Software Development Made Simple
Here at Many Hats, we believe software development should be transparent and easy to understand so our clients know exactly where their money goes.
Every client is assigned a dedicated engineer, who also acts as project manager, to guide them from start to finish.
Our clients are given complete access to our internal project tracking software, Jira, so they can track our development progress against their costs.
We also provide daily, bi-daily, or weekly updates, by phone or online meeting tools such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet, depending on the client's preferred level of involvement.
In addition, each client is provided with their very own Slack channel, for near-instant, 24/7 communication with their dedicated development team.
Come chat with us today for your free consultation and assessment!
Focus
Recommended Providers
Portfolio
Netcoins, Phyxter, Ava Home Garden, Health Nunavut, HeardThat, Econus, Montreal Canadiens, APTN, PlanPlus, Taito
Indigenous Knowledge Network
Facilitating Indigenous self-determination in research, education and stewardship, SIKU is a mobile app and web platform by and for Inuit which provides tools and services for ice safety, weather forecasting, language preservation and knowledge transfer.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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1. Respect
As the only social media platform putting Indigenous rights first, SIKU is a safe space for sharing and mobilizing Indigenous knowledge.
2. Self-Determination
SIKU helps document the data that has always formed the basis for Indigenous knowledge and mobilize it for use in community-based monitoring, Guardians Programs and self-determination in research, education and environmental stewardship.
3. Intellectual Property
No one can use your data without permission. Intellectual property ownership is maintained through an informed data stewardship framework.
4. Integrity
The terms of use require real names and real data - critically important for safe travel, knowledge transfer, language and cultural preservation.
Econus iOS & Android Apps
Individual actions for systemic change
There’s no denying that the actions you take as an individual can make a difference. Not using a straw could save a turtle, carpooling could save ~6 tons of CO2 a year.
But how does an individual go about saving an entire turtle species, or reducing CO2 by the billions of tons?
The answer (as always), Money. Thats’s where Econus comes in.
Econus is your platform for engaging in the economics of consumption. A platform for raising money alongside your individual actions.
Econus empowers you to connect the things you buy and their unintended consequences — like a tank of gas and the resulting air pollution, or a dollar menu burger and the unhealthy living conditions the cow lived in — and using the spare change from that purchase to fund things like carbon removal or animal protections.
How do we do it? Once you’ve connected the things you buy with the causes you care about most (we call this a Persona), we’ll Round-Up your spare change to the nearest dollar and donate it to the organization you want fighting for your change…with your change ;)
The true power of individual action is in your passion for your purpose and ability to connect with like-minded people.
Imagine creating your Persona, recruiting a crew to follow it, and knowing that whenever someone following your Persona makes a purchase that affects our environment or society, their spare change is being used to offset the unintended consequences of that purchase!
In economics lingo, we are mitigating consumption externalities and moving the needle one step closer to sustainability!
Netcoins iOS & Android Apps
Netcoins offers 6 cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple’s XRP (XRP), and Tether (USDT).
0% FUNDING FEES
Fund your account via Interac e-Transfers, bank wires or cryptocurrency deposits. Get started with as little as $10. It’s free to fund, always.
SIMPLE TRADING
Make instant trades or set up limit orders with a few taps. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned investor, you'll find the Netcoins app an easy way to invest in crypto.
OWN YOUR MONEY & CRYPTO
Deposit and withdraw supported cryptocurrencies as well as Canadian and U.S. Dollars. We make it super easy for you to take control of your finances, whether it’s crypto or fiat.
FREE CASH WITHDRAWALS
Ready to cash out? Enjoy free cash withdrawals via Interac e-Transfer or bank wires.
SUPPORT 7 DAYS/WEEK
We're here to help you every step of the way with support available 7 days/week. Reach our support team via phone, live chat, email or by raising a support ticket. The best way to get in touch with us is always by email at [email protected]
COMPLIANT, SAFE & SECURE
Netcoins is a registered MSB by FINTRAC. All customer funds are held in cold storage (offline) and are insured with Bitgo, a leader in institutional digital asset custody. In addition, our team uses qlue.io, a blockchain forensics and investigative tool (and Netcoins's sister company) to identify and prevent illicit crypto activities.
