Vention

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for a software development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We needed to build a complex recruitment application for a client. As a young company, we wanted to avoid the costs of hiring in-house developers, so we reached out to iTechArt to create a MVP based on our specifications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The web-based application essentially removes bias from the recruitment process. It creates a job application form and various sets of questions based on key behaviors and critical criteria, improving the onboarding process for large companies.

To begin, we validated the business model with our client and provided a full specifications document prior to our engagement with iTechArt. We also worked with a local design agency to create wireframes. From here, we passed this information to iTechArt and they assigned a development team to build the MVP based on our needs.

With the first version complete, we're currently in the process of outlining the second and third iterations. We plan to create mobile iOS and Android version of the app and integrate machine learning and artificial intelligence.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and two senior software developers.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

We vetted between 20–30 offshore companies, but weren’t happy with any of them. iTechArt was referred to us by a business colleague. We were impressed by their portfolio, which included work with respected education platforms like Canvas and Blackboard.

We conducted a Skype call and talked about requirements. Their team was friendly, but also seemed to understand our project and asked the right questions. While other companies claimed to grasp our concept, their brief’s suggested otherwise.

We also appreciated that iTechArt provided a detailed project outline. They made a spreadsheet that gave a clear outline of phase requirements and a cost breakdown. Since this was an MVP, they understood the need to maintain a reasonable budget and were able to accommodate us.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between October 2017–January 2018. We plan to hire iTechArt to create the follow-up versions of the application.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the product. It functions almost exactly as we envisioned, and while there were some minor bugs, their developers addressed these issues immediately. The MVP has been passed to the client, who is now responsible for integrating their database before we create the second version and license the product out to larger companies.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

Their effective organization played a crucial role in the project’s success. We were very impressed with our project manager, in particular. She was professional, communicated on a daily basis, and answered any questions we had. She was also unafraid to ask us questions, if needed, to ensure she understood our needs.

iTechArt has guaranteed us the same project manager if we hire them to build the second and third versions of the application.

We used Trello to coordinate the project, and this allowed us to monitor progress in real-time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The benefit of working with iTechArt is that it allowed us to focus on what we do best. We provided specifications for the overall concept and knew that their effective project management could take care of the actual development. They're an extremely professional company. We saw a consistent level of politeness throughout our correspondence, and because they kept us informed every step of the way, we could pass those assurances on to our client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We spoke with a different project manager while considering a separate project. We found that this manager lacked the level of communication and professionalism we had experienced with other iTechArt team members. The specification document, for instance, was not nearly as thorough. They could improve by ensuring consistency across their management team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as detailed as possible in your specifications. Make sure the developers understand the project’s priorities and your long-term goals for the product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of a social platform that lets professionals within an industry connect with one another. It’s different from other similar platforms because the conversations happen both intercompany, interindustry, and intracompany—professionals can speak with others who work at similar companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We needed help with software development, specifically our iOS and Android mobile platforms along with backend stack development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we first started, we employed a mobile and backend developer at 15–20 hours each to create a prototype of our current platform. We launched after about six months and attracted investors that allowed us to hire the developers full time. After another six months, we brought on additional developers to scale the project and build three main features: segmentation, analysis, and personalization.

Users provide a good amount of data when registering, both personally and through third party APIs we leverage on the platform. This data is then analyzed to place users in cohorts that are relevant to one another. iTechArt helped develop the algorithm that does that. The output is then personalized into a feed containing posts from other similar professionals based on their divisions, specialties, and titles. In short, the platform provides segmentation and personalization with an analysis engine that was developed with iTechArt.

The frontend consists of what you would expect for any traditional social networking interface. It’s a node.js core framework, and we use a MongoDB and node-sql setup for the backend that gives us flexibility. We need to maintain latency on our network and app, so we leverage an elastic database for some of the personalization and analysis layers because it’s a tremendous amount of data.

iTechArt also developed an email engine so we can deliver emails in high volume to our current and prospective users. We designed the engine and they developed the backend.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of five—three mobile developers, one backend engineer, and one QA analyst. They’re our primary dev team, led by our own project manager. iTechArt provides a set of developers, and we interview and select which ones we want.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

I was introduced to them at my previous job. Another company was using them, so we decided to engage with them on a small project, and I was really impressed. When I started this company, hiring them seemed to be the best choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent upwards of $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in the summer of 2014, but the team has grown since then. They provide ongoing dev.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

More than 30% of U.S. management consultants are currently on our platform. For the industries we’re open to, we’ve gotten deep penetration at a quick rate. iTechArt allows us to iterate fast enough to appease user concerns, which isn’t possible if you’re a big company.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

iTechArt provides an account manager (AM), but we have our own project manager. The AM addresses the needs of the account and the company, responding quickly to our concerns. If we need a developer, the AM lets us interview a batch within a few weeks.

