SoluteLabs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a doctor with a healthcare analytics background and I founded Remedy Social, a preventive health platform. Users answer a certain set of questions and based those answers, their health is measured by a health score. Recommendations are then intelligently developed for the user.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

When I started this company, I was the only employee. I was looking for someone to help me develop the platform. I first built a project management team in-house, but then decided to work with SoluteLabs instead.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were three parts to our relationship. SoluteLabs developed my entire website, the administrative panel, and the algorithm. When we realized the algorithm needed to be changed and updated frequently as we were running more scientific calculations, they converted the algorithm into an administrative panel where everything can be changed without having to rewrite the code. The admin panel was something I found a lot of value in. The algorithm was a challenging part, though was not much integration required in my project because it is a standalone platform.

What is the team dynamic?

I was mainly interacting with Karan, one of the co-founders. There was another team member and a designer. One person was a backend Ruby on Rails developer and one frontend developer. I didn’t interact much with the developers because I don’t have a technical background.

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

My sister knew someone who knew of SoluteLabs, so I had a meeting with them. They were one of very few people who understood the concept of my idea very quickly. I was pretty skeptical because they are a small shop and they might not understand. I had developed a spreadsheet of requirements, and they converted everything to show me what the platform would look like and how it would be built in different phases. They were able to conceptualize it into something very concrete, so I decided to do away with the project management and outsource everything to SoluteLabs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between 10 and 12 lakh Rupees [$15,000 - $18,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from January to July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any metrics because our business switched from a B2C focus to a  B2B. They were very flexible with this, which was one of the best things they did for me. We ended up licensing the platform on another e-commerce player. More often than not in the last eight years of my career, projects have to be discarded, however, in this case, a lot of components were reusable. In my opinion, that was the value. I didn’t have to go back to them to rewrite the code again, but I could reuse it for another B2B customer. That customer had positive feedback.

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a project management tool that we used. We were in the same city and our offices were close by, so we ended up doing a lot of in-person meetings as well. There were some hiccups in the communication. They would take a job and then disappear for a few days and then show me the end result, which was different than what I expected. Over time we were able to rectify that feedback into a much faster cycle. They would show me something, get my feedback, incorporate it, and discuss it on a more frequent basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing was their ability to take a business requirement and make it into a technical product. I think a lot of developers struggle with this. They want you to write down everything. I had the concept on an Excel spreadsheet with a few notes and they were able to create a full product from that. As a client you might want to write everything down, but you don’t always have the bandwidth.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve the communication, including having more frequent updates. I don’t blame them. They’re a very small company. As they grow, it’s important for them to have a governance mechanism on a project including updates and managing the expectations of the clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online education company. Our instruction classes are delivered in schools for intervention, acceleration, and enrichment, focusing on students in the US from kindergarten to 12th grade. I manage the end-to-end operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

What we were trying to do is develop an online portal for our business needs. They have also built our marketing related websites

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Solute Labs helped us develop the front end of various websites and dashboards that we continue to use. They used many different technologies for us - HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS, and so on. For our marketing related websites, they have built various pages using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

How did you come to work with Solute Labs?

Our technology team did a search on different companies that were available. Solute came up as one of them and our technology team evaluated them in terms of the skill sets they had, their past projects, and their suitability for our work. They were selected from many vendors we had shortlisted. Solute have been really good with their work and we are very happy to have selected them. The quality of their work has been excellent in terms of accuracy and whenever they give deadlines, they meet them. Occasionally, some things may not work perfectly (you don't get 100% perfect code in technology) but they are able to fix issues quickly and stay as close to their deadlines as possible.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began in October 2015 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our online portal is working as per requirements, with very few errors and is used by our employees on a daily basis. Our marketing websites are live and we have seen hundreds of visits per day from potential clients.

How did Solute Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Solute Labs were very concise with their timelines estimates and consistently met their deadlines. Issues always arise in software development, but whenever they arose, they would always inform us in advance if there was some delay. Their developers and project managers were always available to discuss any issues or changes or anything that we needed. Sometimes over the weekends, if we needed some help, they would be willing to work extra and help us out - they've been very flexible.

Karan, who is the Solute Labs CEO, takes personal commitment on each and every project. Even though he may not be doing the coding, he takes personal commitment to make sure everything is delivered with the desired quality and in the desired time. I think his own drive and passion reflects in his employees as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of work is very good in whatever they do and their timeliness is very good, as well. The fact that they are ready to put in the extra effort to make sure that you get your work done in the desired time is very impressive. At the end of the day, you want your work done correctly and without any errors - they were able to do that consistently well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Solute Labs could increase the skill base of their company. Right now, their expertise seems to be in front-end development. To become a full stack solution company, they may need to improve their back-end capabilities. We would like to point out that we have not worked on any full stack development project with them yet, and as such we may not be the best judge of their back-end capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sole founder of Small Spoon, a wellness and fitness app. I’ve been a personal trainer for 12 years working with all age groups. I’ve helped people who are absolutely unfit to those who are super fit and in sports and marathons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solute TechnoLabs?

