ISBX Corp

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO and Founder of SoundFi

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Entertainment tech solutions for major Hollywood studios

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ISBX Corp to accomplish?

• Difficult technical solutions
• On time delivery of product

SOLUTION

How did you find ISBX Corp?

Online Search

Why did you select ISBX Corp over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ISBX Corp were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

SoundFi was responsible for delivering an in-app experience in movie theaters via mobile phone application. The experience delivered a special audio experience to app users via headphones as well as language selections for bigger Hollywood titles. ISBX was responsible for delivering a seamless UI/UX along with very involved technical solutions for triggering the app inside theatrical auditoriums.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The mobile application that we launched with ISBX was designed to release day in date with theatrical movie releases. There is no room for errors or delays. Studios are very strict with not only their IP and security around it but releases must be on time.

ISBX always delivered for us, making sure that all of our studio releases were on time without mistakes. They also implemented a very robust security via the app to ensure the studio felt comfortable with us handling very sensative IP and un released content.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project managment was key in our relastionship with ISBX. We had weekly meetings as we were building the project and several in person meetings as well. One of our biggest success stories with ISBX was the on time delivery of the end product. ISBX Corp never failed.

What was your primary form of communication with ISBX Corp?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I think was of most unique qualities was the ability to think outside the box to solve a solution. So many software companies that I have delt with in the past have been so formulaic in their processes that when a road block exists, it becomes a problem that is not always solved. Eric and team at ISBX always went above and beyond with out of the box thinking when problems arrived and solved them all of the time.

Are there any areas for improvement or something ISBX Corp could have done differently?

I honestly cant think of anything at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of OjO Electric, an e-scooter mobility company. Our vision is to provide the safest, most sustainable last-mile mobility solution for cities around the globe with our electric scooters and mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ISBX?

We pivoted from a product to a service, and needed to create a mobile app and software platform to launch our consumer-facing rideshare program. ISBX built our mobile app while coordinating important strategic partners, such as our GPS service, cell data provider, and backend CMS for fleet partners.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal was to build a mobile app with multiple functions: a consumer-facing interface, B2B functions for partners, geofencing, and e-lock. We wanted our customers to find, start, and end rides in cities around the globe. The B2B section enables partners to manage fleets and place scooters in maintenance mode for fleet balancing and battery swapping. The app also needed to include geofencing capabilities, which prevent operating in "no-ride" zones and control the speed of scooters in "slow ride" zones.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I personally interviewed five vendors. We needed stellar app developers who could dedicate a seasoned team to our project. Our company had never done this before, so we needed a team to guide us in certain areas. I was demanding; I wanted great value for minimum cost while beating all our target dates. I was confident in my decision and never disappointed by the results.

Describe the project in detail.

We spent several weeks in discovery, outlining our needs, reinventing what other companies had already built, and creating features unique to our service. They presented mockups according to our style and marketing guidelines, which we changed several times. We didn't make these changes lightly, and the team handled them brilliantly.

They built the basic functionality for a beta app, which we used while integrating GPS technology and cellular data transmission with our production scooters. They built rideshare scooters specifically for testing the app. We had several months of testing, both at our company and with our development partners. We launched our service with an MVP app and are currently building enhancements.

What was the team composition?

We have a dedicated project manager who manages a team of five or six people, including frontend, UI, backend, and e-commerce developers. They pulled others into the project as necessary. Now, we're building a dedicated team to support us on retainer. ISBX is an integral strategic partner, advising us on technical matters beyond the mobile app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We launched our service in January and supported a great service during South by Southwest (SXSW). They completed the project on time and on budget. Our service was reviewed by every network TV channel in the region and picked up by over 250 media outlets. People use our service every day for rides of under a mile to longer commuting rides of more than 10 miles. We're now discussing a launch in five or six more cities, and thinking about expanding internationally.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their success is driven by a dedicated project manager who coordinates with our head of engineering and product development. They manage priorities while balancing the integration of other important partners.

