Xmartlabs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO at Noble, a mobile ordering and payment platform focused on the entertainment space. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

I needed help building an initial MVP [minimum viable product] for our product. At the time, I just had designs, an idea, and didn’t have a team. I chose to outsource, as a startup, because I was focused primarily on cost. I wasn’t funded, but instead bootstrapping. Looking overseas is definitely a more cost-effective way of doing it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the first version on the iOS platform. They primarily used Swift with the iOS app. Everything is completed. There was a little bit of maintenance in the beginning. Then I found my CTO here and we transitioned it all over to our in-house team. 

What is the team dynamic? 

I had 1 project manager, 1 backend person, and 1 frontend. The project manager also did some development time. 

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

I found them through a Google search. I found a handful of different outsource developers. I had a startup before this and understand the risks of outsourcing because I hired the wrong type of development company in the past. I learned from some of my mistakes in the sense of asking the right questions and really figuring out if they would be the right fit. 

I liked Xmartlabs communication style and enjoyed how easy it was to communicate our business needs and how that translated into their idea of what a technology roadmap would look like. It was a combination of the way they communicated, their understanding of the product, how they were able to contextualize it, and how they brought that to life within an organized technology roadmap that made me choose them.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2017 until June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I had my current tech team look at it and take it over, they were impressed with the quality of code. When our company took it over, there were aspects that we could spend time on to improve it, but all in all, for a project that is outsourced, and compared to what’s out there, they were impressive. I give credit to the quality of code. 

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was impressive. Being able to connect in a timely manner with the team was great. They communicated through Slack and were pretty responsive on all occasions. I can’t remember any times where I didn’t know what was going on. Outside of Slack, we used Asana. They’re very much open to being integrated with the processes that my team had. All of that was very well organized on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was one instance where they had a developer leave and they did a good job of being transparent with that situation. They communicated it in a way where they made sure there was no gap in the work. They introduced me to the replacement and the project kept going. That was good. They’re organized and make sure that their client experiences visibility and transparency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It was smooth and seamless. I’ve recommended others to use them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I was fortunate enough to talk to a handful of different development companies. What led me to Xmartlabs was just their style of communication and their quick understanding of my business. Make sure you find a development company that understands your goals as a business. That shows up in the quality of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a tech startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xmartlabs?

I needed help with API and iPhone app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re working on an SDK for AR [augmented reality]. This will enable smartphone users to do a few new things that were previously impossible: for example, I leave a 3D animated puppy on the southwest corner of your office desk and you’ll be able to find that asset with your phone tomorrow. It also enables things like multiplayer smartphone AR gaming. We’re building an application on top of this SDK that enables people to leave specific types of 3D (unity) assets around for each other to find later.

Xmartlabs has built both products for us. They’ve been excellent by every possible metric. They have a lean and fast-moving engineering team that is full stack for iPhone AR development work. They also have skilled UX and graphic designers who have been helping us with the front end UI work.

What is the team dynamic?

There are 6–8 people, with a core team of 4–5 who do everything for us on both the SDK side and the app side. We’ve randomly drawn other people in for a few hours at a time for other projects, like building landing pages and making logos.

How did you come to work with Xmartlabs?

We posted the original project on Upwork, which was for building the SDK. Xmartlabs were the best fit and had worked on projects that showed us they’d be qualified. They were really great and very responsive. Being in similar time zones also helped.

How much have you invested with them?

[Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of this year, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both quality and speed have been excellent. And they delivered it on time and quickly. It’s been a pleasure working with them.

How did Xmartlabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage everything through a combination of Slack and Trello, and then email to lesser extents. Their English is great. They bill in sprints, with a flat fee for every week. I’m used to things being more itemized, but it’s fine with us. Things are managed smoothly and flexibly, overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They operate like a startup team: they’re not passive. They independently and creatively come up with solutions to technical problems that might happen down the road. If they encounter an issue, they deal with it and return with the solution. So, they’ll come to me with solved problems most of the time. They’re very proactive, and it feels like they’re part of the team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good if the founders were quicker to respond in general. I’ll often have a new idea for a feature I want to build and I’ll ask for a proposal/budget/timeline for that task. The longer it takes for them to get back to me, the more time and money I’m losing. This is the only area in which I think there’s room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of NeuroNet Learning

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Neuroscience-based educational curriculum company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Update Aging Rails Application
• Migrate Servers to US
• Add Features

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Online Search

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

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.

