Neocoast

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of NSE Solutions Corp.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neocoast?

We needed a team to develop a web B2B platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neocoast developed our web app from scratch. The team was mainly involved in development since we had already designed the app. We initially provided Neocoast with an outline of what we were looking for, and they helped us polish the technology stack. After that, Neocoast started building the front- and backend simultaneously. The team used Ruby for the backend, React for the frontend, AWS for hosting, and PostgreSQL for the database.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a backend developer, and two frontend developers. For a brief time, we also worked with a QA specialist who was responsible for testing the app.

How did you come to work with Neocoast?

We found them through a Google search and saw their reviews on Clutch. We chose Neocoast because they had worked on other B2B software applications. Their portfolio and pricing also helped us make the decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $65,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Neocoast delivered a B2B web agricultural platform. The platform was a beta version and hasn't had any downtime or bugs since the launch. Neocoast delivered a robust platform and did a great job, especially on the backend.

How did Neocoast perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated a lot. We had a Slack channel for updates and almost daily meetings via Google Meet. I also had access to Neocoast's Jira, where I could track the work. Neocoast's project management was good. There was a little schedule extension; we needed more development time, and it wasn’t a problem for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was young and creative. Neocoast was hands-on in the project and always suggested new ideas for solving problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The estimated development times could've been a little better. We could've had a more detailed plan for executing the times.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest having smaller goals and a detailed plan and then working on that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Stupendastic Films

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an audiovisual production company specialized in Architecture, Construction and Real Estate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Renew our Backend and Frontend of the Client Area of our website.
• Renovate the corporate image of the company (logo, typography, colors...)

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

UpWork

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

NeoCoast was in charge of renewing our corporate image and improving our Client Area, changing its architecture for more modern and reliable languages with more possibilities. We improved performance, appearance and added new services for the client, in addition to establishing the foundations of a backend and frontend with the ability to integrate and incorporate more features in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The added improvements for our customers since working with NeoCoast are immeasurable, as we are bringing much more value to our services.

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

They have always delivered everything on time and provided us with a schedule and forecasts that they have met. They are organized and attentive.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

Virtual Meeting

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

The good vibes and professionalism of the entire staff.

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

Sometimes it is difficult to understand who is in charge of what within the company, since its organizational chart is complex and its tasks and roles are unknown to someone who is not an expert in the field. Even so, they are very didactic and try to help the client understand what they are doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive of eSystem Training Solutions.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

eSystem Training Solutions creates online and instructor-led training to support the telecommunications construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Neocoast to accomplish?

• Launch a proprietary LMS
• Launch a proprietary Rigging Application
• Refine the LMS to offer greater functionality to our end users

SOLUTION

How did you find Neocoast?

Referral

Why did you select Neocoast over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Neocoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

NeoCoast stepped into the project as we went live with the first version of an LMS developed with a prior development group. We worked together to identify priorities to include the functionality that was not completed by the previous group prior to launch and then created a backlog of functions that had been envisioned since the project inception.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We use JIRA to track our backlog and create our sprints. As sprint items move through the workflow, we can easily see who is working on each issue, which needs review, which needs refining, etc. Several times each week, we review these tasks to ensure we are on track to meet the timeline for the development and release of the current sprint.

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

NeoCoast is consistently on time and often ahead of schedule. They are very responsive to our needs and any questions we have. Our project manager is always easy to reach, typically responds in a matter of minutes, and is always willing to jump on a call if it is needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Neocoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Working with NeoCoast has been a dream for us. They are well-organized and communicative. They have a wonderful grasp of our project, and in grooming sessions, we work collaboratively to create the best possible solution for the functionality we are developing at the time.

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

We are very happy. Nothing comes to mind at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a resource hub for travel advisors, including a directory, podcasts, blog, events calendar, and jobs board.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NeoCoast to accomplish?