At a minimum, we have a daily check-in via Slack to make sure everything is going well. When we want to be more engaged, we’ll have a Skype call to discuss features for an hour or two. We also have one hour-long weekly meeting where all the developers review their weekly sprints with the project manager. In general, iTechArt works independently and requires little oversight.

What did you find most impressive about them?

iTechArt has a strong supply of grade A talent across numerous disciplines, which is important when you need to move quickly. They have high expectations for their employees, who deliver on time and are always professional. The individual developers are accountable and invested in our success—they want to please the client, which is unique these days. In many ways, they’re like an international extension of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The structure of their mobile account team isn’t necessarily unified. If you’re looking to replace or upgrade a developer, the teams are segmented so you have to specifically ask to go outside your team’s stable to find other developers. The assets are contained and constrained by the mobile team you’re assigned. They may have a reason for structuring it that way, though.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the project is from early inception to late stage startup, iTechArt is a great choice. I can’t speak to big scale companies, but I imagine they’d perform well there, too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Carlo Sansonetti. I’m the CEO of CGCircuit LLC, a video tutorial publishing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

After attempting frontend and development with our internal team, we hired iTechArt to expand our platform and complete the project faster. Our main product is a platform that can be used to publish videos or text tutorials. The site’s UI design is catered to teachers and students.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iTechArt provided frontend and backend programming to assist us with three projects in our pipeline that we needed to finish by the end of the year. Despite my initial apprehension, I was relieved to find I could entrust them with any task and expect great results. Two of our three projects involved an unforeseen amount of work, yet the team went above and beyond our requests.

The team not only helped us with programming, but also installed new software for our servers. After updating our website’s outdated CSS library, they adjusted the look and feel accordingly. They created an entirely new interface, scripts, and backend of the database, and the site features volume purchase and discount options.

During the months we worked together, iTechArt helped us mitigate an unexpected hacking attack. After promptly engaging a security expert, they created a document that outlined and tracked all the issues on our site, and fixed them very quickly. We haven't had any security problems since then.

What is the team composition?

Nadia Zhuevskaya [Account Manager] was our point of contact, and facilitated all communication related to pay and budgeting. We worked most closely with the lead programmer, Arthur Sianuk, along with other expert developers. A security specialist provided additional support for two weeks.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

My wife works as a marketing manager, and her company uses iTechArt. She recommended we use them, as well. We considered one other vendor in New York, who we’d worked with five years ago, but iTechArt had a better proposition. They were very well priced, and passed an initial assessment especially well.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested roughly $30,000 in iTechArt’s work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June of 2017, and our project was completed by that December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

iTechArt helped us establish the ability to offer volume discounts and volume purchases, which are specifically aimed at companies and schools. We've already spoken with three companies that are interested in using this option. I definitely believe that this development is going to enhance our capabilities. We’re looking forward to the new opportunities their work will generate.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was impeccable; we are super happy. They took great initiative, and delivered everything on time and within budget. Understanding our constraints as a small company, they willingly negotiated prices.

After we held meetings to assess their comfort level with English, since they're based in Belarus, we established that communication wouldn’t be an issue. Our point of contact was great at conducting calls. We mostly used Slack to keep in touch, and the team sent daily email reports. Each morning, the main programmer relayed what he planned to work on, and recapped what was successfully completed by the end of the day. During our six-month project, we only had about three calls. Everything was so smooth that we rarely had to speak on the phone, aside from invoice questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to help was their strongest asset. They were always on top of the schedule. I never had to wait more than 12 hours for a response. Innovative solutions made our process work better. The team was open, flexible, and willing to help out in any way we needed.

I was especially impressed by their technical abilities. Arthur, the lead programmer, seamlessly transitioned from frontend to backend. He powered through tedious tasks without ever complaining, and showed a great ability to learn. We requested technically challenging work he’d never done before, and he was able to quickly study, understand, and create great quality products.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you need to discuss technical aspects of your project, request that a technical expert with fluent English skills can join the call.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a founder and senior partner at Ramp Catalyst, which provides consulting for AI machine learning. I’m in charge of all product management and engineering for our development shop arm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We needed supplemental organizational skills and external resources to scale up over time with an elastic workforce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We do in-house development and work with other firms, including iTechArt. They have done multiple projects around AI, ML and VR spaces. Generally, we initiate a new engagement during the upper funnel stage when the client contracts us for a specific project. We interview their staff to select team compositions and project manage development ourselves. They provide supplemental support to our development arm for a one-time deliverable or different interactions of an initial project. Often times, the work is speculative and there are no known solutions, which requires intense R&D.

