentina seven years ago, but moved to Silicon Valley two years ago in order to expand to the U.S. market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with December Labs?

Potential consumers often inquire about how our turbines work and how much energy they generate. To answer this, we asked December Labs to develop an app for us that we will launch next week.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My relationship with December Labs started when I decided to create a web app as a complement to our website. Through this app, users get an estimation of how much generated energy they could get, how much they’ve consumed in their home, and how these could be supported with use of our products. December Labs showed me different options during development, and also kept me updated on progress.  

The app allows users to draw a map of their home to calculate their electricity consumption. It also combines this information with the consumer’s location in order to calculate turbine performance. Everything is presented in a very fun way to the user.

Later on, we needed to refresh our website’s image, so we placed the app development on standby. We dedicated ourselves to relaunching the website with updated simplicity. We finished this two weeks ago.

What is the team composition?

A project manager led the team they assigned to me, and also coordinated everything as well as participated in discussions about our needs. I also had a designer and 1–2 team members in charge of development. We started with a team of four, but eventually scaled it down to three.

How did you come to work with December Labs?

They actually contacted us. They have a sales representative in San Francisco, but I’m unsure how they found us. I chose them because they provided a mockup that allowed me to visualize the outcome. Other companies I’d been in contact with didn’t do this, and the mockup really helped clear up what I wanted for the app.

I also really liked what they presented during the interview in which they explained the proposed development in detail. They managed it well, and also spoke Spanish, which made everything a lot easier. I’ve interacted with other companies who didn’t speak Spanish, and found it difficult to communicate project details clearly with them.

December Labs wasn’t the cheapest, but their budget was logical and adapted in a way I could with with. They were flexible in order to accommodate our needs as a startup with a tight budget.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about $30,000 between the two projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2017 and will continue doing so until we’ve finished both projects. If everything goes well post-launch, we will have more projects in the upcoming year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We still need to work on the website, and I’m thinking of new things to add to it. The website has been greatly improved due to the redesign. Creating a custom website would’ve required a lot more time and money. We needed a quick update in order to present to investors, and December Labs managed to do it in a rapid fashion.

They took the existing platform and content and refreshed it to more accurately and elegantly represent our company. We now have a lot of pending jobs for our U.S. expansion as a result.

How did December Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Slack to communicate and share documents with team members involved in the project. They also have Slack on their phones, so we’ve been able to reach them at any time. They’ve been consistently available to address any needs or issues.

Our engagement has been more informal in the sense that we only meet as needed instead of establishing regular times. We established deadlines, and although we had to change a couple of dates, those deadlines remained the same. There was only one delay, and it was because we didn’t provide data when it was needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They quickly understood our ideas. When I first started thinking about this app, I had an idea that wasn’t very clear, but December Labs materialized it. We understood each other easily, and everything happened very fast. They also quickly understood the design I wanted, which made the job easier for us.

I really like that December Labs is flexible in working with us as a startup with needs that change on a daily basis. For example, I asked them in the middle of developing the app if we could put it on standby in order to work on another project. I also asked them to remain flexible with the budget, schedules, etc., and they were completely accommodating. They got into the project without any hesitation. I’m really happy, and the results and quality have both been amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I haven’t had any bad experiences. They’ve been flexible when we’ve changed dates and requirements, and they always understand. I have nothing negative to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a social video platform where we curate and personalize the best short form content. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DecemberLabs?

We had an aggressive schedule to develop our iOS app. Hiring in the Bay Area has been a difficult process due to all the competition. While we were looking for the right candidates, we decided that we needed to bring on a consulting firm to help us accelerate our building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DecemberLabs provided iOS development for our application. They had two full-time individuals on the team, but one of them jumped in and out. We were very impressed with the way they handled that. I’ve always worked with geographically close teams so what DecemberLabs did was send one of their developers to spend four weeks with us in the office. They were very dedicated.

How did you come to work with DecemberLabs?

One of their team members reached out and pitched their company just when we needed someone. I always check out the portfolios of people that contact us. When I saw one of DecemberLabs’ apps was about music, it was really polished and it was an easy choice for us. I met with the team and was very impressed by them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017, and the project was completed in April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The speed of their development was the biggest pro in working with them. They built a significant part of our user profile in two months. They were efficient and dedicated. I don’t have any specific metrics. To build a signup system, user profile, and all the UI in two months with one full-time and one part-time developer was impressive.

How did DecemberLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We did our own project management for this project.

What did you find most impressive about DecemberLabs?

Their knowledge of the framework and the variety of tools that are available to us and their ability to bring that to our development to speed things up and guide us was very valuable. I know iOS very well but I don’t have the exposure that they brought to the project from a variety of tools, framework, and services available. The breadth of what they offer was really notable.

Are there any areas DecemberLabs could improve?

Having them work side by side with us was incredibly valuable. When I contrast the productivity from them being local where they were amazingly killing it to moving to remote, it was tough thing to compare. Their communication was really good. Efficiency in the remote relationship was not as strong as when they were here with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital consultancy offering a data-powered insight solution on iOS and web, around publicly-listed companies. It provides large organizations working in the B2B space with the ability to understand what their business is, what is important to them, and how the product fits with market needs. I am the CEO and a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DecemberLabs?

We’re a young company founded a year and a half ago. After 6 months of development, DecemberLabs stepped in to help us fix a problem in getting our iOS solution launched.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DecemberLabs scoped out a project plan and delivered it. Since the launch, they’ve continued to support us with further iOS development, both on a maintenance and enhancement basis.

They assigned 2-3 developers to the project, as well as a designer. Among the technologies used were Swift and Node.js.

How did you come to work with DecemberLabs?

We chose them based on their attitude and the reasonable price/value proposition. DecemberLabs was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive company, but they had good value for what we needed.

How much have you invested with DecemberLabs?

There were 2 phases for the project. The development for getting an initial piece out cost $40,000. There was a continuation of the work, which occurred over the last 6 months, and is of roughly equal value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with DecemberLabs in September 2016. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DecemberLabs played a pivotal role in us launching our business. We are a mobile-first company creating and developing apps before working on the desktop version. This was instrumental in our ability to launch the business and secure customers early in the cycle.

The feedback we’ve heard from users from day-one has consistently been that they love the app. The interface is intuitive and easy-to-use, and the app is fast and responsive.

How did DecemberLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We tended to use Trello and Slack for project management and collaboration. There were also calls on a regular basis, and we received project reports showing DecemberLabs’ progress, versus the plan. They were very good in terms of communication overall.

What did you find most impressive about DecemberLabs?

They’re extremely responsive, and one of the reasons we chose DecemberLabs was their ability to understand a challenge we were having and provide help. This can-do attitude was extremely important and helpful, and it’s not something all developers have. DecemberLabs has done a good job of delivering the table stakes and has been excellent with the rest of the collaboration, in terms of responsiveness, courtesy, flexibility around scope changes, and proactiveness in giving us suggestions.

Are there any areas DecemberLabs could improve?

We’ve worked better on a fixed-price contract basis, with clear deliverables and timelines, versus a time-based service, which required us to check in every week and talk about what needed to be done.