PUBLICLY TRADED
Netcoins trades under BIGG Digital Assets (CSE: BIGG, OTCQX: BBKCF, WKN: A2PS9W) which offers users an extra layer of safety and transparency.
Unibroue Passport
Unibroue reached out to us to come up with a social media app that would help them strengthen the relationship with their loyal fans. Taking inspiration from their award-winning flagship beer, La Fin du Monde, which is French for “The End of the World”, our team created a “Quest to the end of the World” virtual reality game within the Unibroue Passport mobile application to give its users a chance to win great prizes, including an all-expenses paid trip to the Unibroue brewery in Quebec, Canada.
In addition to the three more games that will be progressively released to promote other flavours of Unibroue beer, we have also implemented several other features to enhance a user’s purchasing experience:
· Unibroue Finder: A tracking feature that allows users to find where their favourite Unibroue beers are being sold.
· Unibroue News Alert: A notification feature that informs users on the latest Unibroue news and sales promotions.
· Unibroue Library: Quick access to all Unibroue product information including flavour, brewing process, ingredients, and food pairing.
Health Nunavut Official Provincial Mobile App
In cooperation with Pinnguaq Association, a non-profit organization that promotes technological advancement with rural and remote communities, and Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, an independent, non-profit community research institute founded by Government of Nunavut, Many Hats was tasked with creating an all-in-one mobile application for new members of the health care work force arriving in Nunavut.
The Health NU mobile application is an intuitive, easy-to-use, easy-to-read library that is specifically designed to be accessed quickly in times of need. It contains information about working and communicating in a multilingual environment, the organization of the health system, the Inuit historical context of different regions, important aspects of health care practice, and values and expectations in the health care setting. It also includes useful community-specific information including maps, phone numbers, information pages, weather information, ways to get involved in the community, and things to pack. As of today, Health NU has become a must-have mobile application for any health care professionals, social workers, or anyone who is looking to visit the Northwest.
Phyxter Pro & Wholesaler
Phyxter asked us to provide them with a complete mobile and web solution for their users to search, discover, and order the parts they need with a few simple clicks. The result was Phyxter Pro and the Phyxter Wholesaler.
Phyxter Pro is an intuitive mobile application powered by a smart search algorithm that locates the closest available products from the highest rated suppliers at the best price. With a just one touch, a busy skilled worker can order parts with little effort while keeping track of its shipping status and purchase history. Phyxter Pro also comes with a built-in instant messenger for those who wishes to contact suppliers directly for sales inquiry or to negotiate a better price (suppliers can sell a product right in the chat) or send out a parts request to all nearby suppliers. On top of all that, app users are also rewarded with Phyxter Points that can be used to redeem great prizes.
On the other end is the Phyxter Wholesaler web portal created for merchants to easily manage their virtual storefronts. It is free to sign up and takes less than five minutes to start selling on Phyxter. Simply sign-in through any web browser to upload product information, process payments and sales order, answer customer inquiry, process returns and refunds, or promote yourself towards thousands of potential new customers around your proximity.
Reviews
the project
Mobile App Dev for Medical Tech Company
"They seemed to put a lot of care and attention into the work they were doing for us."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a medical technology company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Many Hats?
We needed to create a mobile app for both iOS and Android. We had a lot of expertise in-house to do the development of the algorithms for the app, but we didn’t have expertise in actually creating an app and putting it in the App Store.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Many Hats took some core code that we had and wrapped it into native apps for the two platforms. They worked on the visual design of the UI/UX. The app uses the recording feature through the microphones on phones and plays back audio, so Many Hats had to hook up the app to the audio system.
They delivered apps that were in a form suitable to be distributed to testers outside the organization and eventually onto the app store to be sold to customers. It was an agile development process.
What is the team composition?
We worked with several people, with five at the peak. They would draw on the resources for specific aspects, but as the project went on, we ended up working with two senior developers.
How did you come to work with Many Hats?
