Coletiv

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Style Yield which is a next-gen AI-powered shopping experience for luxury fashion, completely personalized to each customer's unique style.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

We reached out to Coletiv to help us build our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coletiv does custom software, web development and UI/UX design for our project. During the 5 day discovery workshop we defined the scope of the MVP, mapped out the product/processes and defined the UI/UX.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is André who is the CEO at Coletiv. He manages the team of 5 developers and updates me weekly on the project status.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

I came across Coletiv on Clutch where I was looking for agencies that matched my requirements. I mainly chose Coletive because they were the only agency investing time and effort into my project, prior to even signing the contract with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly €61,000 (approximately $62,000) so far.

What is the status of the engagement?

Our working relationship kicked off in September 2021, and our partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched the product yet so we don't have any metrics to share at the moment. However, I'm really happy with the work because the team continues to exceed our expectations.

They go above and beyond to provide what we ask of them, and they reach every milestone on budget and on time. Thanks to them, we're now close to launching an amazing MVP.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great communication-wise, as they’re always available for us. We have a weekly meeting to keep me updated, since I am not focusing on this project full-time at the moment. However I can access all the project management resources and the live project status down to each developer on Notion. The whole setup is very transparent and everything works seamlessly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their competitive pricing and cost-effective solutions — for a good price, you get a high-value product delivered. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, as I'm quite happy with the work they did.

Any advice for potential customers?

Just reach out to André who will be more than happy to talk with you about your project. You will quickly realise how qualified they are and how much fun it is to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director and head of talent at a private equity and consultancy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

We work with them to design a marketplace software product that we’re building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re developing a marketplace solution that is a website but also a technology build, similar to Amazon. The solution has a database and catalog functionalities. Coletiv Studio has also assisted us in building some algorithms, such as smart searching. We work with them on the API functionality and linking those APIs to payment functions for customers to pay. They’ve assisted us with support aspects, like DevOps for the business. Working with them side-by-side has been very helpful.

What is the team composition?

We work with a few people, mainly the CTO and one other person. We’ve also worked with a couple of front- and backend developers.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

Coletiv worked with someone from our network of people that we’ve worked with. They’d helped him build a product and a website, and he introduced us to them.

How much have you invested with them?

I haven’t actually been involved in the whole life cycle of the project, but I think the total cost is more than $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with them before my time, around January 2019. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we’ve just taken the product to market, we measure new features based on our research metrics and any uptick in sales. With regard to our relationship with Coletiv, we also measure things based on agreed timelines and KPIs, so whether their performance matches the expected project time frame and critical path.

So far, they’ve successfully hit 70% of our expectations and performance measurements, with slippages making up the remaining 30%.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had the opportunity to go to Portugal and work with Coletiv in their office, and we found that to be very useful. I think they run product sprints very well. We’ve done a few sprints with them to bring new features for a viable product to market.

They work in a very collaborative way. When we were actually there with them, we did a number of sessions, for which they gathered a number of people from the rest of their team to provide input on the effectiveness of the product and the work that they’re doing. Coletiv has come to London so that they can help us with design and some other things.

We’ve done the project management side of things, but Coletiv uses tools like Notion to help us work and collaborate with them on projects. We use those tools so that they can run the development and the sprints alongside us and the designers.

The team meets deadlines. Their communication is really good, and they’re open to using different tools that work for their clients, such as Slack. They’re available most of the time and are very clear on when they’re not. They’re also clear about work that is extra for a client versus just normal project work. We’ve had a really good experience with communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think Coletiv Studio’s most impressive differential to other companies is that they like to collaborate and actually take quite a lot of pride in being involved in what they do. Maybe we’ve been lucky, but they seem very invested in seeing the success of the product that we are building with them, more so than I’ve seen with other companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on their ability to follow up with the chase. In terms of timeframes, we run a very small business, so we’re often pulled in different directions.  It would help us if they could keep us to any timeframes that they need as well. We have already mentioned this to them. They are very good at communicating, but then they’re also very good at waiting.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded to their suggestions and remember that they work best when everyone’s collaborating. They have very good suggestions, so don’t go into the relationship thinking that there’s only one way of doing things — they’re open to different ways, which is always helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Seya AG. I’m also the technical lead on the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

We tried to develop an iOS and Android app and web app to facilitate more face-to-face interaction based on geolocation in New York.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a whole week of workshops where we flew down to Portugal to their offices because we were based in Switzerland.

