LaunchPad Lab

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It's a book and a reform movement effort called "Unlock Congress." I wrote the book and created a website for it. It's centered on marketing the book and getting folks to sign up and learn more about the reforms I propose and how they can be involved. That's the overall goal.

What is your position?

I am the author and head this movement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with LaunchPad Lab?

I wanted to sell copies of my book but, more importantly, get people involved by having them participate and interact with me and others online.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

It was for website development. LaunchPad Lab trained me on how to do various things on the site and helped me learn about analytics and how to compose email marketing messages on MailChimp and send out newsletters and create and design elements. They've been terrific all the way around on those tasks.

How did you come to work with LaunchPad Lab?

I know one of the principals of the company. I met with him and he actually connected me to a developer separate from LaunchPad Lab to work with, and then that developer actually ended up partnering and becoming part of LaunchPad Lab. I was glad to work with them because the principal, Scott Weisman, and I are friends. I knew I could trust him, and he's been great.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's mostly completed. They help me now and again when I need assistance or have a question related to my website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I'd rather not share the statistics. It's a practice that I maintain to be confidential. The anecdotal evidence I hear mostly from people who see the site person to person is the site looks clean and beautiful and they love it. I've also had media coverage and producers on television and radio and also print journalists that have come and covered "Unlock Congress" and the website was a portal for a lot of them. My strong website has built credibility in "Unlock Congress" so that I can attract media coverage and, hopefully, sell more books, this is attributed to LaunchPad Lab's work.

How did LaunchPad Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm more than satisfied. The design of the website is beautiful, and they worked with me on changes I wanted to make to optimize it. The accessibility of it for users and the ease with which I can post items and improve it is fantastic. They've been responsive when there are things that I need them to do whether it's a small change or something that's larger. LaunchPad Lab is extremely fair and patient with my needs. I'm a specific detail-oriented person, and they haven't let me down once. I love the site.

What distinguishes LaunchPad Lab from other providers?

I would just say their whole team is really friendly and easy to work with. LaunchPad Lab works with you in a way where you identify designs that you like, and then they pare it down and create choices for you and that's exactly what I wanted. For me, one of the biggest parts was developing the design and getting the feel and look of it right and then the functionality also. If I chose a web developer again, I would choose LaunchPad Lab in a heartbeat and have sent them to other people, too.

Is there anything LaunchPad Lab could have improved or done differently?

Not that I can think of. They were truly great. It's my pleasure to talk about these guys. They're awesome.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an aluminum bunk bed and loft bed manufacturer. We built loft beds and bunk beds out of aluminum for adults. Loft beds usually go to larger cities that have tiny living spaces. The bunk beds go to lake houses and resort-style homes. They're great for when you have a lot of adults in a house. We sell all of our beds online. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the co-founder and president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with LaunchPad Lab?

We started with a Shopify template. Our website was not mobile friendly. We need to make the user experience better. I hired them to make a custom theme for us that was mobile friendly for Shopify.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They designed our website, coded it, and incorporated SEO [search engine optimization]. They ran the whole gamut.

What was your process for selecting LaunchPad Lab?

I hired them because of their user experience and design abilities. They had a good focus on being mobile friendly. I looked at other shops. I was familiar with them, and I looked at cost and quality. I looked at their portfolio on what they've done for marketing sites, and I felt their design was closer to what I was looking for. It was more modern than other firms. 

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

It was from $10,000 to $50,000

When was the work completed?

We started in 2012. It's ongoing work. It's live now, but there are some things that we're still working on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

I saw an increase in conversion rate for the first month after it was launched. We saw a 15 to 20 percent increase in the first month. That's important for an e-commerce site. We saw a much larger retention of mobile visitors, which was what I was hoping for. 

We saw a 20 percent increase in average time spent on the site. All the stats were good. We saw an uptick in sales. People have reached out to me and asked about where we got our site built, and I'm happy to refer them to LaunchPad. 

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Their quality was so good, so I'm satisfied.

Is there anything unique or special about LaunchPad Lab that really makes them stand out?

What I was mostly surprised at was how quickly they grasped our business. I was concerned that the design would fall short, and they took on the whole thing as if it was their own company. They understood our target market and built a whole design that centered on that kind of person. Nothing was going to prevent them from making the site awesome. They Photoshopped pictures if they needed to.

