Magora

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead front- and backend developer for a financial education company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?

We wanted to modernize our software but our older developer didn't produce scalable or up-to-date products. We didn’t have a team to maintain good development practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Magora delivered an overarching program to house all of our individual applications. They also built an application for us including the frontend, which has charting capabilities for all of our recommendations for users. The charts display notifications for when users should act. Their team also built features for recommendations to display in a table format. There’s backend logic to determine a good or bad trade based on rural sets.

What is the team composition?

We work with a main point of contact who liaises between teams and communicates fluently.

How did you come to work with Magora?

We searched Upwork for companies and picked between 3–4 to complete a basic project for us, which gave us an idea of their teams’ skill sets. The project was a basic charting application because that was a big feature of the final application. Magora won out of the top three choices.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

 We started the project in July 2019 and have an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted clean, well-documented code to read easily. I reviewed their code firsthand to make sure that they used the correct development standards. They do a good job of keeping clean, standard code, which makes us happy. We’re happy with the application their team built.

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?

We use a program called Mattermost. I also talk with the individual developers, a project manager, and the liaison. We communicate with Trello regarding specific questions about the development. Their team’s good with deadlines, completing assignments when needed to be completed. This helps my bosses who want to leverage the products quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The cleanliness of their code stands out. When we compared the top three candidates for this project, Magora provided the cleanest code. Their team gets back to us quickly, which is important. When their team sets deadlines, they make them. And when they can’t make a deadline, their team explains the reasons for it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only challenge we face is that Magora’s too in demand. We wanted to start the development of another product in February, but their team was too busy to get it started. It’s a good situation for them but their plate was too full to work on our development request.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as descriptive as possible for them. Their team asked questions and tried to understand our project well. They do a good job on the communication front, so answer their questions in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We founded our company in late 2018 with a simple idea: we want to tell people personal, powerful and positive stories that you won't find elsewhere. Since then, we've worked to build a growing team of writers, cameramen, editors, animators and designers.

How we work is also simple. We find stories through an expanding network of contacts and work to find the best way to tell them, or we make them up if they are fiction! In order to keep telling quality stories and investing in talent we ask members to pay to see them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Magora?

Mobile Application

What were your goals for this project?

Increase our number of subscriptions and distribute our content to a wider audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Sent via a colleague / friend.

Describe the project in detail.

Application to distribute our content.

What was the team composition?

Size of team the team was around 5 including a efficient project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Magora understands the entrepreneurial vision. They can strategize about what will be successful in the market, which is invaluable. They are recommended for all types of projects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Amazing - flawless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Super efficient and reliable with deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

A deeper understanding about issues that may arise as the project goes ahead.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a researcher and designer at AlphaRCA Studio, a research studio in London. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?

We needed help developing a mobile app MVP. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Magora developed our mobile app for iOS and Android using Flutter. First, we went back and forth on a feature list and product mapping to determine our budget and timeline. From there, Magora took all of our designs and more robustly mapped out all of the different user stories and journeys. We created a really detailed list of everything that needed to be built, how long it would take to develop, and things of that nature.

Once we made some changes to that list and agreed to it, Magora started building. We had an ongoing back-and-forth about potential changes to the product as the developers worked. 

What is the team composition?

I regularly interacted with an account manager, a project manager, and a business analyst/developer.

How did you come to work with Magora?

We found Magora on Upwork. We put out a request, did some due diligence, and talked about the project with a member of their account management team. They gave us some quotes. We ended up going with Magora because they were a larger agency with a lot more resources than just an individual freelancer. After looking at other projects they’d done and people they’d worked with, they seemed much more capable of delivering a quality build than other options on Upwork. 

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work with Magora began in July 2019, and we completed the work at the beginning of December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the app a couple of days ago. Magora produced a really clean build; our QA team found very few bugs in the app, and it runs smoothly.

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?

They kept delivering quality work, so I could be hands-off and do other things. I didn’t need to oversee them too much or micromanage anything. I was hoping for somebody who could handle development so that I didn’t have to be too involved, and that’s what Magora ended up being. 

