Apiko

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO & founder of Kadu. We develop custom software solutions for the hospitality industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apiko, and what were your goals?

We wanted to develop an online platform and SaaS solution to sell touristic and mobility services. Build the backend system, integrate third party APIs, develop the UI.

SOLUTION

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

We know them from a previous project.

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

They designed the UI mockup and wrote the system&requirement document during concept development phase. The first development phase allowed to implement the MVP of the backend system. The tech stack used included node.js, graphql.

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

There were 4 people in the team.

• 1 project manager
• 2 mid developers
• 1 designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to start a first test phase with a potential customer thanks to the quick development of the MVP.

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

The project management was great and professional. We regularly had meet-ups to discuss project status. We communicated through Slack, Trello and GitHub.

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

We really like the professionality of the whole team, their organization and flexibility in setting up and carrying out a project. They have been very responsive during last-minute changes or requests. The developers we worked with were also very experienced and skilled.

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

Currently all good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an cybersecurity executive network. We connect cybersecurity vendors with relevant security practitioners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apiko, and what were your goals?

When I launched the company a year ago I need to find a cost effective and great development shop. I worked with Apiko in the past and was very impressed with their professionalism and quality of work so I decided to engage them once again to build the MVP for my startup.

SOLUTION

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

I had worked with Apiko in the past and had a great experience across the board so I decided to work with them again. Initially, it was a referral from another founder who spoke very highly of them.

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

They managed the entire project from start to finish I just told them what I want the final result to be and they took care of the rest. They were very efficient and delivered beyond my expectations.

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

There were 4 people including 2 developers, 1 UX, UI designer and 1 project managers. Very well staffed team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I got my first paying customer immediately after the website was completed.

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

The project management was excellent. The management of Apiko including the CEO were very approachable and made themselves available and the quality of all the people I interacted with at Apiko was very high.

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

Excellent work of highest quality with very professional group of people.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a GPS-based marketplace that enables people to monetize their geographical location.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

We needed someone to provide us with custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially hired Apiko for the scoping requirement phase, but their involvement evolved into designing and executing the product that we conceptualized.

We started by creating a six-page documentation on the functional design of the platform and mobile app, and built the products from scratch. Some of the tools they utilized are Mapbox, MongoDB, Firebase, and React Native.

They still provide us with ongoing support to maintain the product.

What is the team composition?

Overall, we have about six people working full-time and about four people working part-time for the scoping phase.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

I found Apiko through Upwork and we chose to hire them based on their expertise and Ukrainian background.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We initially had a fixed cost for the budget and they were able to adhere to it for most of the development.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

There were some hiccups at first which slowed down the project, but they were able to pick it up and improve their performance in terms of project management.

We typically communicate through Slack, email, and weekly standard video calls. They also send us reports concerning our budgets and timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes them from their competitors is the quality of their outputs and commitment to the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on being more financially transparent. Maybe they can implement a tool that can monitor our budget on a weekly basis.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise spending more time and money on the design phase of your project to avoid any unexpected budgeting influx.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of a manufacturing company. We produce sub-components for devices intended for use in several fields. Many of our clients come from the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

Our online presence was pretty weak. In particular, our e-commerce capabilities were severely lacking. We needed someone to take our simple WordPress website into the 21st century.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built us a new website from scratch. We had worked with another, more design-oriented company to put together the frontend frameworks and conduct a user experience study. With the designs together, we asked them to implement these frameworks and build the backend of our new site.

What is the team composition?

We’ve had three people from their team that I’ve worked with directly throughout the project: a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a project manager. We’ve also had certain experts, such as a quality control professional and a graphic designer, step in for short durations as needed. In total, we’ve worked with five or six of their team members.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

I had a couple of companies recommended to me, but Apiko kept coming up in Google searches related to the project. At the time, I was researching a framework called Reaction Commerce as a potential component for the project. They had a lot of experience working with this framework, so I reached out to them. I had a great conversation with one of their salespeople, and after meeting the rest of their team we started the engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since starting the project with them, we’ve seen an increase in the number of quality leads we’ve received through our website. Our previous online presence led the market to believe we were a small company that only took on smaller projects. This presence drew requests for quotes from students and hobbyists, who we care about but don’t make up the whole of our intended customer base. Since working with Apiko, the majority of the quotes coming through are from larger companies, which we’ve been happy with.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re communicating constantly via Slack. We also use Jira for project management and rely on Github to be a code repository. We barely ever email, but we have conference calls twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They employ high-quality developers who work quickly and efficiently to deliver error-free code. If any new skill needs arise, they’re sure to match us with the proper resource as well. Their price is also the best I’ve seen by far, which makes it easier to justify the ongoing nature of the project to stakeholders.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Working with a company in an entirely different time zone was a bit of a challenge for us early on. However, we resolved this issue fairly quickly and communicate well now. The only roadblocks that arise now are if servers go down during the day. They’re pretty responsive in these situations, but I hate waking them up in the middle of the night.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just reach out and talk with them. Their team is honest about their capabilities–they won’t take a job if they’re not confident they can help you. Be aware of the time zone difference going into the engagement, though.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Project Manager at Novoe Vremia (NV), a Ukrainian internet media resource that highlights key public and international news and events. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apiko?

