Rootstrap

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a mobile-first platform for independent video journalists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We hired them for web and mobile app development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had app designs and high-fidelity wireframes. Initially, Rootstrap did an evaluation to see where we were, look at our designs, and make some recommendations on how to proceed. The team did some design work and made technology recommendations, on which we went back and forth. From there, we kicked off the first sprint. 

Rootstrap has started building the first product and laid out some infrastructure. Currently, the team is working on the second project concurrently with the first. Rootstrap is building the website from scratch using React and the mobile app using React Native. 

Aside from development, the team has also done QA, testing, and DevOps work. Rootstrap has built and automated the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines and automated the cloud infrastructure. Once we launch the product, Rootstrap will provide app store optimization.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with two designers, a project manager, a product owner, a QA teammate, a testing teammate, and a DevOps teammate from Rootstrap. 

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

We found them on Clutch while looking for nearshore providers. We interviewed several outsourcing partners, and Rootstrap was one of them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$700,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of Rootstrap's work is good overall. On the technical side, the team's skills are exactly what I anticipated and expected. 

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines, although they haven't necessarily met the budget. Still, that isn't Rootstrap's fault. We didn't have as many designs for the website, so we've made some changes that have caused us to spend more than anticipated. We use Slack, Jira, Confluence, and Figma for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We chose Rootstrap because of the flexibility they're willing to provide. Some development shops we talked to were very rigorous. In contrast, Rootstrap has been fine with us bringing our own resources and changing the team composition as needed. They're also willing to be aggressive in helping us reduce costs. 

Their business flexibility, willingness, and eagerness to work with us as we go through our startup pains have been their distinguishing factors. Rootstrap works with us as a partner instead of an outsourcer. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I've already shared my feedback with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to be as clear as possible about your wants and business priorities. The more work you do on your designs upfront, the better Rootstrap can help you in development. 

The team can also help you work through designs, but it's usually better to develop as much about the design as possible when working with an outsourcing partner. The more you can think the design through, document it, and have it ready for them, Rootstrap can digest it faster and get through delivery. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Backbone, an email strategy automation tool for direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We needed help with developing our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap has helped us develop our MVP from scratch. Their team has been involved in the entire project, from scoping the project itself and refining the scope for the MVP to designing the UI/UX and developing the front- and backend of the product.

First, Rootstrap helped us with an initial scoping and UI/UX design process for the MVP to get a sense of how the functionality of each of its features would work. As part of the deliverables for the UI/UX design, Rootstrap also helped us develop a rough brand look and feel. Of course, they also designed the actual screens for the MVP, taking into account the user flow and user process.

After that, Rootstrap went into the actual MVP development process and was in charge of managing it entirely. As part of its core features, we needed to integrate five relatively complicated algorithms into the platform’s backend. Their team helped us ideate a solution and figure out the most streamlined way to execute the end goal for the user.

To achieve this, Rootstrap understood how the algorithms worked so that they wouldn’t just blindly write them. Additionally, they looked for edge cases, asking intelligent questions along the way. In addition to those algorithms, they also developed a calendar feature and a visual display of an email layout.

As for the technology stack, Rootstrap has used Figma for the UI/UX designs, as well as Django, JavaScript, Node.js, and Heroku for development. Since the MVP development project finished, we’ve been working with Rootstrap on a maintenance plan to continue fixing bugs and adding new features. Moreover, we plan to continue building future versions of the platform as well.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 6–7 teammates from Rootstrap, including a product manager, a project manager, a UI/UX designer, a frontend developer, two backend developers, and a QA engineer. 

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

I found them online. At the time, we had had a very poor experience hiring a different development agency, so hiring a trustworthy agency was very important for us. Initially, what interested me about Rootstrap was their experience in machine learning because that was something we wanted to incorporate into our platform in the future, and we wanted a partner with whom we could grow. Still, what truly sealed the deal was their sales process.

Rootstrap took us through a free pre-sale scoping process, which was great. We really appreciated that gesture because it helped us build a lot of trust. During that process, their team took the time to understand our needs and what we were trying to build so that they could come up with an accurate scope and estimate for both the timeline and budget for the project.

