MindSea

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Scott Stallman: We develop a communication and scheduling tool for the contracting industry. I’m a co-owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

Doug Zinkiewich: The challenge was the development of our app. It’s a collaboration platform that allows on-site workers to share data and have mobile access to documents

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DZ: They developed our app for iOS. We’ve done user testing and come up with an MVP, and are now moving to other platforms.

SS: I initially constructed a PowerPoint presentation from data that I collected, with a basic walkthrough and flow from a user perspective. MindSea used that material combined with our feedback to build mockup designs.

What is the team composition?

DZ: Taylor (VP of Client Experience, MindSea) was the project lead from the very beginning. We also worked with a business rep, and had a main contact for development, who took part in weekly meetings. She was also the point person for user testing while developing the MVP and blueprints. There was another member working in the background, on the software development.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

DZ: In a previous position, I’d worked with an individual who’d developed an app with MindSea and who talked highly of them. We wanted a professional process for taking the app from idea to business and when talking to MindSea, they went through their process, stages, and everything that surrounded those—we liked what they had to offer.

SS: They picked up every idea we had, and they kept us on track in terms of goals and road mapping.

How much have you invested with them?

DZ: It was around $25,000 CAD (approximately $19,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

DZ: We started working with MindSea in late April or early May 2018, and finished in July. We’ve done the iOS portion, but we realized that we need to develop the administration web portal side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DZ: They were able to deliver an MVP along with blueprints and user testing within the time frame we outlined. We’re happy with the result and how it looks, and we’ve already talked with them about building the next versions.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

DZ: We didn’t use a specific system; we developed a timeline in the beginning, and we followed that. We used Zoom and email for communication.

They were all in coordination, and they maintained the momentum, which was key for us. They were collaborative and proactive in what they did. They knew what to expect, as we worked through the process, and they worked well together. We could set up additional meetings with the CFO in order to determine valuations and go through some Excels.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SS: I initially wanted to incorporate everything I could into the app, but they kept us level-headed and helped us go through the journey of creating the MVP, so that we’d have a good structure to build on in the future. I found that helpful and I appreciated the constant communication. They sent us feedback and shared documents, giving us all the information necessary to understand the startup tech world. MindSea went above and beyond, and exceeded my expectations.

DZ: One of the things that attracted us to them was that they’d developed apps that sold on the market, and by a large number. Their experience is evident: they’re strategic and competent, they have a good project management mindset, they’re process-oriented, and they know what their objectives are.

As entrepreneurs, we don’t necessarily think within those areas, but MindSea is good at keeping us focused. The process can drag on, and there are roadblocks a lot of the time, but we were able to find solutions for the ones we encountered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

SS: They did go over the timeline for the initial kickoff and I had to ask them about our status. It would be good to have had updates throughout the process and using a scheduling tool might be useful. I don’t have any other comments; I think they did an excellent job and there isn’t much I would’ve changed.

DZ: I like their personalities, ideas, and the scheduling process. However, I would like the ability to make paper copies of our blueprints. I’m more old-school and I’m new to many of the modern communication tools, so I need to print the material, which is sometimes hard to do because of how it’s formatted.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a startup called PIXEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We wanted to build an app to further our long-term goal of developing photographic tools.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had the concept of the app and contacted MindSea requesting a meeting. When we spoke, they outlined the blueprint process and were upfront about what was involved in planning and building the app. From there, they began developing our app for iOS and per their recommendations; we’ll hopefully launch an Android version in the future. To handle app content and media, they’re using Firebase for its backend components. As development continues, they’re using TestFlight to work through technical issues during sprints and establish user flows. Additionality, they’ve helped structure our business and build the background elements required.

What is the team composition?

I predominately communicate with one of their UX designers, but I’ve also had the chance to sit down and work with their CEO.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

There are two ways to approach app development at an early stage. The first is to find some guy in his basement that will code it for you. The other option is to seek out the best app developer that’s potentially within budget. I searched online and found the premier app developer in my region (MindSea). After meeting them, it was obvious why they were in that position.

How much have you invested with them?