We were in communication daily. We ran into a time zone challenge now and then, but overall, project management was good. Magora’s team was as communicative as we wanted them to be; I requested weekly updates, but they were more than willing to provide daily rundowns. They managed expectations around time, so there was never any over- or under-promising. They always developed things well and hit exactly what they said they would.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The efficiency and ease of working with them were impressive. The fact that they met our expectations without us having to be too involved was quite helpful. They didn’t just do exactly what we as the client asked for; they also worked to help make things better. They were proactive throughout the development process and used their expertise to offer advice that would help improve things. As a designer, I leveraged some of their technical expertise. They came through as more of a tech partner rather than just developers for hire.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of.

Any advice for potential customers?

They’re an agency, so they’re constantly trying to allocate their people as efficiently as possible. If you have a good idea of what you want, they’ll move on it quickly. However, if you’re still trying to make decisions, the process could be slower, and they might have to reallocate resources. Go to them with a clear idea of what you want, the budget, and timing, and they’ll be really efficient at getting started.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the development manager at a rural development nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?

We are working on a new platform that creates a more efficient way of doing international development work and needed development help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Magora developed and designed the website for our new platform. The website allows development professionals to find work or organizations or create projects that can get funded. There are a lot of opportunities for members of the site to communicate and transact with one another so they can create projects. Their team built the site on WordPress. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was our business development manager. There were two main individuals we worked with but they had a larger team of 7–10 including the technical and business sides.

How did you come to work with Magora?

We found Magora on Upwork. After going through a selection process, we narrowed it down to three top candidates. What set Magora apart was the feedback they had received on Upwork. We felt that they had the technical qualifications but would also be able to help us think through the business model. Magora had a good sense of how to make sure our model worked so we could generate funding going forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Magora ran from January–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are currently in the process of building the community of practitioners that will be using the platform. Our global board of directors has said that the website is a great first step for what we want to accomplish. Before we just had a static website so this is a big improvement. The board thought it was the ideal foundation for us to build upon.

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?

Magora does a very good job of managing projects. We had a very tight timeframe from the beginning and they were able to deliver on that. Their communication was very prompt. After every call, they would send a summary of the feedback and action items. Magora is open to feedback and adapts accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to take our ideas and concepts and figure out how they could be accomplished stood out. Magora consistently tried to understand our vision and translate it accordingly. They are able to take conceptual ideas and make them into something that really works. They would even map out specific examples. We were very pleased with the amount of detail they were able to extract from our concepts. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did have to provide them feedback early on because they use very technical terms that we weren’t as familiar with. We were looking for a simpler breakdown of the budget and let them know. Within a few days, they were able to provide us with that. At first, we wanted more communication between teams but once we let them know, they provided us with more insight into their process. Overall, it was a great experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend more time on the front end describing your overall vision for the website during the data collection phase. Don’t rush into the actual development. Magora shines in their ability to help you think strategically about your business model. Take the time to get the most value out of the experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

BarTrack creates revolutionary draft beer monitoring equipment, as well as providing managers with an inventory management platform that allows them to effortlessly manage their inventory and ensure that their product is being served at the highest quality while also minimizing waste. I am the Chief Technology Officer and am in charge of all software development for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Magora?

We were interested in creating a digital menu that allowed establishments to display what beverages they currently have on-tap, information about those beverages, and the corresponding price. This digital menu is controlled via our inventory management platform and effectively acts as a customer-facing mirror for the establishment to engage customers and decrease the time it takes to order drinks. Magora was in charge of facilitating all of the front-end development of the project.

What were your goals for this project?