In addition to that, Rootstrap helped us refine the MVP scope to make it fit within our budget. Thanks to that process, we felt that they were already a fantastic partner prior to even signing a contract. After setting the scope and estimates, we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $250,000–$275,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2022, and Rootstrap delivered the MVP in mid-February 2023, but our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rootstrap has done a fantastic job at designing our MVP in a very intuitive and sleek way for users. The UI looks very high-end and connects very well with the backend as well. Currently, we’re in the demo phase, so we haven’t launched the MVP yet. Still, the demos have gone very well, and a lot of users have commented on how smooth and intuitive the platform is.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Rootstrap has been great at managing the entire process, mapping it out, and helping us prioritize our needs. Keeping the MVP within a certain budget was our top priority from the start, so their team has built extensive project management systems based on those priorities.

Rootstrap has also been fantastic at meeting deadlines and providing us with reports. They’ve been very flexible and agile at delivering reports and updates in the way we need to receive them. As for collaboration tools, we use Jira for project management and Slack and Google Meet to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The partnership element that Rootstrap brings to the table is impressive. Their development team has come up with different ideas and ways to innovate, which are rare to find. Additionally, they’ve been genuinely interested in building a great product by understanding our users and how they would interact with it to identify areas in which they could get stuck. They’ve thought about potential issues very thoroughly.

Throughout the process, Rootstrap has provided us with a lot of design suggestions. They’ve really brought in their user flow expertise and explained how users could perceive certain buttons and what would be the natural next thing for them to click on. Thanks to that, they’ve created a very intuitive UI/UX design.

Another thing we really value about Rootstrap is that they work seamlessly between their design and development teams to create features in the easiest and cheapest way possible while still providing a great UX that fulfills the user's needs. They’ve done their best to build the best product possible within our budget.

For other development agencies, it’s very easy to continue making things more complicated than they could be to increase their scope. However, we’ve built a level of trust with Rootstrap, so we know that they’re genuinely looking for ways to streamline the workflow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Rootstrap could improve on. They’re probably one of my favorite partners to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with a very clear idea of what you want and what success looks like for you, and ask them for feedback and ideas in that regard. Rootstrap is very well-equipped, but they need to be set up for success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager for Terracove.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

Terracove was in the process of developing an online sales platform for eco-friendly and environmentally friendly products. Given that I have a lot of background in e-commerce and sales, they brought me in to help build the platform from the inside out and oversee the development process.

However, we were taking on a monumental task. Although we already had ideas of where to start, no one on our team was a web developer, so we approached Rootstrap to get help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap took us through the first phase of this project, which they called the discovery phase, during which we asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers. This process took about six weeks and covered everything, from the flow of the website to the needs of our target market. Throughout the process, we did 6–7 user interviews, out of which we got very good information to develop the wireframes.

Rootstrap’s services were more related to consulting. At the end of the process, they delivered a packet that included all the requirements for the website. The deliverables included different documents, notes, interviews, PowerPoint presentations, and wireframes for us to go to any development firm and have them develop this product. As for the technology stack, Rootstrap used Figma and Miro to create the wireframes.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Carol (Product Designer), Gastón (Product & UX Senior Researcher), a team manager who ensured everything got done on time, a main developer and software engineer, and a web developer. Gastón helped us a lot with product research and user interviews. In addition to them, we were in contact with Dino (VP of Sales) and their upper management, including the CEO.

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

We found them on Google. When we were looking for a partner, many other web development firms told us that our project was too big and that they didn’t have the capability necessary. However, Rootstrap was immediately on board with our idea.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rootstrap delivered a great and very detailed packet of information, allowing us to go to any development firm to get the product built. However, as we didn’t actually build the product, we don’t have any metrics regarding its performance.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Rootstrap was very slick, and their communication was great. I never struggled with getting in contact with them because they were very quick at answering our emails. On top of that, this was a very collaborative process; Carol and our design team worked very closely together to develop our solutions.

We had a very active Slack channel where we communicated not only with the designers and developers but also with the sales team. Moreover, we used Google Meet for our meetings, and we leveraged Miro, where we had 3-hour meetings to go through the project. I even had a meeting with their CEO to talk about the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We didn’t go far into the project when we decided to stop it, and one of the things I really liked about Rootstrap was that they didn’t trick us into continuing with it. We were very upfront about the fact that we weren’t sure if the project would move forward because we were on a tight budget. When it was time to part ways, I never felt pressured to continue working with them, which was really great.