• Fix bugs, keep site updated and secure
• Create new features and functionality

SOLUTION

How did you find NeoCoast?

Online Search

Why did you select NeoCoast over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from NeoCoast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

NeoCoast has been fantastic work with in both our day to day upkeep needs, as well as larger projects and functionality we've implemented on the site. The small bug fixes are always done quickly and pushed out immediately if needed. NeoCoast inherited an existing website and has done a great job of getting to know the site and improving it. The frontend was built using several techs: html, vue, coffee script and jquery. 

They separated the frontend and the backend, keeping it in another repo and not mixing the backend code with the frontend one. They've successfully orchestrated a huge site rehaul to being written only in React instead of multiple techs. They have also created entirely new section of the site for one of our podcasts (graphic design for it was also done inhouse at NeoCoast), and added new features and functionality to our directory/blog/event cal/jobs board (filters, tags, being able to copy and paste from Google Docs into our blog and keep formatting, etc).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The projects were done on time, well, and to spec. Our site depends on organic traffic for our income. While NeoCoast isn't focused on SEO, the devs have been great at working with us and taking extra care to make sure changes don't affect our organic traffic.

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

We've been very happy with both project managers that have led our team. Their responsiveness is awesome and they keep on top of what's happening. Giving me a nudge when I forget something. Nearly every sprint has been estimated correctly and if there is a change, they let me know. Whenever we've needed something quickly, they always get to it right away and make it a priority.

What was your primary form of communication with NeoCoast?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The NeoCoast team is really enjoyable to work and interact with. We're a Midwest company and I'm so appreciative of their lack of ego despite being great at their jobs, their ability to do a job well but still have fun. They're honest, smart, and great partners to have. They are the type of people I would hire if I were to have an in-house team!

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

On the very rare occasion I've had a concern, the NeoCoast team and management has been on it right away and fixed it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're an experiential learning company that offers software that allows companies to train employees through live experiences rather than presentations. As the CTO, I am responsible for all technology decisions and forward vision for the platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NeoCoast, and what were your goals?

Neocoast provided continuing application support for our SAAS platform, handling bugs, new features and infrastructure changes. Our goals for them were:

1. to design a sprint system to handle product changes and modifications

2. engage in weekly application development and system changes

3. to monitor the application for quality and ensure reliability of systems.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We selected this vendor as part of a multi-vendor analysis of current technology needs and future platform decisions. Their expertise both in Javascript and Ruby allowed us to feel confident that they had the right tools and experience to handle our product and infrastructure development needs.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We worked with the team to analyze our current platforms, perform a code review of the state of the application, and then they proposed a work plan to meet our needs for continuous development and release. Neocast was able to scale with our needs for additional talent and worked with us to respond to critical demands at moments of high urgency.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

At the peak, 6 members of their team were part of the project:

• (1) a project manager
• 2 senior software engineers
• 2 junior engineers
• a QA lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The team at Neocoast continuously met our expectations for the quality and process of their work. They responded to feedback and set in motion strategies to mitigate against any challenges that were communicated.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had bi weekly standup and product checkins. All communication on a more frequent bases was managed through Slack and less urgent tasks through email. They followed a loose agile process that was based upon the dynamic demands of a fast-moving product release cycle.

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

NeoCoast expressed a highly adaptable process for software development. They maintain a strong group of software engineers on their staff, but all have excellent project management resources to communicate and plan their work appropriately. Overall we have been impressed by their abilities to release and respond proactively to any urgent situations that arise.

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

By and large most of the issues that have arisen have self-corrected after they have been identified. At some points there have been instances of QA mishandling, but they have been addressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of Ronin Ventures - a blockchain software and infrastructure company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NeoCoast, and what were your goals?