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

Trust their professional input. I think they really did well with design freedom. Don't try to direct too much of the design. Let them ask the questions and figure out what's best. They work well with an ambiguous starting point. They had a good strategy to figure out the best branding.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

We made a Shopify theme. Since we customized it so much, I think I would have spent more and just had them customize the whole thing instead of using a Shopify site. That was more my fault. I would reevaluate that. I know they had to fight with some things with Shopify because of what we customized.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work at an educational software firm.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm a content developer and was the project manager when we rebuilt our website with kohactive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with kohactive?

Our old website was on WordPress, and it was just taped together and not professional. In terms of growth, we needed more of a custom solution to fit our needs so we could grow and create engaging content. We wanted to move off WordPress and have a custom app built for us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Their work was mostly development. We hired another company to do UI/UX [user interface/user experience]. kohactive got the final wireframes from all the designs. They changed the layout a bit during the process, but they were more focused on the development side.

[Editor's Note: The project was completed using Ruby on Rails and Amazon.]

What was your process for selecting kohactive with which to work?

We did a lot of research upfront. We looked at their profile on Folio and we talked with friends in the industry who had Web projects similar to ours. We did a lot of Google searches. They weren’t found through a referral, so it must have been through a Google search or an online portfolio.

I did a lot of the initial conversations and kohactive seemed like they had a good understanding of what our needs would be up front. They seemed excited about the project and the work. It seemed like a good fit.

Is this ongoing work, or is everything completed?

The initial project that we contracted them for is completed, but we still work with them on a monthly retainer. We're talking about doing some changes to the site. We don’t have any plans to stop working with them.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was several hundred hours, perhaps around 300 to 400 hours. It was a significant project, and it took a few months of them working with us. They had two people who were devoted to it, and who I would talk with once or twice a week, if not more. Toward the end of the project, they pulled in one or two other part-time people as the need arose.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Are you satisfied with kohactive’s work?

From an aesthetic standpoint, the website is a lot better. The user experience is a lot better, and people seem to enjoy it more. I don’t have growth numbers offhand because I'm on the content side. We've seen growth in traffic since the site launched. We've been pretty happy with it. There were some lingering bugs that took a little longer than we would have liked once we launched, but that was the only issue during the transition period. Overall, we're satisfied.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other agencies?

They are very personable. They’ve been very accommodating to our needs, especially around budget. We didn’t have as much money as we probably should have had to launch this project. They were fairly flexible in that regard. Overall, they’ve been good partners.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

We probably wouldn’t have split design and development between two different shops. We would have stuck with one vendor, and that would have been kohactive. If we had to do it again, we would have stuck with them from the beginning and run all the way through to the project’s conclusion.

In terms of things they could do, because they are growing and taking on more clients, week to week it's not always clear what their availability is. Sometimes, they’ll be out for two or three days, and I won't know that until they get back or until an issue comes up, and we can't reach them. That can be a little stressful, but that only happened once or twice. Frontloading that communication if they're going to be busy is something they do, but not always.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We manufacture appliances for the home. The company is based in South Korea, but with a large U.S. presence. The goal of our company is to help people make their homes healthier by providing cleaner air and water through our devices.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the marketing and communications manager. I handle all marketing and advertising for the company as well as the website, social media, and trade shows. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with kohactive?

Our old website was dated and was not functioning as a website should in the current market and with the internet being such a strong medium. We contacted kohactive to help us develop a new website that was more user friendly and more based on consumer purchases. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They did all our development. They set up an e-commerce platform that is specific to us and our website as well as doing design work. They did a lot of backend development for our website.

The initial setup, design, and launching of the website is done, but it is an ongoing process. We’re currently on version 1.1, tightening up loose ends, adding additional content to the website, and ironing out the e-commerce issues.

[Editor's Note: The project was completed using Ruby on Rails, Spree Commerce, and Amazon.]

What was your process for selecting kohactive with which to work?

The president wanted to work with a local Chicago-based company. We went through a lot of ad agencies and Web development companies. We conducted a few different meetings.

