Profil Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of a company that teaches Wall Street trading primarily through interactive games and other materials. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Profil Software?

We had a game that we developed, and we have hired Profil Software to build the online MVP version of the game. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve provided Profil Software with a physical copy of the game and have been working together to create further specifications for how the game could be adapted for the online community. We use Figma for the design and a tracking software for the specs. The team is responsible for UX/UI design and development. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 5–10 individuals from Profil Software. 

How did you come to work with Profil Software?

An individual from our company had worked with Profil Software previously. After working through a proposal together, we decided to move forward. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2023, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been satisfied with the process so far and pleased with how they’ve set up the engagement. 

How did Profil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been happy with the pace of the project and use Slack for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve really enjoyed working with Profil Software. They’ve also done a good job thinking about how to make the application fun for the end user. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you’re keeping the lines of communication open and you give timely feedback. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a US-based cybersecurity startup focused on network security. I am the founder and the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a top quality software outsourcing partner to rebuild our cybersecurity SaaS platform. The goal was to deliver a robust online product in the cybersecurity space.

SOLUTION

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

We have reviewed over 50 software shops online and used Clutch extensively in this process. In the end, we decided to give Profil a try, given their good reviews and specialization in python.

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

We started with the requirements phase and went through multiple iterations of scoping, design and UX. The web application is written in React and Django, while the backend includes several proprietary cybersecurity components. The project is still ongoing with a an upcoming MVP launch. We have a long-term development roadmap after that.

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

The core team has included 5 full and part time resources, including:

• 1 architect
• 1.5 UX
• 1 backend
• 1 frontend developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is still in development, but we can currently report that our software development life cycle (SDLC) productivity has doubled compared to what we had previously.

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

The Profil team is embedded within our R&D process. We are directly involved in all aspects of Profil's implementation. We have several virtual meetings a week, and use multiple collaboration & SDLC tools, including Google Meet, Jira, Slack, GitHub, etc.

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

We are impressed with the team's qualifications and attitude to delivering the best product. Profil's leadership seems to put significant emphasis on acquiring and retaining good talent.

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

So far, so good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO of a company called Invisible World Ltd, which trades under the name of 'Meditation in the Workplace'. As the trading name implies the company's aim is to introduce meditation to the workplace the aim of reducing absenteeism, reducing stress and increasing productivity. On a personal basis I am a former Chief Risk Officer who now teaches meditation and yoga.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Project to design a mobile app and web app to provide users with 24 hour access to meditation techniques, tools and timers to help them to deal with the challenges of living in today’s world. Made use of a project leader, design team, development operations (AmAazon Web Services), QA tester, frontend developer, backend devs , tech lead, product owner and Content Marketing / Content Writers.

Prior to working with Profil I was limited by the hours that I could personally teach / consult with companies. My goal is therefore, to enable my business to be scaleable. Developing my app with Profil has given me the opportunity to deliver my meditation proposition globally to multiple clients and individuals.

SOLUTION

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

Somewhat uniquely, Profil found me via my Twitter account - they were looking for meditation practitioners to review a meditation music app that they had developed. I reviewed the app, indicating that I liked it, but that it would be far better if it had some voice and meditations to accompany the music. This led to my relationship with Filip K. who became the leader for my project and teh development of the 'Take3breaths' app.

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

As described, above the basis of the original development was the modification of a beta meditation music app. Filip K. was able to translate my needs as a meditation teacher into functionality within the app. He selected the appropriate technology and resources to deliver the desired outcomes.

I understand that Pylon was used as a programing language and that RAD (Rapid Application Design) techniques were used. This was highly beneficial as I quickly received updates to a development version of the app that I could provide feedback on. A key deliverable was to provide users with a timer functionality so that they could meditate for a predefined set of time. A series of application releases have been set based upon functional releases.

For example, a recent release has been functionality to allow for users to listen to a series of meditations on a partcilar subject. This enables me to instruct on a particular topic e.g. a series of breathing exercises. Latter focus has been mainly on new features in the mobile app alongside on making all mobile app features available on web version of the app.

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

In addition to a project lead who I interacted with on a weekly basis I also was aware of a QA tester, a frontend developer, 2x backend developers, a tech lead, 2 x designers and a web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

App store ratings have been circa 5 star since launch. We are still in process of developing the formal marketing strategy, but we got over 1000 App Store downloads of the app in a single day from one of Profil trial marketing exercises. Face to face feedback from workplace clients has been excellent.

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

Focus of communication has been via weekly video conference calls. The project lead was empathetic and was able to translate my direction on meditation techniques into development requirements. Progress was at a pace that I needed and allowed for changes along the way.