Additionally, I’ve heard that other companies are difficult to communicate with. However, Rootstrap was very responsive, and we had very open lines of communication. That was one of the main reasons we had so much success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything to critique about Rootstrap. We ended the project on a very good note, so I would totally work with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them! You’ll find a lot of success if you’re very communicative. Don’t be afraid to talk because they’ll listen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO & founder of Wolf Suit Games, an AR software company. We’re democratizing the AR medium by creating a no-code platform that anybody can use to easily create, share, and monetize our content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We wanted to develop the beta version of a flagship mobile game that would run on the same engine as our other products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially had a brief two-week discovery phase where we worked with Rootstrap’s team to get onto the same page. Then, we launched into the app development; Rootstrap brought us a development proposal with all the modular components we’d develop. They coded everything in Swift and other libraries and technologies.

The solution was a native app for iOS. They built upon the Apple Maps API and created a bespoke game engine to deliver the experiences we designed. The app had geo-location aspects and various triggers and conditions depending on what the player did and where they were. We designed the app so we could write up simple JSON packets to feed them into the app and produce an experience. Therefore, we could continuously develop new content for it because it was based on a modular input.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates for the majority of the engagement. We had a product manager, a lead iOS developer, and a QA tester.

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

Another development agency recommended them. We spoke to the CEO about the work we wanted to do, but he felt it wasn’t the best fit for his agency, so he recommended we reach out to Rootstrap.

We spoke to 10–12 potential service providers while we were vetting agencies, but we ultimately went with Rootstrap because they had experience developing comparable technologies. They also provided a competitive quote, and the team came across as competent during our initial conversations.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2022, and they completed it in December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t develop the app for public release, so we don’t have a number of downloads. We developed the app to use in a limited beta test to learn more and test our hypotheses around user behavior for the medium we were exploring. In that sense, the app has allowed us to experiment and test our various hypotheses; it’ll form the foundation upon which we’ll build the rest of our product lineup.

We experienced crashes and bugs when we were in development. Rootstrap would release the latest version to us, and we’d play around with it to identify the bugs. If it crashed, they’d send a developer to rectify it.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was great. They went a bit over the deadline and over budget, but it was very close. Everything was clearly communicated; there weren’t any hiccups. We had a smooth development process, and Rootstrap’s team took a lot of the work off our shoulders.

They used Trello for project management, but we mostly communicated through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered what we wanted to a high quality and close to the budget and timeline. Rootstrap went beyond our expectations and was very competitive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, there were no areas of improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider Rootstrap as a strong contender. Clients don’t have to do anything unique to get the most out of the engagement; Rootstrap makes everything easy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of software development at a SaaS company. The logistics industry uses our system to gain analytics, cost savings, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We needed help with staff augmentation to assist our development team. We were looking for mid-level engineers with experience in Ruby on Rails and React.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap provides staff augmentation services. We initially hired a couple of developers and eventually added some QA staff as well. The team works remotely from South America.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Juan Francisco (Engineering Manager).

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

They were a referral from one of our CEO’s friends. We evaluated 4–5 companies that we found on Google, but we ultimately decided to go with Rootstrap.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $300,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t track speed or any other metric; I just do the evaluations myself. Rootstrap has a high level of quality compared to other domestic hires. Everyone that has joined the team has been a high-caliber developer. Moreover, Rootstrap’s developers have given us a lot of feedback on our process, which we’ve incorporated across our entire development team.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines and stay on budget. We use GitHub and Zenhub, a project management extension to add agile and Scrum features to GitHub. Additionally, we use Microsoft Teams and Slack for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Although they’re smaller than other providers, Rootstrap is great at checking in with us. The management staff is very responsive, and they’re always trying to fulfill our needs. Rootstrap looks for things they can improve, and the team has an excellent feedback loop. Overall, they treat us very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the quality of the work can fluctuate. A developer might produce excellent work, and then they make sloppy mistakes. However, I feel this is a common issue with an outsourced team, where the sense of ownership isn’t as strong. Nonetheless, Rootstrap’s quality is still strong compared to other outsourcing companies. They have very high standards.

Additionally, the pricing could be more competitive; although it’s fair considering the quality.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should have a good idea of your needs ahead of time. Rootstrap can handle things well, so you just need to work with your product or account manager.

Overall, take advantage of their experience; they’ve worked with many teams, so hear their feedback. They can give good recommendations about process improvements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an insurance company based in Uruguay.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We were looking for a company to help us with product development and usability.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap has helped us design a mobile app for our users. The app is available for Android and iOS. We already had a previous app, so they’ve rewritten it regarding design, navigation, usability, and overall aesthetic.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with 6–7 people, including a project manager, 2–3 developers, a designer, a SCRUM master, and the commercial team.