We chose kohactive because their website was a good example of the work that they could do. They had a good team that seemed knowledgeable. Their response times and turnaround times with any issues are fairly fast.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

We started developing in late November and the first version was launched in late April or early May. There were several revisions that took place before the current launch. We changed our minds multiple times throughout and they’ve been responsive about these requests. If we ever need their help or need something changed, they’ll hop right on regardless of the cost or the time commitment. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

There’s a better response from users than before and the information is presented more clearly. Our content is more accessible.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We haven’t gotten into this yet. We did use Google Analytics, but with the new website it changed and there’s no side-by-side comparison we can currently do. The e-commerce development is one step away from being completely automated, where we as an office wouldn’t need any involvement whatsoever. This was our choice, but it’s that good.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

They’re more down to earth. They take the time and care about all their clients, and we’re satisfied with the work they’ve done. They’ve gone above and beyond what was necessary to aid anything that we had an issue with.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We have two companies that work with kohactive, one is an auction software company, and the other is a music software company.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with kohactive?

They basically have built an application for us for one project, and on the other project, they manage all of our IT [information technology] infrastructure, and do development work.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Software development with a mobile component is the main service.

[Editor's Note: The project also involved UX/UI work and was completed using Ruby on Rails, Amazon, Node.js, and Ember.js.]

What was your process for selecting kohactive with which to work?

We interviewed a variety of firms in a face-to-face setting and like kohactive best.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

This is very hard to answer because there’s been a variety of different projects. One project was a few dozen hours, and then for the other we have an ongoing engagement that is probably 200 hours a month. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

The project is ongoing. Our relationship is expected to last into the long-term future.

Are you satisfied with how they’ve performed?

I am very satisfied with their performance overall.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

No.  

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Work quality, and understanding of the business needs of the project is their strength.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

Yes, that would be testing the application, so QA [quality assurance]. It’s done internally but there isn’t a dedicated QA team. This is the only weakness that comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please give a brief description of your company and your role.

We make event trading software for the average investor. We take in outside news sources that may trigger events that you can trade off of, such as an economic number or an earnings reports or lawsuit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Did you have any specific goals for the project when you started?

When we started, the main goal was just to build a better marketing website. Somewhere along the lines, we’ve changed directions a few times, and they’ve gotten more involved in the business. So, there hasn’t always been one clear-cut goal. They’ve been flexible in meeting our needs. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project?

CSS/ SCSS, CMS, blog and video blog, SSL/ DNS, Webserver, Cloud database, FAQ, and various analytical tools. The scope also included teaching our own programmers about Ruby on Rails, and other front end web development skills.    

Why did you hire LaunchPad Lab to begin with?

We met at a networking event called BuiltInChicago. I found out that one of the partners had a background in trading, and they also specialize in a language that we were interested in – Ruby on Rails. It’s a very flexible language that allows us to innovate faster.

How long have you been working together?

A year and a half to two years.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the initiative, either in a cost range or personnel work hour figure?

Usually, we’ll schedule one to two programmers to spend several weeks on a project. So, we stick to an hourly rate and give a general guideline for the project. We leave room for that timeframe to grow if we change our needs along the way, which we often do.

Total man hours [so far] would be probably more than 1,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Are there any metrics or feedback that you can share that indicates the effectiveness of their work?

No. I don’t have any specific metrics.

How would you describe their performance?

Versatile. If I tell them I have a software need, even if they don’t have prior experience doing that specific thing, they can go out and learn how to do that very quickly.   

Is there anything else unique or special about them compared to other vendors or companies that you may have worked with in the past?

Yes, their backgrounds. The three first founders – one was a lawyer, one was an engineer, one was a trader. They’ve got a perspective that’s much wider than most Web development companies. They understand my perspective better because of that, and it takes less time to explain my goals and needs to them.

Looking back on the work that they’ve done so far, is there any area that you think they could improve on or that you would do differently?

No.

If you have to sum up your experience with them briefly, how might you describe it?

Professional and creative.

BACKGROUND

Could you give a bit of background on your company and your role?

I am the founder of a mobile app called LandID. In that capacity, I was looking for a local Chicago developer to work with me. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

When you approached LaunchPad Lab, what in particular were you trying to do?

I was trying to take the idea from my head and put it into a mobile app. I didn’t know at that time whether that would be an iPhone app or an Android app. I would describe myself as very tech enabled, but pretty ignorant with respect to app development at that time. I was looking for someone to help me bring it to life.

