Netguru

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a FinTech company. We develop technology for the financial advice sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

Currently, the interactions between financial advisors and clients are traditionally done in person. Advisors visit clients at their home to discuss objectives and make plans. Face-to-face meetings are clearly very productive; however, they’re also time-consuming and costly. We wanted to build a software solution that compliments those in-person meetings, but also provides a channel for digital interactions. We had a clear idea of our value proposition and the features we wanted on the platform, but we needed a vendor to build it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru flew their project manager and a few designers from Poland for a kick-off session with our team. We first discussed the context of the project and the business challenges we were looking to solve. Then, we provided them with a specific set of requests and some initial designs. After they reviewed that information, they shared their feedback, and we collaborated on a final plan for the software.

Once we agreed on the designs, their team made some final adjustments before handing them over to the development team. The developers started by building the core platform and the basic functionalities. Since then, we’ve brought on more developers to work on creating and implementing the rest of the features quickly and efficiently.

It’s an ongoing project, but the finished product will facilitate interactions between financial advisors and their clients. 

What is the team composition?

I interface with Netguru’s entire team on a daily basis.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We ran a small procurement initiative where we contacted about six different agencies. We shared the same request with each vendor and analyzed their responses. Some companies seemed to be more focused on marketing rather than engineering, so we ruled them out. Our ideal partner needed to not only have experience in design and marketing but also demonstrate the capability to overcome complex technical challenges. Ultimately, we chose Netguru because they offered a balanced skillset for a reasonable price, and they’re in a nearby time zone.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2017, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched yet. They’ve developed a high-level MVP, but we want to add more features before we introduce the solution to the market.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

The Netguru team is communicative and responsive. They follow more of an agile approach. We have weekly planning meetings every Monday morning where they share the work they completed in the previous week and establish what they’ll deliver at the next meeting. Every resource on their team actively reaches out whenever they have a question about the scope, features, plans, or any other aspect of the project. It’s been a very interactive collaboration.

I was heavily involved in the day-to-day management in the beginning, but they’ve since found their rhythm. I pulled back a bit, which was very helpful. Now, I can allocate my time to other important initiatives and leave the technical details to them, knowing that they’d contact me whenever necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offer a good quality-to-cost ratio, which led us to choose them as a partner in the first place. Additionally, they’re fun to work with and approach their work with a can-do attitude. At this point, I’ve developed a good working relationship with their developers. If I reach out to them with an issue, suggestion, or questions, they do the appropriate research and come back with a thought-out response. Even though we don’t see each other on a daily basis, they feel like part of our internal team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, I feel that the project management is more focused on individual deliverables rather than the project as a whole. Usually, I have to approach them with what I think we need to do, and they help me define the next steps from there. However, I’ve never built a technology-based business before, so they have a lot more expertise in that field. I’d like them to be a bit more proactive and come to me with suggestions for how we should manage the production process. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I think starting with a small team from Netguru worked very well. We settled into a workflow with three developers and a few designers and scaled the team once we found our rhythm and had the core platform up and running. The new resources increased our capabilities and helped us develop new features quickly, but I think it would’ve been a little premature to start with a large team. I recommend other clients consider starting the engagement with just a few resources to get a feel for the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a risk and compliance manager at a short services organization, which is part of a large consumer products company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We moved to a new office and transitioned from an open-space concept to an open-collaboration space. Before, employees had their own desks but now sat in divided basecamps that fit each group’s function. We needed a mobile app that would enable coworkers to locate themselves in the new office and find colleagues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netguru developed the iOS and Android app using Bluetooth technology. The solution let employees not only find colleagues but also explore the various basecamps. Heatmaps identified the high-focus areas and quiet zones where staff could choose to work. Users could also track occupied and vacant conference rooms.

What is the team composition?

The project manager was our main point of contact. We also interacted with the developers and one designer.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We considered cost, quality, and innovation during our search. We knew the concept of the app was new and some vendors may have challenges building it according to our vision. Netguru’s amazing portfolio and reasonable prices stood out from the other vendors we considered.

How much have you invested with them?