How did you come to work with  Rootstrap?

They were referred. After evaluating different companies, we chose Rootstrap.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around July 2021, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics yet, but we’re very happy with the results so far.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some issues at the beginning of the project because there were some diversions from the original budget. However, we were able to talk through and solve it.

They use Jira as a project management tool and Teams and emails to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out for their design skills and focus on usability and product development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their project management skills could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them, but make sure you assign a project manager from your side to keep a good track of the project’s progress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company buys and sells houses online. I lead a team and report to our CEO on experimental features.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

It’s exceedingly difficult to hire engineers right now, and we didn’t have the internal bandwidth to hire our own. We have other internal challenges at the core company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap has been doing iOS development. We handle the UX design, and they do the actual engineering for the iOS and Android applications.

What is the team composition?

We have two full-time engineers, one project manager, a QA person, and the account people who aren’t on the project for the day-to-day work.

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

I looked at my professional network and searched on Google for software engineers. We were trying everything to find new people, so we put out an RFP and talked to a few agencies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2021, and we’re still in active development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our experience has been fantastic. Initially, we were concerned about the resources in Uruguay, but the team works exceptionally well. We’ve had many bad experiences with offshore teams, but they’ve been excellent partners. Since we’re a startup inside a big company, there’s some friction because we want to move fast. However, they’ve been patient and helpful.

In terms of results, we’ve achieved a velocity that we wouldn’t see with many larger teams. We’ve moved on to features and changed stuff midstream, and they’ve been responsive and proactive about it. Overall, Rootstrap is a good partner — we have an open dialog, and they feel like part of our team.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s hard to tell because our deadlines are very fluid. Nonetheless, we trust them 100% to get things done when they say they'll do. They hit their marks on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When we started this project, we wanted a partner, not someone who’d march to their own drum. Rootstrap stands out for the collaborative nature of their team. If we could find a word that combines proactive and collaborative, that’s what we’d use to describe them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning of our engagement, they tended to docs on delivering perfect, polished things, which is appropriate for a company like them. It took them a while to adjust and optimize for speed instead of quality, which is a difficult instance to break. I don’t necessarily give them negative marks for that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be over-communicative and talk more than what you think you need to.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT and accounting manager for a health and wellness company that focuses on the ancient Indian health wellness modality called AyurPrana — we do education and coaching for that modality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We didn’t have the skillset or experience to develop our app. As a result, we brought Roostrap onboard to develop a mobile app where we could enable our customers to participate in online emergence and potentially create a subscription revenue stream.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rootstrap is focused on building and designing our app from scratch. They’re working on enabling us to host live events on the app. Additionally, they’re building a content library for education, inspiration, and wellness as well as a community for our users. We're now in the middle of the development stage. 

What is the team composition?

We’re working with their project manager, designer, product manager, and front- and backend developers.

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

When we tested Rootstrap’s workshopping skills, they helped us understand what we were trying to achieve. From that point, we liked how Rootstrap worked — they were highly capable and their pricing was reasonable. As a result, we decided to continue moving forward to get a proposal from them on our actual development work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2021, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is good, and they’re great at owning our product. Sometimes, they also push back on our ideas, making our engagement even refreshing.

In the future, we’ll gauge their performance on how our users are utilizing the app so that we can quickly get users on our subscription program. Overall, we’ll check how fast we can get to a place where we’ll have enough value to charge for the app — hopefully in the middle of next year. Then, we have a revenue goal of $2 million by the end of next year.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Rootstrap's communication skills are strong, and their project management workflow is excellent. We primarily use Slack and Zoom to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate that they’re a process-oriented company. Since they have a flexible model, we always adjust things as we move along. We also like their QA and testing efforts because they ensure that they effectively implement bug fixes. Furthermore, they have a very clean and transparent system for documenting the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set up meetings in order to flush out questions that staff may have along the way. By doing that, you can save a lot of time and money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a software company that makes tools to allow businesses to hire employees more effectively.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We needed software engineering services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Rootstrap built out the framework of our first product. Since then, we’ve iterated on that many times, and we’ve hired a more comprehensive engineering team to release more products.

What is the team composition?