We worked on leading-edge voice agent technology. They recently built an AI agent with Ph.D.-level research and development skills; the result was a breakthrough for that industry. We’ve generated several recommendation engines for products in the VR space and are near selling a start-up built with iTechArt resources. Currently, there is no live project.

What is the team composition?

It varies, but it’s usually on the scale between 2 – 5 engineers.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

They operate in a competitive market, but stood out among our list of vendors when we compared their skills and financials. Also, an executive at a major company recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Engagement started December 2016 and ended November 2017, but they are our preferred vendor for future projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their skill sets helped us secure important cutting-edge industry work. We may be selling a start-up that we built with them. We’re expecting a 10x ROI if the sale goes through, which is significant for the minimal resources we put into it.

Additionally, they exhibit high levels of professionalism. I’m comfortable putting them in direct contact with our clients, which is unusual for our industry. The dynamic feels like they’re a part of my team, not outside vendors. Even though they’re based in Minsk, I’d be happy to work with them over a local firm.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

They are world-class developers that regularly deliver on-time and under budget. We have daily stand-ups for every project and use Slack, Google Meet and Google Suite; I run a “no email” shop. Using these tools, the team is flexible and can pivot quickly as the project requirements change often.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their engineers is phenomenal. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some native English speakers may find the language barrier tough. They speak English well, but I did recommend that they provide additional language training because it would help their marketability. Since I didn’t speak French very well when I worked in Europe, I’m aware that higher language proficiency can make foreign companies more successful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work closely with their customer support so they understand the requirements, deadlines, and scope. The more you interact, the more they can help your project. Also, the more you treat them as part of your team, the better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Tigertext is the premier clinical messaging system for healthcare providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We were refactoring older software in order to make it more secure, improve our DevOps and address some bugs. The primary goal was to move the software to a newer platform we had built. We hadn’t worked with an external developer before. We do have inside resources, and hired iTechArt to supplement them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iTechArt was integrated into our team, and given requirements through GitHub and JIRA. One concrete example of our refactoring was something we call our paging service, which is a Twilio gateway microservice. The scope of the project was to upgrade the interface with Twilio, and refactor the software, using modern JavaScript, adding a UNIX web and other similar things.

In terms of new functionalities, iTechArt worked on another project, a file-attachment feature. It worked similarly to managing an Instagram profile, and allowed for uploading and cropping images and posting them through a RESTful API as profile avatars.

What is the team dynamic?

Altogether, there were 2 fulltime JavaScript developers from iTechArt assigned to the project, and a business developer who helped manage communication, and handled the contract and invoicing. One of the developers was excellent, on par with our internal members, while the other was very good, but younger. I talked to Valerie, the business developer, told her what skillsets we needed, she arranged a series of interviews, and I ended up picking those 2 resources. The interviews were done via Skype, and I had a hands-on coding challenge using Codeshare.io.

I managed the developers directly, and we communicated via Skype. I generally entered tickets in GitHub, and usually synced during local nighttime. iTechArt was also available between 9 and 10 AM Pacific Time as well, in case we needed them in the morning. We interacted on a daily basis. I received status updates and answered questions regarding our RESTful API.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

I had worked on a startup project of my own 3-4 years ago. We had a big screening, since all our developers were remote. We looked at 20-30 shops, mostly in Eastern Europe, and some in Latin America. It was clear that iTechArt had skilled developers in their team. I met with their CTO, who seemed to be a sharp, technical person. I also interviewed a few of their developers, who were all bright, and had good JavaScript and C# skills.

iTechArt was the number one choice at the time, so, when I needed some temporary resources for the team this year, I went to them. They had many resources available, so it was easy. I accepted 2/2 of the developers I screened, so the quality was good. The developers were ready within a week, but the contract details took a bit longer. 

How much have you invested with them?

Confidential. The cost was reasonable. Every hour of work seemed to be productive.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the current project with iTechArt at the end of March 2017, and continued for 4-5 months, until mid-August.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us refactor and modernize 4 of our projects. iTechArt freed up the rest of the team, allowing them to focus on our primary strategic project, which was time-sensitive. We were working on a brand-new product, and didn’t want to distract the inhouse developers with refactoring work. iTechArt helped improve performance and stability on our current product.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always clear in terms of expectations. Anytime I assigned a new task, iTechArt chimed in on Skype and gave a time estimate. They never dragged anything on, were very clear, and, surprisingly, figured things out faster than we expected. We had some legacy spaghetti code which was not well-documented, but they did reverse-engineering and figured things out. We’ve had to onboard some new developers here, and there was always handholding, so I was impressed with iTechArt.