NV, an internet media resource, hired Apiko team to develop news and podcast mobile apps. The company provided a highly qualified dedicated team of a Project Manager, React Native Developers, and QA Engineer. 

What were your goals for this project?

1. Optimize the NV news app:
   • Update the React Native version of the news app to the latest one, perform manual review and testing, and fix bugs.
   • Extend the functionality by adding new features, including a paywall and subscriptions.
2. Build the NV podcast app:
   • Scaffold the project, build up the constructor module and other features.
   • Publish an app to App Store and Google Play, constantly update the software according to our requirements.
3. Provide ongoing support

SOLUTION

How did you select Apiko?

We surfed the web and held competitive interviews with Apiko and a few other development companies. At the end, we chose Apiko because of their initial profound interest in our products, high-quality outputs, they provided us with detailed estimates and further development plans.

Describe the project in detail.

NV is an internet media portal that highlights international and public news and events. Apiko team has become an integrated part of our in-house team to deliver the highly-qualified, robust, and scalable news and podcast mobile apps. They provided us with a reliable dedicated team of a PM, React Native mobile developers, and QA engineer to make the development process effortless. 

What was the team composition?

There were 5 specialists on the project: a Project Manager, QA Engineer, 3 React Native Mobile Developers 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right after the first delivered milestones, Apiko team greatly improved mobile app performance. Since that we didn’t receive any bug report from our users, the app is up and running properly. 

Also, together with Apiko, we have successfully launched NV news paid subscription and NV podcasts mobile app. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Apiko Team was formed in a highly professional manner. A Project Manager has led the team of Developers and QA, provided accurate estimates, and managed all the work to meet our requirements and deadlines. The team was proactive and communicative. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Apiko meshed with our NV team very well and has become a reliable partner. The PM, mobile developers did their best to deliver value to our product. Based on the provided documentation, Apiko elicited requirements and defined the most effective scope of work. They are very responsive and communicative.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We, at NV, are extremely satisfied with our collaboration and continue our partnership in the future. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Good Life Sorted, an elderly marketplace platform. It connects elderly people with helpers in their area for shopping, errands, cleaning, transportation, medication reminders, meal preparation, and hospital discharge support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

We needed scalability. We needed a marketplace platform system that would allow us to manage hundreds of helpers and customers. We needed a strong system for that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created three different systems. There’s one for the customers to access the system and submit the help requests and view helper profiles and track the help request. Another system is a helper portal which is a completely different system where helpers can create their own profile and add their visits, change their visits, the status of their visits, and also there’s a resource center where they can check resources and view more information about the customers.

The system is impressive. It’s like a Google Calendar from scratch because they can do the caring visits. You understand the complexities when you want to add a caring visit from now on and not change the partnership. There are invoicing features as well because every visit has a value attached to it. It’s how much the helper gets, how much we get, whether there’s a VAT for the business, VAT for the helpers. It’s quite complicated. The third one is the admin functionality where we manage all of that which is quite heavy. It’s all web development, database, and UX/UI design. They did the front- and backend development and database management. They also did the mobile app for the helpers on the go. It’s basically the helper portal on the app. It’s for when they’re visiting customers, they can check everything.

The website is based on Java. They also provide ongoing support and maintenance. Now we’re starting the next big round of development with new features.

What is the team composition?

There were around 10 people including the business people. Around five of them were full-time.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

I did a Google search. The vetting process was about a year. I wanted to be super careful.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since June, we’ve grown 650% in sales. Especially in 2020, that’s good.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

They use Jira. They’re very good. The communication is very good. That’s one of the things I like. It’s the project management that makes the difference. They communicate constantly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re nice people with good intentions. They care about the business and they care about your results. They try to create a long-term customer which is a different concept. They try to create a partnership. Their communication and account management made the difference compared to other companies I’ve worked with in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re based in Estonia and Ukraine. Their English could be improved. It’s not bad but could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time explaining the system. Customers sometimes make the mistake thinking the development partner will understand their system in one day. You should invest in explaining the logic of the system.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO and one of the co-founders of Hive Technology. I look after everything engineering-related. We provide a collaboration platform that integrates project management with other tools that may simplify processes that feed into projects, as well as email and notetaking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

We needed Apiko to provide full-stack web development and help with mobile development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a single platform with different add-ons and sub-apps and were also responsible for any part of the core platform. The team used technologies such as Node.js, Meteor JS, GraphQL, React, React Native, and Apollo during the development process.

In terms of full ownership, they helped us build out third-party integrations with Jira, Trello, and Asana, as well as integration with Google, Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), and Single Sign-On (SSO).

What is the team composition?

