Kultprosvet

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a writer for a tech blog.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We needed to upgrade our tech stack and move everything into a separate server. We had a WordPress CMS, but it ran on a super old template. Our hosting was expiring, and we didn’t want to renew it; it was not very good. 

As we grew our user base, we knew we needed something that would improve our site’s positioning and SEO. We wanted to stay on WordPress but move into a dedicated server. We also didn’t have the SSL certificate. We needed to do the change quite fast.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kultprosvet upgraded our tech stack. We like to give small projects to tech teams we work with to see if they can take on bigger tasks, so this was like a test.

What is the team composition?

Once we started working together, I was in contact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

I’d worked with Kultprosvet on another project and knew they were good. I contacted Anton (CEO) and Klim (CTO) on a Friday, and they were super responsive. On the following Monday, they put me in contact with the project manager.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $500–$600.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in April–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kultprosvet did an amazing job. I was really satisfied because they did the work super fast. They’re very skilled. It was a good experience.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was really fluid. They were super reactive. They also provided good advice and tips; for instance, we wanted some tasks done on a Friday afternoon, and they advised waiting a couple of days because when you work on migrations, you might see issues over the next 48 hours. They over-delivered, in a sense. The task was quite basic, but they didn’t treat it as if it were a small task.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a well-rounded team that knows their stuff. They communicate super well. This combination of having affordable prices and really knowledgeable people that communicate well is really good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The communication with project managers was really good, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to speak with the developers. That communication wasn’t as good. It wasn’t necessarily bad, though; also, project manager is there to handle the breach between the client and the devs. Their first language is not English, but I don’t know if they could improve upon that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Depending on the nature of the work, I’d come with really detailed instructions, which was the case for us. Our team is super communicative, and we do the work ourselves before going to the devs. Their team is really full-stack and has a lot of skills, but it’s better if you come with some well-prepared mockups, a road plan, and everything broken down to save time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Alexander Podolyan! I work for RDO UKRAINE, a leading dealer of agricultural machinery John Deere in Ukraine. I am a technical specialist. I am engaged in optimizing the work of service engineers who service the equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kultprosvet?

We needed to receive data from our service engineers in real-time, optimize their work and remove paperwork. To do this, we decided to develop a mobile application that would solve these problems.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to receive data on the work done by our service engineers quickly and immediately into our analytics system. This would save us from unnecessary work with papers, entering data with losses. We also wanted to enable service engineers to receive data on their tasks and their statistics in real-time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a technical assignment ready, but it was not completed. We selected 5 possible companies that were found on the Internet and had positive reviews over long periods of time. After we sent inquiries to all 5 companies and compared the approach, price, terms, and support.

The choice was made by the company Kultprosvet, the guys immediately established themselves as experienced specialists. They advised a lot and quickly responded to our requests. In finance, they were on par with another company, but the approach to the work of Kultprosvet was at the highest level. That is why the choice was obvious.

Describe the project in detail.

Our communication with Kultprosvet has been excellent since the beginning of our collaboration. We had several conversations on Skype, where we discussed all the important details. Kultprosvet immediately connected me to trello and slack. I was tasteful of all tasks and we had an instant reaction to all possible problems.

What was the team composition?

From RDO UKRAINE, I was the only person responsible for this project. On the part of Kultprosvet, project manager, two developers, a tester. Most of the time I talked with Anton, he was a project manager. But I had access to the whole team and several times we talked all together. This is a well-coordinated team in every way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application increased the speed of receiving data by 4 times. Data loss was reduced by 10%. Ineffective tasks decreased by 7%. The percentage of errors in the documentation and filling in the data fell to 1.4%. Response rate to customer request increased by 23%. Our customers have seen significant increases in efficiency.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

At the highest level. Any issue was resolved within a few hours. We were very comfortable working together. We used Slack in 90% of cases and this was enough. There was not a single time when our question was not noticed or remained on the sidelines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ease with which we found a common language, the responsibility with which they approached the solution of our problem and development. They are the best team we have ever worked with. The jokes were always on time and very funny, we had a good time when discussing the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not sure if something needs to be improved. They are high level professionals. In terms of price / quality / result - they are the best.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an online content company. We provide content in 14 languages and have more than 200 freelance employees worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We had been working with developers in India, and there were delays all the time; also, the development wasn’t good at all. We needed a company to help us with a new version of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We showed Kultprosvet our website and code, and they started to investigate. People can go to our website and place an order for written content. After five business days, they receive their content. We had been releasing a new version every six months before hiring Kultprosvet. Their first challenge was to develop the 3.7 version of the site, and they did it very quickly. They added a feature on the customer side and the admin side. 

