Rocket Farm Studios

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Hal Leonard Corporation is the world’s largest music print publisher and also one of the world’s largest music digital content providers. Hal Leonard produces songbooks, single sheets, and music lesson books.

Along with that we manage several websites; many are Business-to-Business [B2B] and many are Business-to-Customer [B2C]. Those websites deliver a collection of digital sheet music, digital audio and digital video assets to clients. We’ve also started creating mobile apps to push out content in that way.

What is your position?

I’m the product manager of digital media. I work with our internal development teams and work on a number of digital projects. I also work with external development companies for the creation of apps and other solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Farm Studios?

The mobile market started exploding with the release of the iPhone, but with the release of the iPad it made a lot of our content exciting on mobile devices. One of our flagship series is called “Hal Leonard Play Along”. It’s a book that has notation as well as audio backing tracks for various instruments. This series has been tremendously successful in the printed form, and we wanted to take that content and turn it into a mobile experience. That was the challenge - taking our core content and making a mobile version out of it.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We started with iOS specifically because of the market and because of the revenue that was mainly attributed to iOS at the time. It was challenging from many respects. Not only were we looking for mobile app development, but there were portions of the project that tied into our internal databases and our internal content distribution system. The project with Rocket Farm Studios was a collaboration with our in house team to bring all these things together into an exciting product. 

How did you come to work with Rocket Farm Studios?

When we sent out our RFP, they came back with what was probably the most robust proposal and was most aligned with what we wanted the project to be. You could tell that Rocket Farm understood us and our product and what we were looking to achieve. The reason we ended up going with Rocket Farm is because we had actually worked with them on a previous project and got to know them through there. We were always extremely happy with their professionalism, their insights, and their efficiency. From top to bottom, from their chief executive officer [CEO], Dan Katcher, to their developers and project managers, they are a very well-run company. We were really impressed with them, they’re terrific.

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

It was a very large project. We’ve only done a soft launch. We’re planning a major release around December 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We couldn’t be happier with our partnership with Rocket Farm Studios. They are a professional group and we plan on doing more with them in the future. We’ve been very happy with the results. We have a lot of terrific user feedback. Users like the additional tools we’ve added to it and they can record themselves now through the iPad with the track backing. It’s really like a recording studio on your iPad and they love the content selection.

What distinguishes Rocket Farm Studios from other providers?

It starts with their CEO, who is just a terrific guy with great energy and attitude. He really understands us as a company. They have top list people, from their developers to their project managers. When anybody undergoes a big complex development project like this, I think you need to look for overall efficiency. With this complex project, Rocket Farm really provided that with quick problem solving and state of the art knowledge of current requirements related to Apple and iOS. They made it easy to make progress and they’re just great people as well.

Is there anything Rocket Farm Studios could have improved or done differently?

No. Rocket Farm Studios is a team full of pros. They’ve helped us navigate the mobile world and helped us understand the complexities of app development. At the same time, I think we’ve been able to help them understand the plethora of content that we currently have as a company and the opportunities that we could have in the future together. It’s really been a win on both sides.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We deliver scent services to commercial companies, including hotels, retail stores, nursing homes, gaming establishments, and other places that are commercial environments. 

What is your position?

I'm the COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Farm Studios?

There were two major reasons that we were searching for a software company. First, we are an IoT [Internet of things] company, our devices are communicating with other devices deployed out in the field. In order to manage them we need several things including a cloud software as well as a way to control them through a simple easy to use interface. We were able to work with a larger company to develop the enterprise software to manage our device, but that software wasn't meant for certain scent features we needed in a commercial environment.

The second thing we wanted was to have our product give our customers the ability to control the diffusers on their cellphone, mobile device, or iPad. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We partnered with Rocket Farm Studios to develop software as part of our larger enterprise solution to do specific things like select a fragrance or schedule a time period during which a fragrance was released. We had Rocket Farm create an app that allowed us to delegate those features to our customers. 

How did you come to work with Rocket Farm Studios?

We put out an RFP [request for proposal] and we searched worldwide. We looked at companies in Asia and the United States, as well as Eastern Europe and South America. I think we evaluated five companies total. We concluded that Rocket Farm's price was right and the technology skills were there, and it would be a lot easier, faster, and cost-effective to work with a local company in the New England area.

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

Up to this point, the project is the range of $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've gone through many new releases after first launching the products during the first quarter of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Rocket Farm Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Rocket Farm Studios has a very good team with great skills and an understanding of the market we're going into. They have a talented project manager to help keep everything on track. Communication has been strong with great documentation. It's been a smooth process. Rocket Farm has been responsive to our needs.

What distinguishes Rocket Farm Studios from other providers?

Rocket Farm Studios is an experienced team. They're not an enterprise with a heavy infrastructure and bureaucracy. We were able to deal directly with the founding team, which gave us the comfort that they'll be responsive.

Is there anything Rocket Farm Studios could have improved or done differently?

