KODA Kollectiv

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Surge Billiards and manage all the branding and image of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were developing a new brand in Chicago. Bringing billiard parlors back with a new twist of contemporary design and environment. This needed to be portrayed in our website design and feel. We tasked KODA with helping come up with a modern look and feel, yet give us the tools to manage the site ourselves.

SOLUTION

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

We were referred to Son by another client of his. After checking his references and previous work, we decided to go with him. Professionalism and prompt communication were two major deciding factors for me.

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

After coming up with inspiration sites and ideas, we sent them to KODA to come up with a game plan. We went through iterations throughout the project as we saw it in front of us. They were very accommodating to our needs. We primarily used email to communicate along with Google Meet.

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

2, The owner Son and a project lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the site, we received great feedback from our customers and saw increased traffic to our site over time.

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

We had daily email correspondence.

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

Their team was very professional, and they gave me advice on things I was not aware of. They taught me how to setup the backend so the site can be managed properly.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co-founder and lead designer at web, app, dev, and marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have worked with KODA many times over the years and me specifically. We have built many stand alone apps as well as apps that require a web portal or management system. One of the most recent apps that I worked with them on was a simple video library app that housed tutorial videos for a product that would be viewed both on and offline.

SOLUTION

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

We selected this vendor due to our prior relationship and experience with them over the last five years plus. They are our / my go to app development preference.

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

When running a project including the latest we typically provide a top level requirement sheet that outlines the key features and client requirements for the project. This often comes with a prototype created in Adobe XD or something similar that can provide the basic flow of the app. Although we had this completed by me or other team members in house I believe that KODA offers this step if you don't have it completed.

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

Typically we work with 1 to 3 team members for most of the projects. A project manager and at least 1 developer. Sometimes more if we need app and web work combined.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although I had since moved on from the company when the video app was done I had talked to my partners and they mentioned the outcome was great from what I understand from the client and we were happy with the experience as usual. This does not surprise me as KODA always has delivered based on my guidance and communication really well.

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

KODA always does a great job at asking questions and communicating well on pieces that are in and out of scope. Many times delays come on my end or our end because I did not ask the right questions or frame something properly. KODA does a pretty great job at asking clarifying questions as well as letting you know if something is in scope or out.

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

They were kind and not afraid to have a good conversation about the project or make suggestions that save money. However, if you need to push into a hard problem they are willing to do that as well.

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

We have had moments in projects where something was not interpreted correctly or simply a mistake was made. KODA is good at owning their mistakes when made and working to fix them as quickly as possible within the constraints that development provides. I just like working with them because the communication is good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CTO of Zeeno - a mobile app and web platform for on-demand local tours.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed design to development of a mobile app for both iOS and Android. We also needed marketing and administrative portals for signing up guides and tracking tour requests. It was a very complicated marketplace platform with location tracking, payment processing, background checks and multiple software integrations with 3rd party platforms behind the scenes.

SOLUTION

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

We hire Koda because we trusted their work. We had used them for smaller projects in the past and knew the people there were top notch. They had expertise in both technical design and back office software development.

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

This was a large complicated project. We proceeded from MVP to full scale production and management. MVP was produced is 3 months through tireless effort of Koda team and our staff. Went live with full scale production environment after another 6 months iterative deployment of platform and incorporation of user testing results.

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

Various team members numbers from 2 to 5 people worked on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverables were always on time. There were times where the team worked nights and weekends to meet deadlines. The team was always communicative of issues, results, and successes. The outcome was a fully functioning, high quality set of mobile apps, websites, and back office administrative platform for a globally scalable marketplace travel application.

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

We used agile development methods. There were use cases, flow charts, bugs lists and progress reports daily. We meet using skype. and On-line chat.

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

Most unique was the caring and consistent quality of work by Koda

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

Nothing different was needed. We were very pleased with the results

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a software development firm, where our focus is embedded development but often have need of things like web interfaces as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Over several years KODA Kollectiv helped across a few different projects. They were the main developer of a software defined video over ethernet control system for one of our clients in the professional AV industry. The goal was to hand over frontend to someone else so my company could focus on the backend. This worked out very well for us.

SOLUTION

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

I had interviewed several developers that I found online. After speaking with Kimson, I determined that he represented a company with an excellent skillset and high degree of professionalism.

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

KODA was essentially dropped into the deep end of the pool from the start, and did an excellent job of getting up to date on technologies and systems which are quite complex and have a high learning curve, due to a complicated problem domain (software defined video over ethernet, or SDVoE).

They were able to produce intuitive and functional frontends in technologies as diverse as C# / Xamarin, Angular, and React. My clients were always quite happy with their work.

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

I worked with 3 total team members, including the owner of KODA Kollectiv, a developer and a project/account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The SDVoE systems have been installed internationally in locations as diverse as ivy league colleges in the USA, the European Commission buildings, and elsewhere. There have never been anything but positive remarks about the work.

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

We would communicate over tools such as Slack on a daily basis, and have voice/video conversations as necessary. They were always extremely quick to respond and to address any concerns.

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

I was impressed with the breadth of knowledge and ability to become proficient in working with complicated and unfamiliar codebases in a quick manner. They were able to rise to any challenge put in front of them.

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

Whenever software had any bugs, as all complex software inevitably does, they were able to efficiently determine the cause and fix the issue. I couldn't ask anything different of a software team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Fluid Focus Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Phone app that rewards healthier screen time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KODA Kollectiv to accomplish?

• Develop MVP of app
• Develop flagship version

SOLUTION

How did you find KODA Kollectiv?