We also have an app on Wix App Market that our previous development team from India had built. Kultprosvet helped us fix the app, which had a lot of bugs, in 10 days.

What is the team composition?

I work with a project manager and a developer.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

Anton (Founder & CEO, Kultprosvet) approached me on LinkedIn. I spoke to him over the phone and decided to give them a try after a year of being with the other development team. I also met with him last month in Israel. I had them start with one small project, and everything went very well. They cost more than the previous company, but it’s worth it.  

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was amazed that they finished the new version of the site and added a feature in just one month. I didn't have to wait 6–7 months for one version like I had to in the past. Then, we did some smaller upgrades, which they also did very quickly. Everything started working very smoothly. 

Their quality of work is great. The team is very responsive, which has impacted our work here as well, because time is money. I’ve very happy with their work.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is responsive, and he explains everything. If he doesn’t understand something, he asks. They’re in touch with me on a daily basis to check how everything is going. We use email and Slack. If I need something, they always answer the phone. It’s been really good; everything is transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their founder is included in emails and tracks everything that is done with the project. If there are any problems, he jumps in.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could lower costs, but their prices are reasonable compared to my own company. They’re very professional and do good work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on exactly what you want. Have a plan, and they will do it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a GDPR compliance tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

The tool started as a side project and grew into a full-fledged, cloud-based GDPR compliance solution used by four companies. I couldn’t maintain it by myself anymore, so I brought in Kultprosvet to help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Because I’ve had some bad experience with outsourced companies in the past, I gave Kultprosvet to small tasks to start. They knocked each task out of the park and were responsive and easy to talk to throughout. Their involvement grew from there. Kultprosvet recently built a complete feature module without any problems.

The team works on the tool’s backend—built in PHP and Laravel—and frontend—Vue.js.

What is the team composition?

I only needed a junior developer for my task. Still, due to a language barrier, I ended up working with a project manager, a senior developer, the CEO, and an account person. For day-to-day operators, I only work with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

I found Kultprosvet on Google. One of the main factors I was looking at was how fast a team responds to my message. Kultprosvet responded within hours to my inquiry. I never have to wait for days for a response.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €1,500 (approximately $1,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve been extremely happy with Kultprosvet’s work so far. They’ve made a few mistakes, but those are largely due to some communication glitches. I’m a busy client and sometimes forget to give them the full details. In other cases, the language barrier has gotten in the way of them understanding my requirements. Since we started working together, I’ve made it a habit to be more explicit in describing my tasks. After all, they can’t read my mind.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

Kultprosvet has been very open with the tools I’ve selected for project management. We use GitHub and another tool to track issues. The team always responds quickly over Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Kultprosvet has done a great job deciphering my code and replicating it in their own work—a very difficult task. We’re still getting to know each other, and I’m assessing how they respond when they make mistakes. From what I’ve seen up to now, they’re quick to acknowledge and fix any issues no matter whose fault it is.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The language barrier is by far the most challenging thing about working with Kultprosvet. I’d love to be able to manage the full-time junior developer I’ve hired myself, but they didn’t have the English language skills to make it happen. However, Kultprosvet handled it really well. I now have a senior developer for the price of a junior developer and access to a project manager for free. I’ve been impressed that they are so dedicated to finding a solution that works in my favor.

Any advice for potential customers?

Kultprosvet has been more than helpful, considering my exacting requirements. So long as I have the funding, they have my business. I wouldn’t think twice recommending their team. In fact, I already have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a small tech company. In our projects, I oversee client management and specialize in working with application APIs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We needed more manpower for our many projects, so we were seeking an outsourcing partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For this specific project, we needed to create an application using React Native and we didn’t have in-house expertise. Kultprosvet assisted in a large project that was for our client in Norway. It’s a car-sharing app, and we needed to smooth out car status management as well as its accounting ledgers.

Their team coded in React Native. While it was a very cooperative project, the app’s concept and usability are all thanks to Kultprosvet.

What is the team composition?

We currently have one developer who works full-time and writes the code for us. Previously, we had other smaller projects and collaborated with a QA person, a frontend developer, and a PHP developer.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

My colleague found them under incidental circumstances. At the time, we were shopping for providers to ease our workload. We realized that the coding work didn’t have to take place in Norway, where costs are much higher.

We’d previously outsourced work to different outcomes. We’d interacted with a couple of companies from Ukraine, Poland, and India. One of our smaller, earlier projects with an offshore provider went very well. On the other hand, I had worse experiences with several companies who couldn’t deliver on their promises.

