nomtek

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for an e-commerce company that focuses on secondhand goods, where both businesses and consumers sell and buy items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We decided to rewrite our experience in new technology and needed it to get started quickly. We didn’t want traditional outsourcing help but wanted to expand our in-house team with more engineers and QA testers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, nomtek provided engineers and QA personnel to join our team for both iOS and Android development work. We went full native for the application, using Kotlin and Swift. Our app allows consumers to sell and buy products in the marketplace.

Our process involves an engineer writing a piece of code before it gets reviewed by another engineer. It is intermixed, meaning they could write code and reviewed by an engineer from our company and vice versa.

What is the team composition?

There are five people on the team.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

nomtek was recommended to me through a connection of mine. We reached out and decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested €300,000 (approximately $330,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with nomtek started in February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our tech leads assessed how well the collaboration was working in terms of quality and development speed. It’s been positive, which is why our engagement has continued.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

nomtek works with our in-house team, joining dailies and weekly planning meetings. The team is responsive, constantly keeping in touch with our lead engineers through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were happy to find that their team was quite fast. They were able to start within a few weeks. The team at nomtek is flexible and pragmatic. Their team understands the urgency of delivering high-quality work at a reasonable speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s been a positive partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to establish a great working relationship between team members. We visited them and they visited us, which was extremely helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a startup company that’s dedicated to helping people interact with technology in more healthy ways.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed a development firm with a diverse skill set to build our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek developed our product’s web app using Ruby on Rails and created mobile versions for iOS and Android. They built out a connecting backend to stabilize the platform. We required native applications because of the software’s complex OS interactions. The finished product helps schools limit the distraction of phones in the classroom.

We’d already designed the platform before engaging with nomtek, but they did provide some additional tweaks. Once the project began, we met with their team in Poland to flesh out the platform’s requirements. That process included figuring out the technical architecture and defining the development tickets. The app tracks the amount of phone usage within a specified period. It also limits access to applications once students go over their budgeted time. They utilized a scrum-style approach, performed QA services, and launched the platform after a seven-week development cycle. They also developed an API for the web app that collects data from mobile devices and sends out policies.

We’re currently piloting the platform in several schools as nomtek continues to provide improvements based on market feedback.

What is the team composition?

They allocated four developers and a QA resource. We occasionally work with their CEO and a technical lead as well.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

They were referred to one of our co-founders. We engaged in a rigorous selection process and considered 10 different vendors. After narrowing the field down to three or four options, we asked for estimates and spoke to the corresponding tech leads in more detail. After doing all that, nomtek appeared to be the best candidate.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $50,000–$200,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps they’ve built meet our original acceptance criteria. All versions were published onto The App Store without any severe issues. Considering the technology we’re using, that’s a significant accomplishment. Their QA efforts are extremely thorough, so we’ve only experienced a few manageable bugs since launch. We didn’t have a single line of code written in April, but now the app is being used by thousands of students across multiple schools. Overall, the platform runs fast and the UI functions as expected.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

They engage a standard scrum methodology, so we track their progress along the estimated story points. We’re a young company trying to learn from the market, but nomtek’s approach balances a structured but flexible workstyle. For example, they rigorously detailed every ticket included in the project’s scope before development started. Considering I’m the product owner and business analyst, a lot of the project managing efforts are collaborative. They organized code reviews and handled their staff, but the stand-up meetings are often a joint effort. That speaks to their ability to integrate themselves with clients.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re genuinely invested in making our product a success. nomtek consistently produces exceptional code and performs comprehensive QA testing. Whenever we experience an issue, I tell them via Slack and they immediately try to resolve it. I didn’t expect that level of dedication when we hired them.

I also appreciate they have a high employee retention rate. They carefully vet candidates, hire good people, and keep them happy. They’re built to accommodate a frequently changing project scope.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like to receive more structured communication from the technical lead. However, I recognize that my role in the project suggested that I’d be the one facilitating that relationship. Their CEO helps me address issues as needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Collectomate, a startup providing a platform for delivery automation to modern offices. We provide an automated collection point that helps receptions process parcels without manual intervention from the staff. Everything is based on mobile apps and IoT technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

The platform consists of three basic parts: the cloud backend service, the mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, and the IoT hardware part. We’ve involved nomtek in the part related to mobile apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek created our Android and iOS phone applications, as well as one for Android tablets. They wrote an API and some software development kit (SDK) elements, to talk with our hardware.

They prepared everything from scratch. We had a session about the platform and the product requirements; they led the requirements solicitation process, then they started on wireframe designs from scratch.

