Selleo

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at Breezeway. We provide software for property managers and service companies to run their operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

Since we’re a startup, they were our first development team. We needed them to create a web platform and a native application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Selleo’s developers have become part of our team, performing a variety of development work for us. For the web component, their team built our scheduling platform with specific client tools, using React. For the application, they used React Native. The app we’re building is a checklist tool that assigns people tasks. They will be able to complete the checklist, report issues, and take photos that they can send back to their managers.

What is the team composition?

While we’ve rotated different team members, we typically work with three to four developers.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

We were referred to Selleo by someone who was recruiting business for them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $300,000–$400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Selleo began in March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, it’s been nothing but positive feedback. Since they’re part of our team, we’re regularly reviewing their work. The developers go through the typical QA process that we have for our internal team. We discuss design, code performance & quality, and potential bugs.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, it’s pretty good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate how invested Selleo is in our product. Their team strives to be part of our organization by learning our business. They’re excited about all of the projects we’re working on. It feels that they brought into what we’re trying to build.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could pay a bit more attention to the broader platform of building and how the pieces that they’re working on are managed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think Selleo is excellent. I definitely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a visual commerce company. We use phones to look at the world around you, included TV ads or programs, movies, print, or product packaging, to take consumers on a personalized digital journey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

We needed developers to help create this platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Selleo is developing our progressive web app. We also have a SaaS API that goes into a brand’s existing mobile app. Their team works in Ruby on Rails and Javascript.

They ensured that the platform could ingest images, videos, and product shots to churn out a URL. The system captures data along the way to produce conditional logic-based offers. The program picks up keyboard languages, time stamps, and SKU codes.

What is the team composition?

We work with a permanent team of five from Selleo, occasionally scaling up. Sometimes when we have a specific project they’ll pull in somebody else for a short period of time. 

How did you come to work with Selleo?

We had worked with other developers in the past. After moving, I went on the hunt for Ruby on Rails developers, when we had previously worked in .NET. We interviewed three vendors, and Selleo was head and shoulders above the rest so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between $200,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Selleo began in June 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Selleo has built some amazing things as of late. Everything we have collaborated on up to this point has allowed us to create new stuff. This platform is the first of its kind and we have been attracting some giant corporations to partner with.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been fantastic. Selleo works methodically and correctly, rarely making mistakes. They don’t overpromise, in fact, they probably overdeliver—and that’s a good thing. It’s rare to have someone that anticipates your needs. Their team has never missed a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The people blow me away, they’ve got a fantastic team. Everyone on their team is motivated and we all get on really well. After three years with the team, we still enjoy working together. The single most important thing is the people at Selleo and how we interact. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I would have loved to have everything done in half the time, but that’s not a criticism of their work, that’s just the process. I’m very satisfied with everything Selleo has done for us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to test them and ask them questions. That will allow you to make sure it’s a good fit an also help both teams and uncover what the real commercial needs are. Selleo doesn’t just code, they understand what they’re coding and what the commercial implications could be. It helps to have a team that understands the commerciality behind what we’re trying to do because then they can offer the best advice that might save time or money down the line. That’s why our teams work so well together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of 9TEAMS. We help ERP teams to stay on top of their implementation and project management. Our ‘state-of-the-art cloud solution’​ allows large and mixed teams to organize work and engage all stakeholders involved.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Selleo?

Development of the online project management and collaboration SaaS application.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop a fresh and state-of-the-art solution, that allows all types of users to collaborate.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We started with an online selection, based on predefined criteria. After a couple of personal alignments with specific team members, Selleo started working on a limited scope proof of concept.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I needed a team to design and develop the entire SaaS platform together with landing pages and marketing collateral for the 9 teams They were responsible for app architecture, choosing the right technology stack (EmberJS, Elixir), graphic and UX design and development of all the features and functionalities.

What was the team composition?

I get the complete cross-functional team of six developers and designers and was able to modify the velocity based on the current business needs. There was a Team Leader who acted as a single point of contact for the product development and design team, and a Scrum Master who led the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My development team worked for me full-time acting as if they were part of my in-house team. They were able to present complex technical challenges in the user-friendly way. I really enjoyed their engagement, proactiveness in helping me to develop product backlog, and caring about the business success as if it was their own project. They also depend on testing heavily and boost code quality to the highest standards.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As regards the overall approach to managing software development projects, Selleo advocated to follow the rules and principle of Agile methodology. We decided Scrum to be the best solution with Scrum Master on their side and me in the role of a Product Owner. We get through all the Scrum ceremonies and I was impressed with their business orientation during planning meeting.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Deep integration and engagement between in-house and near-house team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Of course. Areas for improvement are continuously identified. Good thing about Selleo is that they are actively working together with us to make both our processes and software better and better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CPO of Battleriff Gaming AB, an e-sports company. We started off focusing on wager matches within the gaming industry but have since evolved to become a leading community and rewards platform in the digital card game industry. Users can play games and compete on our platform with virtual currency which they can then exchange for rewards ranging from digital codes for games to physical goods like gaming hardware.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

