Xmartlabs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the founder of Bundlr

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

content discovery

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build foundational infrastructure
• Design front end
• build and integrate front end

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• figma design files
• some specifications
• front end dev
• back end dev

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• design files 
• front end screens functional
• back end processing and performance

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

more enterprise focus than start up. somewhat over engineered. PM very responsive to my demands but not connecting the overall the team but rather their distinct deliverables.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

well organized, methodical, good energy. good quality dev work for certain components.

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

They had a strong technical disconnect between front- and backend teams. meant front end work ran well ahead of the back end, leading to disconnected front end screens which seemingly demonstrated progress but which have required a lot of refactoring to make functional. so created the appearance of progress but was illusory. 

This was not well communicated until late in the project. also a disproportionate focus on rewarding individual progress rather than collective progress. Understand need for team motivation however needs to be rebalanced to base positive feedback on both individual as well as collective. Value is created from end to end functional components not individual components.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Product of Tastemade

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Tastemade is a modern media company that engages a global audience of more than 300 million monthly viewers on all major digital, mobile, and streaming television platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Ongoing software development across a variety of platforms and technologies

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

• Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Xmartlabs acts as an extension of our in-house development team. They work across all our product surfaces and up and down our entire technology stack. Some key deliverables over the past few years include:

• Post-acquisition technology integration
• Livestreaming platform
• Patreon-like creator subscription product
• Two-sided event marketplace
• Direct-to-consumer subscription recipe and streaming service

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The various software products built by Xmartlabs have different success metrics associated with them, but Xmartlabs' progress is primarily measured in terms of velocity and executing projects on-time with minimal bugs.

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

Project management is shared between Tastemade and Xmartlabs, and projects are generally delivered on time except in cases of unforeseen complexity or scope/priority changes. When the scope or priority changes, Xmartlabs responds quickly to the needs of our business.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I've worked with many software development companies and what is most impressive and unique about Xmartlabs is their ability to act as a true partner with aligned interests and not just one party to a transitional relationship.

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

We treat Xmartlabs as an extension of our in-house development team, and accordingly they participate in our sprint and project retrospectives. There are always areas for improvement—what's important is identifying and acting on these opportunities, which Xmartlabs does.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Full Stack Engineer of Omniscia Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Customer Engagement and Assessment

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Implement Document Based DB in AWS
• Create an API to Access the DB

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Xmartlabs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

To Create a MongoDB that met our needs and provided an API wrapper around that data to allow programmatic access using AWS services. Key deliverables include: 

• 2 Database instances (development and production) 
• 4 API instances for our business silos (dev, test, demo, prod)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

New API endpoints that tied to new Data Collections in our DB. We are rapidly developing and prototyping new features. Working on detailed and documented sprints we are able to create new features at a consistent rate.

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

The team has been quick to respond and deliver on time. There are a lot of shifts in development between sprints that are handled well. Project management portals are always up to date and progress is visible to me as a client whenever i need to know.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with their ability to bring in the right talent and culture matches to help us accomplish our tasks. Working with a team remotely can be very difficult but we have had great success with Xmartlabs.

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

not that i can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A website that gathers recommendations, reviews, and tips from parents for the things they’ve tried and loved with their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To rebuild our website using a new technology.
• To improve key design elements and functionality central to the user experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Online Search, Clutch Site

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

High ratings, Pricing fit our budget, Great culture fit

What was the size of Xmartlabs’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

To rebuild our website using a new technology.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We are rebuilding our entire website using Phoenix LiveView. Each release incorporates new features and/or bug fixes, working toward the end goal of having this new website replace the existing one, once the development and migration process are complete.

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

Best I've ever encountered. Our project manager is incredibly capable, available and conscientious.There are many excellent tools and procedures in place to help make the team's work flow and progress clear and transparent. Everyone on the team is also quite available and approachable, so it is easy to reach out with question, ideas, concerns, anything. I feel that they are truly invested in providing an excellent service to their clients, and take the necessary steps to do so.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

I have consistently been impressed by how well-organized and thoughtful they are about the services they provide, as well as by their client-centered approach. They use many excellent tools to communicate, manage and implement project goals, and are clear, concrete and transparent in in their communication. As a bonus, they are friendly and warm, and it is a genuine pleasure to work with them.