The amount is confidential. We split the cost with another part of our parent company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017, and development ended in June 2018. Netguru completed the app’s final version, and we are now discussing next steps for delivery.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Netguru’s agile methodology had a positive impact on our team. The project was our first time using the approach, and it changed how we do things in the company. We also shared the same values as Netguru. During informal talks, the team was engaged, honest, and helpful.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

As the client, we were responsible for ensuring that Netguru had as much time as needed for the project. We used Jira and Slack for the first time with Netguru; both tools were very helpful. As an alternative to email, Slack made everything easy to find. We had weekly calls and spoke with the team as needed. In addition to being available, the team had good information flows and effective sprints. The designer’s work was particularly amazing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a positive experience. Although I don’t have experience working with other app developers, I would confidently recommend Netguru because they produce quality work. Besides quality, the app’s visual and responsive design distinguished it from others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The first project manager didn’t calculate the cost properly and the price appeared higher than what we had agreed. Although this was a one-person issue, Netguru as a whole deserved some blame.

Even though we had some serious discussions about cost, they were never on a personal level. We disagreed, but the conversation never became aggressive or impolite. The team had good values and a positive environment; everyone seemed happy.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients don’t have to worry about quality or timely deliveries. Netguru will professionally fulfill their promises. However, all prospective customers should discuss cost because vendors make their proposals as attractive as possible; the prices may not be realistic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Alteos GmbH (Axa Konzern AG) is a software company that develops insurance platforms that allow multi-digital e-commerce and other partners to quickly launch their insurance products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We needed a development team to work on the backend of our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with a resource that met our requirements. They became a part of our team remotely and worked on the backend development.

What is the team composition?

We have one backend engineer, one project manager, and one QA manager.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We did market research into software houses that could support us in the early and later stages. Out of the six we interviewed, Netguru came first.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The onboarding process went well and they’ve done a good job. They’re an extension of our team and are fully engaged in what we do.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Their responsiveness is really great. There’s almost no difference between working with our team members in-house and them being remote. For engineering, it’s really straightforward.

We’re satisfied with the project management process. We’re in touch with them ten times a day usually, and receive direct feedback from everyone on the team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're able to quickly onboard. They have a good preselection process for the people they employ—everyone is very high level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be cheaper.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to stay in touch and be in the process together. Otherwise, the results might be disappointing. Communicate often.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product for a technological company. We’ve developed a personal robot product for domestic use. It’s a telepresence device that functions as an autonomous personal assistant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

When we established our company, we lacked the employees needed to build the product. However, we didn’t want to waste time waiting until we'd recruited all of our in-house personnel to start the project, so we approached Netguru. Initially, they served as our development team to execute our concept. As we amassed an internal team of qualified developers, they continued to work with us, providing a range of mobile app development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As I've mentioned, we contracted our work to them while we were building up our in-house team. However, it was such a comfortable partnership that we decided to continue the engagement for the entire project. They currently serve as an extension of our team, doing mostly Android development and QA testing, though they’ve also done some iOS work.

Recently, we’ve become large enough to bring the project in-house, so we’re changing the nature of the relationship. We're going to keep all the core assets and intellectual property internal. However, we plan to continue contracting them for stand-alone projects unrelated to the core software, which they would manage themselves.

What is the team composition?

We typically work with four people, including a project manager, a lead developer, and an iOS developer. Their resources are talented and trustworthy, so it's fun to work with them. They’re always curious about emerging technologies and are really cooperative.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I joined the project after they’d started working here, so I'm unsure about the details.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from January 2016–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Beyond being capable developers, they’ve brought a strong work culture to our organization. We’ve even implemented a few of their processes, benefiting immensely from their QA procedures. Every 4–6 months, one of their professionals would review our apps and provide an external analysis of our code. This allows us to gain invaluable perspective into our work.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

They're cooperative and flexible with our schedules. Here, in Tel Aviv, we rest on Fridays and work on Sundays, so there’s always a two-day gap between us and the rest of the world. Despite this, our schedules are well synced.

Their developers are committed to our project, which speaks volumes about their character. Over time, we’ve developed a good personal relationship with the team. If I need them to work a few extra hours on the weekend, they cooperate with us. We have daily meetings and use Slack and other tools to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that they’ve maintained the same key personnel throughout our project. With outsourced work, the vendor often moves people around assignments. However, it was important to me that their developers didn’t move to other projects while working with us. If a developer needed to leave the project, Netguru made sure to bring in a replacement as early as possible. That way, the next person would have enough time to learn about our objectives and methods.

