Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

As a co-founder, I built an MVP [minimum viable product] that was the first on the market. Then, I transitioned to more of a business development role.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hakuna Matata Solutions?

We had an application that we needed to build for feature phones, which were phones before iPhone and Android phones. We wanted to build an application that used text messaging technology to connect with various web services like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn without needing a data plan.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked with them for 6 months to develop the MVP. We had requirements that we'd put together in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. They were working with me to make sure things were getting done. I was testing with them in real time to be sure the requirements were met.

How did you come to work with Hakuna Matata Solutions?

I started the relationship when they had just formed their company. I had met with the CEO and, at that time, it was just him and a couple other partners. I was looking for a software developer in India because I had a very modest budget. They were very aggressive in wanting to work with me compared to other agencies I contacted. They were very competitive on price and were very diligent in their work.

I had contacts with many different technology outsourcing companies in India. They were one lead of mine, and I found them by word of mouth. I made a cold call to them. Three months in, I met them in person. They looked like they were a solid company, and we brought them in on a retainer basis.

How much have you invested with Hakuna Matata Solutions?

The cost was between $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with them April 2006 and ended the relationship January 2012. I am currently not working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were a young company in terms of their experience in technology. Their model is pretty interesting. Their cost is pretty competitive because they brought on second-tier engineers. I think they did good work. There were many challenges with project management and bug testing, but they were very hard working. They were very committed to keeping us happy, but they did have learning curves along the way, and they learned much through the process as well.

How did Hakuna Matata perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great in terms of project management. It was a combination of Agile and Waterfall, but there was no real set structured project management process. They weren't charging us like a big company that had a refined process. I would say it was an interactive kind of project management where, in time, it was refined. Eventually, in 2009, they brought on a project manager to lead the group, and that made it easier to manage the team.

What did you find most impressive about Hakuna Matata Solutions?

They are very hard working. They seem to want to go the extra mile for the customer, which means they work late nights and weekends. Their greatest asset was their work ethic.

Are there any areas Hakuna Matata Solutions could improve?

They could have brought on some more senior technical resources that the junior engineers could lean on for help. They probably have that now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is called Simplogy Web Business Pty Ltd. It's a small digital agency in Sydney. We work with clients who need help in the digital marketing space. We primarily help these companies determine a strategy for maximizing their digital presence, but we also can help implement our recommendations if the clients need that as well.

What is your position?

I am the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Hakuna Matata?

My work with Hakuna Matata was focused on a side project of mine. I had an idea to build a website that would assist people looking to advance their professional development. The website would offer recommendations on skills and certifications they should receive based on their career goals as well as courses and tests that would help them attain those certifications. I didn't have the resources to build the website on my own, so I enlisted Hakuna Matata's help.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The website was built using JavaScript, and they built the entire thing including a WordPress blog.

How did you come to work with Hakuna Matata?

Hakuna Matata actually approached me first. I'm not sure how they found out about me, but I've done some work in India as a lecturer on digital strategy at several Indian universities, so maybe it was through that. When I first sat down with their directors to talk about the project, I was impressed with their knowledge of technical processes, and I was happy about the fact that they were a small company, which meant I would get personalized and customized support.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was around $30,000, which I think was a very good price considering the work I received. I think part of the reason they gave me such a good price was they were hoping to develop a long-term relationship with me, which I am absolutely open to.

What is the status of this engagement?

It is wrapping up in the next couple of weeks [January 2016]. The timeline is longer than I initially intended, but that is entirely my fault as I could not consistently give the project the time it needed for them to keep it on schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I'm happy with the work they've delivered up to this point. With any project, especially those that are completed with an offshore company, you're going to have some mistakes and bugs that slow things down but, in general, the project went very smoothly. I should say that things went a lot faster when I had the opportunity to visit them in their Chennai office. Overall, I would rate them as an SEI CMMi level three company in terms of their processes.

How did Hakuna Matata perform from a project management standpoint?

I managed the project myself.

What distinguishes Hakuna Matata from other providers?

A few things stand out to me. First, they are very dedicated to their work. When I would give them a task the turnaround time was always very fast. Second, they have very highly advanced technical skills. It was quite an advanced stack that Hakuna Matata was working on, and they mastered it. When I showed their code to a few developers in Australia, they were all very impressed. The code was reasonably sized and very elegant.

Is there anything Hakuna Matata could have improved or done differently?

I really felt they could improve on their processes and templates. I brought many of those things to the table, and I wish they had a little more in place on their own.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an international e-commerce company with offices in Brazil and Poland. We're primarily focused on selling health supplements, including beauty and weight-loss products.

What is your position?

I'm the chief technology officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Hakuna Matata?

We needed developers and QA [quality assurance] testers to help with the development of our custom e-commerce platform. We have a very unique type of platform with a layout tailored for specific products. Our primary need was for skilled Java developers.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Since we created everything from scratch, we had to implement the checkout flow code. We made it partially here, and partially with their help. They eventually dealt with all our code, and we have a big infrastructure. We also have a distribution system with several companies, so we have an e-commerce page where customers can see the product and go through the entire buying process.

