TechWings

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of research and development for a medical wearables company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mentalstack?

When I initially engaged with Mentalstack, I was overseeing the software development and all other aspects of our product realization process. Essentially, I hired them to work with our internal team on a web development project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our initial engagement was intended to run on a short-term basis. The team’s goal was to complete and launch key features for our web app. Meanwhile, the technologies we used for that engagement included .NET Core, which was the language we used to write much of the app. Then, the app’s frontend was written and implemented using React, React Redux, and Redux Saga. Mentalstack worked primarily on the frontend, but they were also involved in the backend. 

From that initial short-term engagement, we’ve continued using Mentalstack’s services. At present, we’re still working with them. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Anna (Project Manager), but we also collaborate with 2–3 developers at any given time. 

How did you come to work with Mentalstack?

I was searching online and came across various outsourced teams, including Mentalstack. At that time, I wanted the vendor to provide a quick timeline for a reasonable price. I also evaluated Mentalstack against local contract organizations and other outsourced teams. After that, I got in touch with them and had great conversations with their business development people. 

For comparison, I’d done outsourcing in the past, and it was terrible. However, I was willing to take another risk, so I followed up with Mentalstack’s references. One of them was another Canadian company that worked with the .NET tech stack. Their experience with Mentalstack was good, and they gave the team an outstanding review. At that point, I decided to move ahead and see how our partnership with Mentalstack would go. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re a startup that deals with changes in direction, new priorities, and tight deadlines, and the Mentalstack team has always been accommodating — they do whatever it takes to help us meet our goals. When we tell them specific instructions, they exert extra effort to make things happen. 

Another reason why I view our partnership as successful is the quality of their developers. Their skills are quite high, and some of them are outstanding. When we come to them with problems, they come back with good suggestions. Moreover, Mentalstack resources work as a true part of our team as opposed to simply writing code to finish tasks. They’ve also been involved in our technical implementations and designs. 

Overall, we’ve had a great experience with Mentalstack. We give them problems and they come back with solutions as if they’re a true part of our organization. To be succinct about it, our teams have had a great and successful relationship. 

How did Mentalstack perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is outstanding, and Mentalstack can do everything remotely. Apart from that, we’ve never asked them to align their hours to ours, but their developers seem to do that anyway, and we appreciate it. For tools, we use Jira to manage the project. We’ve had segregated drives before, but we’ve recently given them access to ours. 

To communicate, we typically use Slack or Teams. We also have regular weekly calls with Anna. She gets on the phone and asks us what’s happening and where things are going. We also use emails and texts, and they’re usually online to communicate with us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of Mentalstack’s work has been outstanding despite the fact that we’re working remotely with 12 hours of time difference. The team also has a good ability to understand our problems. On top of that, I’ve truly enjoyed working with Anna; she’s easy to communicate with as she helps us meet our objectives.  

Further, the quality of their work is on par with the quality we expect from an onshore firm. Since they’re less expensive than onshore teams, we have the added benefit of getting high-quality services for lower costs. This is crucial for us since we’re at the early stages of commercialization. Simply put, Mentalstack provides a lot of value in their services. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear requirements relative to what you’re trying to build especially when working with a firm that doesn’t yet understand your business model. If you have a vision for your next steps after the engagement, tell them that, too. Mentalstack can create design architectures that are scalable and aligned with your future vision. 

In other words, if you come with a narrow vision of what you want, then you won’t get the most out of the team. If they don’t see where you’re going, they can’t guess. As a result, it’s best to treat them as your internal employees and give them a more complete picture of your goals. On top of that, remember that their developers enjoy giving suggestions and helping out instead of simply writing code. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the partner and co-founder of Byerley, a consulting firm that programs custom software for mainly government agencies. We specialize in building digital assistants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mentalstack?

We were looking for a partner that could help us develop custom applications for one of our customers.

It was for a municipality in Switzerland that has about 15,000 people living there. The administration consists of about 200 employees.

We wanted to evaluate whether we can build a long-term relationship with a partner outside of our company to make better use of our own resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was for building a reporting application for government agencies from scratch. The purpose was for politicians to bring in political goals, and they specify those goals.

Those goals are assigned to various agencies that are responsible for translating them into government action. It also reports the outcomes and results of those actions as well. The app allows us to connect political goals with real government action at the very bottom of the transactional space.

We started with designing the frontend, specifying what we were looking for on the backend side, what kind of database should be involved, and what technologies. Then, we started with wireframes. From then on, we worked in sprints until the whole app was developed and implemented.

We provided the wireframes, goal descriptions, and the functionality of the app. This was something very crucial, which is why we specified how we wanted it. The app is fully implemented.