How much have you invested in them?

We pay them $4,000 monthly, and we’ve spent around $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been doing a great job. I was able to save a significant amount of time by not having to learn React Native myself, and their work has allowed me to focus on other things. They’ve bridged the gaps in my knowledge, especially the iOS and Android-specific aspects of app development.

It would cost me three times as much to hire a developer in Norway, so I’ve been able to save a lot of money through their work.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

Kultprosvet’s project managers are eager to understand the situation before offering a solution. They’re very direct and forthcoming about their ideas, which I seriously appreciate. For this project, though, we’re just in touch with our developer. Communication has been very smooth.

I’ve never met them in person, but we have daily meetings and communicate through Slack every day. We also communicate through video calls and use Bitbucket to track any issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a cohesive team with lots of experience. Although I’m currently only working with one person, they work as a team when any questions come up. Relative to past developers who say yes to everything but end up failing to provide, they’re very communicative and competent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re working on it, but their team varies in their level of English proficiency. I’ve gotten lucky with our current developer, but another developer may not know English as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise you to have a project manager because I think this helped me understand how they work and what I can do for a successful project. Prepare the work for them, and don’t expect to approach them with work on short notice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Rejsespejder ApS, a travel company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We hired Kultprosvet to develop our website and mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kultprosvet redesigned and redeveloped our existing site from the ground up. They built a WordPress site and an app for iOS and Android. The team integrated the site and app to so that they can sync and show the same offers.

They also developed a travel deal alert for the app. Users can select different categories, and when there’s an offer that matches one of those categories, they receive a push notification. Kultprosvet continues to maintain the site and app.

What is the team composition?

My direct point of contact is the project manager, who works with the developers. Sometimes, I talk to the CEO.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

I found Kultprosvet on Upwork. They did a small test project that worked out well, so we moved on from there.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in January 2017, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been downloaded around 80,000 times. We have about 250,000 unique visitors to the site each month.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is mostly good. There are inevitable misunderstandings and bumps along the way, but I’d give them an 8 out of 10. We use Slack to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like having a designated project manager who oversees the developers and has great English skills. Nothing gets lost in translation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their QA toward the end of development could’ve been better, but I believe they have a new person in this role. When we received their work, we found a lot of bugs. However, QA seems better now.

Any advice for potential customers?

Plan your project out, know what you want to achieve, and communicate your expectations, so that there are no surprises down the road.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a freelancer and external agency that works for a luxury handbag company. I manage their digital marketing, development, UI/UX, and other tech needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

I brought them in to work for my client on a Shopify website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a rough idea of the UI/UX for a redesign of the site, and they acted as a consultancy. They reworked pieces we provided to ensure everything worked effectively, but most of their tasks were and are in development. The site is a Shopify customization and we created a total refresh.

What is the team composition?

For the initial project, we worked with an account manager and two developers.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

I found them on Dribbble. After speaking to them and testing their work, we brought them on to help. We liked their portfolio, and they had the right experience to support the project successfully.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost is around £15,000 (approximately $19,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating around October 2017, and we're still working with them now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new UI is more appropriate for the target audience, and feedback has always been very positive across all our customers. Sales doubled last year, and the site as a whole has a much better UX.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very good project managers. Almost all of our communication is through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We've had a very good experience with them. We trust them, and we'll continue to work with them. If we ever need something done, they always deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They missed a couple of bugs, but they fixed them right away when we reported them. 95% of the time, everything is great. They're very quick to respond when something goes awry, and they're a great partner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don't have any specific advice. Their account management and development teams are very hands on. Everyone is in the loop, and it's a very collaborative environment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of IraGinzburg Agency, a small boutique creative studio. We work with a wide chain of partners in long-term relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet ?

I needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped create a new student website for a global organization focused on Jewish youth education and programs.

We provided the wireframes and the designs. They created the documents with the functionality.

What is the team composition?

I interact with the project manager, the owner, and the developer on rare occasions.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

They were recommended by a friend.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My colleague was very impressed with their high professionalism. The timeframe was quick and there were no delays. Feedback has been very positive.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very structured. The project manager handled it all and I almost never spoke with the developers.