I also value their breadth of expertise, ranging from their QA services to their project management. Whenever we have a problem, we know that we can ask a number of people to find a solution. They have a vast and knowledgeable community of developers that offer crucial insights into some of the new technologies that we’re experimenting with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Due to the nature of our project, we sometimes have to send them custom hardware to facilitate development. However, because their developers work remotely all over Poland, we need to send multiple devices to various locations. If we were working with a more centralized team, this wouldn't be an issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

At the end of the day, it’s the customer’s responsibility to ensure that the product is developed correctly. If there are discrepancies between the product requirement documents (PRD) and the final outcome, the customer still shares some of the culpability. Customers should work closely with the team to make sure that the project is moving in the expected direction. Having regular check-ins also helps mitigate misunderstandings.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Kuingia, which is a business news and information service, giving revenue generators and owners of large companies the ability to access and capture relevant information that can be retained within the organization to allow everyone access.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We had no technical resources in-house to build our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They gave us a wireframe well beyond our budget, which was enough for them to determine our concept, then they simplified it. This version allows us to put our own architecture around it.

They developed an MVP from scratch. The product was simple in delivery and function but provided a solution. It was more scalable than we'd envisioned it being, which allowed us to get clients. We were also able to sell it, which was the important thing. The product was meant to be a proof of concept for one customer, who ultimately didn’t work out, but we ended up selling it to nine other companies in three different industries.

We’ve now engaged Netguru to build a second version. It will have enhancements that will allow us to scale with our existing customers and capture new ones. The product is still budget sensitive, but I've given them the go-ahead to build.

What is the team dynamic?

On the 1st version, there were two developers and a project manager. When I met to do the project planning, there were three developers and a project designer. The next version will have three developers working on it. 

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We tendered around four companies. For the first iteration, Netguru was the most competitive in price and delivery and came highly recommended.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback has been good. Netguru is the first company we’ve outsourced to.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

I manage the project through their own project manager. We've done weekly sprints and used online communication tools to talk to developers if there's a specific question that needs to be resolved. They've been on time and within budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've delivered when asked. They’re competitive on price, even giving me an initial build price, so I know my money is going toward building the product and not on soft issues like discovery.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would've liked the period of the turnaround for version two to have been quicker, but I knew they were busy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're very good for people who are less experienced. They have all the software development skills in-house, and they don’t just build the software for you, they also help you understand that there are things in the industry you need to know.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We operate networking dinners for the technology community and people in business so that they can expand their networks. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

I was looking for a Ruby developer. Our team operated remotely, so I was quite interested in a remote solution because it would fit in with how we were already working.

We hadn’t done any development for a year or so. I’d always had a developer in-house, and now we had that gap. I had someone who could accomplish things here and there, but we didn’t have someone working on the technology full-time.

Our company’s team is small, and they don’t all work from the same place. It made sense for us to find a remote solution that could scale up and down as needed. We could do that with Netguru.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took over the management of the site. We hadn’t done any development work for about a year, so they gave a lot of advice about things we should be updating, like new versions of Ruby. They did that initial review to pinpoint main concerns. At the same time, they allowed me to make comments and request some of the things I was more interested in, like the features and everything we ultimately wanted. It was a balance between the two processes. They took on everything and we started from the beginning in terms of objectives.

We totally changed the flow of our signup process, including all the data fields that we collected and had structured into profiles. We did lots of work on reporting so that I could actually extract the information I needed in order to run the business well. It was a whole different way of looking at the data.

We also added various payment methods. We added description options, bundles, and did an overhaul of some of our regular scheduled emails, optimizing and speeding them up. Netguru did lots of refactoring.

There was tons of old code that they audited, picking and choosing what was worth keeping. They made the software a lot simpler. Prior to working with Netguru, we didn’t have automatic tests or scripts. So after each feature, they put in place automatic testing. Now, instead of us having to manually test, those key features are automatically tested to see if anything is broken. They focused on the user, especially making sure nothing broke during the payment process. We are now having a bit of a break from development and they are helping with maintenance.

What is the team dynamic?

We had two senior developers, one junior developer, a designer, a project manager, and a tester. That was the maximum that we had at any given time.

They have a rotation policy at Netguru. After a certain period of time, the lead developer will be changed so that everything is seen by more than one developer. This method ensures there’s more than one person working on the code, giving a different perspective. We had a project manager that I couldn’t stand, but she left the company, so we ended up with a new one. There was also always a backup project manager that knew the project to a certain level, which was useful. If someone was on a day’s leave, the backup person would always be available.