What is the team composition?

The number of people varies depending on who was available. We have a project manager who was coordinating the team. We had 2–3 developers involved.

How did you come to work with Mentalstack?

We found them on Upwork. We evaluated several companies, looking for a company that was used to working on bigger volume projects, that would deliver on time, and that had experience from scratch to full implementation.

We wanted a company that had a lot of experience in the technologies that we were looking for. We narrowed it down to about five candidates. We picked Mentalstack because it was clear they’re a company that has done this for a long time. They have many people that could be assigned to the project if somebody drops out.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is currently implemented for our client that wanted the solution. The app is productive. We have seven politicians and about 20 government officials from the administration using this application almost daily.

We’re continuing to add and make adjustments.

How did Mentalstack perform from a project management standpoint?

What I really liked is we had a project manager who took care of everything. We communicated over Skype. We had meetings for each sprint where we tried to clarify what the goal is. They provided us a step-by-step suggestion of how they’d go about it.

If something wasn’t clear or we had questions about the technology, they organized the developers to participate in the calls. For the most part, they provided us with a staging page to check out the app, and then we documented our testing and forwarded it back to Mentalstack. Usually, it was taken care of within a week or two.

We worked sprint to sprint. Sometimes we had bigger questions, and those meetings would take place on Skype, and it would be free of charge. They were able to discuss it with us without having to pay for it. We also used Google Hangouts and Google Drive. The code was shared on Bitbucket.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m happy with them. They communicated well and did things outside what we were charged for. At one time, we had a misunderstanding about a specific functionality. We hadn’t specified it, and it was our fault, but I liked the way they handled the whole situation.

Their team invited us to a meeting with a partner, and he was very helpful. He said they wouldn’t charge us anything, and he explained they only work on what we specify and what’s in writing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their developers have trouble communicating in English. My English isn’t particularly well either. This made communication difficult. Usually, if they had a developer who wasn’t that fluent in English, they had somebody else assisting the meeting and helping with translations.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with what it is you want. If you can provide them with wireframes, written down sketches of ideas, and functionality, it will be better. Be specific to save a lot of time. If they feel ready, they’re really fast.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Cloud Engineering at a Real-Time AI company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We initially hired Mentalstack to backfill a web development position. We were very pleased with their developer and decided to tackle a long-desired application redesign project. By doing this, we are hoping to improve the user experience and increase conversions.

SOLUTION

How did you select Mentalstack and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for web developers and interviewed several candidates. After interviewing them, we chose this vendor based on their professionalism and cost estimates.

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

We started with some basic web enhancements, and as the developer showed his expertise moved on to more complex web features. After seeing some improvements to the UI recommended by their UX team, we decided to engage them in a full redesign of our application. We had the standard kick-off meeting to discuss our current site and share some competitive research. Mentalstack provided a mindmap, wireframes, UX kit, and full-fidelity wireframes. After we had the current application design, we engaged them to design and development new features in the application.

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

We initially started with one front-end developer and eventually grew to 2 front-end developers, one designer, and one project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not yet released the redesigned application but expect to do so shortly. Our team is very excited about the new look and feel of the application.

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

We have meetings twice a week to discuss the site redesign's progress with their designer, and to review and provide feedback on the new designs. Their developers join our team's daily standup and report on development progress. We use Jira, slack, and GitHub.

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

I'm most impressed with the front-end developers. They are excellent, and they feel like a part of our team. They set up the entire react application and are regularly suggesting improvements to our code and process.

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

I can't think of anything at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of an Edtech startup called Eduati

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired Mentalstack to undertake the product design stage of our LSM edtech SaaS solution. My goal was for them to complete this with relative ease.

SOLUTION

How did you select Mentalstack and what were the deciding factors?

I decided to use Mentalstack as I liked their previous edtech experience and was promised their art director would take on our job, as that was the person who bi for the job on Upwork.

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

The scope was to research competitors, design user flows, user scenarios, wireframes, UI and prototype.

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

There were 2

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was such a shame, rather than being given a senior member of the design team after the art director could no longer take the job. I had to pay the same hourly rate for a junior member of staff.

After over 2 months and over $10k we never even got to the prototype stage, I had to pull the plug. They were really going of in the wrong direction. They had a very detailed brief, clear designs we liked, our colour scheme, our logo. However each week it kept going in the wrong direction.

In addition, a third of the time was spent on the reading through over 800 of our comments to make sill changes to spelling, not matching up screens to the previous one.

So I cannot say there were any outcomes out of this. I had to cancel and in fact, it was so bad, the frames that is, that the new team had to start again.