We had the whole project mapped out and discussed all the possibilities of not having to start from scratch but using existing open source solutions or the backend, which we didn’t want to build ourselves completely but rather have it tailored. We agreed that we would wait for a proposal from them. They sent us a very detailed proposal.

The app is a coffee shop database, but we wanted to focus on geolocations and predefined locations where people could meet. The coffee shop database would be in place for the people in New York to meet up because there are a lot of coffee shops and people feel much more comfortable meeting with somebody else in a coffee shop than they would in their home or office.

We wanted to really facilitate the exchange of knowledge, interests, and circle of friends. The app has videos in it, geolocation, a calendar, and animations of all sorts for iOS and Android. It was built on a backend called Sharetribe. There was a lot of integration work and tailoring the backend solution to our needs.

We started with the whole platform's design and started almost at the same time with some rudimentary functions. It covered many more milestones of features and reviews to the point where we finished the application, but it was our request not to release it. It isn’t the best time for an app that encourages face-to-face interaction because of the coronavirus.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four to five people directly, including the CEO and André (CTO). I also worked with a designer.

At various stages of the project, I spoke to some of the developers. Having a technical background myself, it was easier for me to directly discuss what I wanted and how it should be built.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

My sister works at a pretty large insurance company in Switzerland. She had worked with them before and had nothing but good things to say. After that, I decided to reach out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2019. The project at the moment is in a finished state, but I’m continuing to work with them on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a whole feature list in the beginning. Based on that feature list and the designs, we matched them up and found that all of our requested features were there. The design looked just as it did in the mock-up, so we were pleased.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very good at meeting deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of expertise and trustworthiness were the most impressive. With other development companies, I’ve noticed that some won’t tell the truth, but their team is extremely open about their challenges. They’ve even allowed me to participate in the problem-solving process, unlike other companies I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From my side, I don’t think there is anything I would suggest for them to do differently or better.

I was extremely happy with the all-around performance and the interaction with the team. We wanted to start quickly after the meeting with them, and they managed to squeeze us in within a month. It was pretty fast.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear vision upfront. Don’t take shortcuts on defining what you want. If you clearly define what you want, they will deliver on it, and they will also think for you to some extent. They have a lot of business-facing knowledge, so they are very helpful in that aspect.

Define your vision and discuss it elaborately with the team, and you will get what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO at Scytales AB. We provided IT solutions, mainly high-security identity solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

We needed some app development work done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coletiv Studio helped us design and develop demo apps: two for Android and two for iOS. One app is for the holder, containing an ID wallet for them. The other app is used by police officers or officials to validate the holder’s identity. They’re currently working on the second phase of the project.

What is the team composition?

We work with André (CTO), who is the project manager, as well as an Android developer and an iOS developer.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

They were recommended to us. We liked the timeline and cost of their proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €30,000 (approximately $37,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have demo apps but are in the process of creating working apps. Coletiv Studio is working to help us implement communication between the apps on mobile devices, from officials to holders. We anticipate high conversion once we launch the product.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We have bi-weekly meetings. Our communication is excellent, and we mainly use phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to find a more professional team. Coletiv Studio has been transparent, including us in the process. For example, they invited us to a QA session they held.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with them, and you’ll see their value.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're SemaphoreCI.com — a top cloud-based continuous delivery service for software developers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coletiv Studio?

We needed a good Android demo app to be used as an example project for our service. We didn't have any in-house Android developers that we could assign to this task so we decided to hire this team to build it for us.

What were your goals for this project?

