Wildebeest

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive producer for a traditional advertising agency. I oversee the digital aspects of the business.

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We wanted to build an AI-based mobile app that could function as a digital lifestyle companion to its users. We have an extensive roster of partners that we work with on content creation and marketing engagements, but due to the complex nature of this project, we needed to hire an experienced development firm.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially intended for a standard development process and sent out an RFP with a defined scope of features to be built into a prototype. However, during the course of the project, Wildebeest’s involvement became more significant. They were more involved in the concept phase of the project than most developers we’ve worked with in the past. For example, they flew out to a two-day workshop with us to help further analyze the concepts, establish feasibility, and ensure that we were developing the right features for our clients. They communicated strategies to yield long-term app stability and suggested an optimized development approach that could quickly produce a functional prototype.

They’re currently developing the mobile app for iOS and assist our internal team with its design. The app’s AI component learns the user’s schedule and eventually suggests activities of interest outside of their usual routine. The product is meant to be a gentle reminder for users to explore new experiences throughout their day. It’s currently in closed-beta with 50 active testers. We’ll increase that number to 300–500 testers during the next development phase. We intend for Wildebeest to recreate the app for Android once the iOS version launches.

What is the team composition?

Wildebeest’s project manager is our primary point of contact, but we also interact with their owner and a lead developer.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

A representative from Wildebeest reached out to us. We engaged a triple bid process and they clearly understood the assignment more than the other candidates. They were excited about the project’s potential and seemed like the group that could execute.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018 and the project is ongoing.

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

The beta version has received fantastic feedback thus far. Testers express potential features for the app going forward instead of unfulfilled expectations or bugs. In my experience, receiving mostly positive feedback on an early build is a rare occurrence. That’s a testament to the quality of their work.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

Their lead project manager is absolutely fantastic. He understood his role in bridging the divide between our two companies. He goes back and forth between both parties and comprehends both sets of industry jargon. We communicated mostly via phone and email, but also hold video conferences with the whole team several times a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Enthusiasm is their most noteworthy attribute. I’m accustomed to sales reps or vendors that feel the need to be overly energetic throughout the entire process. The Wildebeest team is more subdued than most vendors, but their passion for the project is genuine. There’s no end to their desire to go above and beyond. They came to the table as partners, which we appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a little trepidatious is certain situations. I understand that they need to be protective of their resources and scope, so I wouldn’t count that against them as a negative.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start the engagement without assuming your concept is finalized and that you have all the answers. They’re experts in their field and can improve upon what you think you have.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I operate a small graphic design and creative practice out of New York City.

For what projects/services did your company hire Wildebeest?

I was in need of a unique website that reflected my style and breadth of my work.

What were your goals for this project?

My ideal site would be visually appealing and demonstrate my abilities and portfolio. I wanted a user interface that seamlessly tied everything together.

How did you select this vendor?

I had previously worked with Wildebeest on several other projects. I knew they do great work, were reliable, and had great communication.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

I had created the UX and visual design for the site, as well as documenting functionality, and I brought it to Wildebeest to develop. They developed the site and assisted with SEO, analytics, and overall optimization.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of about four developers and a producer all working together but each on different aspects of the site. The team size fluctuated with what the needs were at specific times.

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

Since launching my site, I have experienced an increase in new business and inquiries about business in the future.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was impressive. Everything was organized through Slack, and I was able to see specific tasks, their deadlines, and when they were completed. I really enjoyed the direct collaboration and communication with the developers.

​​​​​​What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their reliability and communication set them apart. While their technical abilities are top-notch, the consistent communication made me confident about the project, and I think as a result, everything went smoothly and led to a great final product.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, there were no issues, and my final product was excellent.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the program manager at a software development firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire Wildebeest?

We hired Wildebeest to develop a machine learning educational platform for secondary students.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to convey machine learning concepts in a user-friendly way to students.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them after reviewing requests for proposals from several vendors.

Describe the project in detail.

They completed end-to-end software development.

What was the team composition?

They were responsible for all roles required to design, build, test, and deploy the software.

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

In addition to Wildebeest having the resources to implement a custom development solution, it was important to my team that they support us as needed since we're geographically dispersed. Wildebeest delivered with weekly meetings, frequent email updates, and support during working hours for both the east and west coasts.

How effective was the project management?

Wildebeest's project management was very effective and involved in every step of the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Wildebeest was fully committed to ensuring my team ended up with a product we love.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

Know what you want from Wildebeest and have the skills to help out if needed, even if it's just validating that the product actually does what it was built to do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at an interior and product design company based in Los Angeles. Originally, it was a design company in Manhattan that designed a lot of high-end residences and boutique hotels. Recently, we moved into product design and started our product line. The idea behind our brand is to bring boutique experience to modern families. I'm the director of operations.