I have a team of trainers in Singapore, but I wanted to build a brand and put all my exercises together in an app to allow people around the world to use it. I had a very clear idea of the exercises I would include in the app, but I wanted a team that could bring it to life. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked on two apps with Solute TechnoLabs. The first app is an exercise app called Seven Daily Moves, and it’s available on both iOS and Android. The second is a nutrition app. I knew what content I wanted, but I wanted advice on the simplicity of the app so that it would be easy to use. They were able to provide a lot of input, and Prakash [Founder, Solute TechnoLabs] even helped me find an animator from Denmark for the animation Solute helped with the design as well as the technology. It was a great collaboration. I wasn’t savvy in terms of technology, and they added a lot of value and really brought it to life.

What is the team dynamic? 

I worked with the founders of Solute, Prakash and Karan. Prakash worked on Seven Daily Moves, and Karan worked with me on my nutrition app.

How did you come to work with Solute TechnoLabs?

I was working on another project for my previous company where I created a health score. It’s a list of 40 questions based on activity, nutrition, positivity, and prevention. Once you answer the questions, you get a score that tells you where you can improve. I worked with another development company for this project. They charged a lot of money but didn’t do a good job. I knew I needed a company for the exercise project that was more flexible. The previous company recommended me to Solute TechnoLabs. They improved the health score product significantly. I was comfortable with them and thought of them when I had the idea for the exercise app. I didn’t look for anyone else to work on the project. I needed someone who could work with my budget. I told Solute my idea, and we moved forward with the project. I didn’t just want someone to execute the project; I wanted someone who would give their input and ideas.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $30,000 and $50,000 on the app.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the project in April 2015, and the app was launched in October 2015. They continue to do maintenance work on the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I launched the app, I didn’t expect it to go viral in the way that it did. It got featured on ABC News shortly after it launched. That gave the app an initial boost. There have been approximately 40,000 downloads. We have many users in the 20 to 30-year-old age range because they need quick and efficient workouts.

How did Solute TechnoLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very hands-on. We communicated through Skype, phone, and email. We talked every day during development. They were quick to respond. There was a lot of coordination required because I was in Singapore, Solute was in India, and the animator was in Denmark. This was the first time they’d done an app like this. It was a learning experience for all of us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a lot of research and were open to learning and exploring to find new solutions. Prakash pointed out so many things that I didn’t think of. He understood quickly the style and simplicity I was looking for. There was a lot of brainstorming.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s no project that is perfect. It was the first project they did of this type. I’m a very time sensitive person. If you tell me how long it’s going to take, then stick to that. There could’ve been more transparency on the timing. I told Solute to tell me if it’s not going to happen on time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a startup that organizes the ground logistics industry. What we’re trying to do is be an Uber for trucks and then move into other types of logistics. Our app allows grounds porters to find shippers and also do price discoveries to buy insurance. We cover the whole nine yards of the largest investing needs. Our company consists of 10 people right now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solute TechnoLabs?

We needed an app where all of our different stakeholders could log in and execute various functionalities they need. Due to the nature of the industry, we needed the platform to work on many different devices. This is because a shipper, for example, is going to be more comfortable on a computer, but a cab driver would most likely use a mobile app.  People who don’t have smartphones might need to communicate through SMS. We needed a progressive web app capable of loading across devices and be responsive to different screens.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Solute built the app from scratch. The app has a Ruby on Rails backend, with heavy integration with what we call a VTU or a vehicle tracking unit, an IoT approach where every single truck on our platform is connected and is treated with a hardware device that gives us a lot of readings about the truck. This includes the truck's location, but also its fuel level and if there’s been any harsh activation or harsh breaking. It tells us what average speed the truck maintained or if there was any filterage. There’s an emergency button on the device as well. 

We’re integrating with different service providers. This is down the road, and not built yet, but we have these dynamic debit cards that will allow the truck driver to track all expenses. They can only pay for fuel if they’ve gone a certain distance. They can spend X amount of money per day. They can spend Y amount of money per day on groceries. This is all set up by the employer, but uses the same system and can extend out to different technologies. There’s a whole bunch of different pieces we’ve put together on this progressive web app. The project has evolved to a place where we take specific features and capabilities from different windows, but our core backend is still maintained and managed by Solute TechnoLabs. 

How did you come to work with Solute TechnoLabs?

