"They’re not just a development company, they’re part of the team and they want to make us successful."
Hidden Brains led development for an international shopping platform with varying currency, including iOS and Android apps, web apps, and various browser plugins. They also integrated a fraud alert system.
"They’re not just a development company, they’re part of the team and they want to make us successful."
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We are a mobile and desktop platform that allows people to purchase items from third-party sites in the U.S. and in the U.K. through all parts of the world. We’re essentially a plugin that allows people to buy products and shop internationally. If you’re in Kenya and you want to buy something from Macy’s, you can use our plugin to complete the acquisition. I’m the founder and CEO.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
I have some development knowledge and I knew it was possible. We reached out to Hidden Brains with the idea for people in other parts of the world to be able to acquire products using local currency, being able to manage an account and the buying system and going through a whole purchase strategy online very easily using different languages based on where they live.
We also wanted to prevent fraud by creating a fraud alert and modification system. We needed someone to create a tool that does all of that very easily, something the customer can download, install, go through, and integrate with over 200 stores globally. It was a very big challenge.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We talked with them to map out the project. We had many interview calls to collaboratively finalize the scope documents. We looked at it, reviewed it, modified it, and worked together to build that out. Once the scope document was built, we then worked on the timeline together to make sure we were all on the same page as far as deadlines and resources go. We also looked at the backend. We needed to know if this would be a Microsoft or PHP platform. We also looked at code bases together to decide on that. Then we started the project.
They would build out different modules and design concepts, and we would simultaneously test them. We worked with the design team to make sure that the flow was easy to follow. While the design team was developing the cognitive architecture, the developers were developing the backend and testing.
After the design phase was done, we did several benchmark reviews and timeline reviews and tested the product. Then we moved on to various waterfall-type tests, followed by customer tests. Finally, we launched, and since then, they’ve been helping us maintain the product.
The product is both mobile and web. They developed apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Back then, the Windows platform on mobile was still a big thing. They also worked on the Blackberry platform for us. For the web version, they did an app for us for both PC and Mac and they’ve done web apps for us for Chrome and Safari. They’re working on Firefox right now.
They have helped with strategy and branding. They’ve been very helpful in telling us how we can improve the customer journey with the code base we are using. They’ve been able to give us very interesting information on security and how it can secure our platform.
They created the logo for our platform and came up with our color scheme. They’ve also been helping us with branding, which has been amazing. The only thing they’ve done in the marketing space is making sure our platform is SEO-friendly. We’ve taken care of the other marketing internally.
What is the team dynamic?
The team has varied. In the beginning, there were about 35-40 people working on our project because we needed developers, designers, and project managers. That number has come down to about 20. We still have a head of design, a project manager, a project manager assistant, iOS developers, an Android developer, and developers for Chrome and Safari extensions.
How did you come to work with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
I did a Google search for Indian developers. I was trying to find a developer either in India or in Russia; those were 2 areas that I knew we could get some relatively fair-priced developers. I found some I was interested in and gave them tests. Out of the 10 companies,I tested in both Russia and India, Hidden Brains came out on top.
The reason I chose them was because of the way they wrote the code and the way they initiated conversation with us and asked questions. The test was somewhat simple, to create a very quick platform, but everybody writes code differently. I looked at the way they wrote the code, the simplicity of the code, and if they documented items within the code that follow some pretty standards rules, and they did that. They went above and beyond which was very nice. They actually did the whole design layer. They asked a bunch of questions that nobody else asked, and what they ended up delivering was nothing short of really good. It was a clear winner.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent between $1.3 million and $1.4 million since we started working with them. The initial project cost $450,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in January 2014.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I don’t have any metrics. We haven’t sent surveys or anything out to users or to our staff, but Hidden Brains has been phenomenal every step of the way. We’re very happy.
We’ve won a techie award for best app. We were just announced as a Drapers finalist, which is a highly coveted app award in the U.K. We’ve received five awards so far about how good the app is. We have over 100,000 downloads and the average rating has been 4 out of 5. The feedback has been good. The app has also won awards on cognitive architecture.