We have a Rails application and that had not been properly maintained. The project objectives were to:

• Update Rails to a supported version
• Migrate our servers from Europe to the US
• Add features for the new school year

During the engagement, XSmartLabs suggested putting our production and staging environments on separate servers. They completed this work too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All targeted deliverables were accomplished.

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

• The project management and communications were excellent.
• Daily stand-ups were run reliably and on time and were effective at keeping the project moving forward.
• Tickets were managed in Jira.
• Communication was managed on Slack.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their project management and development were both effective.

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

The work went smoothly, the team performed well, attitudes were positive, quality work was accomplished, and our objectives were met within our budget. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of a dental info company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a fun resource for credible and evidence-based dental information to help you confidently make the right choices for your smile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebuild the front end of our website.

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
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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.

• Rebuild our website through the implementation of a new Frontend app that will address current shortcomings, introduce new designs and features.
• Make adjustments to the existing backend and infrastructure to support the new frontend and have a solid foundation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lighthouse score and increased website traffic. 

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

XmartLabs consistently held weekly status meetings throughout the project, ensuring we were always informed about their progress. Their proactive communication kept us fully updated every step of the way, providing us with great peace of mind.

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?

Working with them felt less like having contractors and more like having them as part of our team.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, People & Talent of a fan engagement platform.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Rewarding fans for their fandom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Hire engineers

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• 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.

Backend engineers were hired to work on our app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Product launch and feature updates

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

Bruno and team have been great to work with.

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?

Their customer service and understanding of our company's needs impressed us.

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

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Co-Founder of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Build software for planning

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build a demo prototype

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?

2-5 Employees

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

Build a quick, small web demo prototype in 2 days

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ability to have a "demo-ready" prototype in 2 days in time for an actual company demo

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

They were great and delivered everything on time. They also spent extra time to clean stuff up for us. And they were gracious about a last minute omitting of requirements.

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

Virtual Meeting

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

Nice, pragmatic team who will get the job done and listens to feedback

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the ML Engineering Manager of a retail company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fashion retailer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Deploy production ML architectures

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

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.

We work with the vendor to deliver production recommendation and loyalty ML systems on the cloud. This means generating and maintaining production spec code and the promotion to production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• MIgration of our recommendation systems to a new cloud vendor 
• Inclusion of new functionalities and models in our portfolio

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

The team has consistently delivered on our expectations and communication with them is open, with frequent 1 to 1 sessions and review opportunities with leadership

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

Virtual Meeting

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

The collaborative environment within their organization translated into improved productivity.

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

Train the engineers on new cloud paradigms to make them bring ideas into the companies they work with

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Content of a consumer products & services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company creates educational mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Migrate two websites to WebFlow

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.

XmartLabs migrated two of our marketing websites over to WebFlow, mimicking designs for some pages and creating new designs for others. They also set up CMS templates for our blog and evergreen articles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The two new marketing websites both went live and worked as expected.

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

XmartLabs project management was stellar. They overcommunicated project status and delivered milestones on time. Their response time was also excellent to questions delivered through Slack, and they were happy to hop on video calls as needed.

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?

When working with XmartLabs, it felt like we were working with members of our internal team. They really understood our style guide and design preferences and cared deeply about the quality of the work. They also trained our team on how to take over the project once they were done.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Modernvet

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are revolutionizing the vet care industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design, branding
• Development of software
• Handoff, advice, mentorship

SOLUTION

How did you find Xmartlabs?

Referral

Why did you select Xmartlabs over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of Xmartlabs’s team?

6-10 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Xmartlabs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Todo

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Mobile ios and android app
• Figma designs and direction on branding.
• Handoff extremely important for us, so documentation.

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

Project management was great, processes were established and clear deliverable were defined for every measure of time. They used agile and scrum to manage the project. However, we would engage in scope creep and we kept adding new features throughout the process, although we didnt ask, would be nice to have received information on the pricing impact and timeline

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?

This was our first time using a software house but what really stood out is their genuine care about the image and success of the business. They gave input on features, pushed back on some decisions, asked questions about our mission and vision.

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

Honestly, they did an amazing job. I would highly recommend them.