We gave Magora freedom in choosing what language would be utilized for developing the project - the core importance to us was having a reactive design that updated the data being displayed in real-time. Some constraints of this project were utilizing an Amazon FireTV's built-in Firefox browser as the engine for this service. The overall goal of this project was to allow managers to engage with customers using a modern approach combined with our existing platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We discovered Magora through UpWork and engaged with them relatively quickly. Our initial contact with them was very professional and they made an effort to be relatable and showed an interest in understanding the problem so that they could develop a solution that exceeded our goals and expectations. Communication and availability were key determinants in selecting Magora for this project. Magora demonstrated clear written and oral communications and swiftly delivered an initial estimate after exploring the project requirements. They asked thought-provoking questions that led to interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing us to ensure that we delivered the highest quality product to the customer.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

BarTrack provided the design documentation, back-end API & Database support, and the hardware that the solution would be running on. Magora was in charge of handling the front-end portion that would utilize the API to access the database and then render the information on the hardware for the customer to see. We began our discussions with Magora by explaining the problem, then the opportunity, and finally our solution.

We began by presenting the information in a mixture of written and visual storytelling to convey our vision to which Magora asked questions to further their understanding. Once we settled on who was handling which elements of the project we established a timeline and work began. Throughout the development process, Magora's team engaged with us to clarify things, as well as to provide us with suggestions and feedback. When it came time to deploy the project to Production, Magora was available on-call to help address any issues that could arise.

What was the team composition?

The team's composition was lean with 1 sales / project manager and 2 developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The repeated successful execution of this project in multiple big-name establishments has been an incredible advertising tool for BarTrack since we are branded on the digital menu. Customers and other managers are able to see some of the auxiliary services that our platform provides.

Our customers have also observed a 10-15% increase in sales for beers that are displayed on Digital Menu as customers are more likely to choose those when they go to order another drink. An added bonus is the ability for managers to customize what logo they want to be displayed, incentivizing them to add bright and visually appealing graphic designs to represent each beverage.

Beverages that have customized graphic designs pop out more than their generic counterparts and further contribute to driving sales for that particular beverage. Not only are establishments making more money, but they are able to have higher customer throughput since the beverage name, producer, type, style, and pricing are all clearly displayed for customers which drastically reduces the number of time customers spend trying to figure out what they want to drink.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This project was very effectively managed with strict adherence to a tight deadline. Magora suggested that we utilize dedicated Production & Development GitHub repositories so that we could make iterations without impacting our current customers. We predominately engaged each other through Slack and were able to effectively communicate and address any questions as soon as they came up. We did not encounter any language barriers and despite having a 7-hour timezone difference we were able to maintain effective communications.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing about Magora was their desire to understand both the problem and solution so that they could make an educated decision on the best path forward. We spent a little extra time in the discovery phase, however, I believe that this paid off in the long run because there were no unaddressed questions and expectations were clearly laid out. The professionalism that Magora showed from discovery to delivery was unmatched.

Are there any areas for improvement?

One thing that I was a little uncertain about when we first engaged Magora was paying for work upfront. Typically other companies billed us as they accumulated hours or completed milestones - this is not a big deal, it simply differed from past experiences.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Humango. Our company is focused on creating a lifestyle comparison platform. We are aiming to create a community where people could be inspired by comparing lifestyles with each other. So far, it’s an iOS app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?

We don’t have anyone who is technical on our team that could actually write an app. That’s where Magora played an important role. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed the app. It has launched, but our internal team is still working on it.

During the engagement, we talked with Magora every other week. Each first week, we would talk about the project and the plan for the following two weeks. The following meeting, they would deliver a prototype for us to review. That repeated for two months. 

We sketched wireframes and flows of how we wanted the app to work, and we delivered that to them. But, we weren’t sure how the process would work since this was our first time working with an app company.

Mainly, they wanted to know what functions we wanted. Then, they would be the ones to design the wireframes. So, they re-did the wireframes and considered the UX. 

What is the team composition?

We communicated through the project manager. They have a team of people with everyone required to complete a mobile app (e.g. UI design and front and-backend engineers).

How did you come to work with Magora?

We contacted many different teams who work with apps, and we ended up choosing Magora.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $30,000 with the team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May 2019 to July 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think they are a really great team, but we had different ideas about the end product from the beginning. That was an obstacle we had to go through together.

They wanted us to communicate what we wanted so they could design it. But, that’s where the issue arose. Without providing wireframes, it was hard to communicate exactly what we had in mind. It was also hard to understand what they had in mind. 