Communication was very good. One of the devs had perfect communication skills, while the other, although capable of speaking English, wasn’t as forthright. He needed more prodding, and to be asked specific questions. The time zone issue was the most challenging, but I’ve worked with remote teams a lot. ITechArt was as flexible as they could be, and shifted their schedule so we could communicate in the morning. There’s always a bit of a gap, and we have to anticipate that, and make sure everyone’s onboard by the time we go to bed, so that they can be productive during the night.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ability to reverse-engineer and figure things out blew me away. I was worried that there would be a lot of handholding and downtime, but iTechArt took on tasks with very little description of what was needed. I could basically spell out what the components and objective were, and, within a day or two, they would have a good start, and always pretty much read my mind.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As an organization, there isn’t anything I could say. The junior dev is working on improving their communication skills.

Advice for prospective customers?

They’re effective in taking on tasks, using highly-skilled engineers. iTechArt is good at scoping out projects, delivering on time and acting as a strike team which can jump in and sort out things, especially with less glamorous refactoring work. They were very eager and thorough in their work. The whole experience was very positive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a software startup that offers B2B solutions, providing a business phone number for your cell phone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITechArt?

The primary aim was to get a fully native application for iOS and for Android in time for our market launch. For that, I needed experts on iOS and Android as well as a testing team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iTechArt was an extension of the team that I had in-house. We started with the development of a second phone number application for iOS and Android. It’s a dialer app that also lets you do messaging. You can respond to your contacts via SMS and even send photos. It has dialer contact management, SMS discussion, threaded conversation views, and other features.

iTechArt selected the candidates for our team. I only had 1 iOS developer and 1 Android developer. I also had 2 testers from iTechArt who checked those apps. They also tested the website that we were building in-house. I included iTechArt in the daily stand-ups that we did with the team. Most of the planning and communication happened day to day. Our in-house designer determined what the screenshots would look like.

How did you come to work with ITechArt?

I found iTechArt through a friend who had used them before. I’ve had other vendors in the past, but I was not very happy with most of them.

How much have you invested with ITechArt?

We spent around $150,000 on this engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October or November 2016. The app was completed in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

All of our clients have been a big fan of the app. iTechArt did an excellent job of building what we needed, and I liked the way they structured it. Their people had the skill sets we needed.

How did ITechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered everything on time and within budget. iTechArt’s people effectively acted like they’re on of our team. We had a daily stand-up, which was a conference call with everyone. We used Slack a lot too.

They also have managers at iTechArt, but you don’t really interact with them much. I did have a local contact who was effectively my account manager. I would speak with him every 2–3 weeks.

What did you find most impressive about ITechArt?

There was no management layer between us and iTechArt’s people, which was a very good structure. Some of the individuals on the team were very good technically. They were excited to be on the team. Their developers also had internal support from like-minded developers on other projects.

Are there any areas ITechArt could improve?

The only thing I ever told them to improve on was that they didn’t really have candidates on the test engineering front. Their testers do manual testing, which is fine for some things, but eventually, you want automated testing.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with ITechArt?

I think they’d be in good hands.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m CEO of GFData Corp, a small tech consulting firm based in New York. We’ve been in business for 4 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?
We wanted to increase our capacity to deliver projects for our customers. We build a lot of custom software, usually line-of-business applications in the enterprise space. We do a lot of work with special services firms and some legal law firms. Many times I’m filling gaps between line-of-business systems, data integrations, mobile applications, custom software, etc. I do a lot of the envisioning. Sometimes on the development end and on the testing end, I have brought iTech in to supplement my team and help me deliver the project. They might also partner with my customers as their development arm moving forward.

iTechArt is my go-to vendor. I’ve been part of other software consulting firms since 2000 doing CRM and custom software like SharePoint websites, etc. I worked with a few staffing firms with limited success. In the business I’m in, predictability is important. I was looking for a reliable partner with whom I could work long term. I’d worked with other offshore teams but the quality wasn’t there. It took a couple of times to communicate the intent of what we were trying to build. There were mistakes, and we had to build that into our own pricing. The reliability factor drove me to find a new vendor and is what has kept me with iTech.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
I worked with them on iOS development and an ASP.NET program that was specifically to build out a SharePoint web page internally for a hospital network. We will have an Android phase in the future.

