What was the scope of their involvement?
Our overall thesis of what we’re trying to accomplish with our mobile app is to move the entire philanthropy industry away from the concept of financial capability and more toward motivation as the only requirement needed to contribute to and participate in causes that you care about.
With Neon Roots, we began the initial drafts of the prototype while simultaneously developing our business and networking with potential clients. About halfway through the process, we raised the money for the project, so the functional prototype was no longer necessary. However, Neon Roots was still able to provide a mutually beneficial solution. Instead of making them finish a prototype that we would no longer need, they helped translate the remaining credit that we had, so to speak, and transition smoothly into full-time development of the mobile app with their development firm. We’re going to stick with an iOS version of the app first and validate the concept before we take the plunge and develop an app for Android as well.
How did you come to work with Neon Roots?
We are first-time entrepreneurs, and we didn't know anything about the industry, so we went out and interviewed several firms ranging from the big development shops to developers in India. There wasn't anything quantitative about our search process. We based our decision more on our gut feeling of the team based on the conversations we had had with them. We started out with Google searches, compiled a list of 25 companies, and then narrowed it down from there based on their interactions over email. From there, we had a list of around 10 or so, and we got on the phone with all of them. It was a little more difficult to then narrow those shops down to two or three, including Neon Roots and another firm.
We were interested in Neon Roots because they seemed to have a different approach. Instead of just being yes-men and quoting your project, they seemed to really care. Before they knew anything about us, the CEO got on the phone with us, and we had a nice long discussion. They came back to us with a tailor-made proposal based on our situation, and that really impressed us and put them over the top. We appreciated that they would take the time to focus on our needs and offer a solution. We decided to go with them because we liked their style from the outset.
How much have you invested with Neon Roots?
I’d say we invested a little less than $100,000 with Neon Roots.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Neon Roots in December 2016.
The platform launched quickly thanks to Rootstrap’s efforts. The team delivered high-quality development work and worked seamlessly alongside the client’s in-house team. Their reliability, flexibility, and timeliness made them a great partner to work with.