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We saw a hole in the market: many people had an idea of the pieces or the room they liked, but couldn't pair things together or make a room out of products. The goal of our project was to help people discover their style so that they could shop for products for their homes. We wanted to create a quiz that would serve as a guide map for them, so we were looking for a company that could build a website for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with them on creating a system of scoring and identified multiple factors for each photo that is graded. Essentially, we created an algorithm that determines a person's style. 

We wanted the quiz to be user-friendly: you swipe left if you don't like an image and swipe right if you do like an image. At the end, the quiz gives you one of 12 design styles.

The website they built is a standalone website, but we've discussed integrating it into other software products, which will be phase 2 of our project.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–5 people.

How did you come to work with them?

They were recommended to us. We met with several developers and chose Wildebeest because they were not only incredibly talented from a tech standpoint, but they were also in tune with the pop culture and the design that young people were looking for. We felt they would be a good collaborator as well as a structural component, and they were.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project happened in 2016 and the whole thing took about six months.

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

We got a lot of feedback through social media because that's where we launched the site and promoted it most. Our customers reported that the quiz changed their idea of what their style actually is. After people completed the quiz, we gave them an Instagram account to follow. We wanted them to get inspiration from it and further expand their knowledge of design because many people who took the quiz aren't exposed to brilliant and exciting designs on a daily basis.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and on time. They delegated tasks to different team members, so it was clear who was responsible for what. Everyone was up-to-date with their tasks and the status of the project – no matter who we spoke to (usually, by phone or email), they either helped us or pointed us to the right person who could handle our question. They were extremely detail-oriented and explained everything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood exactly what we were looking for from a UX/UI perspective. They have a great aesthetic and accomplished our goals with no hurdles. They're a pleasure to work with – they’re laid-back but still able to achieve results quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at all. They were fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're a perfect company if you're looking for a team that is hands-on and transparent. We're a small company and so are they, so it was a perfect match. I would trust them with any future projects.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Eddie Kuo. I'm a senior digital producer at Innocean USA, an advertising agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

Our client, Hankook, has a website for tire vendors to learn about the product, take exams, and become certified dealers. We don't have an in-house development team, so we needed a digital agency to redesign the site.

The goal was to make the site more user-friendly for dealers and make the backend simple to manage. We also wanted to increase the completion rate of exams taken on the site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest was responsible for the design and the backend development. They were also responsible for the user experience [UX] and the UX flow of the new site. Once we signed off on the UX flow designs, they went to the client for final approval.

Next, the team began developing and updating the interface. They set up the backend so that the client can add content without needing a developer or knowing how to code. They used a custom CMS [content management system] and API and leveraged MailChimp to pull in transactional emails.

We proposed giving gift cards to vendors for completing exams, and they created the system to provide the certification and rewards upon completion.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Ran [Craycraft, Managing Partner, Wildebeest]. When necessary, he pulled a developer into our discussions.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

Via a recommendation from my boss.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $75,000-$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in early September 2017 and we launched the site this week [early December 2017]. Work continues throughout this month as they make sure it runs smoothly. We may go back to them in the future if the client requests any updates to the site’s functionality.

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

Wildebeest created a site that was exactly what the client was looking for.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

The digital producer was very clear in his communication as to timing and schedule. He did a great job explaining everything and walking us through the project. Even if there were no big updates, he would let me know where they were in the the development process.

There was a lot of back and forth from the client’s side, which caused us to miss some deadlines. Wildebeest was very flexible and understanding. They were always ready to go and proactive in letting us know if we were falling behind schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is excellent, especially for the cost. Normally a project like this would cost more, but they were willing to work with us on a lower price.

The team is small but they deliver strong customer service. They give a lot of time, attention, and care to whatever they're creating.

Also impressive is their ability to execute an idea while being provided with few assets or information.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to understand payment options and timing. Bigger production houses are able to start work without any upfront payment, but Wildebeest requires 50% of the total cost before they begin.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a partner and the Creative Director of ITAL/C, a graphic design studio.

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

As exclusively a graphic design studio, we didn’t have web resources in-house. We needed to outsource development for our company website. When budgets are feasible, we partner with Wildebeest for bigger branding projects for our clients that include web dev. We’ve worked together on an interior design app for a celebrity couple and a redesign for Salon.com.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website. Since we're a design studio, we created graphics for the site’s look and feel. Wildebeest built a custom backend on WordPress. It was easy to update, and brought our designs and ideas to life. They built us such a good site that we don’t require much ongoing support.