We collaborate with each other. We kick off a project with a face-to-face Skype meeting. We talk through project goals, timeline, and technology choices, usually with a tech lead and a developer from the team. I pick from some resumes before the meeting based on technical aptitude. They integrate seamlessly with my team. I’m the architect so I delegate the work out to the developers.

We built a mobile application for a hiring site to connect folks in the technology industry. It was a rough concept, and the client wasn’t very savvy with the design and build. iTechArt was instrumental in helping me build out the navigation. The app worked well and followed standards for the device. The developer we worked with took ownership of building something high-quality and offered suggestions along the way.

In the SharePoint space, it’s tough to design things well. I thought their ability not only to do the backend server work but also the frontend work was impressive. Usually you find teams that have one skill or the other. It’s good to see someone able to handle both sides.

What is the team dynamic? 
There are 1 or 2 developers on the team. In the initial phase, I’ll be a developer on the project, and then I’ll have 1 or 2 developers from iTech working on it. We can ramp up or down depending on the success of the pilot. I work on it initially while they go into training mode. If the project takes off, they would bring in developers from iTech.

If a project requires a certain technology that we’re using, and they have developers in that space, they give me resumes I can review. I can have a phone interview with the developer if I have any questions. I pick the one with the best skillsets for the job, and we do a Skype call to kick off the project.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?
I was referred to them by a contact I had at Microsoft.

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent between $120,000–$130,000 over the course of our relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in October 2012, and the relationship is ongoing. I don’t have anything actively going with them now, but they might be working with some of my customers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I don’t have any metrics, but my clients might. When I build for my clients, it’s something mission critical. To a large degree, we’ve had positive results, and the software build was definitely impactful. They produce high-quality work. I have worked with a firm based overseas that did work from PSD to HTML. I also did some work with a local group who was more of a premium partner. But now when someone approaches me with a project, I go to iTechArt when I think I’m going to close the deal.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?
I deal directly with the engineers. I will talk to them at least 3 times a week. They work midnight to noon EST, so I can talk to the developer at 7:00am to find out if there are any questions. I’m in touch with them through Slack or Skype. We usually have short timelines so there’s something new every week.

Communication is really important, and they are proactive in this regard. The tech leads reach out during the course of a project, and when I Skype with a developer, his boss will be there. When we were in the thick of development, there were times they would be on the phone with me after working hours.

They’ve never gone over budget, but I control that. They’ve always been on time or ahead of schedule. I give them a timeline, and they do it. If they come up against something unexpected, they let me know.

What did you find most impressive about them?
The positive contribution they have made to the application or software design is uncommon. A lot of times engineers just do what they’re told. Somebody who thinks about the bigger picture is a good team member.

Their ability to understand the business requirements and their communication, whether written or spoken, set them apart. The tricky thing in my business is that it’s complex both on the technical side and from a business standpoint. We’re trying to help businesses with complex business models. I’ve experienced painful situations with other companies that didn’t understand something but didn’t talk to me. They just built what they thought was the right thing. That’s the worst thing you could have when trying to stay on time and on budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?
When you’re building something that has never existed before, there’s discussion about how to do it. Although I felt they contributed well, there were times I had to push my point. They might take too much creative freedom with some areas of the project.

Are there any recommendations for potential clients?
If you think you need to hire a developer, you should have a good understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, what your timeline is, and what your budget is. Sometimes people hire a developer first. iTech works well if you have a good sense of where you want to land and how much time you have. They will ask you those questions anyway, so it’s good to know that before you start.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and chief product officer of a transactional marketplace that offers frictionless buying and selling of shares in alternative assets. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We set out to build a multi-platform application that allows users of all income levels to participate in an opaque marketplace. After working with an expensive New York-based shop for our initial internal build to create our MVP, we sought an experienced cross-disciplined team to handle all the backend and frontend development going forward, including the creation of a custom end-to-end trading platform and secure verification process for onboarding new users and handling investments. When we contacted iTechArt, we needed to continue handing off the basics and hoped they could improvise enough in order to make what we wanted and expand our vision.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iTech was able to take our basic requirements and craft a development plan for multiple releases of our mobile app and web app. They built a secure Python-based backend framework, our entire CMS and content-authoring system, and a seamless solution for quickly onboarding users in our iOS app.

