HubSpire

What was the scope of their involvement?

HubSpire used a software platform that enabled them to develop the iOS and Android versions in tandem. It was an extremely intense app, requiring video recording and tagging on the interviews. We used a carefully curated list of questions to ask during the interview, and we collected specific data points during them. Users can tag spots during a recording that someone could jump to hear the answer to a specific question. It’s also possible to tag poignant moments during an interview by touching the screen and making a note. A tag could be “discusses family left behind,” and someone interested in it could touch it to jump to that part of the video. That was a tricky piece, and HubSpire did a nice job of it, especially considering that it works on both Android and iOS. HubSpire also had to provide the ability for people to be interviewed anonymously including audio-only interviews and muffled voices when necessary.

We wanted to make the app available to a classroom, which turned out to be its most common use. An entire classroom would interview each other, and HubSpire created a way to sequester interviews so students could see each other’s interviews but not those of other classrooms. We set up a form for teachers to register their classrooms and manage the interviews via a username and password.

What is the team composition?

I was the point person for the end client, and I had one main contact, an account manager at HubSpire, whom I directed emails to if the client found a bug or if we needed an enhancement made. We had conference calls with as many as 5–6 people from their team. There was a lot of give and take about who the team was at any given point. 

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

Not understanding the scope of the project, we hired an individual programmer who wrote us a borderline unusable app. A friend described the process that her friend who used HubSpire went through to develop a social media app for finding roommates. I spent an hour on the phone with her and found out that she started the same way as we did with two unsuccessful collaborations. Afterward, she found HubSpire and had a positive experience and great success. 

How much have you invested with them?

The cost for this project was $100,000–$120,000, including subsequent enhancements.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with HubSpire in the spring of 2016. They delivered the product in the fall of that year, around the end of October. We went back to them for enhancements a year later.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They essentially rebuilt our app. After we gave HubSpire our project goals, they started building wireframes to flesh out the concept. We had sessions of feedback and discussion on this work. They assisted in everything from the design and image-submission features to the finished product.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their CEO, project manager, and some developers near the end of the project.

How did you come to work with HubSpire?

Though we considered four other companies, HubSpire came highly recommended to us. Once they responded to our RFP, we were impressed with their understanding of the project and overall knowledge. They asked the right questions, and we felt the price was very reasonable.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–August 2018.

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the initial consultation, they gave us a scope of work. Their team was excellent every step of the way. First, the scope of work and designs had to be approved. The code, architecture and every single aspect of the project they worked with us. They explain it and show it to you to sign off on it until completion. The customer service is outstanding and any issues they're on top of it immediately. Features include making your groups public or private, sharing media, and creating news and announcement posts. There's a private members-only chat room, event management where you not only can show the administrator of that group if you are going or not going. We also created a feature that allows you to check in to a location to take quick digital attendance. There are also job and volunteer postings, and a petition feature where you can create a petition and share and export it. They created deep linking. So if you share either through social media or in an email, it links right to the page or the post on CIVL. When you search for it is a phase you can search by either name category or through the Map view to see what organizations are close to you.

What is the team composition?

There were about eight people on our project alone. That includes the CEO, designer, and programmers.

How did you come to work with Hubspire?

My co-founder and I met with a few other New-York based development teams. We wanted a developer that we could work with face-to-face. When we came across Hubspire, their presentation was incredibly thorough and their communication was excellent and well-documented. Their transparency and communication were big selling points for me.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed with them in August 2017 and the initial launch of the app was in December 2017.