If we wanted to add or remove anyone on the team on short notice, that was always very easy for Netguru. An in-house team would’ve been a different commitment. I like the flexibility, the availability, and the cost savings of office space.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I spoke to various freelance developers and contractors; I was looking at all the options. There was one other remote company I was considering, but they didn’t compare when I spoke to them about how they operated. Wiktor [Schmidt, Co-Founder & CEO, Netguru] reached out to me via email just in time, told me a bit about what they do, and we began the engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We introduced the new payment options in January, and our revenues doubled overnight. That was the most significant thing that we did. The other thing that was really useful was getting the deeper insights into data, how people are using the site, and the customer behavior. It allows us to adapt our marketing and our commercial strategy.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Netguru is extremely thorough and quite strict. Strict is good, though, because all I want to do is work on the stuff that I can see—I don’t care about the tests running in the background. I know they’re important, but I want to move onto the next thing. They tell me the things that we need to do and they make me stick to it. They got me to be much more structured in running this technology project. It was strict in a good way.

They make me stick to the rules and processes that they’ve developed over time, with a lot of projects and a robust development team. We use JIRA or Atlassian as a project management tool, and Slack to keep track of things. We talk on Google Hangouts every week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re based in Poland and I’m in London, but it doesn’t feel that way—they’re always present. Almost every week, I’ll get an email from someone saying, “Do you want to grab coffee? I’m in London.” That's not what you expect from a remote firm. They’re very hot on customer care.

There’s always someone available to talk to me, or someone checking in. That was way above what I was expecting. They’ve done a really good job with communication. Having a QA tester was also amazing. When features were shown to me, they had been tested thoroughly, and truly worked. My experience in the past was getting a feature that was 97% there. With Netguru, when we did find a bug or a problem, they would get right on it, which I know is very time-consuming.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind; their development was good and I loved how the team was put together. I liked their availability and their customer care as well. I can’t imagine wanting to go back to using in-house solutions. I’ll be comfortable using Netguru for future projects. I would use them without hesitation.

What tips would you share with less experienced buyers that come to Clutch and hope to use our platform to find a vendor?

The thing I didn’t know a long time ago was the difference between programming languages and the availability of developers. There are certain programming languages that have a lot of developers available, and you’d have more of a choice in the market.

Some programming languages, though, don’t have as many developers. Supply and demand dictate the price and availability. I’d get a handle on the actual options and what that means for your project, especially if it’s ongoing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Helpr Technologies builds platforms for the gig economy, while Helpr is the company that we use to implement the platforms and provide the services. The first platform we built was for domiciliary care in the UK, which is where people can be cared for in their own homes. I’m the founder and director of both companies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We needed an Android and iOS app that integrates with our platform. I had sketched some things out as to how I thought it would look in terms of user experience and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The MVP took six months. Netguru built an Android and iOS version of the app. It’s reasonably complicated in that we have a web app for our clients to use. Some of our clients are big local authorities so they won’t sit behind PCs and laptops to do their work. 

Netguru used wireframes and went to work. Within three weeks, we started to see their early screen designs. The user can input details of someone needing care and set up visits they want for the person. We also introduced GPS tracking so that we know when a carer uses the app how close they are to where they say they are. That helped us streamline our billing system as we knew what services had been delivered.

What is the team dynamic? 

It was a small team that was pretty stable throughout the whole project. There were a couple of designers, a project manager, four developers, and a QA tester. I was really impressed with all the people they’ve brought on board.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

We searched online and talked to our contacts. We pulled together a list of 20 companies then did a bit more research into each of them. We got some references and whittled the list down to four companies.

I gave each company a weeks’ worth of work to see how they performed based on the quality they produced and how easily it was to communicate with them. We ended up with Netguru because another company we considered seemed to work great in London, but were not very keen for us to go visit them in Romania, which made me wonder if I was just seeing their sales frontend. 

Netguru was completely open and transparent. We went to their place in Poznan and met everybody. Everyone was really friendly. They called in people who had knowledge in places where people in the workshop didn’t. We had a very good feeling about them. They have a nice culture and are great people to do business with. The hiring process took us four weeks.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship is ongoing. Our clients have changed somewhat due to monetary cutbacks. The way we thought it would work has changed slightly. For that reason, we’ve spent more time to take those changes on board and change the workflow slightly. We’ll be ready with those changes in a couple of weeks. We’ve also been waiting on getting clearance from the QA agency serving the UK health service. It takes three months to get that feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve got 30–40 carers that I’ve been training in the Android and iOS apps. People are really impressed by the system. I was thinking about developing how-to videos, but the carers have picked up the system very well. In terms of ease of use, it’s a dream.

In the early days, we agreed that we would probably develop the Android app and then do the iOS version. We’ve not had any problems with the iOS version and if I had to choose, I would say the iOS version is better than the Android version. Both are very good, but iOS has the edge over Android. 