They applied our requirements, which ranged from set plans including architecture docs and production files to conceptual solutions based on nothing more than quick conversations. Their team has been able to take everything we’ve handed them and deliver builds that are easy to critique, update, and build on. As our relationship has progressed, they have been able to fill in even more of the blanks. We currently utilize 2 engineers from iTechArt— a dedicated frontend and a dedicated backend developer—as well as a product manager on their side. We will be scaling up our team in the near future.

Both developers have a unique functional understanding of everything we’re doing, from start to finish. The frontend person is building our web interface, making sure that the functionalities we want are properly translated to the users, while the backend developer is handling security, CMS, and database elements.

Much of this project involves complex financial instrumentation, based on U.S. law and regulations. They’ve been able to keep up with what we’re doing, working within the regulatory structure of the United States. We hadn’t seen the same ability with other outsourced developers.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

We reached a point where we needed to choose between continuing to work with our old company, hiring internal teams, or going with iTechArt. I had worked on a couple of projects with their team before starting this company. I didn’t know exactly who they were at the time and had mainly worked as a designer, letting the business and tech leads deal with iTechArt’s team. We met them through a recommendation from a New York project manager of ours. I found out that iTechArt had worked on a ton of financial products that were similar to what we were planning with this business. There aren’t many dev shops, even in the U.S., who have as much experience with financial products like ours, so it seemed like a natural progression to sign an NDA, get their opinions and feedback, and move right into production.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with iTechArt 6–7 months ago. We’re also building a web version and some other components, but the app itself—its backend and frontend structure—have been completed.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We continually receive complements about our current application and how easy it is to use, which is as much a testament to iTechArt’s work as it is to our internal design work. We recently had to create a 1-off version of our app on a standalone device for a tradeshow but with a ton of added features while keeping it securely connected to our backend. iTechArt was able to turn around the additional build, and the only issues we had were related to the spotty internet. The application worked perfectly throughout the event, and we were able to increase our user base 3x over the course of 10 days.

It’s hard to quantify their contribution exactly, as we’ve been going through a show-and-tell process for obtaining investment money. Much of the PR interest we’ve received has been based on the overall design, flow, and responsiveness of the app. In terms of metrics, we’ve seen a lot of stickiness, longer session times, and people coming back to the app, specifically stopping on the screens that do the heavy lifting as far as aggregating data. But, it’s a consumer-based app, and we haven’t had a huge sampling yet.

In terms of launch, we are trying for a 10,000-user waiting list and are about halfway there. It’s an investment app, so we’re trying to convert somewhere between 20%–25% of users into investors once they’re inside the app. We have been able to do this with a small sampling.

The user-base now is in the low thousands. We’re exceeding the numbers we anticipated. Once we’ve passed this mark, we will be able to quantify metrics. I attribute this increase directly to what iTechArt has done up to this point. In terms of stickiness, return users, and their ability to invest without any fall-off, everything can be attributed to the ease-of-use created by them.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a Slack channel on which we communicate constantly, weekly Skype video check-ins featuring both our teams, and daily check-ins when the feature development gets more intense. We also speak over the phone to give quick summaries of our goals.

We send iTechArt wireframes and basic architectures for what we consider to be our home screens. We have back-and-forth conversations about their interpretations, and they offer improvisation on-the-fly for making those features work.

During a sprint cycle, we receive builds daily or every other day and discuss them over the phone. Our workflow is a living process from start to finish, not a set situation of having all the designs, mapping, and outcome completed.

In the beginning of the contract, we communicated every day. As we jumped into the work more intensely, iTechArt’s team became comfortable talking to us and vice versa, which doesn’t always happen. They stepped into a situation where sprints had taken a different pathway. Recently, we moved to a web version of the app, which is a bit different. We had the option of adding more internal developers or continuing with the main team we had at the time.

iTechArt has been able to step in for high-level problems that need immediate solutions. We can deal with a project manager for anything related to billing, changing the structure of the contract, or adjusting the amount of work we need.

What did you find most impressive about iTechArt?

We originally thought of iTech as a way to get from point A to point B, but we now see them as a team that can grow as we grow. We fully intend to utilize their engineering resources as our platform continues to expand.

iTechArt has been way better at meeting our expectations compared to our initial team, and they were more open to conversations. If any issue comes up, they communicate what the roadblocks might be and what we should be doing. We weren’t getting this from our first dev team.

They have a great ability to improvise. For example, we have changed 2–3 complex features around account balancing and put in third-party API integrations, as well as a whole new design into what we already have. Around 4–5 days ago, right before the weekend started, I sent over a design for the 2 developers to look at. They were able to mock-up something quickly, without even needing PSD or production files, and maintain the path we were taking. The ability to come up with these solutions on-the-fly, based only on some quick sketches and conversations, has been incredible. iTechArt’s process of figuring out what we’re thinking and coming back with opinions or half-built solutions has been impressive and very helpful for us as a small team with a small budget.

