You are launched

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a retail-consumer software startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with You are Launched?

You are Launched is helping us create an MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

You are Launched is creating the designs and wireframes for two mobile applications one for retailers and one for consumers. The team is developing these for iOS and Android. They’re also building a backend database on web services that could hold all of the information uploaded to the apps.

The apps are a directory of retail businesses that we’re hoping to help become digitally accessible. Consumers could find retailers on the directory and view photos of their products, which the retailers could upload themselves. 

The apps also have an instant messaging service that provides users with an ID so that they don’t have to share personal phone numbers or emails. Through this, they could communicate directly with retailers to ask questions about the products.

What is the team composition?

I interact regularly with Oleg (Project Manager) and semi-regularly with Ivan (Founder). There is a team of roughly seven people, consisting of software developers and designers working on the project.

How did you come to work with You are Launched?

I found 6–7 companies on Clutch and had video meetings with them. You are Launched was very interested in what we were trying to do, and I thought that made them the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2021, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is expected to launch in September 2021, but so far,  You are Launched’s design exceeds my expectation, especially for an MVP. I’m able to see weekly improvements, test, provide feedback, and follow development progress on an early version of the app. It looks great and I’m quite happy with the quality of work to date.

How did You are Launched perform from a project management standpoint?

You are Launched performs quite well. They stick to plans that they've laid out. When it comes to the timeline, they inform me whenever we’re going to be behind schedule and accommodate my suggestions for improving our tracking system.

We communicate via Slack and Google.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed by the excellent quality of their design and the way they’re putting the app together. You are Launched understands what we want to achieve even when we’ve only presented them with vague ideas in the beginning. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m quite happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner and creative designer for a startup company providing legal services to our clientele.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire You are launched, and what were your goals?

We had a demo and a vision for the mobile application that we wanted developed. You are Launched had the knowledge and expertise to bring our vision to the life. They asked questions and provided guidance, that wasn't limited to the development, but also geared towards making it a success by guiding us away from mistakes that could prove costly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

The qualities that influenced our decision were, overall app development experience, communication and pricing.

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

They began by evaluating the demo video we had composed, and reverse engineering what will be necessary from a resource perspective to deliver. They took the idea and through working sessions allowed our management team flesh out the look, feel and functional workflow. After which they began developing the backend in AWS and all the front end components. All while keeping us in the loop during the weekly sprints.

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

6+ Software developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was able to take the demo code and produce a working application that is going to be paramount to our company's success.

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

Their project management provided the open communication I was hoping for while delivering on time, within budget, and mitigating any risks before they became issues.

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

We were impressed with their ability to exceed our expectations during the development process. They also established open communication.

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

Nope. I don't have any complaints. This was a better experience than I was expecting.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of the technology startup - it's going to be a self development mobile app for women. I'm currently in pre-launch phase and am planning to launch in Dec'21.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire You are launched, and what were your goals?

I knew I wanted to start with the iOS app first, and my goal is to get MVP launched within 6-month period.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I performed the research, one agency told me that it would take almost two years to launch our app based on the scope, which sounded ridiculous. When I contacted You Are Launched, Ivan and the team immediately understood what I was going for, and together we were able to come up with a plan how to launch MVP within the desired timeframe.

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

The team took couple weeks to understand the scope of work, they asked all the right questions and made a lot of valuable suggestions in regards to how it would be possible to simplify or optimize things in order to launch faster without sacrificing user experience. Then we jumped straight into development, and the team uses 1-week development sprints to implement the functionality.

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

I work with the project manager, two mobile developers, one backend developer and a tester from the URL side. I am also in constant contact with one of their founders, and another founder (he is also CTO) is providing direct supervision of the work that development team is performing to ensure high quality of the end product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I saw the first build of the app in about a week after we started, and I was really impressed with the quality. It's clear that the team is going above and beyond to not just develop something, but instead they truly care about the quality and user experience of the end product.