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

They are head and shoulders above other companies we’ve used. My wife is in project management, and she’s been really impressed by Netguru’s culture and responsiveness. I rate them very highly. 

They gave us access to their whole toolset so I can look at the design through Envision. That also includes free access to Jira so I can see everything that’s happening in the scrum. I can see all the backlogs and issues and can load my own tickets in Jira. They’re completely transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We get to meet with them every couple of months and have coffee with their CEO, Wiktor Schmidt. That’s really nice. I know they have a large customer base, but he still seeks us out when he's in London. We know the door is always open and that if we’re not happy, Wiktor will step in. I’ve never needed that, though.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There must be because nobody’s perfect, but I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is on its way to being the first fair and transparent payday loan provider in Germany. These are small, short-term loans to help people with unexpected expenses (to hold them over until payday). 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

We wanted to create a new system to manage payday loans that doesn’t involve traditional credit scoring. However, there are some restrictions to the app we were trying to build.

Our previous agency did not deliver a solution, so we stopped the project. We decided to start over and only use the design they had created. Our approach is fully mobile and fully app-based, so we wanted a partner that had experience in developing good, efficient apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The specifications already existed, and most of our goals were already outlined, but they helped improve some things. Regarding security, they helped us a lot. The previous system could easily be hijacked by a third party, so Netguru had to improve the entire thing. They even found some security issues we hadn’t seen and didn’t understand. They showed us what the problems were, how to fix them, and they did it all the proper way.

Netguru first developed the Android version of the app, and it’s been on the Google Play store for about two weeks. We’re still adding some features, and we have plans to make an iOS version.

For the next financial round, we don’t plan on hiring our own developers. We’re going to use Netguru for that phase.

What is the team dynamic?

There are four developers, one project manager, and one QA. Our CTO talks with them every day.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

Our previous partner wasn’t working out well. The programmers were located in Peru, and we needed something closer to improve communication. Some of the code was even written in Spanish, which none of our team or clients spoke.

We wanted to get to know the developers and meet with them from time to time. We requested proposals and interviewed four different coding agencies. We’d had a past project with Netguru, and I knew they were good, so we decided to hire them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right now, only family and friends are reviewing the app, but the feedback from investors and stakeholders is very positive. We have some bugs we need to resolve, but most of the time it’s not related to what Netguru did.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Our CTO communicates daily with them through Slack for all of the IT and ticketing. For user stories, we use JIRA. The communication is 90% via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have really smart people, and they think of solutions both from a developer’s point of view as well as the user’s.

They’re also fast. We’ll ask them to change something, and they’ll change it on the fly. We had the second version in the Android store soon after the first launch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I could have cheaper, but that would be unfair. They are far cheaper than any German company. To be honest, we’re really satisfied with them. It’s great working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My organization is a professional and social networking platform called Mumslink.com. We connect women with each other from all types of businesses, organizations, and charities who want to reach out with ideas and opportunities for professional careers.

What is your position?

I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with netguru?

I was introduced to netguru through a parent at the school. They filled a gap for me because I am not a programmer. They brought in their technical expertise and handled everything from UI/UX [user interface/user experience] to building the platform.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

From the outset, I went to them with my whole business plan. I had done my own framework for the site, regarding how I wanted it to work and how I wanted it to operate. I was a basic startup with an idea on paper. We built wireframes from that and discussed the site mechanism.

We started focusing on the main features that they felt would work well and would be achievable in our timeframe, and they built the site on Ruby on Rails. I was very involved, but they have an awful lot of expertise and guidance, and they know their stuff. It was a great process.

How did you come to work with netguru?

I was introduced to netguru through a parent at the school, who is very techie and very well known in Poland. He recommended netguru to me.

What is the timeline of this engagement?

We began working at the end of March 2015 and soft-launched the site in October [2015]. They still do maintenance for me. It took from March to October to get a site from being on paper to up and running.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Obviously, they built the site, and they're responsible for the fact that it's up and running and working well. netguru just sits quietly there in the background, making sure everything works well. We get very good UX feedback from our users. We're still working with our earlier adopters and site testing and so forth. We've got some great businesses and organizations working through our site, like the U.K. Department for Education and various returner's programs, aimed at female lawyers who took a break and now want to get back to work.

How did netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

As a client, you are appointed a project manager, and my project manager was absolutely fantastic from day one. You also get a quality assurance manager and in my case, she puts the site through its paces during every iteration. She tested the site to death and looked for all the bugs, glitches, and things that could be improved. I can't fault them as an organization. They've been brilliant to work with.