Our relationship has been cordial, and we haven’t had an issue aside from being late an invoice. When we weren’t immediately available, iTechArt waited and didn’t press us.

Are there any areas iTechArt could improve?

Nothing’s ever perfect. The time difference has been tough, but iTechArt has always been available through some method of conversation. They’ve been able to compensate the 4- or 5-hour time difference in order to get things done. That may be a problem in the future, but it’s a common hurdle with outsourced teams.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with iTechArt?

The more details you can articulate building the MVP, the better the relationship will be. We’ve been in situations when we had the luxury of time while developing in closed beta, and a lot of the work was based on improvisation and communication with iTechArt. If we’d been working with a smaller budget and needed to get something done in a month, I still would feel confident handing everything to them.

When working through a remote location with developers speaking a different language, the more the client can deliver upfront, the better the handoff will be. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of hotdot.tv. We’re a startup and have been in operation since 2014. We make videos clickable through an iOS app with a web client browser extension which allows links to be switched over streaming videos. When a user clicks on them, they can find out more about the item and if they want to, they can buy it online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

We used them pretty early on in our process in order to take our prototype and make it commercial, build out the backend, and flesh out the frontend. Originally, it was just the iOS app and then we expanded to the web client. They also built both database and administrative pages. They were a virtual extension of our team and they operated very much that way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iTechArt brought to the table creative ideas on how to improve the product, but they were mostly in charge of executing. We had a working prototype and specs for additional features. We also used Pivotal Tracker quite a bit for smaller issues. If it was a pretty big part of the project, I would write a spec and we had graphics and wireframes. In some cases, I would fly out to Minsk and use a white board. iTechArt was fairly attentive even with low-level implementations, although we did collaborate on things like the scheme and overall architecture. They also recommended particular frameworks that they felt comfortable using and I was fine with that.

They delivered a well-built iOS app and a good web client and web extension. I assembled the team along with them and each time we added somebody to the team, I’d have a chance to look at some resumes and give my feedback.

We also had a structure in the beginning in which a specific team leader managed the team. Eventually, as I became more comfortable with them and vice versa, I worked with the developers directly. The team size varied; we started with 3 resources and had as many as 5 or 6 at one point.

I had multiple contacts that I talked to, including an account rep that handled all issues related to business or contracts. Sometimes, we would all meet together and I would talk to the whole team. In the latter days of the project, we would talk either as a group or individually multiple times a week.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

At the start, I wasn’t inclined to go down the outsourcing route. The main issue for me was quality; outsourcing often seems less expensive than having an employee directly on payroll, but if the product ends up being unfit for market, then it ends up being a waste of time.

I talked to some other startup CEOs who recommended iTechArt highly. I’ve done quite a bit of work with outsourcing in the past and had mixed experiences. I had concerns about how much trouble it would be to work with a remote team and that we wouldn’t get the quality that we needed. However, I was pleasantly surprised with iTechArt — they always did their best to make communication easy.

How much have you invested with iTechArt?

We’ve invested over $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2015, and the relationship ended earlier this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The team delivered reliable work and did their best to meet their commitments. I would gladly recommend them and be happy to use them again. We were accepted into the App Store on the first try and had very few crashes reported. We’ve had nothing but positive reviews.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the project, when I was in Europe, we were only an hour or so off, so it was easy. Then, when I was on the west coast in the U.S., we were 11 hours apart so that made things a little more difficult, but it all worked out. I would talk to them early in the morning which would be their evening.

Everybody had email addresses at our company and we would have meetings a couple of times a week over Skype. I visited them half a dozen times in Minsk, so we worked closely together but project management was mostly on my plate. The developers did their best to estimate the work and to manage the project, but I think that this is pretty typical for other teams that I’ve worked with.

What did you find most impressive about iTechArt?

iTechArt seems to have access to a big group of talented and hardworking developers. Hiring talented and hardworking developers in the U.S. is not the easiest; it’s a very competitive market and it’s expensive to get somebody good. iTechArt made it easy for us to have quality people and if we needed to ramp the team up or down, it was straightforward and seamless.

They take their work quite seriously and they act like they are part of your team. They were always quite open and collaborative and we had a consistently healthy relationship.

