Grio

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

We’ve successfully turned things around. Prior to the redesign, this product had been on the market for several years and had been languishing with instability issues. Since we’re dealing with sports, there’s a seasonal traffic pattern, so we’ll have major spikes for just one or two days at certain times of year. The new platform is highly reliable and designed to handle these changes, even as we’ve continued to scale up.

How did Grio perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team’s remained pretty consistent over the years, which is different from my previous experience with contractors. They adapt well to changes and take ownership over projects, going to great lengths to understand what’s best for the product and offering suggestions about how to improve our process. I also appreciate that they’ve adapted to using the project management tools I’m already familiar with, including Google apps, Jira, and Pivotal Tracker. For day-to-day needs, we communicate via phone, Slack, or email, and I’ll also visit their office occasionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability and attention to detail helped make our product the best it can be. They’re very skilled and willing to learn new technologies if there are specific integrations we want to add.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do a little better on planning and estimating how long projects take so that we can predict product releases with more stability, but that’s a minor issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re not like a typical contractor, so involve them fully in your process. They’ll put a lot of effort into it, whether you need design, implementation, or operations.