Mindgrub

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of engineering for B-Line Medical, a software producer for healthcare education that allows medical schools to record and debrief student interactions during medical training.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindgrub?

Traditionally, our software requires lots of cameras and other devices at the customers’ site to do video recording. We wanted to utilize smart phone cameras, and we needed a partner to help develop the iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mindgrub designed and built an iOS app that interfaced with our existing API. They also did project management, making sure that everything ran smoothly and on time. The app uses the smart phone’s camera to record video that can later be used to analyze and evaluate medical training. Mindgrub submitted the app to TestFlight, conducting beta testing and making subsequent changes. They recently finished the app and published it to the App Store.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, graphic designer, iOS developer, and QA analyst. When we first began the partnership, we also met with the CEO.

How did you come to work with Mindgrub?

Mindgrub is active in their local IT and tech community, so I knew of them through the different groups they’re members of. I liked their work and though they’d be a good fit, so I hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work ignited excitement within our company and made us the first ones in our industry to provide a lightweight mobile solution to medical training. Our beta users’ reactions were overwhelmingly positive, and everyone is ecstatic for the possibilities. For example, recording in ambulances used to be incredibly difficult, but our app makes it much simpler.

How did Mindgrub perform from a project management standpoint?

This is the first time we’ve worked with a third-party company, and the entire process was incredibly smooth. We can be quite picky, and we’re not afraid to voice our opinion, but Mindgrub was extremely amiable and understanding. We used Slack to communicate, Git for source control, and Jira for issue tracking. Their team melded seamlessly with ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were flexible and adaptable, delivering what we wanted and quickly making changes that we requested.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure you clearly communicate what you want and document everything. If you’re on the same page at the beginning of the project, things will run much smoother.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director for Unisys’ weather business unit, a large systems integrator and management company that serves the federal government and international commercial clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindgrub?

We wanted to modernize our website because the company hadn’t updated it, apart from applying evolving corporate style standards. Our software didn’t advance much beyond early 2000s technology; it generated static images and satellite imagery loops. Users could view those features, but couldn’t do anything with the weather data. The modernization needed to conform to today’s aesthetic standards while providing users new functionalities for tracking and navigation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mindgrub researched our company and users via queries and data gathering; we also held internal information sessions to identify the site’s purpose. The team then redesigned the UX/UI, using the discovery period to inform the overhaul. The project is mostly done and we are currently in a maintenance phase with Mindgrub.

What is the team composition?

The team included a project manager, a sales manager, and both advanced and junior-level engineers.

How did you come to work with Mindgrub?

We had a government client that wanted our team to modernize the site and reached out to Mindgrub on our behalf. We compared their proposals to others in a competitive analysis. We determined the team was capable and would provide the best value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in them in November of 2017 and the project finished in April 2018. We do have some additional work that we’ll probably give them at a later date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did several internal reviews to assess the site’s usability – whether we could manage it in-house. They completed the requested repairs quickly.

How did Mindgrub perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s performance matched what they proposed. Mindgrub worked in agile sprints and used Basecamp to upload assets and stay connected. They updated at least on a weekly basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Several components of the Drupal CMS were new to us, but Mindgrub had the skills to provide on-site training, specifically for webpage administration. In addition, their expertise and ability to deploy products rapidly stood out. The team proposed new techniques and innovations for various aspects of development and managed web services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had trouble with testing because Mindgrub used screenshots to present the look and feel. Those screenshots weren’t conducive to locating needed changes as we approached the live test site. We hope they’ll set up a different test site for next time. However, the team was responsive and repaired a lot of the bugs we found. But those fixes would have been resolved earlier with a different testing process in place.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should make sure Mindgrub researches their businesses. They made assumptions, which are sometimes necessary to push projects forward, but in most cases, they could have called or sent an email to clarify answers. That extra QA step would’ve eliminated wrong decisions, even though none of those delayed the timeline or affected results. We got everything resolved in the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an identity monitoring company. We provide a comprehensive set of threat intelligence and credential surveillance solutions to private and public-sector organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindgrub?