Have a good example app as well as a clear set of instructions on how to use our product in this context.

SOLUTION

How did you select Coletiv Studio?

Coletiv has a public track record of practicing CI/CD with Android projects.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a kick-off meeting where the goals of the projects were presented and described. Coletiv had four main tasks:

• Build an example Android app.
• Document details in internal and public guides.
• Configure a CI/CD workflow for the app in our product.
• Provide feedback on our product from the Android developer standpoint.
• After a few iterations, their team completed all the tasks and we had a final retrospective call.

What was the team composition?

On their side, a project manager was leading intro and outro calls and was reviewing the work being done by the Android developer. We were also directly in touch with the developer through tickets, pull requests, or live chat.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have yet to integrate their work properly but the example app that they have built is exactly what we wanted. Guides and instructions that they have created for our team are very detailed and well written. The feedback they provided on our product along the way gave us some valuable key insights.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They have adjusted to our process quite well. All deliverables were on GitHub and their PM was in charge of reviewing the work, once satisfied it was kicked off to our team for our review.

We also had a shared Slack channel where we could communicate with the developer directly regarding the details of the app/guides or he could contact us regarding the details of our product.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They invested a certain amount of effort to really understand and research our product which in turn improved the value of what they delivered.

The example configuration that they have created in our product shows that they did their research and created it with the final user in mind.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At the moment I cannot think of any improvements that I could suggest. Everything went smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a company called optimyze.cloud Inc. We build performance monitoring, performance improvement, and cost-saving software tools for large scale client deployments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

Our internal engineering team is very focused on backend infrastructure and granular work, whereas the product we’re building requires a proper web UI, which we did not have the expertise to handle.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we provided them with very rough wireframes of the functionalities we needed in the interface. Based on what we gave to them, they returned some initial designs, and we worked on those until we had an approved version to move forward on.
From there, they implemented the designs in the build of the frontend using React.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager as well as developers from there end, although they shared some level of responsibility there because the project manager was highly technical and was always willing to get his hands dirty on the code.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

I have worked with Portuguese outsourcing firms and had good experiences before, so I asked a friend of mine whether he could recommend any companies there for this project. He pointed us to Coletiv, and when we talked to them, we had a very good impression of their competence and technical knowledge, so we decided to move forward from there.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of the project has been around $80,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around October 2019 and are continuing that partnership today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main success metric we have is that the UI performs exactly as we needed, so we are very satisfied overall. We had a very specific list of things that we needed the UI to do, and they have been able to provide all of those core functionalities. There are still a few kinks but we are working them out, and we are more than confident that the final product will be very well received in the end.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We established a joint backtracker and an interface with their project manager, and they kept it up to date with a calendar so that we could always see how things were going. That helps us to stay up to date on what items they’re working on and how much progress we’re making and went a long way in making the project go very smoothly overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The initial scoping meeting that we conducted with them gave us a lot of confidence because they were very good at making sure we focused on the right things. Their team makes great recommendations and isn’t afraid to tell you if they don’t agree with part of your plan.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Given the hiccups that we were able to overcome with them, such as the pandemic and a few delays due to elements that needed to be updated in the backend, I honestly think there isn’t anything they could have done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make use of their design expertise as much as you possibly can. It will really benefit you to have them involved in your early meetings, because they have great instincts about what makes for a great user experience. Bring them in, and make sure that you listen to their feedback, and you’ll be glad that you did.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and senior project manager of Backercamp. We’re an advertising and PR agency focused on crowdfunding projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?

We needed help developing scalable, custom tools to better present our services to our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coletiv Studio built a tool that is scalable, reliable, and compliant with GDPR guidelines. The team used GitHub, Prismic, and AWS to guide development. Key functionalities include newsletter features, automation, and APIs from Facebook and Google. The team makes it easy to work together. They translate technical language into layperson’s terms to help us understand everything throughout the process.

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–8 people depending on the current workload. The team consists of back- and frontend developers and designers.

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?