Thus far, we’ve spent close to six figures.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn’t launched yet, so I don’t have any measurable statistics. However, I’m blown away by the design and beauty of the interface. The design decisions are elegant and that’s all Warren [UX Designer, MindSea]. That guy’s a genius.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

They're extremely organized and every step of the process is measured. The whole project is very well scoped out and they perform sprints as scheduled. Going into this, my biggest fear was having to deviate from the original project blueprint we designed together and cause cost overruns. But to date, they've been right on target.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism and morale stand out to me as the staff genuinely seems to like working there. As time progressed, we realized their passion and excitement for the project is 100% real. Another of their best qualities is bluntness. If we had any ideas that we liked but wouldn't have worked on the final product they let us know upfront. Instead of wasting time on an unrealistic idea, they help us re-evaluate. I appreciate that kind of honesty.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I don’t have a single critique against them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a startup called Adam Helps and created an app called ADAM. It’s a neighborhood app to connect with people physically close to you for the purpose of doing everyday tasks. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We were looking for somebody to develop our app. Our challenge was to find a company that was within our budget, but more importantly, the right size company. We didn’t want to give someone our requirements and not hear from them for five months. We needed to know that we were going to be able to work with the company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through a blueprint process where we planned the features list, prioritized them, and came up with goals. I immediately felt like we were totally synching and clicking off of each other in terms of understanding what we needed. The blueprint turned into a proposal for an actual scope of work. They have weekly meetings every week for 16 sprints (16 weeks) where we talked about what we were going to accomplish, what we had accomplished in the previous week, any problems, and anything that needs to be changed.

We did a full build of an iOS app which was released in September. Some of the features that the app needed are good location services, strong in-app messaging, a mutual review system, a profile system, a job board, and some search functionality. Now they’re currently working on Android. We’re also planning a second version of our app which includes some advanced features. 

They also they did additional graphic design work on our logo. They revamped it and also did a full refresh of our website to make it look nicer.

What is the team dynamic? 

That blueprint process was in-person with the whole team that we worked with, including the project manager, UX [user experience] designer, UI [user interface], and backend developers.

They also have somebody who is their business development person, and she was my go-to for advice.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

Through a lot of research and due diligence, including using Clutch. We got a lot of different prices, offerings, and structures. In total, we deeply looked at probably 10 companies.

What set MindSea apart was that I trusted them immediately. They conveyed that with their onboarding process and the initial people that we spoke with. You start with a blueprint, so it’s a warming up process. They did a lot of things to establish my trust as somebody who is in the startup game and has a lot at stake.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent 350,000 CAD [$276,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app hasn’t been live for too long, but we’ve just hit 1,000 downloads and that’s only on iOS. 

It’s been getting some great responses so far. We’ve been out at trade shows and tech events showing our product and getting lots of feedback. One of the things that we hear consistently is that the app is very nicely designed and looks aesthetically pleasing. The app has not had any bug issues. 

We have learned that there are some things that we didn’t anticipate and that we need to change. There are some things that weren’t as obvious to people as we thought they would be. We have to make some changes to some of the components.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings. They are agile and very open in their communication. Those were the things that really stood out to me about the way that the process was going to move forward. They have totally delivered on that every step of the way.