How did Hidden Brains InfoTech perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve been very good with project management. Deadlines and costs shift depending on what we’re doing. Right now, we have a certain number of resources we pay for every month. If we need to modify that and scale up or down, we can discuss it with them.
They’re very good at keeping to their timeline. The project manager is very communicative with us and keeps us in the loop on everything. We use Slack and a bug tracking system that they’ve created. They have their own proprietary bug tracking system. They test the product, and if there are any issues, they definitely get those bugs or issues taken care of and then we move on. We launch the product and then we move to the next project.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I would say their communication and their keen sense of detail. They go all out when it comes to asking questions and making sure they’re very detailed on projects and assignments. They make sure they know the ins and outs of not just what we want to be done, but why we want it done. They question if we’ve thought of doing things another way, and in doing that we’ve definitely improved our product.
They ask these mind-boggling questions that make your company and your platform a better platform, because they think things through and ask you questions before starting to build, which is rare. Most people just do what you say. They don’t come back and ask you questions and give you different insights.
Another interesting thing they do is that they conduct a lot of research into competitors. They tell us what they notice about a competitor and ask if we have thought about doing something similar but adding a certain element to it. We have those kinds of deep conversations. They’re not just a development company, they’re part of the team and they want to make us successful. You get that sense from them, which is extremely rare.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Hiring more designers in the beginning, but they took care of that. We got more designers on our team. I can’t think of anything else; we’re very happy with them.
"I think they truly want to do a good job. Their reputation matters to them."
Hidden Brains Infotech built a complicated startup fundraising app on iOS and Android. They provided vital advice to make the app better for users and easier to maintain at a lower cost.
"I think they truly want to do a good job. Their reputation matters to them."
Hidden Brains Infotech is a conscientious company that wants the client to genuinely succeed. Their experience and advice were essential to the success of the application, which has many active users and a positive rating.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
The business is called SimpleFund. We are a mobile fundraising technology platform that uses advertising dollars to raise money for nonprofits. We are based in Buffalo, New York and I'm the co-founder and CEO.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
We were looking for a mobile app developer and web developer. We needed an advantage for our startup so we wanted to do overseas development to cut costs.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They built an iOS and Android application. It allows users to raise money for any US non-profit by consuming content within the application. We had a basic wireframe and general concept of what we needed.
We gave them a 20-page spec document. They came back with us with ideas on each point. They put together a proposal for us. They came up with solutions that did things that we wanted that were even better than our original ideas. They have done a ton of mobile app development so they were able to explain things better and provide better ways to do many things.
We had seven or eight SDK integrations with third-parties. That was a big part of the project and probably took the most time. They also built a back-end admin with controls and reporting functionality.
How did you come to work with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
I researched overseas development shops and picked ten that looked very experienced. I reached out to about ten total and provided a RFP. I narrowed it down to three or four companies. Hidden Brains wasn't the cheapest but also not the most expensive. They had a ton of experience in what we wanted and their price was in our budget. I felt the most comfortable with them.
How much have you invested with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
That information is confidential.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in June 2016 and we are still working with them every day. The application was launched in November 2016.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
We have about 50,000 users, which isn't necessarily because of Hidden Brains but we were able to build a valuable mobile application. Users are using it on a normal basis.Â
Our ratings in the various app stores are positive. They always do what we ask, which is their job.
How did Hidden Brains InfoTech perform from a project management standpoint?
They are great. There is always a communication barrier between the US and India but for the most part, they have reduced this. We use Basecamp for project management and communicate over Skype.
What did you find most impressive about Hidden Brains InfoTech?
I think they truly want to do a good job. Their reputation matters to them.
Are there any areas Hidden Brains InfoTech could improve?
It's hard to say what they can do better. Communication is always the biggest challenge when you work with an overseas partner. That is always something to work on. Besides that, I have nothing specific.
"They are flexible because they have a large team and manage the project well."
Hidden Brains is building a startup's core product on desktop, iOS and Android. They work on a huge variety of development projects that pop up using many different programming languages.
"They are flexible because they have a large team and manage the project well."
