Infuse

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior vice president of technology. Our organization provides merchant acquiring services. This includes payment processing services.

What challenges were you trying to address with Infuse?

We needed help adapting our existing software program to be compatible with our POS hardware called Clover.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took our software program and redeveloped it on Clover. They consulted with us on integrating the application and creating a strong UX design. They also helped us with operational needs such as fulfillment and logistics since we would be selling this as a B2B product to small and medium-sized businesses. 

We completed that initial project, and now Infuse is helping us integrate another piece of hardware– a Bluetooth dongle that can be connected to devices to allow credit card payments. They’re also supporting a mobile application for Android. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Mike (Director of Product Strategy), a project manager, and 2–3 developers. 

How did you come to work with Infuse?

Infuse was listed as a preferred vendor on Clover’s website. We also liked that they were located in Silicon Valley, so it would be easy to work with them for on-site development. 

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve invested about $1.2 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with them in October 2018, and we launched the solution at the end of 2019. We are still working with them on new projects and ongoing maintenance needs. 

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

They successfully launched our software for Clover. We’ve since sold over 5,000 units. Sales are still growing, and at this point, we’re selling more Clover units than Ingenico products. 

How did Infuse perform from a project management standpoint?

This was an open-ended project, so we didn’t have a strict deadline. However, they were very prompt, and often, their team was waiting on us. We used Slack and Jira, and we had weekly meetings. They provided regular status updates. Communication was excellent. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re smart and scrappy. We didn’t have to provide a lot of direction or requirements to get our desired outcome. We needed a partner that was independent and resourceful, and that is what we got with Infuse. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, any issues with the engagement were with how we set things up, so it’s not on them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the founder of a startup company. Then, I worked as the business development director of an internet company. Later on, I was promoted as a product manager there where I oversaw our third-party ecosystems. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Infuse?

We hired them to perform various development work for our company, and I’ve also used them at a second company for these services, as well.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I first collaborated with Infuse at my first company. There, we hired them to build three things, all involving integration with different platforms such as Shopify, a POS platform, and Magento. It was a combination of front- and backend. Ultimately, they worked on connecting our company to a POS platform, Magento, and Shopify. 

It enabled a shopper at any of the POS platforms to round up or add a dollar amount at checkout in Shopify and Magento, both in-store and online. For instance, if we sold a t-shirt on Shopify when people discover the charity checkout app and install it, the roundup functionality could be enabled. 

Meanwhile, at my second company, they served as an extension of our own product and engineering team. Their services ranged from design work, dealing with frameworks, backend development, and payment gateway work. 

The frontend development they performed focused on the dashboard work, so it was specific to the company’s multi-location functionality. They also spearheaded a complex work that involved the CardConnect payment gateway integration. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Mike (Director of Product Strategy).

How did you come to work with Infuse?

I collaborated with Infuse in my two previous roles. When I endorsed them at my second company, I put my reputation on the line. They were vetted by other product managers and engineering leads at the company and they saw the quality work of Infuse’s work. After that, they were hired on a trial basis, and our company ultimately decided to increase their investment in the team.

How much have you invested with them?

In my first company, we spent $100,000. Then, on my second company, we spent millions on the projects they performed. I’d say we spent an average of $100,000 per week.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2014–April 2015, and in my second company, I collaborated with them from April 2015–July 2020.

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

Since they produced high-quality work on my first company, that parlayed into me joining my second company.  They were consistent throughout all of the work. Infuse didn’t just take charge of the front- and backend work, they delivered a holistic approach. 

How did Infuse perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job and as evidence of that, look no further than the fact that I continued to advocate and hired them when I moved over to my second company. Mike was able to see things at a business requirement level, but he also operated at a very specific product requirement level. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very thoughtful and deliberate in their approach. Above all, they were highly sympathetic to customer and user needs. We worked very closely together and it seemed like they were part of our team. I considered them as a business partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

With any relationship, I think there were minor things, but there was nothing that would have stopped me from increasing the amount of work that they received.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very deliberate and complete in your requirements, specifications, and ultimate goals. Establish decision points and key questions that you’re going to ask along the way while the project is progressing.