We found them on Clutch. We contacted several firms and interviewed them. We liked Many Hats because we’re a small, scrappy startup and they seemed to be the same. They had also done work on both iOS and Android before that seemed relevant to what we were doing.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent over $200,000 in total.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in September 2019, and we started winding down in September 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We were very happy with what we got. We felt good about the quality. The app looks very professional and meets the criteria that we had in mind for it in terms of being easy to use, looking good, and functioning properly. It was all very successful from that perspective.
How did Many Hats perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management was fine. Because Many Hats is local to us, we actually had two kickoff meetings with them, and once or twice, we had one of our developers go on-site to work with them. We eventually got into the pattern of having regular Zoom calls.
We would share a screen, and they would also use GitHub and Jira to track projects, which went well. The team was organized, so we were able to see what was happening at all times, and we were able to direct the activities and set priorities readily.
We were also able to chat using Slack in between those phone calls, so it was a very fluid and productive communication chain.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were great people to work with, and they seemed to put a lot of care and attention into the work they were doing for us. Many Hats certainly made a number of good suggestions that we probably wouldn't have ever thought of ourselves.
They seemed to understand pretty well what we wanted to accomplish and took us down a path that got us there. There were a lot of design and architecting decisions that had to be made early on, but we weren't in a great position to make them all by ourselves.
Many Hats presented us with options through discussion and a mutual understanding of the requirements. We decided on a good path that in fact worked out.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I have no suggestions for them. If I was going to do this all over again, I would’ve executed the plan a little sooner in terms of bringing somebody in-house to take over the work because the timeline got extended, which wasn’t their fault.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Don’t hesitate to get to know them because they’re easy to talk to. If you sit down with them, show them what it is you want to get done, and come away feeling good about that, then go for it.
the project
Coding Game Development for Nonprofit
"The developers were also very easy to engage with, iterating, and providing technical feedback and solutions."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Pinnguaq Association, a not-for-profit organization, incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) into unique learning applications that promote storytelling, health, wellness, and growth with rural and remote communities.
At its core, Pinnguaq embraces diversity and creates opportunities in order to empower all people. Pinnguaq, which means play in Inuktitut, was created in 2012 as a Pangnirtung, Nunavut-based technology startup with the goal of providing play experiences in Indigenous languages.
Since then, the organization has embraced ways of incorporating play into applications that support a full learning life cycle. As the Director of Productions I coordinate and oversee the design and development of various projects from game and web development, to 2D and 3D art creation, to content production.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats?
We worked with Many Hats to develop and produce a game called Nanili. Nanili introduces players to the art of coding. It does this by encouraging players to find the most elegant solutions through creating procedural functions and loops.
The aim of the game is to get the character to the campfire in the most efficient way possible (using as few blocks in the input bar as possible). Each level presents you with a maze showing the locations of the character and the campfire.
What were your goals for this project?
The ultimate goal of the project was to deploy a game that users had tested and played throughout development. We iterated throughout the development of Nanili, conducting user testing and asking for feedback from kids and young people along the way.
The result is a game that we now use in the delivery of educational STEAM programming, teaching kids the art of coding through game play.
How did you select this vendor?
We worked with Many Hats from the outset of Nanili.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
The project was an end to end development from ideation and storyboarding, to design and UI, graphics and animation, content, development, QA, user testing, and improvements. Many Hats were involved every step of the way, leading in all aspects.
What was the team composition?
One Technical Director, project manager, two senior software developers, one intermediate software developer, one UI/UX designer.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
Since launching Nanili for both mobile and as a webgl version in the Pinnguaq website, we have seen a good deal of traffic and usage of the game. We also have various testimonials of kids of play the game and try to out do their previous scores. The educational teams will continue to work with kids on their coding skills and use Nanili to facilitate this, whether remotely or in-person.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Daily Scrum stand-up with the technical director, developers and designers allowed everyone to be on the same page and understand the work ahead. We created a dedicated Slack channel for clients, open-access to Jira for visibility of work. Work was transparent and carefully tracked and monitored.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They Many Hats team were very easy to work with, extremely flexible and highly adaptive in terms of change in development directions. Innovative as they are always trying to use the best tech stack and technology available. The developers were also very easy to engage with, iterating, and providing technical feedback and solutions.