Hidden Brains has a large team that offers flexibility because they have experts in dozens of programming languages. They never miss deadlines and give personal attention that is different from other offshore vendors.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
I am the CEO of a financial startup that offers the first cryptocurrency social investment network. We are small but growing quickly and have a lot of development needs.
We have used other development companies in the past but needed help with our core product on iOS, Android, and desktop. We needed a firm that was affordable but also could work quickly and have a lot of varying expertise with different technologies.
I've tried other firms in the past but was looking for a stable company to partner with for years.
We work with Hidden Brains for all types of development with many technologies. They have over 100 developers and are experts in many different programming languages.Â
We have cooperated on many different initiatives since late 2015. We usually communicate via a complicated set of Google docs that they created for us to improve project management.Â
We send them development work and then we give them feedback so they can iterate and make improvements. We take feedback that we get from users and pass it to their team to constantly improve our core products.
Our work rate with them varies and fluctuates. Sometimes we have a ton of work for them and other periods, we have less. I would estimate that we spend $5,000-$7,500 in the average month.
I like the Hidden Brains team a lot. They are flexible because they have a large team and manage the project well. The mobile apps that they have created have been received well in the market. We have over 4 stars on both Android and Apple from users.
Our CTO is more directly involved than me on the projects. He likes their technical skills although we have to ask for fixes sometimes. The work isn't perfect but it's very good and they don't miss deadlines. They compare favorably to other development companies that we've used in the past.
"Their work methodology made me feel confident about them."
Hidden Brains developed a classified ads app to connect buyers and sellers in the car sales, insurance, and related products space. The technologies used included Apache HTTP Server, Linux, PHP, and MySQL.
"Their work methodology made me feel confident about them."
Hidden Brains was an excellent development partner. The final app was tested and all its functionalities performed very well. Their work methodology was top-notch and their organized approach and documentations were very impressive. Â
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there
We developed an app for Autoclubamigo.com. I am the owner and I hired Hidden Brains for the development of this project.
What challenge were you trying to address with Hidden Brains InfoTech
The development consisted of a classified ads application for used and new cars sales, all types of maintenance services, auto insurance and it includes a fourth page that has other car components. Users are mostly buyers and sellers and we are able to connect them to develop new business between themselves.Â
What was the scope of their involvement?
To develop this application they used technologies based on Apache server, MySQL Database, Linux, PHP and some other technology development tools.
What is the team dynamic?
I believe it was a 6-person team but I only interacted with a development engineer that maintained communications with me. We had meetings, conference calls and he constantly presented all of the development progress. Not really sure how many people participated directly aside from him. Perhaps one or two other developers, guided by the development engineer.
How did you come to work with Hidden Brains?
The first developers that I hired here in Mexico did not perform well. Then I hired some student developers from the University of Monterrey that abandoned my project and another firm in Guadalajara that took my money. None of them worked.
Then doing some internet research, I found Hidden Brains and connected with someone from their marketing team. I read some of their history, viewed their work portfolio online and then we started talking. They prepared a budget and sent a prototype. Once I approved the prototype, they started working and this first phase which lasted around a year.
What is the status of this engagement?
I’ve been working with them for 12 years. They provide ongoing maintenance and fine tuning.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The app’s functionality has been tested and evaluated by other professionals. The reports say the technology is working well. The app doesn’t have any functionality problems. We have certified the app and its users feel confident with the tool. The app is ready and complete and it even has a payment portal. Now we have to do some marketing and SEO to help people find it and make it more widely known. Â
How did Hidden Brains perform from a project management standpoint?
They used Basecamp, where all communications were reported. They presented their progress and models in it, and it’s still active. I’m able to see previous communications from a year ago. Everything was well documented. We initially signed a 90-page document that had all details of the project in it. I wasn’t able to find a local firm that provided the quality of service, money and time savings that I found with Hidden Brains.
What did you find most impressive about Hidden Brains?
Their work methodology made me feel confident about them. They created a prototype in 3 different versions. They let me revise this concept and once I authorized this model or prototype, they started working on the project. I was very impressed with their organized work.
Are there any areas Hidden Brains could improve?
I consider them to be excellent. At first I had doubts but before signing I did research on them. Everything worked well and their work structure was first level or top-notch.