Not specifically. As you go through projects, you run into a few issues, and we've certainly done that, but I don't believe there were any major areas of concern. Overall, it's been a very smooth process and a very good relationship with a top-notch vendor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

SERMO is a social network for physicians.

What is your position?

I’m the senior vice president [SVP] of technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Farm Studios?

We were looking to have new mobile apps created and we didn’t have the expertise in house for the architecture or the implementation. Rocket Farm provided that great start for us as we built a team and product for the physicians to help their patients.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Development for both Android and iOS was provided. It was nice when they came in because we started with architecture so they started with some design and architectural insights that led us straight through. We did the project management but they joined us as a real part of the team in building this application.

How did you come to work with Rocket Farm Studios?

We did have an RFP and sent it out to five local companies and narrowed it down to Rocket Farm and another company. We really felt that we could work with Dan Katcher [CEO, Rocket Farm Studios] and his expertise in particular would help us build the product we wanted. The way they presented really was in sync with our team and how we worked.

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

To kick off design and build the initial releases of both the iOS and Android app cost us $500,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The real success comes when the app is being used and your users are delighted. We had an iOS app that we replaced and we didn’t have an Android app. We were able to meet the needs of a lot more of our members. Overall, the performance and usability of our apps has increased tremendously.

What distinguishes Rocket Farm Studios from other providers?

Rocket Farm Studios really blends into our team. Part of their culture is blending in and being part of the team. Working with their team is very easy. They were flexible when we needed to adjust, move, and course correct. They’re open to suggestions and to advice, which is also great.

Is there anything Rocket Farm Studios could have improved or done differently?

No. We use an agile process, so we went through several iterations and I think we both improved as a result of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a startup company called LeaderClips. We help people understand leadership and personal development by using videos from public domains. We do that through a website and a mobile app.

What is your position?

I am the founder of LeaderClips.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Farm Studios?

I’ve worked in information technology myself so I know a little about the process of developing an app but I was unfamiliar with developing in the mobile space. I went to Rocket Farm when I had this idea.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

I engaged with Rocket Farm to help build our website and mobile app. They also provided coaching on how practical my idea was and what could and couldn’t be done. They helped the scope of the idea fit into a solution that’s more practical for the mobile platform.

How did you come to work with Rocket Farm Studios?

I went through a pseudo request for proposal [RFP] process. Rocket Farm Studios was one of the eight or nine different companies in the Boston area that I talked to. They listened to me - even though some of my ideas were off the wall - they spent a lot of time with me and gave me advice before I spent one dime with them. Because of that, I decided to work with them. I could tell that Rocket Farm could give me some critical feedback and advice on this mobile world that was unfamiliar to me. Some companies didn’t understand the value of what I was doing and they walked away from the project.

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

This was a massive undertaking on my part. This project is way over half a million at this point. Rocket Farm Studios has built a product for me and they’ve also enhanced and maintained it ever since. They’ve been a part of creating my road map for future releases and future development.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was about two years ago that I started talking to Rocket Farm. I think we first engaged in December of 2013 and the project began in March 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I think Rocket Farm Studios is very good at understanding the business case. Some of the development firms that I talked to were willing to listen to my requirements, tell me what it would cost and how long it would take, but the Rocket Farm team did more than that. They actually tried to understand my business model. They got in my seat and looked at the project from my perspective. They took the time to read books about the market I’m trying to serve, my target audience, and put together profiles of the typical client that will use my solution. They were heavily involved in understanding the business which led them to become heavily involved in the user experience design, all before they got down to writing code. I really liked and appreciated that.

I thought that if they took the time to understand what my business objective and what my target customer was like, they would better understand how to build and how to advise me on what I asked them to build. That was one of the biggest highlights of working with them, they took time to understand the business.

What distinguishes Rocket Farm Studios from other providers?

The Rocket Farms Studios team are friendly, good people. These are the kind of people I would be happy to go play golf with. They’re easy to get along with and they’re honest. I’ve never had any integrity issues with them. I’ve worked in IT for over 30 years, so I know the game a little bit and I know how difficult it is to build applications. I know that at times, you estimate something’s going to take a week and then things happen and it takes two weeks. We’ve had our share of delays, but I wouldn’t say it’s out of the ordinary for this type of work. Overall, they’re really smart and a good team of people to work with.

Is there anything Rocket Farm Studios could have improved or done differently?

The one thing I think they can improve on and I’ve shared with them is that communication could always be better. As the client, sometimes I feel like I have to chase them for information or for the status of a particular project. When they say they’re going to have something done for me in two weeks, it gets to be around day 10 and I haven’t heard anything, so I have to reach out and ask for an update.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Operating Officer of PowerLeaf, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

In an industry filled with complex data and misunderstood information, we derive simplicity from this complexity and covert complex laboratory data into consumer-friendly information, thereby revealing a product’s actual effect on consumers, enabling business to sell more effectively and consumers to choose product with purpose.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Rocket Farm Studios to accomplish?