We communicate several times a day. We use Slack and emails. Their project management is very efficient. It was perfect and I have no complaints. If I need an immediate answer, I can send them a WhatsApp message. They are available on holidays and weekends if I need them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like working with them because it’s very informal. The informality doesn’t hurt the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

You must provide designs and descriptions. If you slightly change it, they increase the costs immediately. I would prefer that their price estimations allow for slight changes rather than cost changes while the project is already running.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of maketech.io. We’re a software company that provides software consultancy to different digital products and startups. We usually have a project manager based in Israel, and then we outsource the software development work to Ukraine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We needed a reliable software development partner to outsource work to.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Kultprosvet on several different projects. The last one was a mobile app for a pet food company who already had an old iOS and Android native app. We offered them a rebuild of the whole app into React Native, so it could be published on iOS and Android. The ISP is .NET, and we’re in the process of migrating it into PHP, step-by-step.

What is the team composition?

For a typical project, we have a frontend developer, a backend developer, a project manager, and a QA team. We also have a couple of retainers, for which I hire a couple of developers and manage them directly.

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

At first, they approached me on LinkedIn, and I assigned them a small project. During the process of working with them, I realized they’re much better than any other company I’ve worked with. So, I started giving them more and more work, and it worked out well. I’m located in Israel, and they have a few clients here, which helped foster a connection.

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we invested $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whenever I used to get a lead from a client, I tried to match the developer with the client. It was a whole process of looking for the right development company in Ukraine for each specific project, and I might have lost the project if I didn’t have a developer fast enough. I noticed that working with Kultprosvet made things much easier. They’re a company I can trust. I can usually find the right team to work on the project, and it helps me plan my whole year.

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great in terms of project management. They have great problem-solving skills and they’ve always got the right attitude. From my experience working with them, they learn your approach and work processes, and fit their work to your needs. They’re very attentive to different issues, and are always one step ahead; they always let me know if they’re worried about something going wrong, and always find the solution.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If nothing else, they’re really great at solving problems. They don’t have a typical business mindset; they think outside the box, and make smart business decisions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they could improve their QA process, although it looks like things are improving with every project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise potential customers to have everything ready before starting the project. It works best if you have the design and project specifications organized beforehand. Making things as you go along, with them specifically, is challenging; it typically exceeds the budget. If you work on the design and UX specifications beforehand, things should be fine.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and the CEO of Bravo.ai. We provide management solutions for mobile blue-collar workers, namely people in healthcare, hospitality, construction, agriculture, and any other industry where people work with their hands outside of a stationary production line. We use algorithms and other means to make things easier for the workers and more efficient for the owner of the operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kultprosvet?

We wanted to develop a system for users in the form of an app with a lot of automation and business process management functionalities. It would feature different systems and technologies coming together and working seamlessly, and we had a limited budget.

We tried a few companies before them, but working with them was difficult. Kultprosvet was the only group able to deliver this not too complicated but unusual challenge.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kultprosvet focused on connecting the frontend UI with the systems we had running. They were developing in React, and we had to invent quite a few components together. They also handled QA.

What is the team composition? 

Kultprosvet assigned frontend developers and project managers as well as product managers. There were 3–4 people working with us on different tasks. 

How did you come to work with Kultprosvet?

Out CTO at the time was in charge of finding a provider, and he brought them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost so far has been in the tens of thousands of dollars below $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Kultprosvet in late-2017 or early-2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were 100% on schedule with the delivery, even with some challenging timetables, and Kultprosvet was a major part of this. We're saving significant effort and cost by working with them. 

How did Kultprosvet perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. They were precise, honest on their estimates, and accurate in estimating things that weren’t easy to estimate. We came to them with all kinds of modules to develop, some of which were things we invented. They analyzed the work and typically made the same projections we’d made separately. They usually delivered on time. 

They weren’t reluctant to ask simple questions to make sure they understood the task. Kultprosvet’s members are confident enough to ask the right questions. There may be more questions than we expected at times, but that’s allowed us to avoid stupid mistakes.

They had a great contact person or project manager whom we knew we could trust to deliver our messages. We established different communication channels between our team and Kultprosvet’s team. We were delighted to have a project manager overseeing everything.

They have a seat at our product management table. We treat our outsourced contractors as though they are part of our team. We want to have a beer with them and not think of them as Skype or Trello contacts. This has especially paid off with Kultprosvet because they’re good people. They’re friendly in a way that’s not just part of daily business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a sense of purpose. They care about our success, what we do, and who we are, and the results reflect that. They can deliver on points where I’m not sure other companies could.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should make sure that Kultprosvet’s team is part of the effort and not just hired labor. Secondly, clients should make sure they don’t hinder the team from asking a lot of questions. This can be annoying in the beginning, but, if we start that way, the time needed for QA will be reduced.