Netguru

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at Joystream, a blockchain streaming DAO (decentralized autonomous organization).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We've worked on several projects for our video streaming service platform. For this project, we needed help with platform design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru's designers are working with us under an outsourced model — they're an integral part of our team. Their designs are based on the brief we give them, but they create them from scratch.

Our product is a video streaming platform where creators can create a channel, upload and publish videos, and then mint NFTs from the videos and put them on the marketplace. They can either put them on auction or create a sale and then sell them to a range of interested individuals. The sales happen with our native token called Joy.

Regarding technologies, we've built our blockchain on Substrate and the frontend on React. We're also using a query node for the backend, a graph QL query engine that indexes and reads the data from the blockchain and makes it possible for the frontend application to display the data via de API.

What is the team composition?

We started working with a team of four, and then we scaled down to fewer individuals — a senior designer and a lead designer. 

How did you come to work with Netguru?

They were already with us by the time I joined the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched yet because we're still in the beta phase, but general feedback has been amazing. We couldn't be happier with their communication, deliverables, and depth and breadth of their research and design thinking.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent with project management; we use ZenHub, which is a browser extension for GitHub. We've also used Figma for the designs and Mural boards for chart creation. For communication, we use Slack and Tandem.

Their team has shown consistent and extremely high-quality output and excellent communication throughout the project, and it's been a pleasure working with them. I can highlight their flexibility in adopting a process that works for us based on real user feedback, collaborating with our community, and doing top-notch design work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism, quality of work, and communication are the strengths of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think they can improve on anything — they're doing a perfect job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't think twice and go with Netguru; you'll be happy and confident about your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a company that offers B2B solutions for accounts payable automation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We leverage Netguru to grow our team and for them to do outsourced projects when we don’t want to distract our core team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru provides us with development staff augmentation. We use them on a team extension model where we give them specifications for certain positions, and they look for engineers for us. Then, we do an interview with the candidates, select them, and mix them with our existing team. We treat these engineers like in-house teammates, and they work remotely. 

We've done many projects with them, such as UI design. Currently, they're helping us build a mobile app, which we've fully outsourced to Netguru. We've provided the specifications and designs, and they're in charge of the entire implementation process. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with around 20 people from Netguru, mostly senior engineers. 

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I found them through a recommendation. An established company I trusted was using Netguru, and they'd already done a background check on the team. Additionally, I heard about Netguru from different sources. We did an RFP, and they came first, far ahead of second place. 

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our first KPI is the time to hire, and Netguru provides candidates often and very fast. Another KPI is the retention of candidates. Our Netguru teammates stay as long ass our in-house engineers. 

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give their project management a good grade. Although teammates sometimes change, we usually have one person we work closely with. We use Slack for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

On all levels, starting with the engineering and design product, the Netguru team is pretty fit. They have a good recruitment process and bring in good talent. We’ve done different projects with them, and we’re satisfied with the seniority they provide at an engineering level. Overall, Netguru is professional and delivers on their promises.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think they need to improve anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend Netguru to my friends and whoever needs these services. The only thing to consider is that they’re in a higher price range, so if you’re price-sensitive and not very time-sensitive, they might not be the best option. However, if you want to start quickly and not have a problem with engineer retention or delivery times, go with Netguru.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product at Aspit, a Norweigian company that provides healthcare professionals with electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems. We mainly support professionals in physical therapy, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and anyone else working in the area of therapy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We needed help with UI/UX design because we didn’t have any internal designers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru helps us with our UI/UX design projects. For example, they designed the workflow of our EMR system. We’re also developing a web app, and they’re doing all the workflow designs. Additionally, they’re designing the buttons and making a style guide.

This web app is a patient booking portal. On it, patients will be able to book their online appointments with their therapists, and they will be able to use this app on their cell phones, tablets, or web browsers. Additionally, it will be available for iOS and Android.

Aside from that, Netguru is also designing a journal system, and we have a maintenance agreement with them for one of our products.

Last year, they helped us with a development project as well, but we decided to go in another direction. We stopped that part of the project and only use them as designers now. However, this wasn’t a reflection on them; we just had to change the sequence in which we were delivering the product.

What is the team composition?