Are there any areas for improvement?
I can't think of anything off hand.
the project
App Development for Communications Firm
"Their team was as engaged in the project as we were."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Dada is a fast-growing agency that gives brands love and purpose. Since its foundation in 2010, its approach has seduced major clients such as Desjardins, Hydro-Québec, Traditours, Bota Bota, VIA Rail and CAE. The agency is formed of leading communications professionals that share a common mission: to cultivate a collaborative spirit to help brands reach their full potential, both from an employee and a consumer perspective.
Beyond creative and production, dada is also specialized in business intelligence, co-creation workshops, strategy and innovation. From its Montreal office, it makes its clients benefit from its diverse capabilities throughout Canada and the United States. dada, with love and purpose.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats?
As VP Gobal Product at dada, I have mandated Many Hats to help develop a customer centric mobile app for Unibroue. The beer brand was well distributed across the Unites States, but needed to develop a platform to build a connection with its growing fan base. The app was a mix of brand and product education, through gamification, including but not limited to, AR label animations on most popular skus.
What were your goals for this project?
Generate product knowledge Create relevant frequency in customer interactions with the brand Build brand awareness Grow fan and customer base (lift sales volumes)
How did you select this vendor?
Through a senior project manager who knew the team.
Describe the project in detail.
- Mobile app available on iOS and Google Play Store
- AR animations on labels
- Other games: AR with flying fairies, quiz, 360 virtual reality game in motion
- Consumer profile with a history of navigation
- Geo-localization linked with Beer Finder across all 50 states
- Contest linked to user profile
- Knowledge base including recipes, cocktails, and pairings, as well as product profiles
- Optimization of UX after the first phase of deployment
- Coding and development of technology from our design files
What was the team composition?
Lead developer, I am not sure of the team composition behind the lead developer
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Over 10,000 downloads within the first three months of activity
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Highly efficient communication Very agile and solution-oriented team Success focused
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their team was as engaged in the project as we were.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Preliminary time evaluation is given complexity and scope of project Unforeseen circumstances (i.e. Apple store approval delays and unknown)
the project
Custom Software Dev & Testing for Game Developer
"[The team lead] leverages his experience to craft systems that will be key for the longevity of our studio."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Original Fire Games is a video game studio currently developing the title Circuit Superstars. I'm a founder, managing director & designer.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats?
We have an ongoing collaboration with Many Hats who are helping us develop autosmoke and testing infrastructure as well as console porting for our multi-platform video game.
What were your goals for this project?
Our collaboration with Many Hats is fueled by our goal of developing an infrastructure of software and systems that contribute to the success of our current game as well as those we develop in the future. We wanted to think long-term sustainability, and Many Hats has helped us make that a reality.
How did you select this vendor?
We chose Many Hats based on conversations an analysis that led us to believe this was the right partnership for our goals. Our company is new at shipping games, so their expertise and experience have and continue to be essential.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
In-Game Testing Framework Web-Based Remote Testing Framework F-Make Build framework TeamCity/CIS Server Console porting.
What was the team composition?
1 Senior Engineer
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
The work is ongoing, so the results will impact our short term and long term future. The work Many Hats has done so far will help us produce and test game builds effectively across a variety of platforms. The testing infrastructure created is also quite versatile, so we will continuously be able to develop new tests as the needs of the project arise.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Project Management has been led by the Senior Engineer working with us. He established the project and tasks on Jira and has continuously done effort to keep us & Jira up to date.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Mike Despault, the Senior Engineer we worked with, has been a pleasure to work with, he is inquisitive, insightful, seeks to understand our challenges, and leverages his experience to craft systems that will be key for the longevity of our studio and the titles we ship.
Mike and Many Hats as a whole work with transparency as a value, form negotiations to execution, we have always been clear on costs and time. As a small studio, this has given us the flexibility we need for our budget. I'm grateful for this partnership and hope to continue to work with Many Hats for many years to come.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Not at this time.
the project
Value Discovery App for Financial Services Company
"This was our app so it was nice having someone hold our hands through the process."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Product Manager of a global FinTech company servicing financial services professionals. We are a world leader in psychometric testing and suitability.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats?