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

The project is taking quite a bit longer than originally anticipated, but this is not unexpected for any development project (and especially one of this size), and they have been absolutely wonderful about working through this with us to make sure we are able to achieve our goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Robinson & Henry, P.C.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a full service law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Speed up website
• transition from Wordpress to static website

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Xmartlabs’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work for this project involved optimizing the website to improve performance, user experience, and SEO ranking. The key deliverables for the project included the following:

1. Migration of the front end from WordPress to Gatsby.js: The website's front end was transferred to Gatsby.js, a modern and highly scalable technology, while retaining the back end on WordPress. This enabled the site to benefit from Gatsby's performance enhancements and ease of content editing while still leveraging the existing WordPress infrastructure.
2. Integration of the WordPress API: The Gatsby.js front end was connected with the WordPress backend through the WordPress API, allowing the new site to access and display content from the existing CMS.
3. Optimization of lighthouse metrics: Focus was placed on improving the website's performance, accessibility, SEO, and security by leveraging Gatsby's built-in features and various add-ons. This helped boost the site's lighthouse metrics, which are crucial indicators of a website's overall performance and user experience.
4. Implementation of custom JSON-LD Schemas: To enhance the website's SEO, custom JSON-LD Schemas were incorporated, which helped improve the site's visibility in search engine results.
5. Gatsby Cloud integration: Gatsby Cloud was utilized to streamline content deployment and previewing, making it easier for non-technical staff to manage and update content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Google Page Speed Test of 90+
• Increase in organic search traffic

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

Based on my experience with the web development company I used, I can say that they have excellent project management skills. They delivered all items on time and were highly responsive to my needs, communicating with me over Slack and multiple virtual video chats per week. This level of communication and responsiveness demonstrates that the company is committed to meeting their clients' needs and ensuring that their projects are completed on time and to the highest possible standard.

Overall, I am very impressed with their project management approach, which appears to be highly effective and client-focused, making them an excellent choice for any web development project.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive and unique about Xmart Labs was their ability to develop custom software solutions that perfectly aligned with my business needs. Throughout the development process, they were highly collaborative, taking the time to understand my requirements and providing regular updates and feedback on their progress.

One of the unique aspects of Xmart Labs' approach was their decision to use GatsbyJS as the frontend for my website, rather than Wordpress. They explained the benefits of using GatsbyJS, including its ability to create fast, static websites that can be easily deployed to a content delivery network (CDN) for improved performance.

After transitioning to GatsbyJS, my website saw Google Page Speed scores of 90 or better in every metric, a significant improvement from our previous scores. Another benefit of using GatsbyJS was an increase in organic search traffic to my website. Since transitioning to GatsbyJS, we have received more organic search traffic than we ever have. This increase in traffic has helped to grow my business and reach new customers.

In addition to their technical expertise, I found Xmart Labs to be extremely friendly and approachable. They were always willing to listen to my feedback and adapt the software as necessary to ensure that it met my requirements. Throughout the development process, they remained highly responsive and communicative, providing regular updates on their progress and working closely with me to ensure that the website met my expectations.

Overall, I found Xmart Labs to be a highly skilled and professional software development company that is committed to delivering high-quality results for their clients. Their approachable and friendly demeanor made the development process enjoyable and stress-free, and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a custom software solution.

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

I don't believe there were any areas for improvement that they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior director of product management for Yotascale, a cloud cost management SaaS company. We help other companies understand their cloud spend and find ways to reduce their costs. We do this by optimizing their resources and getting better visibility about the attribution and forecasting of their first-year spend.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

Our challenge was to get features to market in a timely fashion for our customers. It's often difficult to hire good talent in a short amount of time, especially with the qualifications required to develop the type of software that we need. We needed people with experience in both frontend development and backend micro-service development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs has identified development resources to build new features for our product. We have a data-driven product with advanced data visualization and an intuitive, simple UI. We started off by identifying the qualifications and the type of experience we were looking for in terms of frontend and backend technologies.