They were introduced to us by a common contact. I was pretty convinced after I met Karan [Director, Solute TechnoLabs] at Solute. He brings a very interesting experience and has worked on big data systems for some really nice telecom companies. Prakash [Director, Solute TechnoLabs] has a lot of mobile app experience. I liked that they were able to talk business but think technology.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent a little less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around May 2015; it’s an ongoing project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The link is accessible to the public now, but we won’t advertise it until we finish the beta test.  It’s a progressive web app, so it isn’t really in the app stores. You just open it up on the browser and it’s available once you log in. In local groups who we’ve been showing the app to, we’ve been getting really good feedback, especially on the functionality, but also on the usability. They feel they understand what it does. They don’t need an explanation.

How did Solute TechnoLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve taken ownership of the project and to a large extent, self-govern themselves really well, at least to my satisfaction. We had regular demos with them to look at features in progress and give feedback. Separately, I would have bi-weekly reviews usually to study what happened on the last sprint, review time logs, and solve bug complexities. There was a lot of back-and-forth phone calls and screen sharing through Google Hangouts. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I continue to work with them because they’re able to talk business, but think technology. I like the level of ownership they take over the work. I’ve gotten into heated arguments with Karan about features that we should draw out in the app because I really like the fact that they think for themselves. The level of ownership they take and their ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions is really impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their project management structures and support could have been more mature, but every single time I’ve asked for something done in a certain way, they’ve done it. They’re evolving. They’re a young group who are learning as they work and as they progress. They could have been better straight off the bat, but that’s just me looking for something they could have improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small web and app company in Sweden. We started off in 2010.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solute Technolabs?

I have used them for some specific projects. We help other companies create web pages and apps, but I also have some startups where I use Solute Technolabs to create apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The second project I did with them was a native app on iOS and Android for a makeup company. Solute Technolabs also created a web page for the app. The idea for the app came from a client in Norway. The app included the ability for users to share things with each other including a ticket to a coffee shop. If they shared the app with a friend and the friend downloaded it, they both got a ticket.

There was also functionality for users to select one of ten cosmetic products to send to a friend for free every month. There were also makeup tutorials inside the app. There was a backend admin system created for the coffee tickets and free products.

The end client checked a lot of companies to develop the app and our company was one of them. I was using Solute Technolabs at that time and I told the client that I would use my partners in India to help with the app. I got the brief from the makeup company and talked to my contact from Solute Technolabs. We set a fixed price for the app after the briefing.

The app was done for the Swedish market but was never launched even though it was a great app. They launched it for some customers but they didn’t do any marketing or push the app live.

The original plan was to make it available to customers in Scandinavia but the company didn’t have the resources to launch it properly. In Sweden, there are a lot of apps built, but no one has any time to market them properly.

How many resources were assigned to your project?

There were four resources involved in the project.

How did you come to work with Solute Technolabs?

I met one of their founders two years before Solute Technolabs was created. I visited India and met them three years ago. I have worked with them for many years on different projects.

How much have you invested with Solute Technolabs?

The project cost was $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in December 2014, and the app was completed in March 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The numbers were low because the CEO and marketing director quit at the same time. The new employees came on six months later and didn’t have any reason to start the app again.

How did Solute Technolabs perform from a project management standpoint?

During the briefing time, we talked a lot over the phone. After that, we communicated mostly by Skype and emails.

What did you find most impressive about Solute Technolabs?

I had two contact people, and I think they’re great. You have to know the people you are talking to. I know them and I like what they do. I don’t have a need to shop for another company. There are a lot of companies in India, but it feels much safer if you know the people. If the customer wants to change something, they don’t try to get 30% more. They try to stick with everything we agreed to. I’ve been working with them since 2012 and even before Solute Technolabs was started, and that shows how much I like working with them.

Are there any areas Solute Technolabs could improve?

They are better in development than in project management which also affects the price. If I ask for 30% project management time, that would be possible if I pay for the time. They are a great development company.

BACKGROUND

How did you come to work with Solute TechnoLabs?

I initially started working with Solute TechnoLabs 4–5 years ago for a company developing a mobile application. I moved to Luxemburg and referred them to my current company. After going through a test, we gave them the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solute TechnoLabs?

Many developers can do a WordPress implementation, but our functionalities were more complicated. We needed the CMS [content management system] to work with our custom frontend architecture. Solute TechnoLabs understood our situation well and contributed to our project’s success. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created the design in-house and discussed it with Solute TechnoLabs’ director and team in order to see if they could build our technology. They started working on the HTML integration of our PSD designs on our WordPress site. We have custom tags and other variables, and we also needed to create a responsive design. The site has been tested on PCs, smartphones, and tablets.

After the integration was finished, the work was deployed to our environment. We checked and approved it, so we gave Solute more building functionalities for the site.

They’re also working on the backend of our mobile application. The app was developed internally initially, but we didn’t have enough resources to refine it at the time. Solute started development from scratch based on our designs using Node.js.

The architecture of our site is a bit complicated. Typically, WordPress is used for displaying content, but we have a custom Node.js frontend that takes the content from the WordPress CMS. As a result, the design is always homemade, and Solute TechnoLabs has assisted with integrations and functionality development.