We hired NeoCoast for the development of a Web Browser Extension to be utilized in the blockchain space.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We selected NeoCoast as a result of their enthusiasm for the project and desire to break into the blockchain space. We felt that NeoCoast had excellent project management skills that would allow them to properly develop the project.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The project was the development of a web browser extension application in the blockchain space. It was to be built utilizing ReactJS and built in such a fashion to later allow wrapping of the codebase into React Native. The application was to utilize various SDKs to interact with multiple different blockchain APIs.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Actively there were 2 React developers working on the project in addition to the project management provided by their CTO and code review by their lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

NeoCoast was able to meet initial deliverables for an MVP allowing the software to be brought in-house for long-term development and improvements.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

NeoCoast does an excellent job of utilizing Jira for Agile project management as well as Slack for communication. Tasks were broken down into tickets which were prioritized in 2-week sprints according to our needs. Bi-weekly meetings to review the previous sprint and plan the next sprints were planned in advance. Additionally, code reviews were conducted automatically as part of their process.

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

NeoCoast presented itself in a varied professional and organized manner. They have a solid team with various skill sets, allowing them to cover all aspects of software development. We were highly satisfied and impressed by their project management and consistency in their methodology of planning, designing, developing, testing, and reviewing.

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

We think NeoCoast is already a very strong team with strong internal practices that allow a smooth development life cycle and have strong communication processes both from a development and managerial standpoint.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at Food Connect, a nonprofit organization that helps bridge the gap between surplus food and hunger.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NeoCoast?

We worked with NeoCoast on the engineering and the development of the mobile features that we needed. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, we talked to the NeoCoast team to explain our needs, and then they scoped out the project. Once that was done, we talked about the best process for our team to stay informed about their progress, what had been developed, and what changes were made.

They’ve developed our mobile app using React Native with a Ruby on Rails backend. Through it, we’re able to schedule pickups. It has a notification system and is linked to our logistics system. Since the systems have a real-time feedback loop, everything is captured on the backend of our logistics platform, which NeoCoast also helped build. In other words, they’ve not only developed a mobile app; they’ve also custom-built our backend logistics system. 

At present, we’re working on new features for the app as well as maintaining our mobile development process and logistics features. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 5–6 people on different levels, including a project manager, a senior engineer, a frontend developer, and two backend developers. 

How did you come to work with NeoCoast?

We found NeoCoast through a referral. An acquaintance of our engineering lead worked with NeoCoast before, so they recommended the team to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in November 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NeoCoast completes their work on time. If something causes a delay, they’re great at explaining what that delay is and why. We also work well together on changes that we need to make. For other success metrics, they have a great QA process. As a result, we don’t experience a lot of bugs in the apps. Overall, they’ve delivered a high-quality product.  

How did NeoCoast perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been highly collaborative, and we’ve had a strong process. Throughout the sprint cycles, their team has been great at following up on things they need. Moreover, they stick to the budget, and it’s been great working with them. If we need to add, remove, or change some things, they help us well in figuring it out. 

To manage our work and overall communication, we use Trello and Jira. They’re extremely responsive on these channels. On top of that, we have a Slack channel, so they can respond right away when we have questions. Apart from Slack, we also use phone, emails, Zoom, and Google Meet for recurring meetings. For such meetings, we have demo days where they show what they’ve built. Meanwhile, in our retrospective meetings, we talk about ways to improve our work. In other words, we have a truly great process in place. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

NeoCoast has high-quality engineers and account managers. As a result, we receive both good communication and high-quality engineering services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I’m truly happy with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before building anything, make sure to test it with your users. On top of that, have a clear idea of what you want to build. That way, NeoCoast’s scope of work is clear and easier to execute. This goes for any project when starting with a new vendor; the clearer deliverables they have, the easier it will be for them to execute the project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a performance management software firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NeoCoast?

We wanted to build a mobile app for our product. Our team didn’t have the bandwidth to support our current product and break ground on the mobile app at the same time. Bringing on someone like NeoCoast made sense.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re a React and React Native shop, which is what we wanted to use in order to quickly build an Android and iPhone app at the same time. It is also complemented our core product, which was built using Ruby on Rails.