For top-level strategic discussions, I maintain a dialogue with an ISBX co-founder who provides insights and connects our long-term goals. These two paths have been critical to our successful launch. Daily operating plans follow the details of the build, and high-level strategic conversations keep everyone working toward a shared goal.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They manage expectations well, always under promising and over delivering. ISBX has anticipated our challenges and worked with us to solve complicated issues. They fill in the blanks when we aren't sure what to do. Sometimes we don't know what we need, but they guide us through problems and suggest solutions. We will continue to evolve and innovate together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

ISBX is smart, and they have great instincts. I always encourage them to pull us back, speak up, and make suggestions. They've put in the hours and have muscle memory from building world-class apps. Most engineers just want to be told what to do or build, but we encourage partners to tell us how to make the product better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of ScaleLA. We facilitate communication and collaboration between startups, government agencies, and community organizations in order to address health care challenges in the Los Angeles area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ISBX?

When we started out, I was managing our website myself using basic tools on Squarespace. Our branding wasn’t well-coordinated and our site wasn't what I wanted it to be, so we reached out to ISBX to help us upgrade everything.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a professional brand that struck a better balance between our fun, light-hearted work style and the seriousness of our work. We also wanted to translate that brand into an attractive, clean website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I’d gotten to know several of their team members over the past few years. As I learned more about their approach, I decided to work with them, especially after having run into disappointments with other agencies in the past.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We worked on the branding first, which led into wireframing the pages for our site. Once the frames were settled, we developed our brand into designs for the pages. As those were being finalized for mobile and desktop, they started on the site development. Throughout that process, their team checked in regularly with questions and to confirm that we were still following our timeline.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager, two designers, and two developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Working with ISBX has completely changed the game for us. We have a continuous look and feel that gets lots of compliments. From a data perspective, our site traffic and audience retention have never been higher.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project manager regularly contacted our team’s point person with any questions or clarifications about the site’s flow. On Fridays, they’d give us a report on the week’s progress and note goals for the upcoming week. They did really well with the planning and didn’t miss a single deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their entire team projected a sense of calm and professionalism. They got their work done smoothly and seamlessly, which made me confident in the project's success.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of marketing for Urban Commons LLC, a privately-held real estate investment and development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ISBX?

We’re also the leaseholder of The Queen Mary, the docked ocean liner, and plan to renovate the ship and introduce its new brand. Our company hired ISBX to refresh the current Queen Mary website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a simple and user-friendly experience for the audience. We asked them to differentiate the site’s hotel and events section clearly for users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

In total, we considered five different companies. We needed a local vendor that could familiarize themselves with the site’s unique requirements. We chose ISBX due to their considerable experience in web design and mobile UX.

Describe the project in detail.

The ISBX team was responsible for the development of design concepts—sketches and wireframes—and development, as well as the implementation. They also adhered to our guidelines and feedback.

What was the team composition?

The team included six people, including one project manager on the vendor side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We don’t have metrics because the site’s only been live for two weeks. However, we’ve already received positive feedback from stakeholders.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They managed expectations well with effective communication, scheduling, and overall project management. Their process was seamless, providing our in-house team with needed materials at every step of the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They took complex information and delivered it in a clear and cohesive way. The team also created a modern look and optimized the site mobile users.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very satisfied with their performance at every step and would definitely consider using them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the vice president of sales and marketing for the largest manufacturer of shower filters and related products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ISBX?

The ISBX team helped us create an app that would remind our customers to replace their filter cartridges.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build an app that allows consumers to register their warranty and keep track of their filter life. The app would also redirect our customers back to the retail point of purchase for replacement filters.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our team researched app developers near our office and compared their cost, experience, and professionalism. We chose ISBX for the quality of their references, which showed that they could deliver on time and within the budget. Another reason we chose ISBX was their location, which is near our office.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, we had a series of conference calls to review the goals and streamline the concepts. After ISBX presented wireframes, they designed and developed the app based on the schematic flow. They focused on UX while taking into account our company's need for information.

Throughout the process, ISBX prioritized brand engagement, adding automated email reminders and Apple Push Notification Service. They also integrated our current product catalog into the app. After the beta testing, we asked them to make some minor improvements.

What was the team composition?