Over the last year, we’ve worked with two designers from Netguru. Before closing down the development project, we also worked with three developers, a QA, and a team lead.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I wasn’t working for this company when they brought Netguru in. However, I know that they were working with a company based in Sri Lanka, and they wanted somebody closer to Norway, in the same time zone, and with a similar culture.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend €20,000–€30,000 (approximately $23,000–$35,000 USD) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Netguru redesigned our system’s workflow and UX, and now, it’s very user-friendly, easy to understand, and easy to manage. The product that we’re currently developing is quite new to the market, and we’re gaining new customers weekly. So far, the feedback has been really good, and our customers are happy. Overall, we’re really happy with their designs.

Additionally, Netguru has really great design resources; I’m very thrilled to be working with them. They’re very professional, and they have a great eye for design.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Netguru’s project management is very good; we’re very pleased with them. They’re easy to work with, and they deliver on time. We communicate through Slack, and they have their own Jira board set up so that it’s easy to manage which stories are being worked on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Netguru is very professional, organized, and polite, and they give great feedback on our plans.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re really satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Stay close to the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cleve Kennelly: I’m the COO of Hivewyre, a digital advertising company.

Joey Lake: I’m the manager of our area’s ad ops. I work closely with Netguru’s team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

CK: We needed them to handle our engineering and development efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CK: Netguru manages the front- and backend of our existing internal system. They address any technical issues that can impede its performance and focus on refining our data system and UI, which our internal team uses for our advertising campaigns.

JL: They’ve conducted a discovery process to go over our platform and determine any vulnerabilities or areas that need major updates. After that, they’ve presented their findings and suggestions to improve its quality, appearance, and performance. 

Upon securing our approval, Netguru’s team then modernized our outdated UI with a new coding language and upgraded our existing features. They’ve relied on Python to improve our interface and prevent any potential security issues.

We’ve recently decided to build a software program for our clients, and Netguru is in charge of developing that platform. They’re currently working on its backend, and the entire software is set to come to fruition soon.

What is the team composition?

JL: We mainly work with Dominik (Senior Discovery Consultant), our head developer. At any given time, we’ve worked with a team of 3–4 resources from Netguru’s team, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

CK: We acquired Netguru as an offshore team through some ownership changes.

JL: We already worked with Dominik before we acquired them and eventually transitioned to rely on their entire team’s services.

How much have you invested with them?

CK: Their current monthly service fee amounts to $12,650, while we paid them $11,000 a month last year.

What is the status of this engagement?

CK: Our ongoing engagement with Netguru kicked off in October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

JL: One of the highlights of Netguru’s work is their successful code work, which has evidently modernized our outdated interface. Their overhaul has resulted in a more secure platform — we’re more confident to use it now because there are no risks that can compromise its safety.

Additionally, Netguru ensures the continuity of our system and business with their efficient maintenance services, and they generate helpful suggestions to help us refine our existing methodologies.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

JL: We rely on Jira for project management. Netguru has a structured workflow, which we find efficient as it helps us stay in the loop and track their weekly progress. They’re also highly responsive, and they immediately resolve any issues that we raise — we don’t consider our time zone differences challenging because of their approach.

While I personally wish the project has progressed faster, I know that development work takes time, and engaging an offshore team is another challenge.

CK: Netguru has accomplished our project requirements within the timelines we’ve set. We’re extremely satisfied with their team’s performance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

JL: What stands out about Netguru is their orderly work structure — Dominik has already impressed us with this quality when we’ve solely worked with him, but it’s noteworthy to see Netguru exhibit this as a team. Additionally, their flexibility and professionalism unfailingly meet our timelines, needs, and budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

JL: I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Netguru has been a very flexible and timeline-oriented partner that strives to overcome our time zone differences, and we’re just thankful to have them on board.

CK: Netguru’s most recent price increase has surprised me, so I’ve quickly expressed my sentiments to their team. However, they’ve responded well to my feedback, so we’ve already resolved that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

CK: Make the most of your engagement with Netguru by communicating with their team regularly — this is important in any partnership that deals with time zone differences.

JL: Know what you’re getting into, and pay attention to their suggestions and ideas to make for a harmonious partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product development for a company that creates sensor technology. We currently focus on the boating industry, making sensors to monitor boats for private users and professionals. This monitoring includes data like movement, water level, and more.

We’ve been working since 2018, so we’re still growing. Currently, we have 12 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

Our data is transferred from our hardware to the cloud, so we needed to create an interface to present that data to our customers in a user-friendly but detailed way. Thus, we hired Netguru to help us with app development for iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, I gave Netguru the scope of work and the app’s designs that we had previously done with the help of another team. They then reviewed everything and gave me a budgetary estimate. They also told me if the timeline was accurate or if it needed adjustments.