I’m a product manager by trade, so I had already done extensive interviews with customers and people who were interested in having our mobile app. We knew exactly what the functionality needed to be. We already have a clickable prototype, so we just had to show NeoCoast what we wanted it to look like. This process allowed us to move faster with them. The mockups made it easier for them to understand the scope and what we were looking for.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with all kinds of people from their team. We primarily had one engineer working on the project, but they were paired with someone who was a bit more senior. Our main points of contact were Lucas (Frontend Developer), who was the engineer, and Nicolas (Frontend Tech), who was his mentor. Nicolas would attend our planning meetings and demos, but the work was actually done by Lucas.  

How did you come to work with NeoCoast?

I searched online and stumbled upon them. I saw that they have good reviews, and I ended up interviewing different agencies. I was impressed with NeoCoast’s work, and I even downloaded one of their apps. I took a look at other apps they designed in the App Store.

When I had a call with one of their co-founders, I was impressed. Then my co-founder called them to evaluate their technical skills. He was also impressed, which made it an easy decision for us. We felt comfortable from a technical and business perspective.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2019, and we’re wrapping up this month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at NeoCoast takes their work seriously. From a technology background perspective, the team was a great fit. They also had great frontend skills. I really appreciate their quality of work.

Some agencies just do work to make money, and others do work because they care about their craft. NeoCoast falls in the latter group. There were times where they would catch bugs or make suggestions that were clearly done because they care about what they’re building.

I’ve heard of horror stories from offshore and other agencies where the teams just build the spec, and they don’t care about the rest. What’s great about NeoCoast is that they do care. They’re very communicative and collaborative, willing to work with our team.

They’re dedicated to delivering a quality piece of work. There’s always testing and bug fixing, but Lucas is always good about fixing them. When he needed things from our head of engineering, he was able to work with him to make it easier for everyone involved. They’re definitely somebody we plan to work with again in the future.

How did NeoCoast perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very hands-on. We used Trello for tracking. We also have a shared channel in Slack, which has been a gamechanger. They’re always responsive. I’ve been really impressed with how much easier Slack has made things across the board for any type of discussion. We also used Zoom for calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re actually invested in the work that they do. The team cares about the quality of their work and want to do things in the right and effective way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. If anything came up, we were able to work through it quickly. They were good at communicating. We’re sad to not be working with them right now. When there’s a project that makes sense, we’ll come back to them right away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

NeoCoast doesn’t have design in-house, so make sure you have designs you like and can make the mockups. They’ll do a much better job when that’s available. Attend the meetings that they want to have. Treat them like you value those meetings. I’ve heard from them that some clients aren’t good about showing up, even though you get a lot of value out of them. Take that time because they’re willing to do good work with you if there’s an effort put in.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a global community that connects businesses looking to make videos to local creators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NeoCoast?

We wanted to build a mobile application to create a better UX for our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a seamless mobile experience that perfectly matched our designs, and was fast, responsive and cross platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to NeoCoast through a very close friend and technical partner.

Describe the project in detail.

NeoCoast built a mobile application in react native that works on IOS and Andorid. They built it from the ground up, and coordinated with our web platform to connect various endpoints and data. The mobile app is now live on the app stores.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, and a lead developer assigned to our company. We also kept a direct line of communication with their CEO just in case we needed to make special requests, or a change in our scope of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The mobile app is now complete and is on both app stores (IOS and Android). It passed all of the app stores regulations, and our users are loving it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our team was integrated through Slack, Trello and daily standups. Our communication was on point and never missed a beat. Their team also works really well with USA hours and we always reachable.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their teams' transparency and honesty. We hit a lot of technical roadblocks, but their team always found a solution, and never "his us over the head" with a price hike.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area of improvement would be an increase in the length of time it took to develop the application, but with respects to their scope, budget, and technology, their team performed really well.