0xCompany

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Dima Chizhevsky: I’m a co-founder and product owner of GEO Pay, a payment service similar to PayPal, but built on decentralized and distributed technology. We’re able to process both fiat and cryptocurrencies. I’m also the product owner of one of the directions of the company.

Mykola Ilashchuk: I’m the CTO of GEO Protocol. We build protocols for transferring values like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other assets like gold. Protocols serve as the base layer of the products we offer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 0xCompany?

DC: We started the project with individual developers, who eventually formed 0xCompany.

MI: We needed someone to design a segment of our presentations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DC: At the moment, we’re working with 0xCompany on a native iOS and Android app and one web portal. Their team is responsible for the internal architecture of mobile apps and the overall service. Other members of their team are involved in the front- and backend development of our web portal.

DC: For the Android, they used Java, and for the iOS, they used Swift. They’re using AngularJS and Python for the web component. We have a consultative process with their team, working closely with them. We provide our vision, and then their team tackles the development.  

MI: 0xCompany engaged in two different projects for us. The first project was web-based, where they delivered a landing page for one of our products. They delivered web development for our bot project.

MI: The second project was essentially a digitalization of the geo-network—a network of notes, like the clients of our protocol. Using Node.js, they created a webpage that can visualize the geo-network in real-time.

What is the team composition?

DC: We work with four developers in total–two native developers and two backend engineers. While we have a project manager on our side, we’re mainly in contact with Serhii (Co-Founder, 0xCompany), who is responsible for leading the team.

How did you come to work with 0xCompany?

MI: Serhii (Co-founder, 0xCompany) and I worked on a project together in the past. After a few years, I reached out to him again for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

DC: The project cost $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

DC: Our engagement with 0xCompany started in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DC: We’ve been working with 0xCompany for about two years. The process has gotten predictable for us throughout the engagement. We have internal metrics about the efficiency of the development process and our services to customers. It isn’t as perfect as it could be, but it’s good enough to fulfill our needs.

DC: Our teams are making continual improvements to the development process. When we started, it was easy to maintain because there were only a few people involved. As the complexity of the project grew, 0xCompany added internal processes for managing development and documentation. I’m satisfied with the approach we have that includes a full cycle of development, QA, and several production and staging environments.

DC: Based on our requests, their team is continually working on new functionalities. They mostly deliver on time and within budget. Various things can occur, but they’re simply implementing our vision.

MI: They provided high-quality development and modern technologies. Everything they’ve produced has been functional. We didn’t have any problems during development or after deployment. When one issue did come up, they were very quick to resolve it.

How did 0xCompany perform from a project management standpoint?

DC: Since we’re trying to handle the project carefully, the main part of the process is on our side. They delegate tasks to developers, and we have access to their internal task management system. We work closely and actively within the collaboration.

DC: Communication is fine. There are some cases where there are delays on our end, but I can’t remember a case where communication was lacking. Initially, we were using Jira, but we’re now using Agile CRM. For contact, our team uses Telegram and Slack. For voice conferences, we use Google Meet.

MI: They were communicative throughout the process. Whenever we had questions, they were always available to talk it through. We didn’t have any problems with project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DC: The team at 0xCompany are professionals in their field of expertise. I remember several cases when we asked them for complex tasks, such as managing our internal data center or displaying a full flow of our operations online. They’re true experts, bringing us real-world working solutions for these requests.

MI: The speed of their development and their transparent communication were both very impressive. While we provided high-level requirements, they still came up with different options for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

MI: No, I can’t think of anything.

DC: I can’t remember specific cases where I wanted improvement. Maybe they could’ve been a bit stricter with release dates.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

MI: I recommend using them for development.