We both understood the aim. But, the same function could be presented in very different ways. So, the solution ended up missing things we really wanted. Basically, we had to trade in stuff. 

We aren’t proud of the app that was collaboratively made with Magora because there are many things that we gave up. Without those features, the app doesn’t represent our original vision. It’s only half-way there.

We wanted to create a community, but people on the app can’t talk to each other. While users can see each other’s profiles, they can’t interact. That's a big problem for an online community.

People like our business idea, but our app doesn’t represent that idea. People are saying, “why is it missing that?” and “what do I do now?” So, now, we’re still working on the app.

Since it’s our first time working with a developer team, partly it was our misunderstanding. But, these are the consequences we have to face. However, they did perform well when technical bugs arose.

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager did well — they are quite a coordinated team. They responded quickly to the questions that we asked. We used Zoom and Google Hangouts to collaborate.

They had a set timeframe and deliverables, but there was room for negotiation. This was great, but it was also a downside because we ended up having to give up features.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are quite organized. I was impressed that they were able to identify errors and bugs in the logic before we did. I think they were constantly thinking about it. This showed that they cared about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s understandable that things will change throughout the process. But, the biggest issue was that we didn't begin at the same starting point. 

I would hope in the future, they will make sure of the nitty-gritty details of what the other team wants. They should make sure they understand the idea and how it should be presented. The problems were our differences at the starting point, not in the middle.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 
Potential customers should present all the project details to Magora and ensure Magora understands. Then, Magora should say “no,” if they think there is another way to do things.

This conversation has to happen before anything else starts. The future customer should do their homework and know every deliverable before starting the project. A general idea may be implemented in a way that’s different from how the client originally imagined.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a boutique engineering consultancy who prides ourselves on providing smart and practical solutions to existing industry issues. I am currently working as an Asset Integrity & Performance Engineer as well as being the Project Manager for all of our software development projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Magora?

Design and development of a customized mobile inspection system.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a fully functioning standalone tool that could be used in both an online and offline capacity. We also want to reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the amount of paper required to complete standard inspections.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Wide range of service offerings, competitive pricing.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Magora were required to provide the following:

• Mindmap
• User stories
• Workflow
• Screenflow
• Description of nun-functional requirements
• Two interface design concepts
• Detailed budget estimates for development
• Architect check-list
• Regression testing
• Environment setup
• UI/UX infrastructure

What was the team composition?

We dealt directly with two project managers, one was running the costing and admin side of things while the other was in charge of the development. We communicated mainly via email and through slack.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Development of the software is incomplete but has been going well. There are inherent issues with what we are trying to achieve, but the Magora team have been fairly swift with their responses and reactions to our queries. This project will incur huge cost savings for our company once we have a working system.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was easy to communicate with the Magora project managers and I had no issues trying to set up calls or Skype sessions with them when there was a pressing matter to discuss.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Easy to work with, quick responses and the project managers are always willing to assist where they can.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have fallen a little behind in terms of our desired build timeline, this would be the only negative issue we have had to deal with so far. Australian companies need to be aware that Magora HQ is in Europe so there will be a time difference, however this was not an issue for me personally.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We operate an industry leading Roof maintenance company! I am the Director of the firm. We have a range of very talented individuals that make up our team!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Magora?

We have been wanting to automate some of our workflow processes. the main aim was to develop an AI/DL program

What were your goals for this project?

The end goal was that the program would learn to detect the different products and situations within our industry. The end product would essentially generate the majority of the reports that we collate manually.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through the upwork freelance site. There were several similar firms with similar offerings, after many interviews, we found some were fake whilst others were genuine and professional. Magora fell into this category.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project required a high level of AI /DL experience, Magora was able to articulate what was required and the steps to achieve our goal. the process was well thought and intelligent.

What was the team composition?