Netguru then developed two native apps for us, one for iOS and one for Android. With this app, our users can monitor their boats from home while they’re docked. The app displays data collected by our sensors so that users can know if their boat is getting flooded or stolen or if their batteries are being drained.

Netguru also implemented analytics for us, so we now can use Google and Firebase Analytics to know the statistics of our apps.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four people from Netguru on a daily basis: Sebastian (Project Manager & PM Team Leader), an Android developer, an iOS developer, and a QA person. We also worked with Aleksandre (Account Manager), whom I frequently spoke to.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I didn’t find Netguru myself — someone else did. I have no idea how we found them, but I know this is our second time working with them. We didn’t want to start from scratch with a new company, so we brought them again.

They already had a good understanding of our products, and we had a good relationship with the project and the account managers. When I met Aleksandre, he was very confident that they would deliver.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €80,000 (approximately $95,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2021, and we wrapped up the project in September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As we just recently launched the app, we don’t have metrics or statistics that speak about the quality of Netguru’s work. However, I can say that they did a great job, and they were very patient throughout the project.

Although I have a good technical understanding, I’m not a developer myself. Thus, there were things that they explained to me twice, and they didn’t give up until I understood everything clearly.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Netguru’s communication was one of the best parts of working with them. They didn’t procrastinate, and they were great at following up with me. They knew that I was busy, but they politely reached out to me when they needed something from me until they got my answer.

Additionally, Sebastian was very organized, and he built a very good relationship with our team; he was definitely a bridge builder. He also did a great job handling the day-to-day project management.

We used Slack as our communication tool, which went really well. However, as we only had one shared channel, the conversation got a bit messy. We also used ClickUp to manage the project.

I know that Netguru uses Jira because they used it for the previous project with my company, but this time I asked them to use ClickUp because that was the tool we used internally. I also told them that if it was more efficient for them to use Jira, we could have done that, but they agreed to keep using ClickUp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Netguru cares about their work. For example, I knew about some bugs on the iOS app, and I told the team to prioritize them in order of importance. I put one particular bug at the end of the list and told them that we couldn’t spend time solving it. However, the iOS developer told me that he would fix it because he was responsible for it. This said a lot about their great work; they committed to deliver something they were proud of and not something unfinished or with bugs.

Netguru also ensured that we delivered a great UX to our customers. We had a UX design process before developing the apps, but some things didn’t turn out as expected. However, they gave us great feedback to improve the UX. Sometimes we made the changes, and other times we stuck to what we had scoped, but the important part was that they were able to give us that feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have much constructive feedback for them. I know that some of the challenges occurred because we didn’t have time to focus on this project as much as they needed us to. If anything, I think that Sebastian could have been more strict with me.

On the other hand, they could have reduced the time for the meetings, especially since we met on a daily basis. Half-an-hour meetings were too long, and 15 minutes would have sufficed.

Additionally, it would have been good if the QA person had suggested that we test the app earlier. We invited some people to test the app when it was almost done, and they found a lot of things that could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to fully scope your project; don’t leave any loose ends behind. You need to have everything in place, including your requirements, use cases, and user stories. Additionally, make sure that you have the time to work on a project like this; it will require your involvement on a daily basis.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm an engineering manager at Clark managing 2 teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Scaling teams up to support the company's growth.

SOLUTION

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

We already had a good previous experience with Netguru so we got in touch once again.

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

We work on a continuous delivery environment where engineers are part of cross-functional teams that take care of all the steps of development from discovery and research to the final product delivery.

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

I worked with 2 vendors from Netguru, one of them was a FE Senior engineer and the other one a BE Senior Engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both engineers worked on very different projects and were involved on small experiments and bigger initiatives.

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

We work in an Agile environment with the most common Scrum rituals and processes. We use Jira, Confluence, and Slack as our main communication tools, and the engineers are involved in most activities.

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

The quality of the engineers is very good. They are very engaged and open to learning new things. They get involved in the company's culture and create a strong relationship with their teammates.