The ISBX team leader assessed our needs and expanded the team accordingly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were proud to launch the final version of the app with our name on it. Our customers now have a way to keep track of filter life in the palm of their hand. As a result, our warranty registration has increased by 100%. Our consumers are leaving positive feedback, while our partner retailers report repeat sales from customers returning to purchase replacement filters.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I was impressed with the professional time management of the ISBX team. They kept the project on track and on time. They answered questions promptly and provided dates for feedback. We’ve had effective web conferences; they did not need to meet with us in person to do a fantastic job.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was quite pleased with their professionalism and skill. They were extremely patient with our team and collaborated well. We value our business relationship and will continue to work together to refine future versions of the app.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would love to see ISBX include an optional app marketing service in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a former product manager of PASCO scientific, a science education company that develops software, hardware, and classroom curriculum, ranging from elementary to university level.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISBX?

Our full-time software team was busy on a project, but our business objective was to achieve a new market, which required getting a new product out. We didn’t have the internal capability to scale it fast enough, so we needed an external partner to quickly ramp up the project and get a product out to market. The product’s main goal is to collect data from hardware that we made.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial scope was to launch the software product across multiple platforms, both mobile and desktop for Windows, Mac, and iOS. An Android and web version were eventually developed as well but weren’t part of the initial scope. The product had already been designed for a specific piece of hardware, and it needed some major UI [user interface] updates to fit into the desktop and mobile space. They were brought in to help with the initial design work, the execution of the product after the design, and then launching it into the store.

They made sure that they had full access to our development accounts, and that the right builds were in the right place. They helped to launch the product in the app store on the technical side but didn’t work on marketing. We did the majority of the copywriting and imagery, but they were consulted on for feature selection for specific markets. 

What is the team dynamic?

We had around 10 people working on this project. We were mainly in communication with the project manager.

How did you come to work with ISBX?

We were referred to them through a connection.

How much have you invested in them?

Under $2,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2011 and the partnership ended in August 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved some pretty high usage of the app — in the hundreds of thousands of active users. Overall, the feedback we received was positive and it was well-received. It was easy to use, intuitive, and it was easy to figure out how to get started and do basic things.

One of the launches was a little rough. It was a classic software situation where we had a hard date. As we were approaching that deadline, things weren’t quite there yet, and we had to make a tough decision to launch a slightly lighter version of it. The lighter version was a little bit lower quality than what we would normally launch. Their response was very quick, and they ramped up the team on it and addressed the issues we had within a month, and were able to resolve them fairly quickly. Overall, they were pretty good with sticking to deadlines.

How did ISBX perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good. There were the usual project management software challenges where things felt slightly too aggressive and on the business side we wanted to be paying less for faster deliverables. One of the challenges — and this is not really a criticism of them — was that the business side would negotiate dates, timelines, and dollar amounts with one individual, but I would do most of my day-to-day conversation with the project manager. 

Their internal communication wasn’t transparent for us; however, overall, the outcome of it was fine. Their project managers were always very prompt to respond to any issues. At the peak of the project, we had near-daily communication with them. We most often communicated through conference calls, and emails, and shared a bug tracking system.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their understanding of technology, awareness of where things are going, and ability to help their customer to understand; essentially, getting a product out there ahead of the curve. Kelly Chu, [Founding Partner, Board Member, and Advisor], was one of the key people involved in that, and he was definitely a big part of our engagement. Our team was thrilled with his work and his vision for the product. 

A core part of our engagement was having a team that understood what was going on in the mobile and web application space and being able to architect the solution, and deliver a solution that was in line with what was going on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Only in terms of some of the transparency of the team, and some of the design work. We didn’t ever communicate directly with the designers. Understanding who the people are that are doing the work, and putting a face to the work is always a nice thing to have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Pikkup is an on-demand mobile app for micro-moves. We connect users with local pickup-truck owners for furniture delivery, Craigslist purchases, and so on. I am the CEO and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISBX?

We needed to develop our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ISBX built our platform from the ground up for Android and iOS. ISBX was in charge of the entire backend and front-end portions of the software.

How did you come to work with ISBX?