They are very organized. Everyone works either on a Trello board or Slack to help keep people communicating all the time. The project manager will give me a list of things that I need get back to her on, such as a decision about a feature, color, or button. She also has her list of things to do and then we just update each other accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really were and are rooting for us to succeed. They’re not such a huge firm that you get lost in the mire of it. You matter to them as a client. There’s a feeling that they really want you to be successful and they’re there for you. I think that’s something that I look for in employees and in people that I work with. I’m not just a paycheck to them. I know that they really want the app to look as great as it can and they work hard to make sure that happens. Every time when we have had any issues, they have fixed it right away or made sure that it was a top priority. I have to praise them for being consistent with their amazing customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they were a bigger team, we might be able to move faster on a few things. They don’t have a huge staff and good developers are so hard to find. Every client would love to see things move faster, especially now that things are going well. But I understand that this is their size, and this is what we’re working with, and they’re not a factory.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Trans Canada Trail is a non-profit with a mission of facilitating a recreational trail across Canada. I am the manager of information systems for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We were coming to a completion deadline for 2017, and were convinced that we wouldn't have signage on the ground in order to facilitate the navigation along the Trans-Canada trail. We wanted to create a virtual signage platform which would allow people to find, access, and safely navigate the route. We also wanted to raise awareness for the trail and highlight its history and cultural diversity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea was hired to walk us through a blueprint process for the development. We took some high-level goals and worked with MindSea in identifying our strategy and key audience, stripping down the feature set to something that we could move forward with. We went all the way to the design phase, getting all the elements needed to pull the app together on the development front. We didn't use MindSea for the development itself because we work with a specific GIS [geographic information system] program for a number of our internal tasks. We needed to build out that expertise, so we needed to find someone more knowledgeable of that system.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We hired a different company for our signage plan, but it became obvious that we would need some technology help. That company referred us to MindSea. We met with them, and I liked the approach of blueprinting the app, getting out of the typical model of a 9-page RFP [request for proposal], which would have been vague. MindSea allowed us to fully articulate what we wanted from the app, get a good sense of its cost, and also obtain many of its design elements nailed down before the development started. We were able to envision the app, take it to potential sponsors, and create a more fleshed-out RFP.

How much have you invested with MindSea?

The cost of MindSea's work was around $10,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Having a reference point of detailed wireframes and design has helped structure our conversation around development, simplifying this phase. We have run into some technical issues but were always able to reference back to a strong set of wireframes. It helped answer questions from a user perspective, instead of from a coding one.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

MindSea has a lot of expertise, and their team was good at holding our hands. This was the first app we'd ever built, so it was great to have an experienced group helping us walk through it. It helped us focus our feature set and get on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about MindSea?

MindSea helped our board establish expectations, and our management team to see what we were going to get.

Are there any areas MindSea could improve?

I don't have any criticisms for MindSea. The blueprint process was satisfying for us, and we've integrated it into our project. MindSea has a strong technical team, focusing on user experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Dallas Morning News is a large media company. I handle all of our apps which include the Dallas Morning News app, SportsDay Talk app, and an e-paper app that’s a digital replica of our newspaper.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

The SportsDay Talk app was launched a couple of years ago and has around 50,000 loyal followers. It’s a blend of sports content that our sports writers here at the Dallas Morning News write, and then we’ve integrated the most popular sports radio station here in Dallas in the app as well. There had not been any maintenance or updates on the app and we were losing customers. We rebuilt the app so that it functioned better and looked better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea just published an iOS version a couple of months ago and an Android version is coming out in January.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

We put out an RFP [request for proposal] and they responded to it. We had a specific budget for the project and MindSea came back with a solution that fit our budget. They came back with the best RFP response and we really like their team. I work with their co-founder, Bill, pretty much every day.

How much have you invested with MindSea?

We’ve spent between $150,000 and $200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them about seven or eight months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our rating in the iOS App Store has gone from 2 ½ stars to almost 4 stars. There were some minor bugs, and MindSea had two updates out in within a week of publishing the app. They’ve worked extremely hard to learn about the rigid iOS rules concerning streaming apps. We use the feedback we’ve gotten to learn about data, and Bill and Joel from MindSea are working on how we can decrease data for our users. The reviews are showing that we’ve come up a more reliable stream and our ad impressions are up. Our time in the app is almost double what it used to be. We’re getting nearly six minutes per user per session, and those users are logging in twice a day. So we’re getting anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes a day out of each user, which is much higher than we were seeing before. We started integrating our radio ad spots and social media platform marketing which is resulting in a doubling of our new users each day.

How did MindSea perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a Slack channel that they set up for us which is a 24/7 feedback loop that includes Bill and everybody on their team. I can ask a question and have it answered right away.

What did you find most impressive about MindSea?

The team is awesome and they’re willing to do anything, including staying up late to work on the project. Their lead developer re-coded the entire app in his Jeep when we were having bugs with the radio player. When one of the developers stepped away from the team Bill took on the project and we would talk several times a day. I’ve never had another vendor work as hard as they did.

Are there any areas MindSea could improve?