We had extensive marketing and strategy experience internally, but we didn’t have a robust technical support team, outside of our CTO. The necessity of speeding up our development, especially regarding e-sports, pushed us to look for a technical partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for front- and backend development of our platform, for which they used React and Ruby on Rails respectively. They also developed our full feature set including payment systems and a virtual currency with value behind it. As GDPR went into effect, they ensured our platform complied, since we didn’t have any expertise in that area. We also worked with 2–3 designers from Selleo who created the overall design of our platform.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with as few as two people and as many as six over the years. The team composition changes depending on our needs.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

I wasn’t really involved in the decision, but I believe our CTO had an existing relationship with them. He was familiar with their quality and knew they had gaming and e-sports experience.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent between $200,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve developed a significant amount of trust in Selleo, that they can deliver the velocity and quality we need. They understand our expectations at the beginning of every sprint and plan their work to ensure it's in alignment with ours.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

Because we’ve been working together for so long, we don’t need to have constant communication. Trello lets them inform us as to what they require, and if they’re unsure about anything they always reach out for more information. We have the occasional weekly stand-up to discuss our current sprint, but after all this time we’ve become seamless partners.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make everything easier on our side by taking on so many of the technical burdens. This includes everything from platform accessibility issues to new feature creation. While other vendors may simply create what we ask them to, Selleo lets us know if they have another interpretation. We value their opinion, and they respond by going the extra mile to optimize our product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes when we need additional weekend support, we'll ask them too late, and they won't be available. Other than that, they go above and beyond to provide us with whatever we need, even if it isn’t strictly within their mandate.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them and make an effort to include them in what you’re building. Their experience allows them to act like an in-house team if they understand your process. They’re an incredibly beneficial technical partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at WATTx, a venture startup company. We come up with and invest in startup ideas, build products, and work to get them to market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

One of our projects was progressing well and moving quite quickly, but we lacked enough resources. Having completed some research and sketches, we needed to get a product up and running fast. Our client wanted to increase the pace, which required us to scale up our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had wireframes, sketches, and the business idea prepared. Selleo helped us build a backend where we could integrate our data sources that came from one of our client’s external systems.  Using Python, they helped us create the data pipeline and make it reliable. 

We also needed to develop a dashboard for our customers’ clients. They helped us quickly build a React app. The corresponding desktop application that’s viewable on a mobile device as well. It’s fully reactive. At this point, we’re continuing to the next phase of the project and have also started a new one together. 

What is the team composition? 

Four people from the team worked on our project. The project manager they assigned us was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

We researched a few different companies and reached out to our network to ask for agency recommendations. One of our employees also had some connections. He used to work with current staff members at Selleo and recommended their company. 

Selleo stood out based on the quality of the projects they had delivered. Their prices were very fair. Some offshore companies have cheaper prices, but also lower quality coders.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$199,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Selleo did an exceptional job. Integrations with a corporate system are always a bit of a hassle, and they managed it very well. Of the six developers we’ve met so far, each one has been highly skilled and readily able to understand the goal of our projects.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

They dedicated one person to project management. Initially, we were a bit skeptical about the need because we felt we could handle it ourselves. Our head of tech visited their offices for a few days to get them set up on the project and see their style of work. During that time, he met the project manager and thought she performed very well, so we decided to book her for some time. Our tech lead feels we learned much from her.

Our teams established a close integration. We had daily standups and reviews. They got to know the relevant business issues and understood what the project was about. Selleo always clearly communicated with us and we never had any bad surprises. They speak English perfectly. We beat the estimated timeline we set in the beginning. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have good quality code, and we like their approach. Selleo holds themselves to a high standard that I’ve rarely seen in agencies. They only deliver projects that are free of software bugs.  The communication between our teams is excellent. 

There were never any surprises because they communicated all the terms and costs. If anything didn’t go well, they openly admitted it. They quickly became part of our team, which helped us a lot.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their prices could be lower.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for high quality and want a reliable partner, I recommend integrating Selleo into your team. Provide adequate information to help them get deeply involved, and they’ll provide the most value. Their programmers and developers have a lot of experience and can really think for themselves.

If we didn’t specify something clearly, they asked clarifying questions and made useful suggestions. They’ll assign you team members that perform very well, work in sync with your team, and are invested in delivering the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief digital officer of Movinga. We’re an online-based company that offers moving services and more to customers in Germany, France, and Sweden. I lead our technical product and design department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

We wanted to quickly ramp up our development capabilities and fill some gaps in our system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided front-and backend development assistance alongside our internal team. We handled the conceptualization process and design elements in-house, and our project manager shared those requirements with the Selleo team. They implemented several UI changes on the frontend, working with Ruby on Rails and React.js. On the backend, the team helped us build logic into the grouping and dispatching system that’s used by internal agents working from desktop devices. They added a module to improve the backend system, which is also built with Ruby on Rails.

What is the team composition?