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

Oh, this part is quite funny. You pay extra for a project manager and on the proposal offer you all these agile friendly buzzwords that will be included. Not a thing. I think I was paying 1 day a week for a project manager, I was lucky to even get an hour a week.

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

I found that what was most impressive is, they show you all the top projects they completed. But don't offer you the staff that completed them.

Their sales team is really good at selling you a sports car, but you end up with a scooter. I'm writing this - so others out there do not end up losing $10,000 that they cannot get back.

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

Oh my, areas for improvement. I could go on forever here. They are a prime example of an agency that has done well the last few years, taking on too much work, and can no longer strive for their success of earlier years. Greed perhaps from the top maybe needs to stop first.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company in Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mentalstack?

We needed to develop an automation platform, which was a concept I had a couple of years ago.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mentalstack developers are helping me build a work automation platform.  

What is the team composition?

I work with a team that varies between 2–3 developers, depending on what we're trying to get done. 

How did you come to work with Mentalstack?

I was having trouble with my previous team. Six months into the project, we were going nowhere, so I researched and tried to find another group. 

I used Mentalstack for a very small project around 10 years ago, and they were much smaller back then. I got back in touch with them, and they were much bigger. We did a trial for two weeks. I was very happy, so we kicked off a full-time engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around  $200,000 AUD (approximately $150,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on this project in February 2019, and it’s ongoing. On the 12th-month mark of the engagement, we'll be launching the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has been amazing, and I've been very happy with Mentalstack. I do the BA work myself, where I scope the project out and give the team a rough idea of what I'm trying to achieve. They see me check if the output works for me, and then they fine-tune it. 

I do all the testing, and there's very little rework, which is also impressive. It's a much substantially quicker development process than I've experienced with the past group I used, so I'm very happy. 

How did Mentalstack perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been very good. They keep on top of me rather than on top of themselves. We're always chatting every week to see how things are going. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their development, design, and the way the team goes about them are exceptional. The methodology they use to communicate with me is also excellent. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, none that I could think of. I wouldn’t change anything right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to hire them. They’re a very strong group.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology at Home Snapper’s.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mentalstack?

We needed to update our client-facing media site. After we take pictures of a home, we create a virtual tour with them. That website was several years old, and we wanted to give it a more modern look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially showed Mentalstack our existing website and explained our industry requirements. There are specific guidelines for how real estate agents can advertise their home listings. We conveyed that information to Mentalstack, and their team worked within those parameters. We also shared our vision for what we wanted, and then they redesigned our website.

What is the team composition?

They have an agency structure. We first communicated with a sales representative who put us in touch with an account manager who liaised between us and the designers.

How did you come to work with Mentalstack?

I found them through a freelancer platform after an extensive search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated on this project between May–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, we’re all happy with the product. We haven’t launched the website yet, which means we don’t yet have metrics.

How did Mentalstack perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a freeelancer platform and Zoom to communicate. Mentalstack used Figma for the design, which was another tool that we used to communicate and give feedback. It was a fairly smooth process. The project manager assigned to us was highly involved, so we didn’t have a lot of communication with the designer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What sets them apart from the competition was the quality of their design. We didn’t give them too many parameters, and what they came up with was very impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful to directly communicate with the designer. Our communication took a little longer because there was someone in the middle.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more lead time you have the better because Mentalstack’s busy. They have to wait until a designer’s disengaged from a project to be fully dedicated to a new one.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product owner at Avanquest, a software development company and distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mentalstack?

We’re close to launching a product so, we needed to set up a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Mentalstack did the UI/UX design for the website, which is built on HTML 5.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two teammates: a project manager and a UI designer.

How did you come to work with Mentalstack?

We’d initially spoken to them for a branding project. However, we put that on hold and did the branding ourselves. When it came time to build the website, we remembered that we had spoken to them. 

We liked them because they were going to put a project manager into the mix, which would give us a contact point if we had any needs or wanted to do iterations. We liked that we were going to be able to have contact with someone who had business knowledge.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $3,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June–August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We liked Mentalstack’s work and expertise. Every Tuesday I would present the designs to the executives, and then we would give the team feedback.

How did Mentalstack perform from a project management standpoint?

They met their deadlines perfectly. Every time we needed changes or updates, they would commit to a date and complete their work on time. We had one point of contact, so it was easy to get in touch with them. 

