Devscale

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a SaaS company that specializes in time management and scheduling. Our product uses AI to coordinate your work life with your private life to help you better manage the two.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

We’d worked with numerous development vendors in the past, but we had been continuously disappointed. We were seeking thought leadership to guide us with product design and strategy. We engaged Devscale in the hopes that they’d be the right partner to develop our main product offering.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’d already launched an MVP that we weren’t completely happy with. In order to scale the product, Devscale asked me what I was looking for, functionality-wise. I gave them free-rein to add unique and value-adding features because I got the sense that they were experts on our market.

Working off of our wireframes, they spearheaded the design process of conceptualizing unique components for the product. It was still a collaborative process, where they also implemented improvements to pre-existing features. We held conference calls to approve and finalize different functionalities. We’re yet to turn these designs into development. That’s the next step that we’re looking to launch.

What is the team composition?

Adrian (Project Manager, Devscale) was in charge, and Thomas (Co-Founder, Devscale) sat in on every call.

How did you come to work with Devscale?

They came recommended to us after we had failed engagements with a few other development houses in Chicago. We tried them out, and from the very beginning, we knew that they were the right people for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested somewhere around $30,000 so far, although that’ll go up with phase two.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019, and it’s an ongoing project. We’re about to launch the development phase.

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

While we’re yet to develop the final product, I can speak to the quality of Devscale’s ideas. They presented me with a phenomenal product concept and a detailed plan of what it looks like and how it’s going to function. It was awesome to see our product develop and improve in their hands.

They dealt with our needs and understood what we wanted, which was ideal for a small company like ours. They’ve been a pleasure to work with.

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

They were just terrific at coordinating our calls and presenting us with demos. We used Basecamp, which allowed us to track project progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re distinguished by their genuine excitement about the project. You can tell that they’re excited to be a part of something. We felt their phenomenal sense of ownership over the product which led to a stronger collaboration overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been ideal so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll end up with a better product if you’re open-minded and not too dogmatic about what you want. Their strong suit is in their ability to strategize and improve upon a product.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a SaaS company called Prceive, which provides a platform for business model simulation.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

As we’re a startup, we needed a development team that not only knew how to build with the software but also knew how to focus on product design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We talked with Devscale about our concept for the designs. Then, their team made the concept a reality. They created wireframes and the UX as well as implemented the backend data architecture. Their team also mapped out the interfaces for the more complex artificial intelligence elements. The exploratory work’s complete and their team continues to support us as we transition into the full-blown project.

What is the team composition?

Our primary point of contact was Thomas (Co-Founder). A couple of other folks worked on the project too.

How did you come to work with Devscale?

Prior to this engagement, I sent around 14 RFPs to various companies based in various continents. They all came in with their own Achilles heel. I talked to a colleague who then suggested Devscale.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ll spend between $200,000–$400,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Devscale in 2019 and the collaboration’s ongoing.

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

The result of their work is that our product’s now in the market. We have about 15 customers who love the product. Their work also enables us to work on more projects with them. Their designs and the platform’s stability are outstanding.

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t code, so their team manages me through Basecamp. Devscale’s unique in their ability to not only say that they’ll be, but also actually be on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team translates the different complexities around their activities into understandable terms well. That level of transparency was terrific. Their team was curious and excited, coming back to us with suggestions for improvements. They don’t hit the bare minimum but rather go above and beyond. Devscale has a say it and do it approach. They’re competent enough to say that they will complete a task by a certain day and then complete it by that day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Whether a customer knows exactly what they want or don’t know how to articulate their ideas, Devscale will pull them into the collaboration.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and principle for Aerie Advisors. We’re a unique consulting company for law firms . We specifically help by streamlining or helping the launch of boutique law firms. So, we advise on all aspects of their business operations.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

One of the core challenges is ease of use and simplicity of technology tools that might make their life easier. So what I was hoping to build, and what Devscale was a partner in, was a client portal page behind our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a client portal so lawyers were able to log in through a clean and easy to use environment where they could see and pay their bills, log issues or problems they need to address and communicate with my organization. So really, centralizing all of our work through this productivity tool. Our website was already built, so this portal is a jump-off of our original website.  

The project went from inception to prototype in a very short turnaround. We then used feedback from my clients to define what would be necessary to attract new users and make it easy to use.

What is the team composition?

At the beginning, we worked with Thomas (Co-founder) and John (Co-founder). On the project side, we worked closely with Andrew, who was our main point of contact. He oversaw several designers and other folks. But, as a customer, it was nice having that main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Devscale?

My business is about authentic relationships, so I was looking for recommendations based on their good caliber and character. A family friend introduced us. I’ve been talking to a few other organizations, but I trusted this person. I was impressed by their straightforwardness and their candor.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The campaign started in July 2019 and we wrapped it up in August.