What is the team composition?

They assigned one designer, one tester, and three software engineers. The product owner on their side served as our main contact. He coordinated with the developers and set prioritizations on the backlog. We had tools for communicating with all members of the execution team, but my main planning activities were done with the product manager.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

We found them through a referral from contacts who strongly recommended nomtek.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around March 2018. We had a major release in August, after about four months of development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created a big part of the whole product, which is our only value offering to the market. They were very important for us and the way they worked had a big impact on our business. Had it been unsuccessful, we would’ve had problems releasing it and meeting deadlines with our customers. For that reason, nomtek has had a large and positive impact. We were able to deliver on time and the product is good.

Most of the code was done right the first time. They used unit testing on their side, so nothing was released to me before it was properly tested. I had no major problems with bugs from their side; the QA side was very good.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

The main contact on their side was very communicative. They were able to rapidly adjust to any requirements changes, and properly managed the communication with the team. They did a good job and I never felt I was struggling with anything. The work progressed smoothly and any change requests were taken care of quickly. We had communication team meetings, where we quickly defined the scope.

nomtek is flexible and proficient in working in a lean way. They’re capable of adjusting quickly to changes in the scope, without impacting the product at the end. We used Jira and Slack for communication throughout.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The main thing I loved about nomtek is the quality of their work—their software engineers’ approach to solving problems, the way the code was created, and the quality of the code. They’re capable of doing quite sophisticated things, not just simple apps, but ones that integrate with different things. In our case, we had quite a complex backend to integrate with, and hardware to talk to. The apps needed to be ready for that, and nomtek managed it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard for me to say. I didn’t come across any bottlenecks or other things that annoyed me within the communication and collaboration. They quickly understood our goal and scope, and they provided good software. It’s hard for me to say that nomtek should improve in one area or another.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I strongly recommend them. A general piece of advice is that clients need to work as closely as possible with and be available to the people from nomtek, in order for them to understand the product scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager for a provider of online dictionaries, language courses, and other language-related products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We wanted to develop a new online dictionary using React Native and React.js. We identified a better opportunity—namely developing new business models—so we invalidated the original idea, gave it to another partner agency, and started working with nomtek on the new initiative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We conducted user interviews together with nomtek’s UX manager, trying to find out their problems. Simultaneously, we worked with nomtek on validating the business model, which involved setting up a value proposition canvas and a business modeling canvas.

We also worked on prototyping with nomtek, starting by defining what the experiment might look like, what conditions we needed, and who the participants would be. We had teachers and students onboard and we had a marketing effort in place for attracting them. We designed the experiment in terms of UX and design, which involved using a few tools.

What is the team composition?

We started out with a five-person team, but we soon found out that we didn’t need that many people. The initial team consisted of a frontend developer, a project manager, nomtek’s COO, a UX manager, and a QA person. We decided that we didn’t need the developer and the QA tester, so we ended up with the remaining three. I’ve acted as a project manager from time to time, but I only dedicated a few hours to it.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I was looking for several agencies for help developing a new product, namely an online dictionary app. I searched online and looked at different websites, including Clutch.

I first got in touch with Peter (COO and VP of Board, nomtek) as well as a lot of other agencies at the same time. The difference with nomtek was that they asked me the right questions; he challenged my business model and ideas, and, by the way he talked to me, he gave me the confidence that he was aware of his profession. He was motivated enough to bring his own ideas and tell us when ours weren't ideal.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work was around €35,000 (approximately $40,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018. We put the project on hold at the end of July, as our company is restructuring, and we have to prioritize different topics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By interviewing users, we’ve gathered a lot of qualitative insights. We’ve been able to learn a lot about user behavior around learning languages and about how teachers earn their money, how much time they need to dedicate to students, and so on. We’ve also gathered some quantitative data by setting up experiments with success criteria, in which we measured whether we would reach those criteria or not.

For the first experiment, we almost managed to hit the success criteria, which meant that we got a certain amount of conversions, and earned a certain amount of money.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira for setting up tasks and Confluence for documentation. Once there were only three of us on the team, we stopped using Jira and went to an offline Kanban board. We setup tasks for ourselves, simply writing them on post-its. We set up different columns: to-do, progressed, ready-for-review, and done.

They made sure that the COO and the UX designer were always available. They did work on other projects, but they prioritized ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about nomtek is that they challenged us. Instead of just sitting there and waiting for us to tell them what to do, they were engaged and involved during meetings. They always asked questions and tried to find out if the answers made sense. They made sure we didn’t waste any time on initiatives that weren’t working, and always took their time to understand things and ask the right questions. They didn't just wait to get tasks done, but focused on whether or not they made sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We've done a retrospective during which we discussed what we could improve in each area. So far, we haven’t come up with anything for nomtek.