There were several team members that we dealt with. First, it was the BDM followed by a project manager. There was a consistent theme and the Magora team would communicate well amongst themselves. making our decisions easy and with no fuss.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is not yet complete, however, the positive experience has wet the appetite to persevere with this tech sector. We believe that our goal is very achievable and Magora has mapped a clear path of how that can happen. Our business is yet to see the real fruit of this exercise, but it has made steps in the right direction, and that is exciting.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Magora team were effective communicators, they were organized and efficient. The project was mapped out and we were informed the entire time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Magora is a truly professional firm that has the expertise and people to deliver high-end programs. I have been pleasantly surprised and have no trouble recommending the team at Magora.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is an early-stage startup for artists who want to teach music. I’m the founder, but I also handle HR, customer service, and data analytics.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?

I wanted help building a website from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They managed the 12-hour time difference and built the platform from the ground up. First, Margora assembled a team of support engineers, designers, and consultants who could address my needs, ensuring the site was built the way I wanted it. In the discovery phase, we bounced ideas off each other, and they kept me updated on their work as they made progress.

Over the course of the project, Magora added features that made it much simpler for people to use. Now, it's possible for musicians to post their classes along with what time they’ll be streaming. They used PHP to develop the backend and Angular.js for the frontend.

I’ll be deploying the site on my own, but Magora sent me a very detailed guide on how to do it. Once it’s launched, the app will serve artists and musicians wanting to teach music. It will, using AWS, allow musicians to stream lessons for their subscriber base.

What is the team composition?

There were three software engineers, one designer, one consultant, and a salesperson.  

How did you come to work with Magora?

I posted the job on an online platform, and several companies wanted to do the job. I interviewed all of them, and Magora seemed like the right fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March 2018–June 2019. Magora has since offered to help with continued maintenance, fixing bugs and lags. There’s potential for the relationship to move forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is not live yet, but friends of mine say that it is easy to navigate. So far, its many features, including the streaming and subscription services, are functioning. Everything looks to be reliable, and there are no bugs yet. I’m not sure how this might change going from ten users to 1,000, though.

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?

We used conference calls and video calls that allow us to share screens. We’ve also exchanged tons of emails primarily due to the major time difference. They use Jira within their company for the engineers and designers to work together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered pretty much everything I asked for on the website. I’m very happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice if they could respond to emails a little more promptly. There were also several religious and national holidays over the course of the project, and the work completely stopped during that time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great team that can handle almost anything in the tech industry. I’d recommend being somewhat assertive and proactive in terms of communication to make sure everything gets done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at Insight Regulatory Consulting LLP, a risk and regulatory consulting business that helps financial institutions comply with various rules.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Magora?
Stakeholders wanted to create a web-based tool to help bank managers operate under the Senior Manager and Certification Regime by demonstrating they were meeting the required responsibilities. Ideally, the tool would have a logical layout, enabling bank managers to use it without prior training.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
We asked them to transform our product idea into a web-based tool. So far, they’ve built a prototype that we’ve been testing with potential clients. After the testing finishes, we’ll refine the product.

In the beginning, they took us through a discovery process to understand exactly what we were asking. They outlined the project plan, including breaking down our goals into a timeline with various deliverables. They also told us the price for their services. Throughout the development of the MVP, they focused on transforming the rules into a simple, intuitive layout.

What is the team composition?
Their team of 7–8 people includes business development specialists, developers, and project managers. Within that group, we have one main point of contact.
 
How did you come to work with Magora?
We researched various vendors, including reading reviews on Clutch.co. After meeting with several teams, we decided to hire Magora because they understood our goals and clearly explained how they could reach them. 

How much have you invested with them?
We have spent over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in February 2019, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve shown it to a number of potential clients, and we’ve received positive feedback about its accessibility and usefulness. They delivered what we asked for and more. 

How did Magora perform from a project management standpoint?
We’ve had no problems communicating over the internet since the project managers and developers are based in Russia. They took a thorough approach to project management, meeting all our expectations. We have regular calls and can follow their progress on Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?
They understood our goals, and we quickly felt they were a part of our team. They've taken ownership of their role in the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?
We are really happy with their work so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If clients are clear and detailed in their communication with Magora, it will be a more productive partnership. We held initial education sessions, and it helped ensure a smooth process.