Did you have any specific business goals for the project or metrics that you were trying to achieve?

There was never a desire to monetize the app, which sounds a little strange. That would have been fine if it happened, but it was more something that I felt very strongly about that I wanted to see created. I was the only investor in it, so I wasn’t taking outside money. The goal was really to bring something to life that I think a market has a need for in the social media space. I had goals about subscriber growth and all of those things. But the ultimate goal was to develop a high-quality app that people would enjoy.     

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project? What did it include?

There was nothing at the start but an idea. The total development time for the launch of the first version was probably four months. It started with a good month of light board work, where we sat down and talked about how the frames would work and how best to structure it, and what to include, what not to include, so a lot of good conceptual work before we ever put a hand to coding.

The second phase was that we rolled into using Flinto and other simulation pieces of software, so that before we began the actual coding, we could see it in a visual form in a demo.

When we were comfortable with that, we rolled into phase three, the coding. It went pretty quickly after all that conceptual work. So, four months from zero to version one in the iStore.

Did you also launch additional versions of this product?

We launched a second version and maybe a third, just within the following two months. But, they were rather minor bug fixes. We had worked out a number of the bugs before the first launch because we had allowed friends and family to use the app before it was ever in the iStore. [The second version] wasn’t materially different.

How long have you worked with them?

I continue to work with them. At this point, it’s probably been 10 months, because there was probably a couple of months’ process of getting to know them before we ever launched. I continue to have a relationship with them, advising on the next step for the app. I’ve just come to like them a lot. I bounce ideas off them, and they bounce ideas off me.

One of the things that really set them apart to me was that they’re technology guys, but they actually come out of the real-world business environment. They come out of the securities trading environment, and have also clearly worked on some pretty demanding applications in the past. I like that because they’re very responsive.

Why did you decide to use the iPhone platform?

We perceive the iStore to be the benchmark of app loyalty. While there has certainly been substantial growth in non-Apple platforms, [such as] Android, the App Store and the loyalty of iPhone users is still the hallmark of where to start. Then, to the extent that it thrives there, we would bring it into Android.

When you selected LaunchPad Lab to work with, were there other candidates that you were considering? Why did you choose to work with them?

I had [to consider whether] to get the guy in his basement or hire a real development firm. I quickly went to a real firm because if you hired a guy in his basement, and he’s not able to get it all the way there or can’t support you post launch, and you bring it to a real developer at that time, then they’re not going to tweak what he did. They’re going to rebuild it from scratch. I didn’t want to take that risk.

In the real developer space, I talked with other firms. There are lots of people that are capable. At the end of the day, I wanted someone local. I talked to people who had more mobile app experience than LaunchPad, but I really liked [LaunchPad’s] approach, and their ability to think about the business model, not just the app. I liked the fact that they came out of the real world, and I perceived that they would be very responsive. That’s turned out to be absolutely correct.

I’m very pleased with their work, very pleased with the app, just enjoy working with the guys, and wouldn’t have made a different decision.

Can you give us a sense of the size of this initiative either in dollar terms or personnel work hours estimate?

Between the developer, a local PR firm, and some legal work, I’d probably spent somewhere in the range of $70,000 or $80,000 on the app, all my own funding. The developer piece was probably 80 percent of that, I would say.

When was the initial project completed?

We launched it in the iStore in the second week of November of last year [2013].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project? Are there any metrics or qualitative feedback you can share?

I’ve had some great press. The biggest thing to me is I probably have 1,500 users at the moment, three or four months in. I have a lot of content creation on this app. Again, given that my goal was never to monetize it, the cool thing for me is just seeing how people use it. I’ve seen hundreds of examples of people using this app to document important moments in their life in a way that I think social media cries out for more of today. I’ve been really pleased with the growth, and with watching the content from behind the scenes.

How would you describe LaunchPad Lab’s performance? Was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies with which you may have worked?

I can’t really say in the development space because it’s not as though I have done this before. But, they have a pretty good discipline about not starting the coding until we’re absolutely sure exactly what we’re doing, so a very client-focused approach to being efficient with resources and time. Even in the simulation software, making sure that we get through a whiteboard discussion of what everything’s going to look like beforehand, so a very businesslike approach to technology.