Everything’s gone smoothly during the three short months of our collaboration with nomtek. I got the results we were looking for and the task was completed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of an app that helps people spontaneously go out to concerts, movies, and plays. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed to build a minimal viable product (MVP) to test our idea.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek has guided us through scoping and coding the MVP. They functioned as our enlarged IT team.

The development process is running well. Now that we’ve been working with them for the past six months, we’ve seen the product start to take shape. So far, they’ve only developed the iOS application. We’ve provided some UX designs, but they’ve handled all the front- and backend coding, as well as 70% of the UX work.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three frontend developers, one backend developer, a UX designer, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

The search was extensive. We spent many hours browsing the internet to find an IT partner. We researched companies in our local and neighboring markets, as well as ones from the U.K., Estonia, and Poland. We made a short list of 20 companies, approached them, and set up calls with each one to explain the MVP we wanted to build. nomtek was one of our final three options. I went to Poland to meet them in person. After that, I was certain that we should start working with them. 

We almost chose a Danish supplier that employed coders in Pakistan and Ukraine. They had a lower price, but didn’t fully understand what we were doing. We were too uncertain about what would happen when we changed our scope, as is inevitable at the beginning of all IT projects. I didn’t trust that they could handle these changes without compromising either the product or the budget.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested above $50,000 in their services. We’re still building, so that cost is not final. They’re delivering very good value for the money spent.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with nomtek in December 2017. We aimed to choose a supplier before Christmas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

nomtek has remained within budget for the MVP and delivered exactly as I hoped they would. They are trustworthy and capable of delivering on their promise. Their quality and value are both high, and their process is structured. They’re pleasant people who are extremely easy to work with. They've been detailed, fast, and eager to understand our needs from day one. Their proposal’s scope and ambition are spot-on, and nomtek finds efficient, cost-effective ways to deliver what we need. They understand our needs, and their price is fair.

They’ve kept the structure that we arranged in the development phase, so any new functions they release have been tested well. We’re amazed at how few bugs we handle. We started testing the app with live users last week.

It’s too soon to conclude anything about the product. It could fail because our idea isn’t strong enough, for which we wouldn’t necessarily blame nomtek.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for project tracking and keep in close contact through weekly calls and a lot of Slack communication. I usually communicate directly with the developers, especially with one frontend developer. Although he develops code, he also acts as a project manager since we don’t have a full-time project manager allocated to this project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t built apps with other providers, but if I were to build another project tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t even search for alternatives. I would go straight to nomtek.

I’m happy with what they’re doing and amazed that they can deliver such a high-quality product at a fair price. Their approach is organized and professional, and they are eager to not promise too much. We don’t get the impression that they are trying to sell us stuff without delivering on their promises. Their quality for the price is my main reason for being willing to use them again. They are also pleasant people, but many companies have pleasant people working for them.

nomtek builds good products, at a fair price, in a professional and pleasant manner. They’ve become an extension of our local team. With nomtek, I see the potential for a long-term relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure. If they coded faster, it might end up full of errors, which would cost time in the long run. I also don’t think they should price themselves any lower since they wouldn’t be able to justify building such a high-quality product. I see no quick or easy room for improvement. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the Chief of Product at my company when we partnered with nomtek. Our app gives homeowners an overview of their energy consumption and provides tips for daily home maintenance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed to create an agile, easily modifiable app. Eventually, it would need to accommodate rapid iterations and rollouts to accommodate changing demands from our customers and users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked with nomtek on developing and delivering iterations of our app for both iOS and Android. At the start of our engagement, we already had a live app on the market. It was in a cumbersome environment, though, and the quality was inferior. We needed to pivot the product ninety degrees to provide a valuable tool for our users. From the very start, nomtek acted more like a partner than a vendor. They offered strategy consulting based on a thorough understanding of lean startup methodologies.

We initially provided wireframes, but nomtek eventually helped us formulate the frontend graphical scope. During a two-day workshop hosted onsite at our location, we collaboratively redeveloped each facet of the product. We switched both platforms to React Native and took on a new approach. After quite a bit of refactoring, it became an entirely different app. The team crafted features like an onboarding wizard, a checkout flow, and built an entirely new search engine from scratch.

What is the team composition?

It was a scalable scene. We worked with a product owner, a test manager, a designer, and a UX specialist. They assigned us two developers on each platform that were React-Native-compatible, as well. 