They used cutting-edge technology for Salon.com, a political news with very high traffic. Gratis, the app for celebrity couple the Novogratz, was more of a mobile site experience. The platform tests and analyzes your interior design style, and pairs you with a designer who specializes in that look. It had similar functions to Uber.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked primarily with Ran Craycraft, the head producer and a managing partner of Wildebeest.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

While conducting a sort of “meet and greet” with potential partners, Ran actually found us. He was seeking to collaborate with companies who had different strengths. Having seen the quality and method of their work, we knew they would be a good fit for our website project.

How much have you invested with them?

They performed $50,000 worth of work on our website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together over the course of two years, from 2014-2016. Our last project together, for Salon.com, wrapped up last year.

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

Even without having specific metrics, I’ve seen definitive benefits from their work. In all our years of business, we’d worked from word-of-mouth referrals. Within the past year alone, most new clients indicated that they’d found us via web search.

Recent growth is absolutely due to their SEO work and the quality of our new site. It’s yielded dramatic benefits; we’ve risen to the top of search results. We hadn’t been aware of how important these efforts were, and it was excellent to see such unexpected results.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

Their work was very efficient and always completed on time. Although we didn’t see behind the curtain much, they were effective at communicating. Ran relayed information to a team of developers, and was our main point of contact.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were a pleasure to work with. We generally avoid the harrowing production process inherent to working on our website. It often feels like developers constantly dismiss our ideas, and give long-winded responses to why certain things won't work.

This was never the case with Wildebeest. They were always very positive. Rather saying “that will take longer” or “that costs more money,” they’d present better alternatives to solve the problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any feedback for their work on our website. Maybe they could set client expectations better for other projects, like Salon.com.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know that their strength is in development. They’re the best at that part of the process and will be the first to admit that they're not designers or branding experts. When they gave us commissions, they were transparent with clients about outsourcing that portion of the work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My business is called the Encyclopedia of Surfing, and it's a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving, archiving, and celebrating surf history and culture.

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

I needed a team of coders I could count on. I've always tried to get by with volunteers since we're a nonprofit with a limited budget, but we grew to the point where we needed something more professional.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Encyclopedia of Surfing is actually three different sites under a single title, so it's a sizeable project that's complex and a bit tricky to manage. Wildebeest stepped in to oversee our preexisting content. They started out doing maintenance — we built our site in WordPress, and there were a lot of unnecessary old plugins on the back end that they’ve cleaned up — and they've also built new pages as needed.

One recent project involved adding a donation page, which is critical for me as a nonprofit. I had just put up a paywall on the sites when Wildebeest came on board, and we’d been using Stripe for our subscription payments, so they were able to integrate that easily when they built the donation page.

What is the team composition?

When I traveled from Seattle to meet the team, I worked with the owner, Ran [Craycraft, managing partner, Wildebeest], and Matt Wilkes, one of his colleagues. I'd assumed I would only be working with Matt, but Ran often provides ideas and suggestions. I know they have additional staff who perform the actual coding, but I haven't worked with them.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

I was evaluating three or four other companies, and all of them would have been fine choices, but I received a personal recommendation for Wildebeest that indicated they'd be a good fit for my project. The only catch was that they don't usually work on projects as small as mine. The minimum commitment they initially wanted was more than I could afford, but we were able to negotiate an arrangement that worked with my budget.

How much have you invested with them?

I pay $1,090 per month in exchange for 9 hours of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We agreed to a 6-month trial period, which is wrapping up, and we'll likely renew from there.

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

I've realized over the years how valuable it is to have the site built well, by someone with the right expertise. This partnership has given me a sense of security regarding how my site data is maintained and stored. If anything goes wrong, they'll respond right away and solve the problem, and the cost is worth that peace of mind.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm fairly sure I'm their smallest client, and part of me was worried I was going to get lost in the shuffle, but they've been amazing. Matt will often check in as they're working through a problem, even when I'm not expecting to hear from him. They’re highly responsive and also take time out to explain their process before they start a new project. That level of communication was lacking with some of the coders I'd had before.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand that running this website is a one-man show and I have some innate anxiety about it, so they've been incredibly supportive in getting me through those concerns. They've embraced the project so thoroughly that I’m mostly hands-off now, other than monitoring the site and occasionally testing it for bugs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're planning to splurge on anything, do it on the company that's doing your coding because your site has to be dependable and you need to know that you're in a position to fix it if something goes wrong. It's the best investment you can make.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have two multifaceted beauty companies—a product line and a brick-and-mortar in Santa Monica, California. I'm the founder. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest Design?