In order to do that, we had to integrate various payment methods. We had to create some back-end support. We accept several payment methods. The easiest to deal with are credit cards, but we have other local payment methods common here in Brazil. These require us to check, from time to time, to see if they actually have been processed. All of this is integrated with anti-fraud and with our tax processing.

Hakuna has not done all of this work on their own since part of the system was built by our team here, and part of it by Hakuna. But, they have worked on most parts of our platform. They've helped us on the front end. They contributed to the checkout flow, the card processing, the logic, and so forth.

How did you come to work with Hakuna Matata?

We have a front-end developer here in-house who used to live and work in Australia, and he had previously worked with Hakuna Matata. We needed more people to boost the deliverables in IT [information technology], and he referred me to them. He told me that from what he could see, they did a good job with front-end deliverables and that I might want to talk to them. That recommendation was well timed since at the time I was looking for outsourcing help.

I looked at their proposal to see if they could do what we needed. I talked to them, and their proposal was fine in terms of money. A full-time resource in India was cheaper than I would have had to pay here in Brazil. This was the starting point for our partnership.

We started with one Java developer. I had a simple project for a new client so I had them write the code on that, and that was their first trial. After they completed the code, we carefully reviewed it, and it seemed just fine. The quality was good, and it was well structured, so we decided to give them a more complex project.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I don't have a total amount available. They charged around $2,200 for the two resources we had for eight months. For the five months before that when we only had the one resource, the charge was $1,200.

What is the status of this engagement?

We are no longer in business with them. There was no specific time limit for our relationship, and it wasn't tied to finishing any particular project. We worked with them for more than a year, and the relationship was fine. We expanded our work with them after six or seven months to include a QA resource. Now, I'm trying to bring in house all of my development resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics, or other feedback from your work with Hakuna Matata?

When we provided them with the correct instructions, Hakuna Matata always delivered exactly what we wanted. When they had the proper information, they would do everything right. However, due to lack of instructions on our part, they sometimes did not have the proper information, and we wouldn't get what we wanted. They try to deliver on what you ask. Even if they don't really have all the information they might need, they try to implement something and deliver it for you just to make something happen. That was very interesting.

I noticed they have very distinct development and QA teams. We had hired both of them, and I thought that they would be more careful about the quality of the code. We had some troubles and bugs toward the end of our work with them but, honestly, I think that's because we only had two resources from them. We didn't hire a full team, and we didn't hire any project management from them. They offered to do that, but we tried to manage the work here ourselves, and that didn't really work well. If you give them the proper attention, they will certainly do a good job.

We had to move from one domain to another, and doing that usually causes the links to break. We created a company that would be our URL partner, and that would actually translate to a final link. We had Hakuna Matata build the site for that company, and that is currently the site that receives the most hits. It is all their code, which was well designed and the architecture was excellent. We're receiving more than a million visits on that site.

Is there anything Hakuna Matata could have improved or done differently?

We had some problems with quality toward the end of our work with them. We started to find some bugs, and we had some problems with communication. It was getting more difficult for me to find the time to give proper attention to them. I would suggest that their QA team make sure their work quality is good before sending it out.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We’re a company that crafts custom software solutions for enterprise customers.

What is your position?

I am the head solution architect and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Hakuna Matata?

We needed to be able to design, develop, and deploy multiplatform, mobile applications. They needed to be able to run in propitiatory iOS and Android formats, and also have a more open wide-screen HTML5 based version, so anyone could access it through the organization, regardless of the platform they had available to them at the moment.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We were developing a mobile sales effectiveness tool. We started out by getting the design architecture right for the iOS platform release. This application already had a solid design from the backend, as well as from a user interface standpoint. What we needed was a group of people who had the technological expertise to be able to validate those requirements and designs from an iOS development platform perspective, and get the product to market. We needed them to assure us that what we were looking to do was, in fact, feasible, and be able to spearhead that entire development effort; everything from the planning through technical, staffing through testing and quality assurance as well.

How did you come to work with Hakuna Matata?

I’ve worked with several offshore organizations over the years. I was looking because I still hadn’t found a good relationship. There are a lot of challenges to blending teams, especially when you’re looking at offshore considerations, whether it’s how you manage timetables so that folks are available to communicate live when you need to, or how to articulate when you have questions that need answering. It’s a very difficult process.

So I was in another one of these cycles where I was researching, and I came across the name Hakuna Matata. I was intrigued by their name, and I wanted to know more about them so I got on the phone right away and had a great conversation about personal vision and motivations. We really connected with each other.

Most, if not all, of the prior relationships I’ve had in attempting to do offshore work have been very mechanical, which works in with simple projects. But it doesn’t work when you’re going to have an ebb and flow in scope, timing, and requirements. That’s usually when these relationships break down. It was really smooth with Hakuna because we were able to connect as people first.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Overall, project cost was probably in the range of $250,000.