How much have you invested with Solute TechnoLabs?

The cost of their work on this project was around €15,000 [$17,500].

What is the status of this engagement?

The WordPress project ran from March until June 2016. The site has launched, but we’ve hired enough people for our internal team since then, so we aren’t working with Solute TechnoLabs anymore for the website. They are continuing to work on our mobile application. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I cannot share any metrics.

How did Solute TechnoLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Solute TechnoLabs used the latest technologies for project management, and we’ve had a great experience working with them.

I was the project manager for our team and worked with Solute TechnoLabs’ project manager. We had weekly and daily meetings to assess the progress of our work. We used the Scrum methodology, as well as tools like Trello and Slack in order to follow tasks. We had micro-planning sessions to determine the next phase of the project and kept Gantt charts.  

What did you find most impressive about Solute TechnoLabs?

I’ve worked with another Indian company, but Solute TechnoLabs really stood out in terms of quality. I know their director and felt sure that he could supply expert developers. On other teams, even though I would be promised 5 developers, in reality, I was working with 2–3. When Solute TechnoLabs promised to deliver 5 developers, I knew that was what I’d get.

They’ve been responsive and replied even faster when we experienced problems or bugs. The team didn’t hide what they were doing. They asked for more information when they were stuck, which is not typical for Indian developers. Solute TechnoLabs has been honest in admitting when they didn’t understand something.

Are there any areas Solute TechnoLabs could improve?

The design part was the most complicated area for us. I’ve never tested Solute TechnoLabs’ skills here since Indian companies aren’t usually good at design. That may be something they could improve.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are working with a startup company that’s developing a mobile app. I’m responsible for the communication and implementation of new solutions in terms of sales monitoring and marketing for the app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Solute TechnoLabs?

Our company is developing a sports mobile application based on interactions between training coaches and trainees. The coaches can offer services, diet advice, and recipes to their followers. We needed Solute TechnoLabs to help us with the backend as far as monitoring purchases made on the application.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Solute TechnoLabs created the backend of our app and made it accessible through mobile and laptop. This backend lets us monitor the list of clients, purchases, and registered coaches. We had a database that was built in Node.js. Solute TechnoLabs perfectly understood how the database worked and interfaced with different tables. I specified which tables they needed to use to fetch the information, and they demonstrated great knowledge of this language. They could easily understand the information that needed to be displayed in the backend.

How did you come to work with Solute TechnoLabs?

One of the founders of our company previously worked with Solute TechnoLabs. We did not consider any other companies because we were satisfied with them.

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

We’ve spent about €5,000 [$5,900]. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from May to June 2016. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The mobile application has not been launched yet. We haven’t been able to test the backend, but we hope that the product will launch next week.

How did Solute TechnoLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

At first, I spoke with the team manager and then communicated directly with the developers. Every day, we had a Skype call and shared screens for 15–30 minutes. That was really helpful for us. Whenever we had some new features to add or encountered technical difficulties, they did always what they could to help us. The project was a success.

What distinguishes Solute TechnoLabs from other providers?

For this project, we really needed flexibility as far as features since we are working with a startup and always have new thoughts about the product. Solute TechnoLabs was always flexible in accommodating our ideas.  

Is there anything Solute TechnoLabs could have improved or done differently?

No, I have nothing to add. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of a venture capital firm.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a seed-stage venture fund that invests primarily in companies that are backed by YC. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Simple Website
• Reference Architecture

SOLUTION

How did you find SoluteLabs?

Referral

Why did you select SoluteLabs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Worked with them Previously

How many teammates from SoluteLabs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

A simple, modern, website and landing page for our firm. 

A reference architecture for a data management layer that leverages cloud infrastructure and can support custom data pipelines to analyze investment prospects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working website. Feature list of deliverables for reference architecture. Both were managed over Slack +  Video Conferencing calls.

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

Project management was great. We handled most interactions over emails / slack / or video conference calls. They made themselves available at convenient times for daily and weekly standups. They delivered on time and without surprises.

What was your primary form of communication with SoluteLabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The talent of engineers and team was great. I felt comfortable letting them operate independently given how well the communication was working. 

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

No. I am quite happy working with them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Product of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Creates financial software

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Help with extra workloads on frontend development

SOLUTION

How did you find SoluteLabs?

Referral

Why did you select SoluteLabs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from SoluteLabs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Specific sections of the site implemented.  Various odd job improvements and fixes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got several sections of our site rolled out with the help of Solute labs team.

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

We did most of the project management, and assigned specific tasks to the contractors.  The items assigned were done on time

What was your primary form of communication with SoluteLabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were impressed with their ability to add and remove contractors as needed for a variety of tasks

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

Better virtual meeting equipment for their employees.   Lower quality mics made communication sometimes difficult