When we began working together, we started with two full-time developers. Now, we have about 12, along with a handful of quality assurance people.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

Mykola (CEO, Apiko) presented a valid argument in terms of understanding that it’s the project quality, approach, and speed that are really important. They are very realistic when optimizing things for business impact. They research the product and have a good understanding of what its strengths are. My co-founder and I felt like these were very good reasons to move forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016 and it is still currently ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen an increase in company and product growth. As a company, we have been able to build more in a shorter period of time. When they first joined us, we had just raised a seed round of about $1.2 million. In this last round, we raised $10 million.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

Apiko is excellent. Although we didn’t need them, they offer project analysts and business analysts. They take the initiative to get things done without being told. They use various project management tools.

If something is on a tight deadline, they pull together as a team to make sure it is met. If there are any concerns, they make sure to bring it up early to avoid delay. They never compromise quality or anything else to achieve a quicker deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Apiko is emotionally invested in the project 100% of the time. Their technical ability is top-notch. They actually care about the product and being a part of the team, which is hard to find in contractors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on there were some challenges with communication. This was mostly due to the ambiguity of our company; we were a smaller company. We couldn’t provide perfect resources in terms of supporting them. We have both grown and learned a lot since then and that communication has improved.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Markid, an online marketplace for parents to buy and sell used items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

We needed a good technology team that could work on two-sided marketplaces, front- and backend development, iOS, and Android development, and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with front- and backend development, UX/UI design, and project management, as well as any online research we needed. The work used React Native so we could implement the Android and iOS platforms simultaneously.

They have good HTML web tools, with a solid understanding of data, linking the app events to a mixed panel. They also understand how to connect with APIs like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and some of the shipment/delivery APIs.

What is the team composition?

There’s a dedicated project manager who ensures everything is done on time and all the milestones are met. The core team included the project manager, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a web developer.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

We did some research to find the best team for our needs and Apiko’s name came up on a blog about two-sided marketplaces. We spoke to a few people who had already used them and got really good reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent over $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to prove the product-market fit and are now in the process of getting funding. A lot of credit goes to Apiko for the success of the app and the way it works. They’re really good at managing milestones and coming up ahead.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is really tight and well managed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really get into things and do the necessary research before coming up with a solution. They’re very thought solution oriented and respond to feedback very well, taking action immediately.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

With any remote team, set up the polarities and lay them out very well with the context of the project too. Don’t use them simply as a third-party that does the code—when I’ve shared my vision with them, they’ve gotten excited and become part of the team. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of a national facility management firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apiko?

We were planning to completely rebuild our internal business application. We needed a vendor to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apiko worked primarily on the design and architecture for the backend and they also handled the frontend design. We have a complex ticketing system that manages work orders and contracts. We can also use the system to track our suppliers, clients, and all of their locations. (We have roughly 13,000 suppliers and our clients have hundreds of locations.)

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager and there is a team of about 10–15 people assigned to our project.

How did you come to work with Apiko?

I interviewed Apiko and a few other companies, but I chose a different provider. About three months later, the owner of Apiko sent me an email with some interesting information that he had come across. I was impressed that he remembered our project and that he put together a thoughtful email. Since we were having some issues with the company we had hired, we decided to go back to Apiko and work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $300,000–$400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They do high-quality work. Our internal team is happy with both their development and the frontend design.

How did Apiko perform from a project management standpoint?

We're on our second project manager now, but there was a specific reason for the change. Our current project manager is doing an excellent job. Also, they're very flexible, so we're pleased with their approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very thoughtful and don't take anything for granted. Many developers just do what their client tells them to do, but Apiko really thinks critically and challenges us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, there were some turnover issues, but ultimately, they put together a core group of people who are committed long-term. It's always better to have stability of the resources, particularly with a complex application because it's not easy to get in the flow of what's going on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared as a client because the better you're prepared, the better Apiko can do the job. They can also be part of the creative process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of engineering at One Drop, a company that provides patients with diabetes the tools and information they need to manage their diabetes and take back their life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apiko?

We tasked Apiko with creating a secure portal for onboarding customers to our service, which was previously done only through mobile devices.

What were your goals for this project?

We required a responsive app and needed to hit a customer deadline. We also needed to integrate the product with our existing web services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked at a number of offshore solutions and held competitive interviews.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Apiko developed a responsive React.js application using a pre-existing Figma spec that our UX department put together, making sure security was the top priority. We also needed them to integrate the product with our existing REST APIs so that our backend systems would be properly provisioned.

What was the team composition?

Apiko assigned three developers and one project manager to our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Apiko met an extremely tight external deadline. Our own internal resources had rated the possibility of hitting the deadline as hard to meet. If Apiko hadn't met the deadline we wouldn’t have been able to meet our client’s deadline, which means we would’ve lost the contract and significant revenue. We were also counting on the customer for referrals, so making it on time was a very big deal for us.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project manager liaised with our project management team. We used Slack for communication and Jira for the tracking tickets.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were easy to work with and delivered what they promised on time and within budget. Apiko’s work was of extremely high quality and in conformance with our specifications.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I was very pleased. No areas for improvement come to mind.