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

We use Slack as the main communication tool, the team also uses ClickUp for task management which makes it easy to track progress. I receive new builds about every week or so.

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

I was impressed with how fast the team was able to get up to speed with the product requirements, the speed of development is really impressive, and the quality of the product is high. All team members are very smart, they ask sharp questions and make recommendations which prove that they have a lot of experience in launching startups like mine. I really value our partnership and look forward to launching beta version of the app in Sep'21 and then launching MVP in Dec'21.

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

No, nothing, I am happy with how things are going right now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of BioFunctional Health Solutions. We’re a corporate health and wellness provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with You are launched?
We needed custom application development services to replace an existing business app with a new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
We provided You are launched with our business requirements, including schematics of the data map for the software solutions. We also provided a rudimentary frontend design document and examples of reports we wanted to come out of the system. Their team did research beyond their existing experience in the healthcare industry in order to find the best solutions.

They did the frontend design for how the user will interface with the software. From there, they did backend software development based on the design. Currently, they’re currently doing testing. The application is used for documentation of our on-site services for B2B and B2C customers.

What is the team composition?
I interface with the project manager directly. There’s a design lead and development lead as well as a team that includes at least three designers and two developers.

How did you come to work with You are launched?
They were referred by a software developer we work with. We liked that they took our business and technical requirements to provide a detailed proposal which included cost and timelines.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together around November 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 
I don’t have metrics since the software hasn’t been released yet. To get us to testing, they have worked twice as fast with 40% savings on the cost compared to their nearest competitor. You are launched was excited about the project as something new and have found innovative ways for users to interact with the system.

How did You are launched perform from a project management standpoint?
This is a strength of theirs. They have excellent communication and are even better at determining what we’re trying to accomplish and figuring out how to get it done. The project manager and I communicate via email and phone calls a few times each week. We use Figma for design and diagrams as well as ClickUp for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?
They provide quality work on top of being faster and more cost-efficient than their competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?
They could communicate more clearly what to expect in terms of work effort and frequency so we could schedule internal meetings for review and preparation in advance. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Get a minimum of two other detailed proposals for comparison of the value you’ll get from this team. If you’re looking to integrate into your own website, bring your web developer into the process early to ensure it’s designed to meet the framework and templates being used on your website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software engineer for Zippit Intelligent Locking Systems, which is a smart lock mechanism company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with You are launched?

We needed a partner to develop an iOS application to communicate with our physical product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We showed them our functional Android app, and then You are Launched made us an offer. After we approved their proposal, they started the iOS development project. We gave them our designs and API, and their team presented ideas. We had them implement a few of their ideas. They conducted discovery and research, which included assessing the market for possible competition. We didn’t know a few companies their team noted, so that was useful information.

What is the team composition?

I communicate with four people from You are Launched. However, there may be more people from their team who also work on the project.

How did you come to work with You are launched?

We received offers from a few different companies but liked You are Launched’s offer the best. Their team was professional and demonstrated great knowledge of app development. We felt confident in working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $5,000–$10,000 on their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together on this project in February 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m happy with the results so far.

How did You are launched perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team has given us feedback on technical aspects of the platform, and we have implemented some of their ideas.

What did you find most impressive about them?

You are Launched is knowledgeable and as a result, their team does good work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an app company. We’ve created a community for renting tools. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with You are launched?

You are launched has handled all of the preparation for my app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

You are launched has worked with us from the beginning on building our app. I designed the app, so I sent them that. They revised my design and recommended changes, such as adding or removing certain pages. 

The app allows users to rent tools from each other. The app keeps track of tools that are currently available versus those that are rented out. You are launched also added a chat feature. 

For now, the app is only on iOS, but we plan to launch it on Android.

What is the team composition?

You are launched’s CTO has helped me figure everything out. I also work with one frontend and one backend developer.

How did you come to work with You are launched?

