Here is how, with the help of Proxify, Misfit Labs found international tech experts and took their most important engagement off the ground.
About Misfit Labs
Misfit Labs is a venture studio based in Miami, Florida, focused on healthcare and Web3 projects for entertainment and hospitality.
In the words of Joey Gutierrez, Managing Partner at the company, they work with founders with creative and innovative ideas.
And those founders come to them looking for a team to help them build their projects from a software perspective.
They are developing the Blue Keys project, a Web3 platform for hospitality entertainment, allowing brands to collaborate and build out membership platforms. This specific engagement was something that they needed extra hands-on – and finding a hiring partner was a hurdle to overcome.
The challenge
Creative freedom, mentorship, and personal growth are essential for the Misfit Labs team. When hiring developers, they need a partner they can trust to find great dtech experts but also allow them to find people who are independent and passionate about their work.
“We're the misfits, right? So we don't operate like traditional corporate companies. The culture, you've got to be a good fit, right?”
For a company that operates internationally, they are also surprisingly lenient when it comes to the work hours of their team members. So time zones weren’t an issue when looking for new hires to augment their team. They mostly needed more people to work on their uniquely unique projects.
The most critical factor was finding great self-sufficient developers skilled in their niche and fitting their company culture.
The solution
After researching online, Joey found an ad for Proxify that caught his attention. He scheduled an introductory meeting with a dedicated US client manager, and they immediately hit it off.
“Matthew is on top of our needs and always there to support us. There's someone, a real human, not some platform that just brings people to you based on an algorithm, looking for our best needs. And identifying the people we can also help grow.”, Joey states.
“So that's why we made it. We have tons of other recruiting firms pitching us. Still, it goes back to the person we feel comfortable working with”.
They quickly found a suitable candidate for Blue Keys, now only weeks before launch.
“We were able to build out our team and identify the needs for each company. So for Blue Keys in particular, we were looking for a talented individual who can lead development independently.”
Joey adds that they don’t like to micromanage.
“We like to mentor and let individuals grow. So Proxify allows us to vet some great candidates and bring them in. So our candidate came in, and he's been able to take that concept, follow our direction, and really lead the team.”
They also appreciated the 30-day trial period, and the team took the time to identify the right candidate. Joey thinks that despite having many talented people on the market, sometimes they might need to be a better fit for the specific project, and working with Proxify allows them to test the compatibility before really committing.
The results
Joey says that the effect of the collaboration with Proxify is “really helping Misfit Labs with their growing pains.”
The specific vetting process ensures they get the right developer for each work engagement, and their skillset will shine on whatever their client needs.
He says they often have to put together a specific proposal in a tight time frame and identify the best candidates to work with them for a specific engagement.
“These are people that are vetted, coming from vetted sources. And I think that's what's important.”
Their fullstack developer from Proxify helps their full-time team to build the architecture, documentation, and project software that they then hand off to the clients who own it. They also are invested in coaching, supporting, and helping them fulfill it.
“Our developer has been great. We’re trying to keep the team lean. So every new project we take on, we also look to transfer our developers to a new project, keep them excited and then let them mentor a junior team to maintain the project they worked on.”, he adds.
Currently, they are soft-launching the one they’ve worked on with the Proxify tech experts.
“What's exciting is seeing the products come to reality, as well as all the resources required to keep supporting that when it becomes a real business.“
The way forward
Blue Keys has been the primary engagement that Misfit Labs worked on with Proxify. And, the rest they are developing are in-house.
“Our first experience was great. So we know what to expect going forward and want to keep repeating that. So we'll keep coming back.”
He appreciates the customer engagement and communication that Proxify provides.
“Being able to respond quickly, get back to us. And that's important versus waiting a few days for a response where we've already decided.”
Misfit Labs intends to stay international, grow, and bring in tech experts from everywhere, so Joey believes the company will find more support in hiring with Proxify.