They structure their projects in a smart way, which makes their team more dedicated. They get paid by the hour and behave very much like part of your team, which is the healthiest thing for a long-term commitment. It may not be the right thing for somebody who just wants a game built in a month, but it was exactly what we wanted. We wanted to have a real engineering asset, and that is what they were to us.​

​​​​​​Are there any areas iTechArt could improve?

Nobody’s perfect, but I think there’s nothing unusual about them — they’re a strong team. Everybody can look back and want to do things differently, but that’s been true for me even at Microsoft and other companies.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with iTechArt?

Potential clients will get the most out of iTechArt if they do their homework. If you have a clear idea of the product and an architecture already laid out, that’s going to be the basis for a good, clear conversation with iTechArt and less time will be wasted. If you’re building a product for the US market that has particular cultural elements, it’s not fair to expect that a team in Belarus will figure out what that market wants. The job is on you to figure out your product and product market fit.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder of a startup, along with a college friend. We have made a big pivot recently, but the initial work we commissioned with iTechArt was for an online tool which helped gamers convert fictional in-game currencies into actual dollar amounts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iTechArt?

Our goal was to attract a slice of gamers across multiple platforms and games, and bring them to the same place. There are many similar tools made by 3rd parties, but they tend to focus on individual games, and don’t necessarily have appeal to wide audiences. We would be focusing on the most popular titles of the day, and making an effort to pull those gamers onto our own website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked with 2 of iTechArt’s engineers to set up our web page from scratch. We met with our developers on a daily basis, and worked directly.

We had a rough idea of what we wanted, and showed iTechArt an initial wireframe, but they expressed that it would be more efficient to have their own designers work in tandem with the developers. We didn’t have experience working with 3rd parties, but we didn’t see a problem in going forward with just a rough wireframe. It was one long, continuous process of figuring out UI/UX functionalities, and making aesthetic tweaks on our end.

iTechArt built a functionality which enabled us to convert a virtual currency to any real one we wanted. More importantly, they built an admin page which allowed us to manage those rates, taking into account the differences from one country to another. The tool can group digital assets and calculate their value automatically.

It’s nothing that a person can’t do on their own using basic arithmetic, but there are multiple steps involved in the process, given that the point of a virtual currency is to obscure real pricing, similar to buying casino chips. Prices are often noted in a way which doesn’t make intuitive sense, so that people are less aware of how much they’re spending. Our tool takes this complexity and brings back a dollar price for whatever is being sold.

How did you come to work with iTechArt?

I was introduced to the company by a close friend who works for them. I would’ve had many concerns working with a 3rd party software developer if I didn’t have a personal connection. Because I had complete confidence in that person, I knew that I could take faith in his recommendation, and knew that I wouldn’t experience any delays of other typical issues for this context.

How much have you invested with iTechArt?

The cost of their work has been just under $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with iTechArt at the beginning of March 2017, and finished in late April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

There were many considerations which went into this project. It wasn’t that it didn’t go as well as we’d expected, but we stopped working on it prematurely. It was no fault of iTechArt’s, and, in terms of our own satisfaction, the platform did exactly what we wanted it to.

How did iTechArt perform from a project management standpoint?

I found them to be professional, fast, and realistic. The team gave us accurate estimates, and were helpful in situations when we didn’t know how to best display something. Instead of only building what they were hired to build, both engineers from iTechArt’s team brainstormed solutions which went beyond the official scope of their duties.

What did you find most impressive about iTechArt?

I found it fascinating that they were able to deliver whatever we wanted. There was nothing which went outside the parameters of their skillsets. My impression was that iTechArt handled everything we threw at them, even when it seemed different from what we originally described. Our platform wasn’t overly complicated, but there is a degree of specialization which goes into software development.

Are there any areas iTechArt could improve?

There was an existing degree of trust which came from my contact in the company, and the fact that my partner speaks Russian, so we never felt a barrier in terms of language. In a situation where there would be a possibility for mistrust, it would help if iTechArt communicated bugs and other issues in simple language. This is not an issue which can be solved, and it simply requires patience from the client. They can articulate themselves clearly, but it’s not the same as working with native English speakers. Other than this, we had a positive experience working with iTechArt.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with iTechArt?

We considered them to be a team away from our team, and iTechArt actually acted in this capacity in terms of commitment to the project. Some companies probably aren’t hiring engineers with the thought of having them on-staff for the foreseeable future, but rather for completing specific projects with a finite deadline. If this is the case, it’s better to be as certain as possible that the specs being put in front of the engineers are the same as what the client wants them to make. Any tweaks during the process will make things take longer in a way which can’t be anticipated.