We needed people with solid frontend design and development capabilities who could build advanced databases and dashboards. Furthermore, we needed the candidates to be familiar with data analytics. For the backend, we needed people who could build micro-services that were efficient and capable of moving data from the backend to the frontend.

We looked at languages, the platforms needed, and the types of libraries that people were familiar with. Then, Xmartlabs sourced candidates and made them available to us very quickly. We're still working with the team Xmartlabs has provided. 

What is the team composition?

We work full-time with two frontend developers and two backend developers. We've also engaged an Agile scrum master and QA tester on a part-time basis.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We found them through a referral from our former colleague. They recommended Xmartlabs based on their previous experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Xmartlabs has provided top talent within a short amount of time, which has reduced our time to get features delivered. Their involvement has also helped us reduce the amount of effort and time needed to go through the hiring process and interview candidates.

They've done a good job finding qualified teammates who have hit the ground running. They've identified engineers that are very versatile and capable of using Agile methodologies. The team has understood our framework and architecture and has started producing results in a very small amount of time. This has allowed us to onboard them quickly and deliver new features faster. 

When it comes to defining the work, we create epics and user stories, and Xmartlabs does the assessment and forecast. Then, we assess their performance against their commitment to the deliverables and whether they deliver them on time and within cost expectations. They execute and deliver in a timely fashion.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Xmartlabs performs very well; they provide very fair estimates and deliver on them. They're also committed to quality and always ensure that someone handles the QA testing before a feature is delivered to a production environment. Moreover, they handle the lifecycle pretty well. We use Jira for project management. For day-to-day communication, we use Slack. We also have meetings for sprint planning and story grooming, which we conduct via Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Xmartlabs is good at committing to a timeline and ensuring that the features that they deliver will 100% match the specification. They're also very good at implementing everything that is specified on the feature and testing it out before it gets released, so the quality of the end result is very high.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; we have only very positive interactions with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Xmartlabs a heads-up of what's coming in case you need additional resources. Don't be shy to communicate with them because they'll make a significant effort to try to find the right people for you. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a neurotechnology startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We engaged with them to create a mobile app from scratch that would allow us to control our wearable device and record and view data from it. We also needed help with developing our company website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs is helping us create a mobile app and website from scratch. Initially, we provided Xmartlabs with a brief to give them a better understanding of our company and requirements. From there, they proceeded with the work, mainly handling the development process from scratch. For the design work, we gave them a comprehensive UI/UX design in Figma — which was created by another firm — and their team is implementing it in the app for us.

Additionally, they’re helping us install various functionalities in the app, including Bluetooth. They’re using Flutter for cross-platform development.

What is the team composition?

We work with several people from their side, including a project manager, lead app developer, backend developer, UI/UX designer, and QA tester.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We found Xmartlabs through a recommendation — I think our CEO had crossed paths with them in the past. We also interviewed several different firms, but their team seemed to be the best fit for our project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Xmartlabs in August 2022, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have several phases for our app development, and Xmartlabs has managed to develop the features that we needed on schedule. As a result, we’ve already completed the alpha version of the app and are currently working on the beta version.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver tasks on time and continue to stay within budget. Their management team is also very supportive — we’ve met with their founder and CEO, who actively reaches out to us to ensure that we’re getting the support that we need. For communication, we mainly use Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their technical expertise; we’ve never encountered a problem that their team couldn’t handle. They’re also quite good at speaking English, so communication has never been an issue.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

No, we’re mostly satisfied with Xmartlabs’ work. They just need to continue making sure that whoever we interface with has excellent English-speaking skills.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We definitely recommend working with Xmartlabs — we’ve been having a really good experience working with them. They also come at a very reasonable price.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization builds machine learning (ML) and natural language processing products. In essence, we create AI-powered apps for automotive products to increase their functionality. On top of that, we help improve the ability of automotive technicians to look up information about cars through smartphones. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We hired Xmartlabs for their mobile app development services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs is responsible for our native app development projects on both Android and iOS. Their mobile engineers use Java for Android and Swift for iOS development, and they do all coding and versioning. We have a separate team that works on the middleware side, but we’re using Xmartlabs on ML and natural language processing. 