The other thing is every two weeks, there’s a very rigid structure where it’s here’s what we’re going to do, then we go do it, then we come back to show you what we did, and talk about what we’re going to do the next two weeks. So, it’s a very businesslike approach to accountability and also holding me accountable, the fact that they can only do things as they receive feedback from me on a real-time basis.

I just really appreciated their honesty and their discipline around deadlines and responsibilities. Again, that was one of the primary things that I hoped to get from them given their backgrounds, and that proved to be true.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that you think that they could improve on or that you would do differently?

[At the time], they were still a relatively small developer, and while they were growing, they were outsourcing. In my instance, they outsourced some of the visual design features. I know that now they’ve insourced that. Actually, I was quite pleased with their outsourced design partner. But I think the more that you use outside, the more legal risk of other people taking a client’s idea or sharing it with other people. That was not my experience, but I’m glad to see that they’re insourcing more of their capabilities as they grow.

The only other thing, and I knew this going in, they hadn’t done a lot of work in the social media space in particular. They hadn’t developed a lot of apps that create new mechanisms for people to follow and share and like what’s going on. I could tell, in the process, they were learning some of that along with me. But, again, I knew that going in, and it was not an impediment. In fact, I think we were able to do some things that were maybe outside the box because they came at it from a different lens.        

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Marketing of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Litigation financing and creative capital partnerships for law firms and capital providers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LaunchPad Lab to accomplish?

• New website build

SOLUTION

How did you find LaunchPad Lab?

Referral

Why did you select LaunchPad Lab over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from LaunchPad Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Fully responsive build out of all website pages (new and existing)
• Build out of HubSpot marketing email template
• Access and documentation for HubSpot build and CMS
• Deployment of site to desired domain

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverables were all met on specified timeline.

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

Progress was made on of before dedicated project timeline benchmarks. Team was very responsive to any changes or request while the project was in progress.

What was your primary form of communication with LaunchPad Lab?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their team was great to work with and very knowledgeable. They were very helpful in detailing technical aspects of the project for those who are not developers and helping to inform decision-making.

Are there any areas for improvement or something LaunchPad Lab could have done differently?

Providing additional uses for ongoing support. However, cannot complain about a well-functioning website that requires little to no maintenance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive of Revela

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Revela is a property management platform that unlocks new revenue streams and boosts margins.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LaunchPad Lab to accomplish?

• Background Check integration

SOLUTION

How did you find LaunchPad Lab?

Prior relationship

Why did you select LaunchPad Lab over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Technical skills alignment

How many teammates from LaunchPad Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project involved connecting with Saferent's background screening system, extracting information from a complex XML response, and then inputting that data back into our platform for our customers to utilize the outcomes effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Achieve a seamless integration with Saferent, allowing us to import results directly into our platform. 
• Complete the project on schedule, as our financial projections relied on the successful rollout of the product. 
• Conduct thorough end-to-end quality assurance testing.

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

LaunchPad Lab delivered everything on time and with high quality.

What was your primary form of communication with LaunchPad Lab?

Virtual Meeting

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

Launchpad Labs has very skilled Ruby on Rails engineers that were able to quickly understand our platform and start delivering on the project quickly.

Are there any areas for improvement or something LaunchPad Lab could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of a consulting company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Pre-employemtn assessment and talent development support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LaunchPad Lab to accomplish?

• Get our new assessment system to MVP
• Ensure proper security
• Enhance system features and functionality

SOLUTION

How did you find LaunchPad Lab?

Referral

Why did you select LaunchPad Lab over others?

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

How many teammates from LaunchPad Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Take over development of an online assessment platofrm, including test programming, ADA compliance functionality, data exporting, UI enhancements, user permissioning, and enhanced security.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launch Pad Labs finished the first phase of work in record time!  They apporached the works as true thought partners, made great suggestions, identified issues, and delivered our MVP ahead of schedule!

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

They were quick to respond and delviered ahead of schedule. 

What was your primary form of communication with LaunchPad Lab?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were very flexible, especially when we had changes in priorities. They always came to our meetings with great suggestions to improve workflows and the user experience.

Are there any areas for improvement or something LaunchPad Lab could have done differently?

No!  We are very happy with the partnership!