I was looking for a company in Ukraine. I searched on Google and found a list of the top companies to work with in Ukraine, and You are launched was on that list. I tried 2–3 other companies, and I’ve stayed with You are launched because I think they’re a good company.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, I’ve spent $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for a year, since December 2019. It’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project hasn’t been completed, but all of their tests have been 100% right. Everything is great from my side — whenever I find an issue, I talk with them on Slack, and the solution is up and running by the next day. 

They’ve taken care of this entire project, from A–Z. It’s very nice to work with someone that thinks about your budget and not theirs. This is the first app I’ve built, so I wasn’t sure what the process would look like. They helped me budget and build the MVP. They provided recommendations on different things I should or shouldn’t do based on cost.

How did You are launched perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicate with the programmer on their side using ClickUp. We primarily communicate through email, and then we have weekly meetings on Google Meets or Zoom. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

You are launched takes care of everything. They really guide us by asking us what we want and then letting us know what we need. They help us test and release the app as quickly as possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind because this is my first mobile app development project. I’ve done a bunch of websites before, but not mobile apps. It’s been a year, and we’re still testing.

Any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and be confident in their work. They’re professional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with You are launched?

They made mobile and web apps for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for building an iOS, Android, and web app from scratch. We started out with designs and wireframes, which they created. Additionally, they helped with user flow and gave ideas and suggestions for improvement throughout.

We only had a general idea of what we wanted at that point, and they were key in bettering the product. From there, they developed the apps, worked out any bugs, and helped us launch. They use React for the web platform build.   

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five people, including Ivan (Co-Founder) and Max (Co-Founder). 

How did you come to work with You are launched?

We had calls with a number of vendors and thought their team communicated the best. They had the best ideas and an impressive portfolio. In the end, we selected them over the 12 other groups.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000 to date. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2019. While the first contract with them is finished, we’re still working together on adding more features and functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work has been excellent and better than we expected.  

How did You are launched perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always available to work through issues. We communicated by Slack, Skype, and phone calls. They were focused on meeting deadlines and keeping the project on track. If there was an issue keeping them from meeting a deadline, they let us know ahead of time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and creativity have both been excellent. They really walked us through the whole process effectively. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing stands out. If there was ever a miscommunication, it was resolved quickly. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a strong team that really cares about the final product. I’d recommend working with them.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CTO of a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire You are launched, and what were your goals?

We had no available resources to handle the project and that’s where You are launched took a place. We partnered with them to work on the project of our client that had an idea of a health & wellness iOS & Android app.

The main goal was to fit into a 6 months timeline with the launch of the MVP app version. The client had quite a wide list of features, and there was no chance to fit into such a schedule. But You are launched could do that.

SOLUTION

How did you select You are launched and what were the deciding factors?

It was our second project with You are launched. We already knew how they are working and what result they can show.

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

The project is a fitness app with some unique features. They could combine Augmented Reality with Machine Learning Kit in the app. So all users could have a unique experience of self-improvement.

We split the development into several milestones and got beta users onboard within 3 months. So, our system started to learn. 3 months later, we launched a public app.

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

They provided us with 5 team members: Mobile devs, Team lead, PM, and QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As the main aim was to fit into a tight timeline. The main outcome for us was to make our client happy. You are launched reviewed the requirements and proposed an alternative method of product delivery.

In two words, they cut off a list of “nice to have” features and simplified some complex tasks. Our client liked such an approach and was ready to go with this.

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

We had a weekly standup where we cooperated with You are launched. It was quite clear what is needed and what will be delivered at the end of the week by them. As for the tools, we had Slack, ClickUp, and Hubstaff used in our deck.

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

There are a couple of points I would like to highlight - the delivery speed and dealing with work scope. I couldn’t find any other company that tries to cut pricing and not add it.

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

There is always a place to grow. I’m sure they know what directions they need to update. But in terms of our cooperation, we don’t see a point to improve. As our client stayed happy, it was pretty clear what would be delivered, and they used the latest technology.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a CEO and owner of Notio.pro - interactive system of development. We will start from selling/renting books in our service and then reach into other areas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire You are launched?