I’m really happy with how they handle everything. They have a very talented team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a portal for protected wholesale industries. The first industry that’s being served by the app right now is the custom audio-video installation. So local AV guys or AV shops would use the app to search products. We catalog every single product in the industry from every single distributor and direct manufacturer. Once we do that, we then allow them to view the pricing in one spot and leverage that catalog to build proposals for their clients, and then convert those proposals into purchase orders and send the orders off to the vendors.

I’m the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindSea Development?

We had already built the web version of our service and had been running it for almost five years. It was critical to be able to get it into a mobile app and do a native iOS app because these dealers are always in the field, they’re out in clients’ houses generating proposals or doing installs. So it makes sense to be able to offer a mobile app where they can do that out in the field rather than wait, take notes, and come back and do it at the office like they used to do it. We do have a development team in-house but we didn’t have any iOS guys.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindSea provided just the iOS development.

How much have you invested with MindSea Development?

We have spent between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to them two years ago. We did the blueprint session. They were great at turning around a comprehensive blueprint and telling us what it was going to cost. Our budget from the app just wasn’t realized until earlier this year. So I think we worked with them for about three months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It launched in the app store yesterday [October 2016] so we’re not sure yet. We had test users for the last month. We launched at our trade show a couple of weeks ago. People were blown away by it. They couldn’t comprehend how we had taken an entire industry of products and got it into a phone screen. All indicators show that it’s going to be successful, but only time will tell. They say it’s really intuitive. There are only four sections you can go to - the catalog, the proposal section, order section, and the “more” area - settings and things. It’s simple to navigate. Having almost a million parts and pricing on a phone is pretty impressive, especially since it’s never been done before in wholesale.

How did MindSea Development perform from a project management standpoint?

The way they do meetings in their Scrum environment is just so efficient. We get on calls and get to the heart of the matter right away without feeling like it’s going too fast and they’re not listening to us and then they get to work. They’re really fast at getting things done. It’s daily builds almost. The organization is big enough that you’ve got a lot of resources, but they keep the team small enough so that they’re efficient. I’m not constantly talking to a sales person and then I’m talking to a project manager and then I’m talking to a designer. What’s unique about them is their designer is also the project manager. Amanda Somers manages a small team of developers, two to three guys, directly. It’s a very compact unit. It’s easy to communicate with them.

What did you find most impressive about MindSea Development?

Communication is the biggest one. They do a very good job of following up and recording feedback that we send to them. You know it was confirmed and they got all the feedback and what they’re going to work on. Them communicating to us the status of the project and doing it in an efficient way is great. We’re working with another outsourced dev shop now, and we’re able to compare that experience side by side. To be honest, some things really stand out about MindSea.

Are there any areas MindSea Development could improve?

I don’t know what we could’ve done better. Any project is going to have its technical challenges and roadblocks, but that’s not necessarily their fault. We didn’t have any big holdups. I feel they’re a little more expensive than other companies, but what you learn is you get what you pay for. That’s just my perception. I’m sure every person that pays for an app thinks it’s too expensive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Proposify is a software as a service it helps companies of all types – mainly service agencies and consultants and sales teams with proposals. It speeds up the proposal process. It lets them deliver beautiful proposals through the cloud and get faster sign off.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindSea?

We have an internal team and have been building the product for a few years. We've been scaling for the last year and a half. We have almost 2,500 customers around the world. We're growing quickly. All of our efforts have been aimed at the desktop experience. But, we do get requests for a mobile app. It's always been something that we've wanted to do but, because our internal expertise is not in mobile or native iOS apps, that was something we wanted to contract an outside agency that specializes in mobile to help us figure out.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

MindSea hasn't built anything yet. The project we bought was a blueprint project. It was the planning and designing of what the experience should be. It's planned as an iOS native experience. We are probably going to use another agency to build the project because of cost. It was great getting them involved to plan it out.

How did you come to work with MindSea?

It was through personal contact. Bill Wilson, the founder of MindSea, and I've known each other for years. They have a reputation in Halifax as being the go-to mobile app company.

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

The blueprinting project cost between $10,000 and $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

One thing that impressed me about Mindsea was how detailed the blueprint and layout was. It wasn't just a set of wireframes. It started as sketches, moved to wireframes, and then to high fidelity. MindSea asked to be able to talk to our customers, which was great. They were able to send the prototype to our customers and have them test it and get user feedback. They made changes based on the feedback. The presentation at the end was great. They were able to do all that in three weeks. 