Referral

Why did you select KODA Kollectiv over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from KODA Kollectiv were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Koda were tasked with building an MVP and v2 of our app. The app rewards individuals for spending less time on their phone. Koda built the app from scratch, incl. building in screen time and app blocking APIs and family control. The app also has a functioning marketplace. Deliverables:

• MVP of app delivered to pilot the solution
• Significant upgrade of app delivered 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Deliverables of the 2 core app versions

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

The project management is excellent. They communicate well, and we have multiple calls each week to discuss progress and any issues encountered. They are very responsive at all times

What was your primary form of communication with KODA Kollectiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

I was impressed with their communication skills and ability to deliver the end product.

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

A few of the initial timeframes suggested were ambitious, but they did their best to work towards them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product Owner of Passit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software for gyms and gym users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KODA Kollectiv to accomplish?

• Create alpha app
• Create beta app
• Update app

SOLUTION

How did you find KODA Kollectiv?

Online Search

Why did you select KODA Kollectiv over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from KODA Kollectiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Deliver an iOS and Android app in React.The foundation and logic already in place.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

An app that Never met requirements nor would ever fully function was “delivered”.

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

EVERYTHING  months if not YEARS LATE! The management for my project kept constantly changing.

What was your primary form of communication with KODA Kollectiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

Nothing!

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

• Professionalism
• accountability
• work ethic
• communication
• skill
• problem solving

Company Responses

The vendor responded on February 19, 2024.

• From the start of the project, he was almost always unresponsive. The team would send an email and it would take him about a week to reply. He wouldn’t even attend scheduled meetings. Just a few months after starting, he asked to pause, and the team emailed him to followed-up, but he was unresponsive for weeks. The team was always held up because Client is slow to respond. (we have proof/receipts)
• He wasn’t diligently paying his invoices and he knew as he was informed several times that if he doesn’t pay, the team for his project will not be retained and will be open for other projects. He also knows (as it is in the contract) that he had to pay his invoice/s before work can start again.
• Even with all that, his app was delivered to him according to scope of work and he accepted delivery of software. The team has also provided support work for free when he tells the team about issues.
• Last issue he mentioned was in August 2023, there was an issue he raised about search functionality being broken again and we had our developer do an investigation on why this was happening. As per our developer, he had to re-setup the Elastic Service because there was ransomware attack because of the way his former developer set it up, it was unsecure. He was warned that it may happen again unless he upgrades the Elastic Service from Google but he didn’t communicate to us if he upgraded it. Months after he comes back again with the same problem but manager failed to respond as she needed her laptop fixed at that time (this was our only fault) and now he is disgruntled.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager of Exodia Game Development Outsourcing Corp.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We outsource GameDev Programming and 3D services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KODA Kollectiv to accomplish?

• We work together for Project SPARTAN RACE

SOLUTION

How did you find KODA Kollectiv?

Referral

Why did you select KODA Kollectiv over others?

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

How many teammates from KODA Kollectiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Game Overview
• Work hand in hand with KODA 
• 3D Game 
• UnityEngine 
• Spartan Base Sports 
• Endless Runner 
• Data Base(Leaderboards)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completed all milestones 
• Delivered Milestones on-time 
• Success Project Delivery

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

• Very disciplined when it comes to deadlines 
• Always prepared for challenges 
• They lift the team spirit when it comes to deadlines and challenges.
• Accountable and Responsible 
• Clear communication with team & client 
• Embraces changes and always looking for the best options

What was your primary form of communication with KODA Kollectiv?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Work Ethic 
• Culture 
• Expertise 
• Commitment

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

Non so far, Overall I'm satisfied working with KODA. They are systematic and they know what they are doing and what's for the best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder/Product of SindyXR, inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell improved healthcare by optimizing XR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire KODA Kollectiv to accomplish?

• Engineer a 6-sided Pintrest Board
• Walk inside the Cube in VR
• Make an MMORPG to play

SOLUTION

How did you find KODA Kollectiv?

craigslist

Why did you select KODA Kollectiv over others?

Genius level engineering

How many teammates from KODA Kollectiv were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We are building a life-long, never ending game to rig healthcare in the patient's favor once again. It involves openAPI with dozens of wearables, a mobile app to connect the player to their avatar and track their emotional quotient with games such as 20Questions. It encompasses Augmented Reality glasses such as the NReal and HTC Vive as well as Virtual Reality goggles such as PICO Neo3 and Oculus Quest 2.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We made lots of money building hospitals in the many-verses.

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

This was challenging. Our requirements were broad and entailed building something that did not exist but it has now been 6+ years and KODA Kollectiv never gave up on it.

What was your primary form of communication with KODA Kollectiv?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Kimson.

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

They need more UNITY Game Engine devs to build out SindyCUBEs indefinitely.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO/Founder based in NYC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Backend and SaaS support.

SOLUTION

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

I was given a recommendation by a colleague.

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

I provided the UX/UI and they were able to build the app.

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

I essentially had two product manangers who would give me daily (M-F) updates of their progress.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were very efficient and communicative throughout the entire process.

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

Very efficient and concise with daily communication.

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

I appreciated their attention to detail and ability to fill in the project's gaps.

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

No it was great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the technical director of a fine art school in Los Angeles, California that provides art education for children and teens.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

our company hired KODA to build a customer facing attendance and scheduling portal.

SOLUTION

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

Communication and resources were deciding factors. KODA was able to deliver round the clock support and provide cost effective solutions that met our needs.

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

SSL, Database management, payment integration and communication were all major aspects of this project.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact and we had a team of several devs updating the site and providing detailed notes that we could track and comment on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This solution is expected to increase our efficiency 50%

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

We created a schedule where we would provide feedback and see the feedback implemented quickly through a private site that KODA created for us.

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

Kimson impressed me from our first conversation, we have a pipeline of projects that we will continue to use KODA for.

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

We are having a great experience with them and look forward to continuing the relationship.