Erica (Regional Sales Director) is our sales representative. She was the first point of contact.

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

We initially came across Erica, who worked hard to find the best people in her company. She bid on the project and gave us a price that we were comfortable with. It was a very back-and-forth process, and we really appreciated that she seemed to be both on our side and on Rootstrap’s side. We went with them because of this.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around November 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rootstrap helped us get from an idea to an actual product that was paramount in building our company — we couldn’t have done it without them.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Rootstrap is very communicative, transparent, and organized. They deliver great work, and for the most part, they hit the deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rootstrap’s transparency is their best asset. Their work isn’t a black box; we’re with them every step of the way, and we communicate daily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their speed isn’t the same as the speed of an in-house engineering team, but they’re very organized.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very organized, know exactly what you need, and provide them with a clear scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Teardrop Developments. We do lifestyle, entertainment, and anime-focused mobile apps. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rootstrap?

We were in the process of creating our flagship mobile app that was focused on anime recommendations. When we started the mobile app, we had a prototype or our first MVP. However, it was lacking in algorithm. Furthermore, it had a weak UI/UX design.

As a result, it wasn’t as pleasing for our end users. The main challenge for Rootstrap was to improve our prototype and come up with a fresh new app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to Rootstrap with a pretty clear idea of what we wanted. We wanted a cross-platform mobile app that could be on Android and iOS. In addition, we wanted it to have basic functionalities such as user login and user registration. There should also be a database for anime that would be visible within the app. 

Then, the real focus was the recommendation algorithm; it should be smart, intuitive, and something akin to Spotify and Apple Music where end-users could find new content all the time. Since our app was finished already, we recently talked to their marketing team to see if we could collaborate on another project. 

What is the team composition?

We started with five members including their sales rep who worked as an oversight for the team. Then, they have four dedicated members which consisted of a project manager, head of product owner, developer, and a technical architect. We expanded on that and added a couple of other developers from time to time. Usually, we worked with 5–7 people. 

How did you come to work with Rootstrap?

I started working on our prototype back in 2018. At the same time, I started looking for companies to work with us in finishing the mobile app since I was doing it by myself. We ended up going with another company because of pricing. 

We knew that Rootstrap was probably the better choice because we initially wanted to go with them. When they finally became in our price range, we decided to engage with them because they fit the bill. Along with their great portfolio, they worked with customers like Spotify — which was a company we were trying to mimic. 

How much have you invested with them?

The initial project’s estimate was around $90,000, but we ended up spending $71,000 since we did some cuts.  

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from November 2020–April 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw the product that they were able to give us, and it was really good. The app had a good look and feel. Everything was clean and we received positive feedback from external stakeholders. End users said that they were able to receive great recommendations they didn’t know before. That meant that we were able to dramatically enhance our recommendation algorithm. In fact, the app was much better than we had. 

Since our app had been deployed, our focus turned towards increasing our users and user base. The team made it possible for us to gather feedback from our end users. In the past couple of months, we were able to gather data on areas of improvement for the app. Overall, they were a good partner to us and we would like to continue engaging with them.

How did Rootstrap perform from a project management standpoint?

Since my job was focused on project management, I had an eye for scrutiny throughout the process and I must say that Rootstrap did a good job. Initially, we just had to connect which usually happens in most projects. In the end, we built a working relationship to understand how each other works. 

At first, their team didn’t record meetings and detailed minutes, but after we requested them to do that, they easily accommodated us. They used Jira to manage sprints, stories, and more. They also used Sigma and other very similar tools. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Based on this experience and previous experience with another provider, they were with me in the nitty-gritty of the project. I monitored their progress in areas such as coding, development, and design, and they were very collaborative. They kept us informed and kept communication up every step of the way for any changes. That was a big win for me. 

There were times when I didn’t have to jump into a meeting, so getting those updates and knowing what would happen was a big help for me. The biggest thing for me was that they were highly interested in our project. They shared our successes and failures. Above all, they really wanted us to succeed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It may be that I had such a bad experience with my first provider that everything was just great here. I’d say they could improve their pricing because they were a bit expensive. However, I’d be willing to pay an extra penny for the level of services Rootstrap had provided for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be engaged. You just don’t pay someone, tell them what to do, and expect your project to just happen. You need to be in there with them to make sure everything is alright. You should make an effort to respond in a timely manner to ensure you don’t slow down the process. Above all, be clear and concise about what you want.