• Build beta SaaS product
• Help us think through all Product Management topics
• Help us think through all Design related topics

SOLUTION

How did you find Rocket Farm Studios?

Referral

Why did you select Rocket Farm Studios over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Fantastic team. Resourceful. Professional. Creative.

How many teammates from Rocket Farm Studios were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

As an early stage startup, we briefed Rocket Farm Studios on our loosely formed concept and they helped us think through critical Product Management and Design considerations. They lead us through a structured Discover, Design and Development process that helped us transform our vision to reality. Rocket Farm provided tremendous value to us, as entrepreneurs with little tech experience, when it came to how to design and build a product that met our customer's needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rocket Farm always delivered what they said they would -- on time and on budget. They worked hard to meet deadlines and were creative about moving resources around to overcome obstacles, and always worked with their clients best interest in mind. 

Rocket Farm delivered a new web-based shopping experience unlike any in our industry (available on mobile as well), critical reports, marketing assets, branding, logo, style guide along with a ton of general product management and design consultation. Great team to work with on all levels.

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

Rocket Farm always did what they said they would. They were upfront and transparent from the beginning about deliverables, timelines and cost, and were able to deliver consistently. If things needed to change, it was always a team effort. Rocket Farm's project management was impressively organize and well lead by key team members. I never felt like details were being overlook - everything was easy to track and fully transparent.

What was your primary form of communication with Rocket Farm Studios?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Rocket Farm's team members are great to work with - hard working, professional, creative, resourceful, thoughtful, accessible, easy to work with and fun. They deliver high quality work in short periods, are creative, display great leadership, organization and resourcefulness. They are client and consumer focused and entrepreneurial. Rocket Farm Studios has the ability to build big things and meet the needs of small companies (and vice versa).

Are there any areas for improvement or something Rocket Farm Studios could have done differently?

n/a

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.
I am the President of Be Your Best LLC
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Created personalized health & wellness App for golfers of all ages and abilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Rocket Farm Studios to accomplish?

• Rewrite an entire app that had failed
• Provide user experience guidelines for UI
• Provide metrics for managing user experience and acheuving success in the market

SOLUTION

How did you find Rocket Farm Studios?
Referral
Why did you select Rocket Farm Studios over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Rocket Farm Studios were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Complete analysis, design, UX, logic, coding, testing, App Store Acceptance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Creating a mobile app that was accepted into the Apple App Store
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
Rocket Farm Studios’ team was incredible at setting expectations and delivering everything on time and as expected. The team at Rocket are excellent communicators and always kept us abreast of any challenges they faced or reaching out when they needed clarity on specific functions.
What was your primary form of communication with Rocket Farm Studios?
Virtual Meeting
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Rocket Farm Studios' genuine enthusiasm for the project was particularly welcoming when we first got started and continued through the entire project. Exceptionally professional and transparent throughout the project.
Are there any areas for improvement or something Rocket Farm Studios could have done differently?
No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Farm Studios?

We were developing an app, but I had trouble finding a team that was professional and reliable. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve broken down the engagement into three phases, namely the discovery, design, and development phases. The Rocket Farm team helped me hash out my ideas during the discovery phase. We did plenty of research during the process. Then, we worked with designers during the design phase. Their resources put together wireframes and design iterations to move the app forward. 

At present, we’re about a month or so into the development phase.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with one account manager, along with a UI/UX designer and developers. We also deal with Dan (CEO & Founder). 

How did you come to work with Rocket Farm Studios?

Rocket Farm was referred to me by a friend. I met the team, and they seemed to be professional. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve been impressed with Rocket Farm in many areas. For one, their designer is fantastic, and he’s brought plenty of good ideas. They’re spread out and have contractors around the world, so there have been a couple of areas that are a little weird for us. However, they’re awesome overall. 

How did Rocket Farm Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Dan has been bright. He’s given us a lot of good input. Moreover, their marketing officer has been fantastic. He knows what he’s doing. Overall, they’re ready to serve us 24/7 — if I want to get anything done, they’ll make it happen. 

To communicate, we’ve done one meeting per week through Zoom. We’ve used Slack frequently, which I find helpful and productive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rocket Farm’s discovery phase has been impressive and helpful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are some moments of communication that got lost, but that’s a minor issue. It happens in this industry, especially with small businesses in our price range.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

President of mobile app company focusing on security and privacy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rocket Farm Studios?

UI/UX design of our biggest app, which needed a complete overhaul

What were your goals for this project?

To create the most elegant, and visually compelling app, for iOS and Android

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Dan and RocketFarm came highly recommended from a previous client of theirs

Describe the project in detail.

Complete overhaul of both UI and UX Extensive research on web and mobile presence Detailed analysis of competitive landscape Countless recommendations on app improvements and functionality

What was the team composition?

3-5 people working on various aspects of design, project management, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are thrilled with the finished project, and the increase in downloads and rankings in the app store speak for themselves

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

excellent, no issues at all, very accessible and accommodating

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their attention to detail was super.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none come to mind, they were great!