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

Certainly, my investors and our first client users have validated their work. Feedback has been favorable. They created a clean platform that meets our objectives by simplifying use.

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re transparent above all else. They held to every deadline. Internally, they coordinated well, and I never got the same message more than once. People who were responding on the project side were always prepared for calls and check-ins. Everybody was in the right lane, and everything was well-structured and well-organized. We didn’t have any issues.

We sued online tools to leave messages. I also used email and phone calls because that’s how  I work best. They certainly made it easy for me to leave comments and edits.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They brought a level of creativity to this. Instead of taking my vision and creating a simple version, they brought creative alternatives to improve upon my idea. I really appreciated that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m struggling to come up with any point where they came up short. I really am satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’ll do what you tell them, they’re capable of that, but you’ll really be missing out. If you’re willing to come into the project with open eyes and open to their ideas, the project will be better in its totality.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a founder and the director of operations at June Health, a healthcare provider that focuses on mental health services.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

We wanted to improve the digital user experience offered on our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Devscale offered basic web frontend design and backend functionality using WordPress. The team implemented custom animations as well as a tailored appointment-booking process. The look and feel of the sight was very important to me, so I worked closely with the team throughout the design phase. 

Also, Devscale provided an internal software that improves the check-in process.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about four people, including one main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Devscale?

I worked with Devscale in a prior role, and I was really pleased with the quality of their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in November 2018. The website was completed in February 2019, though we still consult with Devscale occasionally to make updates.

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

The quality of work Devscale provided is great. The site operates quickly and the user experience is up to our expectations. 

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

They allowed me to talk to the developers directly, which was extremely helpful.

The Devscale team never missed a deadline throughout the project, completing their work either on time or in advance. There were never any surprises in terms of cost, and their level of communication was very high.

We stayed in touch over Basecamp, and I was able to communicate over text and calls with our project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

To us, the real cost of a vendor isn’t what you pay for them, but the combination of price, time, and quality. Devscale delivered across all three of those factors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Decide the level of involvement that you want to have upfront. Devscale’s team can operate across the spectrum of high to low involvement, but your engagement will be the most efficient if you align your expectations early on.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a patented ad delivery system, and we’re about to launch this year.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

We’re still in the fundraising stage, so it was easier to hire outside contractors than to attempt to develop the product in-house.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with the prototype and dictated how the app was supposed to work in accordance with the teachings of the patent. So far, they’ve created the mobile app on both iOS and Android from scratch. We’ve just engaged them to focus on our backend system that will run the web app in the future.

This is an opt-in services product. Users can input their demographic information and interest level in purchasing certain products. Advertisers would see this an send them ads to watch. In exchange for consuming that media, users are sent a credit that can be used to pay their phone bills.  

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Devscale?

We did a search for a Los Angeles-based company. I was referred to them by another company that didn’t have the capacity to do the required work. They understood what we needed pretty quickly, so we decided to move forward.  

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $106,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in October 2019, and our team is currently reengaging with them for our web app.

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

They delivered exactly what I asked for, offering additional suggestions throughout the process. We were very pleased with the outcome. The app isn’t released to the public yet, but its quality is top-notch. We have a major partner that is looking to release it into their environment, and they’re pleased with it. It looks great and functions perfectly, so we’re happy with the outcome.   

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

They send me updates on how much time is spent on the project, which allows them to perform ahead of schedule. We communicate on a weekly basis through Basecamp, responding to documents and feedback as quickly as possible. There’s nothing that they dropped or didn’t take care of right away. We’re pleased with the performance of their team from a project management perspective. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to engage and add value through their creative suggestions went above and beyond. They didn’t just do what I asked—they overperformed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that would be a downside to working with them. They stay on top of things, so I was pleased with their performance. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you can articulate your needs and they can repeat that back to you, they can move very quickly and be successful in delivering to your standards. You have to know what you want up front to do this. If you don’t have that in the beginning, you’ll end up making changes along the way. That’s going to be more difficult to handle smoothly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Clockwork, an app-powered software that does casual forecasting and financial projections for small businesses.

What challenge were you trying to address with Devscale?

When I initially founded Clockwork, I didn’t have a technology partner. As the sole founder, I was looking for a tech co-founder type role.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did literally everything for my tech side. They built our initial engagement, built the wireframes for our prototypes, and then built the prototypes themselves. They were full-stack all the way — designing and developing the front- and backend. They were my technical co-founder.

In the app, there are API integrations into QuickBooks Online. On top of that, we pull transactional level details and build forecasts based upon them. We’re analyzing Oracle trends, industry, company size, and other variables.

There originally weren't features that could handle this in QuickBooks Online, they didn't have this API. Our team spent hours working with Intuit themselves, finding a line in the French QuickBooks Online API that allowed us to use this. They then got the American QuickBooks Online team to add that French line of code to the American version to make our product work.