We initially only serviced large enterprises, but then found an underserved market of small to medium-sized managed service providers (MSP). We approached Mindgrub to build a versatile web-based product that could surface credentials found on dark web sources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mindgrub built out our flagship product. It’s a web app tool that combines dark web intelligence with search capabilities to identify, analyze, and proactively monitor compromised or stolen data. The backend of our system ingests usernames, emails addresses, and passwords that have been discovered. We have a group of employees that work to index that data, normalize it, and load into the backend of the system. The web app surfaces that data for our MSPs to utilize. The two primary use cases our customers are fulfilling with the software includes a prospecting mode and a continuous monitoring mode.

The prospecting mode enables MSPs to put plug their potential customer’s domain name into our product to see an indication of our findings. They don’t get actual values of anything, but this process presents the general size and shape of what might’ve been compromised. Once the MSP partner has closed that business, we become responsible for monitoring that client’s domains, email, and IP addresses. The MSP configures the account within our system for a continuous monitoring solution. New data comes into the platform every day and if there are new findings that are connected to that organization, the MSP gets a notification and can take an appropriate response. In some cases, the MSP fully manages the credentials on behalf of their clients and implements internal response procedures. Others will elect a coordinated effort and create user accounts for their clients.

Once the initial development was complete, Mindgrub continued to provide maintenance, hosting, and bug fixes. Later, we engaged them to provide UI design and lead other efforts to further improve the product. They’re currently performing development sprints and releasing additional features on a regular basis. Recently, they’ve significantly expanded our REST-based API. Before this development, most of what I’ve described so far had to be done through a web interface. Now, a lot of the work can be done programmatically if the MSP chooses to automate the provisioning of the service. We’re currently working with Mindgrub on a queue of productized integrations with some of the more popular IP management solutions available. We also leverage their managed services for systems maintenance.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with a project manager and a lead engineer. The development sprints often require additional engineers and QA specialists to work on the project.

How did you come to work with Mindgrub?

I wasn’t a part of the team when Mindgrub originally developed our product, so I can’t speak in much detail as to how we initially engaged them. My understanding is that our CEO knew their CEO from a previous experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They produce outstanding deliverables and that’s due to multiple levels of manual and automated testing. When a project nears completion, we allocate some QA resources to do a final round of testing to ensure everything works properly. So far, it’s been a great experience. They’re very transparent regarding bugs and the level of quality they can provide. They clearly communicate what’s broken and how difficult it's going to be to fix, which makes it easy when communicating with our partners.

We've experienced significant growth as a result of their recent developments. We’ve gone from partnering with 50 firms to nearly 700 at this point. With more eyes on the product, it’s become more mission critical to maintain a high level of quality. Mindgrub’s doing a great job of helping with that.

How did Mindgrub perform from a project management standpoint?

Our internal account management team puts together a list of feature requests and bug reports for me to qualify. Then, I hand that off to Mindgrub’s project manager. He works with their engineers to surface questions and further refine the requirements. We then meet on a regular basis to populate a release plan and break the work down into sprints. The project manager is responsible for tracking everything that goes on. We have a standing weekly meeting but often speak more than that to raise additional questions or address challenges. The project manager handles what would be delegated during daily standups without our intervention. That approach saves a lot of time on our end and we trust Mindgrub to deliver.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Speaking from the experience of having worked with many outsourced teams over the years, Mindgrub possesses two features that are particularly noteworthy. First, they’re a full-service organization that brings a variety of skill sets to the table. Instead of hiring a contractor or onboarding an employee, we can disperse them onto a project for a handful of hours and fulfill our need. This frees up time for us to focus on more substantial tasks.

Their effective project management ensures that there’s continuity in terms of the feature requests and bug fixes. I don't have to worry about a lack of communication between Mindgrub’s design group, their engineering team, or the QA team. They have a solid process for keeping everyone on the same page and driving projects forward. They're very transparent about the process they're executing and it really works well end-to-end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’d have a hard time trying to come up with something to improve on at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I made the mistake of isolated them into the role of engineers and trying to wrap other services around them to get a robust product lifecycle. I’d encourage future clients to be open regarding the maturity of their ideas and the direction they foresee the product going in the future. They offer a lot of services that could be further beneficial to the overall engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an advertising agency located in Baltimore, Maryland. I’m an account manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindgrub?