What distinguishes MindSea from other providers?

Even though they had a project manager involved, it was the UX [user experience] designer leading the project and being the point of contact. That was great because we were able to talk directly to the individual doing our work.

Is there anything MindSea could have improved or done differently?

I was happy with the results. Maybe it would have been nice to have had more interactive prototypes, but that's minor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is Klothed, a personalized wardrobe planning and shopping app for men.

What is your position?

I am the CEO and one of three co-founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindSea Development?

We had some great initial responses to our idea and the roadmap of the app itself, but one of the challenges we faced was our user experience. During our customer validation phase we realized that people liked what we had, but intensely disliked our user interface. We approached MindSea because we needed to make the app intuitive and pleasing to the user.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Our initial engagement with them was to do a heuristic review of the wireframe and core functionality that my cofounders and I had built. After doing some testing to determine what worked and what didn't, they brought us a number of possible workflows and markups. During the course of a few weeks, we chose the concept that we liked, and they refined it. They call this the "blueprint phase." They built out the wireframes and designed a few of the key screens in full color.

At the end of the initial engagement, we were free to finish the coding ourselves or retain MindSea to complete it. We ended up retaining them for the front-end coding and iOSX code development and then handled the back-end and the API [application programming interface] ourselves.

How did you come to work with MindSea Development?

The CEO of MindSea [Bill Wilson] and I have a mutual contact. He has worked with MindSea a number of times and has spoken very highly of them. I told him what services I needed, and he gave me a list with only one name on it – MindSea.

We looked through their portfolio and were impressed by their design and development skills. We knew that they had built a reasonable number of apps, but we didn't know that 34 of their 35 app projects were featured by Apple. That was a huge indicator for us.

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

The total of both projects falls between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The design phase of the project concluded in December 2015, and the development portion concluded earlier this month [April 2016]. We were even more pleased with the second project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We're releasing our app soon, and we've heard nothing, but glowing reviews of the user experience from our industry and retail partners. People used to say, "I love where you're going, but I can't stand what it looks like." Now, it's a full 180 and they're saying, "I love what you're doing and I love how it looks." That is thanks to MindSea.

How did MindSea Development perform from a project management standpoint?

MindSea is rigid in their processes. They're very thorough and ask many good questions before they start writing any code. In the beginning, it seems a bit slower, but the final product is a good combination of quality and speed. When they release a feature, you know it's going to work.

It was great for us to be able to be confident that the product was going to look beautiful, function well, and be completed on schedule. We were able to commit to our partners and investors that the app was going to be ready on time, and it was going to be rock solid.

What distinguishes MindSea Development from other providers?

There are three things about MindSea that have impressed me. Our original engagement with them was for design, and it was extraordinary. Their design capabilities are what impressed us initially. The second thing is their technical skill. They're a reasonably small team, but they have some exceptional developers. They consistently came up with great solutions , and we have yet to hire an engineer of our own that produces as high-quality content as anyone at MindSea. The third thing my colleagues and I were impressed with was their process. They have a regimented process that they adhere to very closely. This included weekly calls and builds and 21 test releases during our development phase to ensure they were perfect.

MindSea exceeded our expectations, which were unreasonably high the second time around because we had already seen them knock the first half of the project out of the park. We agreed to step into the development phase with them because we knew what they were capable of, and they exceed our expectations again. We are thrilled to bits with them.

Is there anything MindSea Development could have improved or done differently?

In all honesty, no. Having had another company and having worked in the industry, I've contracted with lots of service providers. Without a doubt, I've never been as pleased with the work that anyone has ever delivered to me in my 25 years in the industry as I am with MindSea.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a product design company for software products and, most recently, apps for mobile devices primarily iPhones, iPads, and the iOS ecosystem.

What is your position?

I founded the company. It's just me, but I pull in people as I need them. I outsource the majority of my development work to MindSea.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindSea Development?