Not only was I asking them to do something that never had been done, but they also figured out how to do it and changed the API of a key product of a multibillion-dollar corporation. They specifically built the integrations, worked on machine learning customizations, and all the features of the backend in Logic.

What is the team composition?

I had my main point of contact with Thomas and Sean (Founders, Devscale). They were involved in the initial project, and I had full access to their team of developers.

How did you come to work with Devscale?

I was introduced to them through a mutual friend in my network in Chicago. I interviewed roughly 10 other organizations. I hit it off with a couple of Devscale's individuals right off the bat and thought they were the best to seize this opportunity.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested over $300,000 since we started.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work began in May 2018 and is ongoing.

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

Our growth in the company is aggressive. While that credit goes to our marketing efforts, marketing wouldn’t be successful if we didn’t have a successful product.

Everyone who sees the product is amazed at its beauty. They can’t compliment the product and the platform enough. It’s a huge boost to our company knowing that our software products are so well-built and are designed to address the customer’s needs.

How did Devscale perform from a project management standpoint?

Thomas and Sean are very organized and structured. They stay on top of their employees in a structured way. They’re very consistent in their check-ins and maintaining constant communication between the development team and myself.

They’re also very honest. They’ll tell me a time to expect something, and they push their developers to make that time. If they don’t make the deadline, they’re transparent and explain why. There are very few surprises because I always have my finger on the pulse while working with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve always been super flexible on payment. As a startup, I spend most of my cash on either them or marketing efforts and they’ve been very accommodating.

Also, there was one miscommunication on both of our parts about a feature I was expecting. Although it was both of our faults, they were the bigger person and stepped up and fixed the problem, making it water under the bridge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They helped me feel very comfortable with development, despite us both being new companies. While there were some growing pains, it all worked.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be nice to them. Being nice goes a long way. Also, be very clear on requirements as Thomas and Sean are very detail-oriented. Don’t go in with a grandiose idea and expect them to make it happen. They went above and beyond helping me whittle my idea to what it needed to be, but it would’ve been helpful to come in with a detailed plan.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of CLOZTALK. We create web stores of cool swag and apparel specifically for charities and nonprofits. They give us their logos, then we create apparel designs for them to sell on our website. We do it all and share the profit with them. So far, we’ve partnered with 50 charities and hope to get hundreds and eventually thousands.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hacksmith Labs?

My partners and I aren’t particularly tech-savvy, so we needed someone to develop an e-commerce website for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hacksmith Labs built the backbone of our e-commerce operations—notably, the site itself on Shopify, and utilizing ShipStation as well. As ours is not a “regular” e-commerce store, they built it to scale with that in mind. For example, we use a 30-foot-long truck as as mobile branding and a mobile DJ at charity events. As a result, Hacksmith Labs had to find a truck-tracking company that was able to track where the truck is. You can go to our website and find where our truck is at any time.

On the more “traditional” side of e-commerce, they developed an intake form where every charity can upload their logo and contact information, and create an info card about their organization. We then decide whether to accept the organization. Hacksmith Labs thought it would be easier to streamline this if we did it digitally. We then add the info card on to every sale because we want people to understand the charity’s mission; get bullet points and contact information about them; and find out about their base, reach, and online presence.

Now, they’re providing ongoing maintenance and implementing updates as needed.

What is the team composition?

Thomas (Co-founder, Hacksmith Labs) is my main point of contact. Sean (Partner, Hacksmith Labs) is great, too. I know them both well.

How did you come to work with Hacksmith Labs?

I’m a cancer survivor from my 20s and had just given a speech to a cancer-related organization. Thomas and Sean came up to me and wanted to learn more. I was so impressed by their friendliness and their personality that over the course of several years, we kept in touch. When we started CLOZTALK, they’re the ones I reached out to. I ran the concepts by them and they were ready to help build it.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017 and the site launched in December 2017. They continue to work with us.

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

I love these guys. They’re easy to work with. Every time we get a new charity, they are on it that day; we’ve had no delays. Their responsiveness and customer service has been five-star the whole time.

How did Hacksmith Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They work with us to make sure their estimates match our expectations. We set a cap together for if a project goes over a certain amount, we stop and talk about it. They are honest and straightforward with everything, so there are no surprises. They also taught us how to use Slack and Trello to help us manage the project more effectively.

They have great energy, are always upbeat, and are unbelievably responsive. We try to respect everyone’s time, but they make themselves available seven days a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service distinguishes them. Plus, they really get behind what we’re doing for these charities. They want us to succeed because the more we do, all the better for the charities, their brands, and their impact. They’re a really good match for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re far more mature than I was at their age. They run their own business and get it done. There is no down side to working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re using to working with Slack and Trello, so if you’re unfamiliar with those tools, I’d try to get somewhat comfortable with them ahead of time. You’ll be more effective if you do.