One of our clients, a local lottery business, wanted to develop an app. We outsourced the development of that app to Mindgrub.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app, which is available on iOS and Android devices, features winning numbers, jackpot amounts, and overviews on the games. We provided design comps to Mindgrub, and they did all the development with us. They work with the lottery’s data partner to make sure the current jackpots and winning numbers are all feeding into the app. Mindgrub updated the existing app and added a few different features and functionality, which won’t launch until later this week or next week.

How did you come to work with Mindgrub?

I don't know for sure. Our offices are located pretty close to each other, and our previous VP of technology at the agency knew their CEO. Mindgrub bid against at least two other app production agencies.

How much have you invested with Mindgrub?

I am not sure because I wasn't here for the initial app production. I’d say it probably has been somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s a current and ongoing relationship. The core of the original app launched at the end of 2013. I wasn’t here for it, but I'm guessing the initiation of that project started in early 2013. We still are working with them now on launching updates to that app. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is beneficial to our client’s customers who are always wanting to know what the winning numbers and current jackpots are. The app is an easy way for customers to get that information quickly and easily.

How did Mindgrub perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m extremely happy with one project manager in particular. I’ve recently been working with him on these app updates, and he’s responsive and flexible. He also is always able to answer any questions that we have or that the lottery has.

What did you find most impressive about Mindgrub?

We have access to their head developer, which is something I appreciate and something that might be unique to Mindgrub. If we have an issue, the project manager will bring in the head developer right away so we can nip the issue in the bud quickly. We’ve worked with other app production companies, and their project managers have not given us access to their developers.

Are there any areas Mindgrub could improve?

Not really at this time. I have had no complaints since our current project manager has joined the team. I had worked with other project managers before with whom I wasn't completely thrilled.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are one of the largest public school systems in the country. I am the supervisor for solutions development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindgrub?

We wanted to produce a mobile app which could be used by consumers for news on our system, push notifications about closures, important updates, and calendar items.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mindgrub handled mobile development for our Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps. The latter has since been discontinued. Mindgrub handled the entire project in terms of management, development testing, and deployment.

It's an informational item. The benefit of having a mobile app versus a responsive site was the use of push notifications.

How did you come to work with Mindgrub?

I may have read an article about Mindgrub. We met with them and found Mindgrub to be a clear choice, even though we'd worked with other developers in the beginning.

How much have you invested with Mindgrub?

The cost of Mindgrub's work has been around $25,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Mindgrub in 2012 for the first version of the app. Mindgrub continues to maintain our development and push notification certificates, as well as our presence in the app stores, at no extra cost. We're planning to build a new version of the apps in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mindgrub's work has been a primary driver around our school closures. We receive complaints if the app can't deliver push notifications fast enough. Everything has been positive. Any feedback is usually around adding new features.

How did Mindgrub perform from a project management standpoint?

Mindgrub handled this excellently. The estimates and deadlines and budget given by Mindgrub have been completely accurate.

What did you find most impressive about Mindgrub?

Mindgrub is one of the exemplary software development services used by our institution. Mindgrub is the standard to which I hold everyone else.

Are there any areas Mindgrub could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

GraphicAudio, an audiobook publishing imprint of The Cutting Corporation, produces full-cast audiobooks that are sold online. Users can listen to these audiobooks with our proprietary apps. I manage the company's websites, apps, marketing, and customer support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mindgrub?

We hired them to redevelop and maintain our Android and iOS apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After looking at various developers in the U.S., we chose them because we liked how they manage projects. Plus, they are also based here in Maryland.

Describe the project in detail.

They’ve rebuilt and modernized our mobile listening apps, adding more features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and better bookmarking.

What was the team composition?

We work with a project manager, an account manager, and the development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve successfully relaunched our apps.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between our teams is quite effective. We use Basecamp, phone calls, and emails.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They can efficiently solve or code anything we ask them to do. Also, their professionalism is impressive.