We wanted to launch an e-book for quite a long time but couldn’t find the right team for this. We had just the idea and experience in the sphere. We were struggling in our search, as developing an e-book app is not the issue, the issue is making books protected from hacks. You are launched dug into research even before the development starts. Once they finished the research, they explained what and how it would work, so we were sure they would be able to handle all the points.

What were your goals for this project?

We are expecting to attract 10k users and have +10k books in the next half a year. So, we wanted a platform with high usability, protected books downloading, and a server that would be able to handle high load.

SOLUTION

How did you select You are launched?

I would say project experience based on their portfolio and competence during the project discussion. They deeply understand the system's needs and explain why and what needs to be done, as well as what would be better to cut off.

Describe the project in detail.

We had weekly design sprints. They were sharing the progress during the week and put a list of business questions to finalize the UX of the app. The same flow we had with development. What is more, they provided access to TimeTracking & TaskTracking tools, so I could see where we are and what I can expect at the end of the week.

What was the team composition?

We have 7 team members involved - iOS dev, Android dev, ServerSide dev, Project Manager, QA, Tech Lead, and Product Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a demo app launched in a month. So, I could show it to my partners and investors. Such a result allowed us to move forward with the launch process.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had some small misunderstanding on the design stage. Mainly, they were related to floating work scopes between Demo, MVP, and Full app version. But all of them were resolved after arranging a call.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I would say - details orientation. That’s the most important trait for me. Nowadays, you can find a lot of experts who are using nerdy words, but not all of them are able to achieve the goal. I prefer to fight with causes and not with consequences. That’s the point where You are launched and I are on the same page.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not sure, but I believe there is no limit to perfection.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re building a personal finance app, and I’m managing the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you addressing when you hired You are launched?

I hired them to develop our MVP. They’re simultaneously working on the full version of the system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with a prototype and some screen designs. We asked them to code it in Swift to produce a fully functional iOS app. We wanted to test out the feasibility of the app, but we also wanted to present the product to investors.

What is the team composition?

I believe there are around 6 developers. I primarily work with Ivan (Founder) and Aleksandr, who serves as the product manager.

How did you come to work with You are launched?

I did a little research online to find a company that could provide an MVP in a short span of time. There are only a few companies that exclusively specialize in development speed.

I chose You are launched because they were reviewed well, and their website provided helpful insights about the team’s development approach. I appreciated that they provided useful information for free; it gave me the sense that they’re truly passionate about what they’re doing.

How much have you invested with them?

For the MVP, we’re spending around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the partnership in June and they’re still on track to hit their soft targets. There’s only a handful of things that need to be finished still.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any key metrics to provide, but I’ve been a very happy customer.

I approached the engagement with solid expectations surrounding the look and feel of the app, and they’ve continued to deliver upon them. The team has been exceptionally responsive to my requests for adjustments and changes. When we discovered that the components that I’d initially envisioned weren’t technically feasible, they provided some strong alternatives.

How did You are launched perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t have any prior experience to use for comparison, but the feedback has been great. I’ve been in touch with the owner of the business, who gives me a high-level overview of the project. Their dedicated product manager gives me detailed updates from the development team. It’s been a smooth and effective workflow. We use Slack for communication and ClickUp for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been most impressed by their speed of delivery. I wasn’t expecting the product to be ready so soon.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. We experienced some issues when they were facing some internal turnover, but we can’t fault them for that. Our progress slowed for a couple of days when one of their core business managers left the company. They were always open and communicative about their own developments, so I didn’t mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Contact them. The owner of the company is exceptionally helpful because he’ll be extremely clear about what will and won’t work. He didn’t pressure me into getting the most expensive scope of services, either. He instead provided me with four very clear options — with their corresponding costs — and didn’t push me towards the priciest choice. Their expertise, coupled with their transparency, was extremely valuable to us.