"I am so happy that I never plan to shop around for different companies."
Hidden Brains InfoTech designed and developed a complex marketing platform that required different phases of work and technological expertise. They are currently working on phase three.
"I am so happy that I never plan to shop around for different companies."
Hidden Brains InfoTech has produced better design and development work than local providers for a fraction of the price. The partnership will continue indefinitely because of initial success.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm an entrepreneur with a small company that offers an online email system where businesses can target and deliver their sales promotion to virtual mailboxes that are matched to actual physical street addresses from anywhere in the world.
Let's say you are a mattress store and you want to target a certain zip code for customers. With our system, local consumers can receive promotions on whatever they want. Buyers can pick and choose promotions based on their preferences. It's very targeted for the businesses to find interested customers that want to buy.
The second stage of this product offering is for the service industry. We focus on electricians, plumbers, and other similar professionals. We retained the services of a company in Texas to customize their software for our customers.
The software allows our clients in the service industry to use a 3d tool to preview work done for potential clients. We want to make this offering easy for service industry clients.
The third part of the business that Hidden Brains works on is affiliate programs. We work with large retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot and Best Buy. Hidden Brains has created a searchable database for these clients.
The database allows buyers to search for certain products at many different local stores to price shop online. The retailers love the exposure and the customer targeting we provide.
I am the founder and CEO.Â
What challenge were you trying to address with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
We didn't want to hire local developers. I have been burned working with developers in the US and Canada in past years.
I wanted a deep team of technical talent that could handle all our needs. It was great to find an overseas team with a large set of capabilities so I wouldn't have to hire multiple vendors. We worked with a company in the past to grow our concept but we needed a new team to build the affiliate program part.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In March 2017, they built the last portion of the system, which is the search engine for all of the affiliate programs that we work with. And now we're going to launch it in September.
They are focused on design and development. I'm not as concerned about support right now. They did the entire site from start to finish. They came up with wireframes and were professional throughout. I really think it worked better to let them do everything from the beginning.Â
How did you come to work with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
I did online research and found them via their website. I interviewed a lot of their customers. They had really positive testimonials so I felt comfortable hiring them. They also have competitive pricing.
How much have you invested with Hidden Brains InfoTech?
We have spent about $80,000 in the past year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with them in June 2016. They completed the first phase of the system in December 2016. We then paused the work for three months but started again on the second phase in March 2017. They finished the second part in July.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
What they delivered was more than I expected and I would have never gave given them the second version if it wasn't great. I don't think I will ever switch my development team. I am so happy that I never plan to shop around for different companies.
How did Hidden Brains InfoTech perform from a project management standpoint?
We did a very refined analysis of what they built with a company based in Las Vegas. The analysis came back positive so we are very happy. We think it will be successful when we incorporate social media.
What did you find most impressive about Hidden Brains InfoTech?
As I said, we've tried working with local firms. I've worked with a company in the Toronto area because they are local. We've had very bad experiences. The process was a huge waste of time and we kept sinking in more money for nothing.
Hidden Brains has a different process. They usually take a week to start any work because they ask a lot of questions before they start to develop. They take the time to do their work properly at the beginning. They put all of their questions at the beginning on paper for the client. Then they made me sign off on all the work. They then asked me to sign off on the wireframes. That is the reason that the product has been delivered not only on time but earlier than projected. And the process will not change because they are so meticulous at the very beginning.Â
Sometimes I need changes. They have not charged me any extra for that. Also, it has not extended the delivery of the system. That's the reason that it would be very difficult for me to go and work with another company.
Are there any areas Hidden Brains InfoTech could improve?
The only issue is the time zone. Sometimes I would need to work late at night or early in the morning to communicate with them. However, they were flexible and worked until midnight sometimes to give me time to give feedback. It really wasn't a big issue but I would love if they moved to Toronto.
Hidden Brains collaborates effectively across several dev, design, strategy, and branding teams. The app, with over 100,000 downloads, has received 5 awards, including one for cognitive architecture. The team is scalable, reliable, and they impress with their communication and keen sense of detail.