I'm a software developer by training, when the first iPhone came out I was super excited about it as a programming platform. I kept telling myself I need to go learn Objective C and code up some apps. The first app I had on my list was a photo booth app, which simulates an old school photo booth on the iPhone. I knew I wouldn't get it done by the time the new phone came out. I was nervous that outsourcing part of the project would make me feel less ownership of it. 

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with MindSea Development?

I decided to loosen my grip on full control of the project. I searched the Internet, and there were a couple of big players in the market. In my search, I came across MindSea and sent them a note. I got an email back quickly from the founder. I think for a lot of reasons I was put at ease with MindSea. I was one of their first clients. They didn't have a track record, which was nerve-wracking for me, but I felt good about their founder, Bill Wilson. I interviewed five companies and felt the best about MindSea. Even though they didn't have the track record piece, I was willing to take the risk based on the personal connection I felt. It felt like it was going to be a collaborative experience. The other companies didn't feel that way. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative?

The fact that I'm still partnering with MindSea Development today is a testament to the strength of the service they provide and the type of work they do. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What distinguishes MindSea Development from other providers?

One thing I think that's useful is that their founder comes from a software background. A couple of the companies I talked to it was clear that I was talking to a sales guy. Bill Wilson understood the development cycle and understands the pitfalls of software development. He understands the complexity of the code. He gets his hands dirty with the development. I think Bill is unique in the sense that he's very conversationally and relationally adept. He's a good communicator. When there's conflicts, it's helpful to have someone who's willing to speak clearly and walk through those things.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

Not really. They've grown quite a bit since I started using them. I think they've managed it well, but that road in any business is a difficult row to hoe. Making sure they maintain the quality of the new hires and remain responsive will be important.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're the provincial newspaper in Nova Scotia, Canada.

What is your position?

I'm the director of audience development. I work on business development and new products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindSea Development?

We needed to adapt to the digital age. Traditionally, newspapers are printed products, but over time, we've evolved to deliver our content to multiple platforms. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

MindSea provided app development and integration with our enterprise systems, which was a big part of our project and something we sought out in a partner. They also provided a lot of leadership and guidance around the app technologies that people were using – a lot of analytical background. 

In our company, we have a lot of traditional print employees and staff and MindSea really helped provide us with insight and intelligence on what was happening in the mobile space and what was happening at other similar organizations. They've also helped us with some Web development and some research. We recently engaged them on a research project for a new product, and they've been facilitating wireframes and have worked with focus groups to provide us with feedback on the direction we should be heading in terms of the content, look, and feel for the platform.

How did you come to work with MindSea Development?

We reached out to a few other firms. MindSea is a local company, and they approached us with a very sophisticated and great-looking solution, so we were impressed with their ability to identify our needs and work with our team to understand those needs. MindSea came back with something that was undeniably what we were looking for and in line with some of the international caliber newspaper and media companies.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we launched our first version of our iOS app in 2012. We have a monthly contract with MindSea Development so we constantly evolve and upgrade our products. We're in touch with them on a regular basis. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've been partners with MindSea since we entered the space. I think any growth and all growth can be attributed to that partnership. I think, from a higher-level perspective, they've added a lot of value to our organization as a whole – helping us understand a different space – Web space, different user and audience consumption habits, and things like that. They've worked internally to help various departments understand that. I think one of the ways they help us is they attend a lot of events and network quite a bit, and they've been able to bring some of that intelligence back to our organization. They speak with journalists and help them understand what's happening in the journalism space and the content delivery space. They have a major impact on changing the mind frame here.

What distinguishes MindSea Development from other providers?

I think the caliber of MindSea Development's skill set and their delivery is outstanding. They've had a major impact on us as far as project management skills. I work with 7–10 vendors and, hands down, they are the easiest to work with. They are just exceptionally organized. Their project management skills are off the charts. There are small things like after every meeting, their notes are succinct. Within an hour of the meeting, we have follow ups. They also meet deadlines. They're very proactive. It's changed our internal processes so we've adopted some of their processes because we saw first hand how well they worked and how efficient those practices were. 

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

There's really nothing. Any small issues or concerns that we've had have been addressed immediately. We have a very open relationship and, if we felt there was any confusion around deliverables or anything, we simply addressed them. We've encountered no major issues. They've been very responsive.