We were doing another project with a design agency that is also a partner of Coletiv Studio. We needed a basic integration for another website, and Coletiv Studio did a quick and effective job. We spoke to them about this project, which is much bigger and more time-intensive, because of their past success.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend €20,000 (approximately $22,600) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in Jan 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customers are quite satisfied with the tools so far. We can scale for more significant projects and improve our brand thanks to Coletiv Studio’s work.

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with Coletiv Studio through Jira, Confluence, and Slack. We had some trouble at first understanding Jira, but Tiago (Founder, Coletiv Studio) explained it to us. Their team uses GitHub and similar tools to track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Friendly and flexible, Coletiv Studio is an enjoyable partner to work with. We have in-person catch-ups twice a year, and we can talk about any issues we have at any time. We have fun working with their team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I don't have any complaints about them.

Any advice for potential customers?

You can reach out to them with just an idea or a paper brief, and they will help you figure out the best way to make it happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the manager at an insurance company that provides auditing along with many other cyber insurance services. In my role, I’m also in charge of testing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Coletiv Studio?
 
We hired Coletiv Studio to help us develop an Android app to manage insurance services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
 
Coletiv Studio created our insurance services management mobile app for the Android platform. The application’s purpose is to alert users of and protect them from potential threats within the mobile ecosystem. In addition to the app, they also developed a website for our company using multiple tools and technologies.
 
What is the team composition?
 
The team from Coletiv Studio assigned to our engagement ranges in size from 2–3 people. 

How did you come to work with Coletiv Studio?
 
We had worked with Coletiv Studio on other projects before. Being aware of the high quality of their work, they seemed like the obvious choice for our project.
 
How much have you invested in them?
 
For two months and about 75 hours of Coletiv Studio’s work, we’ve spent around €20,000 (approximately $22,900 USD).
 
What is the status of this engagement?
 
We started working together around four months ago.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
 
The service Coletiv Studio provided matched what we were looking for exactly. They met all of our expectations. I’m happy with the results they produced. 

How did Coletiv Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
 
Coletiv Studio is very skilled at project management. They use Jira as a project management tool. We communicate on a daily basis via Slack, and they provide quick follow-up. 

 What did you find most impressive about them?
 
Coletiv Studio made the project flow smoothly from the initial idea through execution.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?
 
There’s nothing I can think of that they need to do better. I’m very satisfied with Coletiv Studio’s work.
 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company produces compression stockings for medical and athletic purposes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coletiv Studio?

We approached Coletiv Studio to develop a mobile app in time for a medical convention. The app would show the anatomy of a human leg with all of its veins as an interactive 3D model.

What were your goals for this project?

Although the project was on a tight schedule and involved several technical challenges, we needed to produce a functional app in time for the convention.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had previously worked with one of the founders and knew of the Coletiv Studio's competencies. They were proficient in both mobile app development and its surrounding processes (e.g., communications, documentation, project planning).

Describe the project in detail.

Coletiv Studio developed native AR apps for iOS and Android. With the app, users could explore the veins of a leg through AR technology. One of the technical challenges was rendering the correct anatomical texture for the leg, but the team did a great job. Currently, they provide maintenance and support as needed.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a designer who created shared screens using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. We implemented the screens in both apps as web views.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Despite the short timelines and complex technology involved, Coletiv Studio delivered two, high-quality native apps on schedule.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were an enjoyable team to work with, and communication was very efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was agile and demonstrated a diverse skill set across several technologies. They were willing to go the extra mile, diving into technology that was still new at the time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, none that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a senior researcher at MARE - University of Coimbra, Portugal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coletiv Studio?

Our citizen science team needed a vendor to build a website and application.

What were your goals for this project?

The two solutions needed to support our citizen science project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received enthusiastic recommendations from friends and other companies.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Coletiv Studio did full-stack development and design for both the website and application.

What was the team composition?

The team comprised 10 resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with the results of the implementation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team was professional and met every deadline. We were always in contact with them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very efficient.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was little to improve.