I came across ISBX while doing research for local development shops in Los Angeles. I wanted the ability to sit down and work with the actual developers. I interviewed around 5 candidates and liked ISBX's enthusiasm for my product, as well as the fact that they had many resources available. I wanted to have a quick turnaround.

How much have you invested with ISBX?

The cost of my project with ISBX was just above $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our contract with ISBX in October 2014. The iOS version was released in the summer of 2016, while the Android version came out in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has an amazing retention rate.

How did ISBX perform from a project management standpoint?

ISBX's team was quick to respond to everything. I had a great project manager, as well as access to many specialists. I liked ISBX's UX designer a lot, and upper management also remained involved.

What did you find most impressive about ISBX?

For a non-technical person like myself, ISBX was able to explain many things to me, as well as walk me through the launch in terms of search engine optimization, PR, and so on. ISBX can offer a variety of services, aside from development.

Are there any areas ISBX could improve?

I chose ISBX because they were a large company with good turnaround times, but the project took a little longer than I'd have liked. I would have preferred it if ISBX overshot estimates in the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎Ribbon Labs provides a better way to discover, plan, and experience events and social travel. We are revolutionizing social planning. The company has less than 10 employees. I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISBX?

We needed to undertake efficient mobile development in an iterative fashion in order to build, measure, learn, and establish velocity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ISBX is building our iOS product. After establishing a position in the marketplace, we will start on the Android version.

How did you come to work with ISBX?

I was introduced to ISBX by another firm I was working with. I interviewed multiple firms, and I've been happy with my choice.

How much have you invested with ISBX?

The cost of ISBX's work has been around $700,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with ISBX 3 years ago. Our product is set to launch in the second quarter of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ISBX has worked well and efficiently with our design firm, which amounted to a successfully integrated relationship.

We've been able to iterate and release Ribbon in a private beta. We've reduced development while focusing on a qualitative feedback and learning process in order to continue design enhancements. That efficiency has been great, allowing us to scale as needed.

How did ISBX perform from a project management standpoint?

ISBX has been an awesome partner, able to ramp up or down as needed, which achieved cost efficiencies. During our iterative mode, we will often be involved with heavy design for 2 months, and not require significant development at that time. We can cease work and pick back up quickly.

What did you find most impressive about ISBX?

ISBX is the third and best firm I've worked with on the Ribbon product. They've been the most efficient by far. The team is comprised of good-quality and experienced people which I've met personally. They have a real passion for what they're building. I couldn't be happier with the team, and with ISBX's ability to assign the right resources for any given stage of development.

Many startups think that they need to have an in-house team from the start, but I find that to be inefficient. When we needed more architectural efforts, we were able to assign those resources; the same goes for straight development and other skill sets.

Are there any areas ISBX could improve?

I can't think of any concerns or issues. ISBX has been a part of Ribbon's success, and they've cared about our transition into institutional funding. I believe that they can provide a good model for any startup looking to develop in an iterative fashion in effort to achieve product-market fit and establish development velocity.  ISBX has also acted like a true partner by taking the time to understand the company roadmap and overall objectives. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎Soothe delivers massage-on-demand services. We are a technology company working with independent contractors and therapists, delivering massages in 51 cities.

I am the CTO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISBX?

In the early days of our company, when we were still not able to fully scale our in-house development team, we worked with ISBX on development for our existing app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ISBX has provided iOS development for our app, as well as SEO [search engine optimization] consulting.

How did you come to work with ISBX?

Our CEO knew ISBX's principal. We considered other agencies, but the main benefit of ISBX was that they were local to our area, offered favorable pricing, as well as help with overall project management.

How much have you invested with ISBX?

The cost of ISBX's work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project had a 4-month runtime and has been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ISBX was able to take a legacy application which had been developed by another group, and iterate it in order to better serve our customers. On the SEO side, they were able to help us go from having no strategy to targeting low-hanging fruit, both on the app store and on the web.

How did ISBX perform from a project management standpoint?

ISBX's team was easy to communicate with and responsive.

What did you find most impressive about ISBX?

ISBX was focused on understanding what our project was, instead of focusing on their sale.

Are there any areas ISBX could improve?

Not off the top of my head.