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

It was most impressive that the company embraced my app as well as developed it. Many members of the team now also use the app on a personal basis. All the employees that I worked with were extremely positive. They really cared about the app and would make suggestions for imporvement if they thought it was appropriate.

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

There is nothing major that I could put my finger on. Occasional bugs were fixed in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of engineering of a company in charge of the maintenance and supervision of several thousand solar power plants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had complex and unique problems, due to the large number of plants, that no existing software could address. Our main goals were to lower our workload with automation, and offer a great user experience to our technicians and improve their quality of work.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed 8 companies in Eastern Europe. Profil Software stood out because they understood our needs, put forward a cohesive proposal and project estimation, and they just felt like a right fit for us. They also introduced us to a French client they're working with, which upon chatting with them consolidated that Profil was the right choice.

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

They designed and developed a custom CMS solution based on requirement documents we provided. They used Python/Django, React and React Native.

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

We worked with a tech lead, a backend, a frontend, a mobile developer, a tester, and two designers. At one point in the project the designers didn't have any more work to do, so they left the project but were still available if needed, which was great in term of flexibility.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch a first version in 5 months. We definitely reached our goals, which were to free our team's time with automation and improve the workflow of our technicians.

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

We communicated using Slack, Jira and Meet. We had biweekly standup meetings and the collaboration was phenomenal. They were very responsive, the tech lead in particular facilitated a lot of things. They all speak good English and there was no communication issue whatsoever.

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

They are very engaged and genuinely interested in the success of our project. We also had direct access to the whole team, which allowed us to exchange ideas and iterate. Overall great communication, great people and great work. I can say that I'm very happy to work with them and we will continue our collaboration.

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

It's an ongoing partnership, if something can be improved we discuss it and find a solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Caleido, a software company that does financial reporting for software companies. We’re non-technical founders with experience in finance and accounting. I’m also an entrepreneur, and I deal with start-ups and software companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Profil Software?

We’re building software for software companies to manage their finances and build their businesses. Last autumn, we looked for an external software house to do the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Profil Software has developed a financial reporting system from scratch. It uses Python and Django, and we’ve also used React, PostgreSQL, a CI/CD tool to support the continuous integration, and open-source components. Overall, we’re engaged in the process to help them build what we’re asking.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with several people, including the CEO during the commercial stage. We also have a lead developer, a junior backend developer, a frontend developer, a junior designer, a tester, and a senior designer.

How did you come to work with Profil Software?

I knew that some Eastern European companies specialized in building software and servicing western companies, so I looked for a specific Python-related software house. We asked for a proposal from 4–5 companies; some were in Poland, and some were in other countries. We had a discussion and multiple meetings; then, we decided to go with Profil Software.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about €60,000 (approximately $67,000 USD) for now.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work started in January 2022, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to do this production-level software out of the box in just three months, including the design. It isn’t an MVP or prototype; we’re doing it at a production level from scratch. That requires high-detailed specifications from us and the ability to modify and prioritize on the fly from our side. On the other hand, Profil Software has to understand what we’re aiming for rather than what we say. Therefore, the collaboration and discussion are profound and fast.

Before coding this, we started planning it within our own company. When we started the build, we gave many previous thoughts to this project. We’re starting to measure the velocity to have story points, but there are very few KPIs for now. Nonetheless, we’ve had very few bugs so far.

How did Profil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve divided the project management. We lead the project alongside their lead developer, and the collaboration has been great. Actually, they’ve topped our expectations.

Initially, we brought them to Helsinki for one week for onboarding, where we discussed the project with all of the team members. Overall, the communication is very fluent, and we’re in contact on a daily basis with most of the team members through Slack. Also, we have a meeting twice a week about the design. In addition to Slack, we also use phone calls, Google Meet, and email when necessary.

We use GitHub for the code repository, Jira for tracking tickets, and Trello and Figma for the design. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re super engaged in the project. Profil Software wants to serve us, and we feel they’re here to help us. Moreover, the communication is open and honest, and we’re satisfied with the timelines. Software development is not a linear process; it’s a balance between quality and speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t come up with anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do the onboarding that we did, and make sure that the specifications are well thought out. Also, have a deep discussion about what you’re trying to achieve, your goals, and why you aim to do that. The lead developer will ask to ensure he’s understood.

Additionally, we have a Google Sheets document with every feature set where we have the specifications in great detail. It’s worked for us, and the developers use it when they work on the Jira tickets. In our project, the lead developer takes care of the Jira tickets, and we do other tickets for tweaks, bugs, or smaller requests.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of The Archemist Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I have worked with Profil Software team to develop the cloud backend for a real estate solution involving both mobile front ends and the cloud backend.

SOLUTION

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

I have searched on UpWork for a team that was fluent with Django development and interviewed a few before selecting Profil team.