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

With one of the engineers, we had a small communication issue due to his level of English but it didn't pose any major problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder and CPO at Shepper. We help businesses across a range of industries such as retail, property, media and utilities to collect insightful data on their physical assets using a network of local trusted people that pick up jobs using our app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We’d just gotten our series-A funding, and as a startup, we were always working against the clock. At that moment in time, I couldn’t risk employing a big team internally, so I wanted to rely on a really good partner who could get up to speed quickly and scale the team up and down as the project progressed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A key component of the platform is the frontend Shepper app, which is the gateway for picking up data collection jobs in the market for our users, whom we call Shepherds. Netguru developed it in React Native. The backend was done by our in-house team.

I created a lot of the wireframes myself, and we kicked off with a UI/UX designer from Netguru. We were mid-rebranding at the time, so we didn’t apply our brand to the app designs. Netguru also helped a bit with the screen design, but we provided most of it.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

They do a lot of content marketing on LinkedIn, and my co-founder at the time knew Netguru through his wife. I thought that I’d give them a go, so I picked up the phone and called.

How much have you invested with them?

The total so far is £425,000 (approximately $566,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Netguru in December 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I couldn’t recommend Netguru highly enough, and I’ve been saying that since we struck up a conversation with them. They’re completely different to work with than any other agency.

Fundamentally, we don’t look at Netguru as an agency. They’re a development partner, and I’m very proud of the work they’ve produced. They’ve done a phenomenal job of creating the mobile app.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re working with them remotely, but that’s true for everyone these days. We just wish we could integrate them more into our internal culture, but they’re well-represented within the business. Everyone knows who Netguru is.

Their project management and general team attitude are amazing. They’re the type of team that, if they don’t know something, they’ll find someone internally who does. Everybody supports everybody, so we get a lot more value than just having a team assigned to us. 

It’s been a wonderful relationship. They have their own Jira board for our project, and we have a Slack workspace with them. They’re always there when I have a question, which is fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work speaks for itself. It’s almost a given that we’re going to have good quality work, and it’s in their nature to want to help and make suggestions. Netguru listens very well and always tries to find something to do. 

They can also work autonomously. Rather than having me guide them in the right direction, they’ll come up with their own suggestions and even challenge me. It’s nice to have a team like that.

A traditional agency would just agree to the work but not deliver the desired result because maybe they hadn’t thought about something. It’s the opposite with Netguru. It’s a collaborative effort, and we all work together for a common goal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have nothing negative to say. I score them every quarter, and it sometimes seems like they’re doing that too much, but it’s just because they want to gauge how satisfied we are. 

We’ve had a few account and project manager changes, but the project’s been ongoing for two years, so that’s quite natural. The project managers we’ve had have been fantastic.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

What I hear a lot from Netguru is that they like the energy I bring, because it makes them really excited. The client should show that they really care about the product, rather than just giving Netguru an app to build and checking in every once in a while. 

It’s important to have a good kickoff session and to act as a leader in the environment. Netguru will work better if they can see that it means a lot to you as a business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product with Newst.se, a B2B marketplace for commercial real estate. We’ve been on the market for about 18 months. We connect brokers and real estate owners with companies looking for commercial property, whether it be an office or warehouse. On top of that, we add tools to the supply side that help them reach out to properties faster and essentially find someone to move into their vacant commercial properties as quickly as possible.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

In Sweden, developers, coders, and the technical side of things is fairly expensive; there are high costs for that kind of labor. We decided to go nearshore in Poland — we are in Sweden, and Netguru is in Poland — because the costs are very competitive, and they still provide high-quality resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru essentially helped us set up our entire online digital product. They’ve touched upon anything from design UX to product management, front- and backend development, and DevOps. They’ve been involved on every level in terms of developing the product.

We came to the partnership with an idea of what we wanted to achieve, and we wireframed that with Netguru. They came up with high-fidelity designs. It’s a very collaborative and organic effort, and the team that we’re working with is very integrated with our team and process.    

The package is hosted on Amazon. It’s a Rails-based stack, primarily, with JavaScript and a couple of React frameworks.  

What is the team composition?

We’re currently working with three developers: one frontend and two backend. They’re dedicated to us. There’s also a scrum master on their end. There are other resources that we can add along the way, including QA, design, and DevOps. They are very flexible from that perspective. The core team is always there, and then it’s fairly easy to onboard other resources as needed for certain amounts of time.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We found them through a recommendation. We had a couple of meetings, and we had a good fit straightaway. They understood what we wanted to achieve and laid out the resources we needed. From there, we initiated the operation.

How much have you invested with them?