Many Hats help us build our first app to capture an individual's core values, a key engagement piece in the onboarding process.
What were your goals for this project?
To be able to gamify the values capture process and make it a fun and engaging process.
How did you select this vendor?
We were introduced to Many Hats by a mutual contact and were impressed from the first meeting.
Describe the project in detail.
Your core values are important needs or requirements that have helped you to be successful, and help you recognize what's important to you. The app is a series of exercise designed to help an individual clearly identify their core values.
The app is designed to be used in conjunction with our financial profiling and planning application where financial advisors can invite clients to complete the exercise as part of their engagement process.
What was the team composition?
There was a project leader assigned to our project and he was in charge of communicating our requirements to the rest of team. Team members also contacted us directly if they have a question.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The app is currently in limited release awaiting further development to link it back to our financial profiling and planning application. Feedback has been positive so far.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The communication process was quite smooth, they updated us regularly on progress and follow up when needed.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They were very helpful in guiding us on how to release the app across the different channels. This was our app so it was nice having someone hold our hands through the process, they clearly know what they are doing.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing I can think of.
the project
App Dev Support for Tradesman App
"Many Hats is great to work with, skilled at what they do, and very accommodating to a client's needs."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Phyxter is a company specializing in technology solutions for the trades industry. I am the CTO of Phyxter.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats?
Initial architecture and UI of Phyxter Pro mobile app.
What were your goals for this project?
To create the initial architecture and framework of our Phyxter Pro mobile app.
How did you select this vendor?
Interviewed several development companies and weighed the pro's and con's of each one.
Describe the project in detail.
The project consisted of a Xamarin based mobile app which communicated with a web based app. Both shared a .net backend hosted on the Azure cloud. The project also required Many Hats to train our in-house development team while the project was ongoing.
What was the team composition?
One project manager, one front-end developer and two full-stack developers. In-house we had two junior developers and a senior back-end developer.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Went to market with our phase 1 product at the end of the project.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow between our teams was very effective. Weekly overall project meetings and daily scrums.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Many Hats is great to work with, skilled at what they do, and very accommodating to a client's needs in a dynamic project environment.
Are there any areas for improvement?
I have no recommendations for improvement.
the project
Custom Software Dev for Software & Hardware Products Agency
"They have worked very well with our team and would spend extra time and effort to see projects through to the end."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Director of Technology for a startup focused on developing novel software and hardware products for the golf industry.
For what projects/services did your company hire Many Hats, and what were your goals?
We were trying to solve very complicated computer vision and algortihm-based challenges. This required extensive R&D iteration and being able to make quick adjustments or changes in direction based on the success we were having. The hardware requirements also imposed resource and power constraints that needed to be dealt with.
How did you select Many Hats and what were the deciding factors?
Many Hats came across as an agile and motivated company that could take on unique and challenges projects. In talking with their staff we realized that they would be able to work on something most companies would not be able to.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We followed an agile scrum based approach to working through our R&D. Sprints would include hardware prototyping, software testing, validation, field work, etc. Deliverables included custom built software that was validated in live demos.
How many people from the Many Hats team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We worked with the owner and CEO of the company directly on a weekly basis.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We were given a very unique and interesting software solution that met our needs as a small research and development company. Given the constraints and challenges of our product, we were very happy with the results.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Many Hats worked in a sprint and scrum based approach. This was very convenient for our project. Progress was well tracked with online tools.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their willingness to take on tough challenges and change directions quickly based on the results we were getting. They have worked very well with our team and would spend extra time and effort to see projects through to the end.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I was happy with the quality of work. We would sometimes lose track of our sprint starts and stops, but eventually would always update our online tools.
Many Hats delivered professional, visually appealing mobile apps that met the business' expectations, resulting in a successful partnership. Their project management was well-structured, particularly in terms of communication, and they provided valuable suggestions and support.