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

We worked for a year with the Profil team to develop the cloud backend solution along with the mobile front end team. The work consisted of exposing REST apis to the mobile front end as well as the development of a online web portal used by real estate agents. This included the development of a custom User Interface as well as a branding effort. We used Django + React for the online web portal.

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

There were: -1 backend architect + 1 backend software engineer -1 QA engineer -2 Designers for the UI and the branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The profil team always delivered on the requirements often with a faster timeline than I anticipated. The quality of the work was consistently very high.

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

I found the the communication with the team leads was always very strong and timely. They were typically going above and beyond in terms of responsiveness accommodating the time difference between California and Poland very gracefully. The communication with me was very strong with great mastery of English.

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

The entire Profil team was of consistently high caliber and efficient in their communication and execution. I would work with Profil again anytime.

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

No. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Omnistrat. We provide an online B2B SaaS application for collaboration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Profil Software? 

We needed a vendor to build our main application offering. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Profil Software handled the high-level architecture of our SaaS collaboration application and built out the hosting, production, and development environment to manage our application. We provided all the specifications that Profil’s team executed. They developed in Python. 

The application is the equivalent of having a full project management application connected to a persistent chat solution like Microsoft Teams or Asana. The solution is its own platform and is hosted on Google Cloud. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with around eight engineers who filled many roles including frontend developers, backend developers, UI designers, and a CTO. 

How did you come to work with Profil Software? 

I used Clutch to find them. Reading different reviews, I made a shortlist and interviewed the options about their experience working with B2B software applications and collaboration applications. We required a dedicated Python shop. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $80,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April 2020–January 2021, and I’m planning to rehire them in the coming weeks. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched a commercially viable app to the general public. Profil Software took us from having nothing to owning a functional application that we onboard customers to every month. We have a core business offering that we’re building around thanks to their team. 

How did Profil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic, becoming part of our team with their own thoughts and ideas to improve the project. For most features I wanted to build, I worked with them to gather feedback on prior to creation. Their resources acted like employees of my company rather than a development shop who built it strictly to specification. 

We had open channels through Slack, which ensured constant communication whenever a task needed to be discussed. Work was tracked through Jira, and we held Zoom meetings as needed, including weekly meetings. There were lots of live conversations. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Profil Software is exceptionally talented at building Python applications and launching MVPs into the market. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I never encountered an instance where I was upset with their work or had any negative feedback. They were as professional as it gets and knew what they’re doing. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s always good to have well-thought-out specifications, ensuring that everyone understands what needs to be built. Profil Software has UI/UX designers who can work with you to design the applications before the build begins. My recommendations would be to work with those resources to ensure you have a well-thought-out application.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital director for Media Classified at NextHome. We’re a Canadian advertising and publishing agency with magazines across multiple verticals. Those range from real estate and apartment rentals to education and recruitment advertising. In my role, I oversee all digital services and operations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Profil Software?

We needed help building a new API for one of our apartment rental listing websites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Profil Software is developing an API using Python and a Django REST framework. The solution basically powers the entire frontend of our website, providing search query data on available apartment rental listings in Canada.

Once a user registers with our website to list an apartment, the API creates a user profile in the backend and stores that lead capture data in a database. It then provides that information to our customers, which allows them to look at pricing, compare floor plans, and submit contact information to get on a waiting list with a property manager.

Another component we’re doing is based on a historical database that houses apartment rental prices in major Canadian cities going back to the mid-80s. We’re using that data to create historical trend models as well as predictive models to show how much rent might be in the future.

What is the team composition? 

We work with four people directly. Filip (CEO) touches base with me every so often, just to check in on development or staffing changes. Then, I deal with a tech lead and two backend developers.

How did you come to work with Profil Software?

We’ve worked with a lot of freelance developers, but, this time around, I wanted to work with a more established business. Having a more structured environment would lead to greater accountability. 

So, I looked on Upwork and started to compare quotes. Between cost, timelines (that was a huge component), and Python/Django proficiency, Profil Software came out on top.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been about $33,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the development lasted between September–November 2020. We’re currently at about 90% completion, keeping to a testing environment while our frontend developers are building with it. We want to make sure that every edge case has been covered as we tidy up the loose ends. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to say for sure how successful the project will be because the API isn’t in its final stages yet. Both teams are measuring the API’s response times, looking at how quickly we can make calls to the database and how long it takes to get responses back. They’re working with us on optimizations to get us up to speed and are doing all that they can.

How did Profil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, the project management has been remarkably smooth considering that we’re working with an overseas agency. We’re not struggling with any language barriers, either. 

We do twice-weekly meetings to go over all of our tickets, and I’m able to keep track of their progress through Upwork’s tools. I was surprised by how granular the tracking got—we could see screen capture snippets, number of keystrokes, and more. It puts me at ease knowing that they’re working on what they should be working on even when I’m not there.