Mentalstack responded almost immediately, usually within a few hours. We communicated via email, and we also created a Google Hangouts group, which we didn’t use very much. Additionally, we had video calls about twice a week

Our only issue was that they were in Russia, so the time difference made it complicated. Sometimes if I needed an answer in the afternoon, I would only get it the following morning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was very good at coming up with a concept from scratch and having a good initial starting point. The first concept they came up with was always a good base to work from.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing is that once we selected a concept, it was hard to move away from it, maybe because of the language barrier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re going to work with Mentalstack and are open to a completely new idea, they are really good at what they do. If you have an idea in mind, give them a detailed brief and guideline so that the team has a good starting point. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Farm Fare supports family farms and food hubs move their local agricultural products into institutional markets using an evolution in the supply chain. Our platform enables "economies of collaboration" to compete with economies of scale pervasive in the industrial agriculture market. I am one of three co-founders and serve as the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mentalstack?

We have a small but talented internal development team; however, our team is lacking design and UI/UX expertise. We hired Mentalstack to enhance the wireframes our development team created.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for improved UI/UX as it relates to our platform, namely the home screen and the network inventory screen. These are two critical landing pages for our users so we need them to both be aesthetically interesting while optimizing for intuitive usability.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We submitted a proposal on Upwork and interviewed several different vendors. We spoke with Margaret, one of Mentalstack's sales representatives who was delightful, personable and knowledgeable. She guided us through Mentalstack's process and quickly provided us with a quote and timeline.

Describe the project in detail.

Margaret was very helpful in scoping out the project based on our needs, and one we agreed upon contract terms, we were assigned a project manager (Anna) and designer (Felicia). We discussed the proposal with Anna and Felicia and added them to our Slack channel, the most convenient way for our team to connect with the Mentalstack team.

We iterated several times through Figma where the designer would offer different design options, the Farm Fare team would provide feedback, and the design would be updated. The turnaround time was always fast which was especially appreciated.

What was the team composition?

Margaret was very helpful in scoping out the project based on our needs, and one we agreed upon contract terms, we were assigned a project manager (Anna) and designer (Felicia). Anna was highly communicative both on Slack and via email, always keeping us abreast of the progress that had been made.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided us with a final UI/UX design in two weeks - this was critical so that our developers could implement the designs into their development work. We are working with a tight timeframe to "go live" so working quickly was of upmost importance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was excellent. Due to the time difference, we would start our day with updated designs from the Mentalstack team, provide feedback and would either get another update that day or by the start of our following day. We typically used Slack and Figma to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Mentalstack's team is very personable and responsive. When working with a start-up, flexibility and speed is critical - and Mentalstack provided us with both of those elements.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were hoping for more creativity to add to our previously created wireframes, but understand they were limited by our timing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We operate a social network and business platform for the cultural and creative industries and I'm the co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mentalstack?

We hired Mentalstack to expand our web portal with a webshop and to implement a payment system.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed for seamlessly integrating a webshop that offers an excellent UX/UI and at the same time maintains the existing appearance and corporate identity.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After reviewing several agencies, we selected Mentalstack based on online reviews, in-depth interviews we conducted with them, and a sample task to solve.

Describe the project in detail.

After a rough briefing, they started brainstorming and creating mockups that allowed us to get a first impression. In a few iterations and very good coordination we came to a perfect result.

What was the team composition?

Tailored to the rather small project volume, we worked together with a talented senior UX/UI designer and a highly qualified project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not yet, we haven't gone live with the new feature yet (we'll do the development internally). 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager we collaborated with was highly professional and effective. Additionally, we could address design-related requirements directly to the UX/UI designer which made the whole process super easy and smooth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understood from the start what we were aiming for, even though our briefing was very sketchy. Their communication is great and transparent, while their way of working is extremely fast and efficient. Additionally, the effort estimates were very precise and were never exceeded.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is little room for improvement as they are already doing very well. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a small website that provides consumer product energy use data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mentalstack?

I hired Mentalstack to redesign and redesign and redevelop the site as well as the back end-user admin interface.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to make the UI of the site more intuitive/user friendly and improve, and improve performance/speed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected a couple of vendors based on Clutch reviews, their client portfolios, and interviews.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They worked with me on the design of the site, then handled the back and frontend development and QA testing, and made a few minor changes/improvements that I requested after the main project was complete.

What was the team composition?

There was a project manager who was main point of contact. On the design side, the team had a UX designer, an illustrator (who was pulled in for a few small projects). For engineering, there were a couple of frontend and backend developers and a DevOps engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Not yet, we haven't gone live with the new site yet as we're still working on some updates to content and our database.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had a project manager who we communicated with primarily via Slack. They were fairly effective at taking feedback and conveying it to the development team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were generally comfortable working with sometimes shifting project requirements as our goals for the site evolved over the time we were working on it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

More communication about the timelines for reaching various milestones and how long modifications would require could be helpful.