What distinguishes netguru from other providers?

netguru's work ethic and professionalism are the key points. Everything is built in iterations and the process is all about feedback and collaboration. For me, as a nontechnical founder of a startup, they have been a fantastic source of support and information. I feel like they have built the site with the best technology out there, using the best code.

They couldn't have done more than they have already done. The project manager is integral to that. You feel like you're supported throughout the process and that you are part of the team. You're in constant communication with your team. For somebody who came from a legal background, it's been quite an enlightening process.

Is there anything netguru could have improved or done differently?

Any mistakes that were made in the early days really were attributable in part to my naivete. Really, I should have had a UX designer sort out wireframes in addition to the work that I'd done myself. That caused a couple of delays, but I wouldn't attribute that to them.

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is trying to make financial advising easier for the masses. We are developing an application that makes the process easy for anyone, helping him or her save money and invest it. The goal is to help people at every financial step of their lives. Today, good, solid financial consultation is in the domain of a more privileged class, which is already doing well financially. Our hope is to spread that out. Our company was founded in 2015. I'm the senior vice president of technology in the company. I manage our database and all day-to-day technology use. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Netguru?

I needed expertise in Ruby on Rails development. I have been a career Java developer myself but, when I came to my current company, I found that the things that we wanted to build could best be done in Rails. I put the stakes in the ground for this technology, so I started looking for an outsourced developer. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Netguru's expertise and development resources have been key in building a number of SMS [short message service] and MMS [multimedia messaging service] solutions for us as well as seriously fleshing out the infrastructure of the systems we're building right now. Essentially, Netguru is involved in every aspect of our development.

Our solutions are data-intensive applications. Right now, we're within the proof-of-concept phase, developing our prototype and testing it through beta users. We plan to do a lot of work on scaling the application and better handling potential load increases.

Right now, we have a team of three people from Netguru, including one developer, one quality assurance resource, and one project manager. Netguru has an interesting approach, allowing the client to work with them in any way they like. Netguru would have preferred to have a small team with a project manager, allowing me to interface with that manager. I know that this approach has been successful, but I wanted our development resources to report directly to me, skipping the project manager. I wasn't terribly interested in allowing the quality assurance tester into the codebase, given that we're developing a financial application. Netguru was perfectly happy to accommodate this.

How did you come to work with Netguru?

I had been the vice president of technology at another startup. My predecessor there was a Polish person who ran a small team. I had the task of evaluating everyone in it in order to see how we could work together. I came to find that our Polish team was made up of solid developers who were doing good work, so I increased the size of their involvement. When I moved to my current company, I needed a back-end team, and started looking for another Polish company. I took into consideration both cost mitigation and the overall superior skills of Polish developers, compared to Indian or Chinese ones. I also found it significantly easier to work with Polish developers in terms of accent, which makes a large difference when doing remote work, relying almost exclusively on voice communication.

I found Netguru out of my search. I looked at seven or eight companies in total, which were offering Ruby on Rails consultation work remotely. I interviewed them, spoke with their developers and eventually settled on Netguru. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Netguru in March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Any software development work will be subjective, based on the client's opinion. We are working with front-end and mobile developers, but my resource from Netguru is one of the best developers I've ever worked with. I have been a development manager since the early 2000s as well as having been a developer since the 1990s, but Netguru's developer has stood out as exceptional. Netguru has a large group of senior developers to which he can go and consult whenever he runs into a problem. We've enjoyed the benefit of this as well.

How did Netguru perform from a project management standpoint?

Netguru generally delivers work ahead of my estimates. We use Pivotal Tracker, Slack, and GitHub for project tracking.

What distinguishes Netguru from other providers?

Netguru is a full-service shop, delivering a test group for the work as part of the package. We've really enjoyed being able to take advantage of their different skill sets. This is an advantage for any group trying to cut costs, like small startups. Having a test user and project manager has been a nice feature for us.

Is there anything Netguru could have improved or done differently?

I've been thrilled with our developer from Netguru. If I had been working with a larger group, I could perhaps better speak about any improvements.

When I came into the engagement with Netguru, I didn't have my head completely wrapped around how Netguru likes to work with people. They offer a tester and a project manager whose activity is tied with the developer's. If I had better understood this, it would have made things less bumpy in the beginning. After the first week, I came to be completely thrilled with Netguru. My lack of research on this part was to blame.