I needed help growing the business and changing it to something that could grow into more of a chain. At that time, we had an old, outdated, sad little site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wildebeest Design literally redid the whole website. They created a booking system for me on a much larger scale. The search engine optimization totally changed the way the page is accessed. They helped me out with my security, which was a problem because people kept trying to hack into it and steal client information. Since I have really high-end clients, it was very important to get that fixed. I literally got exactly what I wanted, and then some. There were things that I didn’t even know were wrong with my site. When they changed it, I saw that it made more sense. They helped me add Yelp, Instagram, and Facebook to the site. They also changed the way orders are processed, so they’re much more secure through PayPal. My previous site wasn’t auto-populating the address, and PayPal doesn’t protect you when that happens.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest Design?

They were a referral.

How much have you invested with Wildebeest Design?

It was in the tens of thousands.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project started in February and ended in March of 2017. Our relationship is ongoing, as I’ve hired them again to do a website for a new company I’m starting to brand.

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

I went from the second page on Google to the first page organically, just from changing up the way the site was searched, worded, and laid out. They decreased the page load time drastically. They went above and beyond in helping me to change the site, doing it in a way that wasn’t a hassle for me. I didn’t have to do anything, which was very important to me as I don’t have time to do it.

The changes they’ve made has affected me a lot on a day-to-day basis. For example, I previously had problems with booking and communication with new clients. The old booking system was confusing and there were so many steps to it. Now, there’s just one step: the client sends a request, which I can accept or deny. That has changed my life tremendously and saved a ton of time. The PayPal improvements have also saved me time, minimizing going back and forth with clients. As a result, I’ve gotten incredible feedback from them. The volume of products I sell online has increased dramatically with the new site.

How did Wildebeest Design perform from a project management standpoint?

I was incredibly impressed with their professionalism and the timely manner in which they got back to me. The way they handled everything was very seamless. My previous experience with web developers was like pulling teeth or going to the Department of Motor Vehicles. I didn’t find web developers to be professional, timely, or creative. Wildebeest’s team was all those things, which is what impressed me the most. They really got my style, and they made all the tweaks I wanted. I usually got an update every day or two. The only delay was on my part, trying to get them the right content. The time from start to finish was all very efficient and quick.

What did you find most impressive about Wildebeest Design?

They have great style, they’re very intuitive, and the customer service level is incredibly high. It was way more than I expected, and I was very impressed.

Are there any areas Wildebeest Design could improve?

No, that’s why I’m doing this review right now. I don’t normally take time out of my day to do anything like this.

Please describe your organization.

I work for an entertainment company.

What is your position?

I work for the music group as a web developer.

What business challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest?

We had a marketing project that we needed a vendor to provide efficient quality service to deliver a product that worked within our budget.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

The work involved tying third party APIs into a user experience that allows users to match their music tastes with playlists on Spotify.com. Wildebeest provided web app development and integrating social media and Spotify APIs.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest?

Someone in our office had a previous relationship with their team.

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

The cost of the project was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2016 and the project was completed at the end of December 2016.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I can’t provide any numbers. The campaigns were successful. The project helped strengthen our relationship with Spotify.

How did Wildebeest perform from a project management standpoint?

They were well-organized and easily accessible.

What distinguishes Wildebeest from other providers?

I appreciate that they have a unique vision which they utilize to provide better experiences for users and allow their projects to be more rich and engaging.

Is there anything Wildebeest could have improved or done differently?

No. Everything went smooth.

Please describe your organization.

Salon Media Group is an online publisher of news culture and entertainment content.

What is your position?

I’m the CEO.

What business challenge were you trying to address with Wildebeest Design?

We have a site that is antiquated in terms of our ability to monetize it given the new dynamics of programmatic advertising and the shift by consumers from desktop to mobile. We needed to redesign our entire site.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They did a full redesign, branding and frontend development in WordPress. They provided all the wireframes. The focus was being mobile first, video first and high viewability. I provided the content. They did a branding exercise given competitors in the space and business objectives. They came up with a brand positioning and a visual that was consistent with that.

How did you come to work with Wildebeest Design?

I know the founder and he’s one of the best.

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

We spent between $200,000 and $1M on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in August 2016 and needed to pause until February 2017. We should be finished by April 2017.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Not at this time. The quality of work has been very good. 

How did Wildebeest Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great about communicating with us and keeping the project moving. 

What distinguishes Wildebeest Design from other providers?

They’re not the cheapest but I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off given the quality of the work.

Is there anything Wildebeest Design could have improved or done differently?

There is always room for improvement for any firm. They don’t have a lot of scale because they’re a small company.