Our running cost is around $25,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in 2018, and it’s ongoing. They’ve been with us since day one. Our product has been live for 18 months, but we’ve worked with Netguru for about 24 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very integrated and forthcoming. We’ve basically been with the same resources since the start of the engagement, so even though they are outsourced, we really feel that they are a part of the team. We try to give them the ability to feel ownership of the product and what they deliver to us, and they’ve taken to that.

They want to deliver a good product with us. Rather than just sending them specifications, they actually come with suggestions, so it’s a very dynamic and fruitful cooperation. It’s very valuable and cost-effective for us to have part of our development with Netguru.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve never had any issues in terms of meeting deadlines and communicating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having worked with a few other providers, I feel like Netguru has a bit of a different approach. It almost seems like they’re a startup in terms of their roles, like a customer success manager. They really try to deliver a quality product, and all of the resources we need are always available. 

Overall, it’s a very well-oiled machine. They try to not only deliver something to us but also develop themselves, learn new technologies, and come up with new ideas. For them, it’s not just about delivering specifications, but also delivering a really good product for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that’s worth mentioning or that affects the delivery for us. You can always get better at different things, but at the end of the day, we’re very happy with Netguru’s final delivery.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don’t know if we just had a great team fit, but based on my experience working with Netguru and learning how they work, I think it’s very valuable to try to integrate them as a team. That way, they will definitely feel more ownership. They have communication skills that make it possible for them to integrate, so if you allow them to, they will, and good things come out of that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of CRIF Bürgel, a financial services company based in Germany. I’m responsible for the whole architecture, infrastructure, and security in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We wanted to develop a new product for identifying fraud. The product would use different strategies, including device fingerprinting and biometrics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru developed a fraud prevention solution using best-in-class services. They implemented a microservice and infrastructure as code (IaC) architecture. Their team used Redis, CockroachDB, Rancher Kubernetes, AWS, React.js, and Node.js.

What is the team composition?

We started with two developers and increased the team to four developers and three DevOps team members. We increased it further from there, adding a product designer, a scrum master, and a product owner.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I looked for outsourcing companies on Clutch and shortlisted 10 of them. Netguru ranked well, and we had the best communication with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $300,000–$400,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Netguru in late-February 2019, and the project finished in February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything was high-quality and delivered on time.  

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

While my product owner was in contact with their developers, I was in contact with Netguru’s project manager. Their agility was good as was the quality of their people.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If I had another project, I would directly start it with Netguru and not look for other providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One challenge for Netguru may be keeping their team motivated during the coronavirus. However, there was nothing that they could’ve done better. Netguru just needs to continue in this direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of elScript SA, a legal annotation service. I’m developing an application that is like a digital document for lawyers or legal practitioners. It allows them to annotate legal documentation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

The challenge was with the algorithm running the application. The product works a little differently than others. Most annotation tools detect that your annotations remain the same and are the ones being modified over time. In the case of the application I had in mind, it’s the text that gets changed, and the annotations are there to remain as a knowledge base. 

We needed to develop an algorithm that helped the application to sort the differences between two legal texts and to port over the annotations to the next text.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru built the application. They did design and front- and backend development. They also developed the algorithm.

What is the team composition?

Most of the time, there was a project manager, a frontend programmer, two backend programmers, a designer, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I looked at a review site for developers. I was looking for someone in Eastern Europe because I wasn’t able to afford Western European programmers. I targeted Poland, as I knew they had really good programmers over there. 

I found some good reviews about Netguru. I went on their site and was convinced they were the right company for us because they had a very clear article about how to talk with developers if you don’t know anything about development. It made things very easy for me to know what I had to do to help them understand my project.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent €200,000 ($237,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2019–July 2020. We had an MVP released by the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020. Everything went live in July.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very happy with them. They delivered what I wanted. The application is functional. We’re testing it with users. We’ll be starting a campaign to see if we have more users that will pay to use the application.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was good. I didn’t know anything about this kind of stuff, and Netguru helped me. They were good guides for me. They set the different steps we needed to go through, and everything was clear from the beginning. We had 1–2 initial Zoom sessions, and then we used email or Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Netguru was very helpful in explaining the process and how it was going to work. They were good at designing what the MVP should be. Initially, it was a very broad project. They were able to focus on what would help us to be impactful and leave the rest of the bells and whistles for later. Discussions were good. The relationship was always peaceful and friendly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the QA could have been a little better. I had to do some proofreading myself.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them. Go to Netguru with some mockups and clear ideas of what you want to achieve. Tell them who your target users are.