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I researched potential teams on Clutch.co. I contacted six contenders I found to assess our compatibility. Three teams seemed like quite a good match, so we did a small case study with each one. When we went to meet them afterward, nomtek stood out as having the right setup for our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with nomtek between February–April 2018. The project isn’t finished yet, but we’ve paused development. They’re still in the loop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I left the company since the collaboration, so I don’t have access to this information. I do know that the partnership with nomtek yielded many stability improvements. Fewer users have been reaching out for support. Uptimes are almost 100% for the app.
 
How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We conducted Agile setups using Clubhouse without time-tracking. They were always keen to help, offered consistent and reliable correspondence. We spoke daily and utilized Slack for communication. nomtek collaborated closely with us the entire time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a highly professional setup and were a critical part of the journey. Despite being a smaller development house, they embraced the agile methodology. nomtek impressed us across the development process, from workflows and testing to the code itself.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on improving the UX aspect. They often had limited resources since their one expert was committed to several different projects. It sometimes took a bit longer than we expected to deliver the work. They could also test solutions with more users, either theirs or ours.  

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Someone looking to work with nomtek should be scrum- or agile-oriented. They’re the best match for those types of clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at Switch DXB. We’re a health, fitness, and well-being platform. It’s a marketplace that aggregates several different health, well-being, and fitness providers across the city of Dubai.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We wanted to build our first mobile platform from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We spent the first two months not developing any type of tool. There was a lot of business planning and defining of the product, the roadmap, the productization of features, and the best approach. At the forefront was the process of making sure that at every stage we were learning something.

Then they built the backend infrastructure, the data architecture, the user flows, and the processes. There are two iOS apps and a web portal. The most complicated component of the application is the provider availability management and pricing. It gives the merchant the control to be able to set their own schedules, their own timing, their own pricing, their own bundles, and their own promotions.

Another key component of the app is based on video content. They’re very conscious of the importance of building trust with users. They integrated video throughout the user experience in an intuitive and responsive way.

What is the team composition?

There were two backend Ruby on Rails developers, two iOS developers, two QA resources, one UI resource, one UX resource, one user research member, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I found them through Clutch. We benchmarked five different countries, each with several providers. We went through a stringent process. From the outset, we recognized nomtek’s deep understanding of tech businesses. Their approach was very collaborative, structured, and business driven.

How much have you invested with them?

$300,000–$400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2017 until February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In our third week, we recorded 150 users, which is a good sign. We had three merchants who initially only added some services, then soon after added all their services within just the short time they’ve been using the platform.

Things are updated within a day. We’ve only had a few tiny issues where things weren’t working 100%, but overall it was bug-free. The QA was done very well.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We valued the project management from the start. We’re really big believers in continuous emphasis on collaboration and have a continuous chain of communication. We visited their offices several times in the past six months and they’ve been here twice. We have daily and weekly sprint calls and planning calls. They have a dedicated project manager who keeps us updated. There are multiple platforms that keep us organized, including Jira and Slack. It’s all very well structured.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know what it takes to build really successful projects. They hire the best people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could try things a lot quicker. Their processes are structured and sometimes that doesn’t enable the best level of experimentation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the co-founders at a small startup focused on building a safe global community for creators of all ages. Our platform is the perfect space for children, families, and teachers to save, share, discover, and interact with multimedia creativity portfolios. It lets anyone share their experiences and creations safely in more than 50 countries, whether they are at home, school, an event or activity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We started out with a web-based application that was accessible on desktop PCs and mobile devices. At a certain point in our growth, we realized that having proper native applications was key, and we reached out to nomtek to help us on that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek took the lead on the development of our native iOS and Android applications. We provided the specs and visual assets, and they implemented it in Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android. We leveraged their QA team to test the applications throughout the development and release process. At certain stages throughout the project we also relied on their design team.

What is the team composition?

The team structure has been changing over time, depending on the delivery schedules. On average we had about three people working on the iOS side and about two people on the Android side. We also had one test engineer and one designer involved.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I got to know nomtek through a previous project I was involved in, about seven or eight years ago. We reached out to them, got to know them, and got started.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2014 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been implementing according to specs, and have been very proactive in bringing new ideas and improvements to the design and development process. It’s been variably interactive, and we’ve always received good input and feedback along the way.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

Their lead developers have done an excellent job of coordinating the development process. They even coordinate with our customers and partners to manage the release process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They help with every stage, from ideation to planning, design, and development, through quality assurance and release. They’re a wonderful one-stop solution. They have been showing engagement and take pride in their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are always things in life that can be improved upon but overall the nomtek team has been doing an excellent job. We are happy with what they’ve done for us so far and freely recommend them to other people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