As far as task management and deadlines, the team is up to expectations. We’re just at the cusp of what we’d originally projected the process to take, but I wouldn’t put the complete onus on them. Some parts of our business logic have impacted the development time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their understanding of the Django framework is pretty top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only minor thing I can think of is resource management. We ended up having to add an extra developer to the project before we even kicked off. However, the CEO actually asked if I wanted to do that, and I was on the same page there.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any software development project, you have to have someone on your end who really understands the business requirements because they have to communicate those needs to Profil Software’s developers. 

You should also set expectations during the quoting stage by providing accurate sample files. These could be database samples, an existing system or API, screenshots, or high-level requirements for specific functions. It’s important to be upfront about the most complex components of the system because what appears simple might actually be harder than you think.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of a meeting organization tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Profil Software?

We’re creating an app that will allow people who are planning to meet each other to know whether the other people are on time or not. The app itself is being built by an agency in Poland. They don’t have the expertise in Python that we really needed to make enhancements to the backend, so I needed to find Python developers.

We needed to clean up our backend because there was a lot of messy code in there. It was very difficult to even get it running. We also needed to implement continuous integration and a continuous deployment platform. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Profil Software cleaned up the code and provided continuous integration and deployment so we could continue to make changes on our own if we wanted. We decided to continue with them to test them out with other tasks we needed that were either bug fixes or improvements needed on the backend. 

We’ve been using them ever since. The bulk of their involvement was the web backend development which is the database, the admin work we had, and deploying new code for rep services, etc. The frontend app has to communicate with the backend and Profil Software did a lot of work on that backend. 

They’re almost done with all the backend work. However, I’ve got some other projects I might bring them back in for since I’m happy with their work. We’re definitely going to have them for at least the next few weeks but it might extend further.

What is the team composition?

We spoke with one of the founders at the beginning so they could understand what our needs were. Our day-to-day contact has been with two different developers.

How did you come to work with Profil Software?

We were searching for Python developers and found someone who had the required qualifications on Upwork. It turned out that he worked at Profil Software. When I reached out to him, I got a response from them to talk to the owner, who then said that that person wasn’t available, but they had others.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built the platform quickly and things are a whole lot more streamlined now. I’m a very small company. It’s just me and one other person here. I measure success based on whether work is getting done or not and if it’s getting done when they say it’s going to get done. 

Right at the beginning, they told me what it was going to cost and how long it was going to take and they were spot-on. They were also quick to fix things.

How did Profil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily meetings with both developers, and they’re very communicative. We have them in our daily meetings now. Whenever I have issues, I tell them on Slack, and they are very responsive. I’ve never had any issues with that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Profil Software delivers what they say they will deliver. They gave us developers that were appropriate for the job, and they’re getting stuff done. The team also collaborates well and is accommodating to what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve. So far, communication has been great, and the two developers get things done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask for what you need. Profil Software is very flexible. When we ask them to join our daily meetings with the other developers we have from a different agency, they are willing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a small Finnish company developing cloud native / fully servereless multi-vendor online marketplaces based on our Gateway core e-commerce platform. I'm the CTO & lead architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Profil Software?

We had an urgent need to integrate product data and inventory management of eight different legacy eCommerce systems prevalent in Polish market to our platform.

What were your goals for this project?

These were implemented as standalone components using 3rd party APIs and the Gateway core APIs for data transfer using a tech stack that can be run as AWS Lambda functions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were the best match of companies offering their services on UpWork because almost 100% overlap in technologies used and also because they were Polish natives and could handle communication and documentation with the local 3rd parties in their native language. They also had a strong track record of doing things 100% remote already before Covid-19. A few other companies were considered, but Profil was such a good match. Choice was made by myself and our CEO.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our documentation was quite sparse in the beginning, but with efficient use of Slack and 15 minute daily video calls everything got sorted out in a timely manner. Profil's tech lead was also responsible of managing the work of an external freelancer based in Siberia.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of tech lead + 4 developers from Profil plus the external freelancer. I had only a liaison & overall review role in this and only had to set the high level priorities, otherwise the team/tech lead managed everything related to the daily work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, how smoothly the whole partnership went was a very pleasant surprise :)

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was a huge help that the Profil tech lead was up to the task and we didn't have to allocate any internal resources and only very minimal time from myself in overall management of the project. We used Slack (including group video calls), a Trello board and Gitlab merge request comments for communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The fast ramp-up time and realistic time estimates.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only - very minor - thing is that billing / payments only via UpWork is not the most convenient way for us because we didn't have a company credit card with a limit high enough to pay for a 6 person teams full month's work so we had to make extra payments every week or so, which caused some administrative overhead.