Can you give us an idea of the schedule or timeline of the project?

We had put together a pretty aggressive development schedule of a calendar year, which had three specific phases in it. We wanted to deploy our iOS interface first, and then deploy our HTML5 generic interface. While that was happening, we could work out the kinks in the iOS interface, so that by the time we were done, we would be able to really hit the ground running in developing the Android version.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

One of the first things that was hugely important to us in selecting Hakuna was that we needed to find a team that was going to be willing to work with a development methodology approach that was not scrum, or agile, but a hybrid. A key piece of that, and the way that I like to get things done, is deploying a ticket tracking system. It was really critical that we had a daily cadence of live conversation across the pond, where the point person from both sides was going to be able to have that live conversation and basically do the sprint for the day. This meant that every day we were going over, what’s been done, what’s in process, and what’s stuck. So we always had the most accurate and up to date information about the project.

These guys were wonderfully responsive in implementing a process like that. More often than not, the other offshore teams I’ve worked with, for a variety of reasons, weren’t comfortable with a number of those variables. They weren’t necessarily comfortable with getting on the phone and speaking that way verbally. Often they weren’t comfortable utilizing a ticket system; if they attempted to use it, they weren’t sure what to write in it, so the information wasn’t necessarily actionable.

With these guys, we would never have an open queue of more than a dozen, what I would call priority 1s. Priority 1 doesn’t mean the world stops and things aren’t working, it just means that these are the most critical things for us to work on next. I never saw more than a dozen at a time, and each time I’d get up the next morning and look at the list, we were back down to three or four.

The fact that they would put together some testing support on their side also lightened the load on our side. We weren’t losing a day every time they did something where we’d show up the next morning and say, ‘No, this isn’t quite right.’ They were already taking the first cut or two at the testing. Their efficiency, in terms of the timeliness and response allowed us to meet our own deadlines and deliverables with respect to client work, which was really powerful for us. We never missed a delivery deadline together. We never had delays that put project success at risk.

What distinguishes Hakuna Matata from other providers?

At Hakuna Matata there is a real, true, personal interest their entire team shares in your success as a client. There’s a lot of lip service paid to that idea in both the American and worldwide IT services market; Hakuna Matata is one of the few companies anywhere that actually works like that.

These guys understand what relationships are, and they understand what custom technology is, and not just for some person that’s looking for an app. They get it at an enterprise solution level, because that’s the kind of work that I brought to them each time. That’s very had to come by. It’s really easy for enterprises to get sucked into the myth of just going out to any freelance website and find some hack to do something. If it messes up, I’m paying next to nothing so I can afford to pay five people to get it kind of wrong until I get it right. Anybody can try and do that, a lot of them do, and most of them end up far away from their goal. These guys really put in the right time upfront to ensure our success, and our client's success.

There were plenty of experiences I’ve had, as I was looking for good relationships, where you basically get the door opening offer. However, with many of these, you end up feeling like a hostage. It sort of numbs you into this cycle that looks never-ending. That wasn’t the case with these guys. I was able to say very clearly what we were looking to do, and they told me what it was going to take. Even when there were situations where it was going to end up taking more time or money, they were always honest about the situation, and I feel that stand-up character very much deserves to be rewarded.

Is there anything Hakuna Matata could have improved or done differently?

It’s often challenging to be able to keep tabs on what the availability schedule is of team time, being able to have the visibility of who could be available this month versus next month or whether there are pre-scheduled vacations. That kind of coordination is something that I think we all can do better on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketer of an information technology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd to accomplish?

• Building a Truck Booking App

SOLUTION

How did you find Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

Online Search

Why did you select Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

A web app for the admin to manage the bookings and a mobile app (android and iOS) for the customers to make the booking.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased efficiencies in material movement tracking.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

It was all good.

What was your primary form of communication with Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

In-Person Meeting

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

Great Support

Are there any areas for improvement or something Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of One Plug

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

One Plug is part of ADD BIO RENERGY PRIVATE LIMITED, a company with a strong commitment to sustainable energy solutions. With  a vision for a greener future, we are now extending our expertise to the EV charging industry. Our team is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and providing exceptional service to our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd to accomplish?

• Custom Software Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

Referral

Why did you select Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They helped in building the EV charging application software for our charging stations across South India. They built Mobile application and charger management system for our stations

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Charging management system to manage our chargers
Mobile application to our customers to initiate charger
Handled critical protocols of the charging stations

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Delivered on time

What was your primary form of communication with Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

They delivered quickly and with good UI/UX design.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd could have done differently?

Nothing in specific

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides MES Solutions

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd to accomplish?

• UI Solutions

SOLUTION

How did you find Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

Reference

Why did you select Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Hakuna Matata delivered the desired output using their Niral.ai platform in a timly manner

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Timely delivery and expected results

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, very flexible with requirements

What was your primary form of communication with Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their professionalism and understanding of requirements were commendable

Are there any areas for improvement or something Hakuna Matata Solutions Pvt Ltd could have done differently?

no