From the start, the nomtek team establishes trust. Even though we have been working with them in a remote setting, they’ve always been available, also for face to face meetings with their whole team. They’re very caring and friendly, so connect with them and discuss everything that needs to be discussed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of iHomie. We’re trying to create social networks for apartment buildings and privately-owned buildings here in Sweden. We’re trying to set up an app and a website for scheduling laundry, having an internal alarm in the house through a supplier, and a small sharing economy so neighbors can help each other out with different things.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

I’ve worked with service providers before, but I’ve never been on the technical side. I felt hesitant hiring someone because I didn’t want to get in a situation where it’s not a good fit and the project stops.

We needed help drawing a roadmap for the project and leading the team. I wanted someone who could build our website and mobile app without me having to be too involved. I wanted to be able to trust them to do nice work and get clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with a workshop to draw up the technical roadmap and to find the smallest scope we could to get started. They were consultants to us in that sense. I had a very broad scope in mind, but they helped me to narrow it down. Then, they found a team and a platform to build it on. They’ve been 100% involved in everything. They provided us with our website and the app. The iOS app was built in Firebase because I didn’t want to spend too much in the beginning. We are going to build Android at a later time.

We have laundry scheduling. What was most important to us was the alarm feature in order to get our funding. Neighbors can alarm each other when something happens in the building. It’s not going to sound like an alarm; it’s a push notification We have got state grants for the alarm, so it was a key feature for us. They’re also helping us to record the users and measure their engagement.

What is the team composition?

When we are in a time crunch, there are more people. We generally have four to five people on the project.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I found them through a firm here in Stockholm. Based on what I told them, they recommended nomtek.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve made the first delivery, but they’re working on a couple of changes and improvements. I wanted them to launch a first version before it was completely finished. We launched in the first buildings and we’ll have the beta users testing it soon. We have positive feedback, but it’s only 10 users.

The quality is good. They do a lot of testing internally. They worked out most of our bugs so far. I don’t believe it’s crashed at all. They’ve been very good and very easy to do business with.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very involved. Their COO is involved as well. I love working with them. We pay half of what we’d pay here in Stockholm. They perform more and are very engaged in the project. When we need to scale up the team, they’ve managed to do so instantly. They’re a great team and have great team management. They have their own video conference platform that we use.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When there is an issue in communications or expectations, they’re so good to work with. We work things out easily, and I’ve never worked with a company like that before. They’re amazing; I have only good things to say about them. They’re very engaged in the project. If I tell them what I want to build and they see a way to do it in a less time-consuming manner, they will point that out and guide us through the process. They’re remarkable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve a little bit on the graphic design part. It’s because we are in different countries and have different styles. It’s small fixes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are building a C2C and B2C marketplace for secondhand items, either used or in like-new condition. We don’t allow merchants to sell new items on the platform. We started the marketplace in Germany approximately four months ago and have seen significant traction so far. We plan to expand to the rest of Europe over the next 2­–3 years. We make things easier through focus on the fastest possible match-making between buyers and sellers and excellent underlying logistics. I’m the CEO and was responsible for hiring nomtek.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

Our challenge was to bring our products to life (especially mobile apps) and iteratively validate our value proposition by looking closely at what users say to us and applying this to our business model.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek built both our native Android and iOS apps. They also helped us with design and process issues. The project involved the collaboration on product design and the actual development of iOS and Android apps. The apps are released now but we continue to cooperate on adding new features and responding to users’ feedback. The services provided were iOS development, Android development, QA, project management, UI/UX consultation, UX research consultation, and backend development consultation.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

We narrowed down a list of 10 European developers and chose nomtek because we were impressed with the meeting. They came to Berlin from Poland and impressed us from the first meeting.

How much have you invested with nomtek?

The cost was more than 500,000 EUR.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with nomtek early in 2017. One significant milestone was the first release of iOS and Android apps but the project is still ongoing. The first version was an MVP release, and we have many additional projects in the backlog. We will continue working on them with nomtek.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

These guys truly put your product success on the top of their daily agenda. Their energy in making the most of your product’s value is unmatched. They are more than a reliable development partner; they are solid people you can trust with your product at stake. Everything in the project went great.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, we used to meet with nomtek every two weeks and traveled to their office by car, which is one hour away from Berlin. We reviewed each two-week sprint and had a project manager who was responsible for the overall development. He talked directly with my CTO.

Are there any areas nomtek could improve?

I have no improvements to suggest.