In terms of framework, we’re using Scala, Python, and PyTorch. For core features, our app lets people use their voices to look up content. It has a touch feature where users can expand and navigate the specifications they’ve searched. Essentially, the app is an AI-powered search engine where users can manipulate content through voice and touch commands. 

At present, we’re still engaged with Xmartlabs. They maintain our environments while we’re dynamically increasing the app’s functionality and its content basis. 

What is the team composition?

We work with an iOS developer, an Android developer, two ML programmers, and a project manager. At any given time, we’re working with 4–5 people. 

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

I was introduced to Xmartlabs by our CFO, who was also our investor.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $150,000–$200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2020, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve launched the app and already have 15 customers; it’s on both iOS and Android app stores. Bugs have popped up across the entire system — not only within the mobile app. Most of the time, we can fix bugs in a day. If it’s a systemic issue, we sometimes take a week to figure it out. In all of these, Xmartlabs has been attentive to everything they do and ensure they provide high quality.

Moreover, our CTO has been extraordinarily happy with Xmartlabs. She’s passionate about them since they work fast and on a timely basis. The team is thorough and comes in with suggestions. In other words, they’re not robotic — they’re dynamic and creative. Overall, Xmartlabs is a truly well-run organization from top to bottom.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

Xmartlabs is good at staying within our budget and timelines. They have a strong project management focus and provide good documentation even before any project begins. To manage the project, we use Asana and Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a good development team; they’re also attentive and creative. Their resources take interest in the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d highly recommend Xmartlabs for Python and mobile app development. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a software product-based company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We wanted to augment our team with first-class developers, designers, and engineers, as well as a project manager.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs has provided us with an additional workforce to develop our branding, UI/UX design, wireframes, and other tasks that we’ve scoped out with them.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least 17 members of their team, including UI/UX designers, project managers, developers, and QA and IT leads, among others.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We met one of their co-founders at a technology convention, and even though several other agencies approached us, we decided to work with Xmartlabs because they seemed like the right match for us. Their high values and qualifications were something we required in a partner.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $200,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything they’ve done for us has exceeded our expectations, and their team always gives us the best in terms of development, design, project management, and so on.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been perfect in project management, including meeting deadlines and communication — they’re available for me all the time. They’re also professional and on time with our meetings, where their team provides suggestions to improve our work.

In terms of tools, we use Slack, Notion, and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re super professional, meet deadlines, and have a humble and qualified team — we need that kind of people in our industry. They’re also taking our project as if it was theirs, making us feel like they’re part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know there’s always room for improvement, but they’re the best choice in terms of staff augmentation remote partners. They’re natural problem solvers and have great leaders that are both tech- and business-oriented. Additionally, they don’t want to charge us extra and add hours to our bill just for the sake of it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider them part of your team, try to make meetings fun, and don't be afraid to ask them questions. That’s the best way to engage with them and enable them to make you succeed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a CRO and CRM software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

We wanted to expand our engineering team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xmartlabs has been doing both staff augmentation and outsourcing engineering work for us.

What is the team composition?

We started with one engineer working for us, and we’re now up to 4–5.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

They were introduced to us by an advisor who had successfully worked with them on one of his companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000–$250,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2021, and the engagement is ongoing,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we’re pleased with them, and they have displayed a high level of excellence and commitment — we can’t ask more of a partner. 

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We feel like we can trust them and let them run free with some parts of the codebase. They’re also good at probing requirements and working with our customer success staff to understand what we need to build.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've built solid dependability on the project, and we treat them as regular members of our team — we don’t have to spell everything for them as we’ve done with other providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — everything’s going very well with them.