They assigned a frontend specialist, two developers, and a project manager to the project.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

Some of our internal staff had worked with them in the past, and they had good experiences. Based on that and their initial proposal, we chose to work with them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from February–July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They completed the development for the application, and it’s currently in use. We’ve worked with freelancers that weren’t that great in the past, but the collaboration with Selleo was pretty seamless. We didn’t run into any big hiccups because they were so well integrated into our team. We were very happy with their service.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

Because he hired them to supplement our internal team, they didn’t have many project management responsibilities. Our team leads were in charge of scoping the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When we worked with other vendors, we had to go through several rounds of negotiations and back-and-forth discussions. It was a bit challenging. With Selleo, the entire development process was quite open and lean.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They provided developers from two different teams within their company, two from one team and one from the other. Selleo mentioned that they don’t normally split their resources that way, which I fully understand. They explained that they made an exception for our project because we specifically requested a frontend developer. We appreciated the accommodation, but the situation did create some limitations for us.

Any advice for potential customers?

Anyone considering Selleo should just send them an email.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product delivery lead for a venture investment organization. We deliver funding to startups and are also building a number of software and services to support our ambitions in the venture investment space. I work with the delivery teams to make sure our software meets project requirements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

We needed a robust and sizable partner to augment our pre-existing dev team and work on various software projects and products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, Selleo is building two web-based products. They use React to work on frontend development, and they also support our tech team who’s building the backend in Ruby on Rails.

What is the team composition?

They provide four full-time developers.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

We found them online. We narrowed it down to three firms, but Selleo had the best approach and was friendly, too. They were willing to discuss the project and make sure we all understood one another, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £220,000 (approximately $279,880 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been partners since April 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The products have minimal bugs, and I’m happy with the quality of their work.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly stand-up meetings to set expectations and go over progress. Even though they’re remote, they’ve engaged well with the project and have good communication. We use Google Meet and Trello to keep in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re trustworthy and want the best for our organization. They’re eager for feedback and take it seriously, changing their workflow to meet expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They sometimes need more oversight when it comes to implementing certain technology solutions.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Treat them as part of your team and have regular communication. They work quickly, so make sure you have enough work to keep them busy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and managing director of ZenGuard, a VPN service provider. Subscribing for a VPN on our website grants users the ability to connect to different locations in about 30 different countries. Once a user logs in, we provide full encryption for total web traffic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

We had a shortage of resources, and It’s hard to find qualified developers in Berlin. Having worked with Selleo before, I knew they were fully capable of collaborating with our existing team. We needed them to look through our current code base and find methods to restructure and optimize it while fixing bugs they found along the way.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Selleo as full-time developers. The team conducted an autonomous assessment of the existing code and proposed improvements. They enhanced the existing API to give users a better experience. Their involvement in several projects with our onsite team helped reach our timeline goals. 

All of the improvements Selleo made were on the coding side. They not only pinpointed areas that needed work but also implemented those updates. They worked onsite with our engineers on new development projects, as well.

What is the team composition? 

One of the developers from Selleo worked with us on a full-time basis. A more senior developer supported their work as a part-time resource.  He worked as a steering partner. After they discussed several issues, they recapped the takeaways with us to highlight what they felt we should improve.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

I had a great experience working with Selleo while employed at a different company, so I reached out to request help with this resource shortage. Sello is profoundly talented in the Ruby on Rails area.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2017–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Selleo wrote a very good quality of code. We were in close contact with the team’s management. If there were ever a problem, their managers would have been notified immediately. Luckily, no issues ever occurred. We were very satisfied with them.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly managed Selleo’s resources internally. They made suggestions and waited for us to instruct them whether or not to instate them. Our communication was very direct. We used Slack.

They also took part in the weekly planning meeting via telephone conferences. Two or three times, they visited our office in Berlin to get to know the rest of our team and bond with them. They were directly bound to the project’s deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Selleo has extensive knowledge of Ruby on Rails. They always assign a senior employee to consult their team during a project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bringing Selleo on site once or twice is very beneficial and allows them to meet the rest of your team. Maintain direct communication with them daily so that nothing gets lost in translation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a company in the AdTech space. I am the technical product manager leading the frontend and backend development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Selleo?

Selleo worked with us as a contractor for some of our frontend development needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They collaborated with our in-house developers and built the frontend user interface for one of our products. The UI is built on Angular.js and was based on wireframes and designs we provided. The UI was based on our wireframes and design, to which Selleo suggested improvements throughout the development process.

We ran most of the project management on our side, while they operated as an external workforce. A junior developer concentrated on design-related tasks and CSS, while a senior developer worked on architectural and algorithmic problems.

What is the team composition?

We worked mostly with the two developers.

How did you come to work with Selleo?

The collaboration started before I joined the company. To my knowledge, we hired them for two previous contracts before this one.

How much have you invested with them?

The total spend was between 50,000 €–150,000 € (approximately $58,000–$174,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

When I joined the company in February 2018, the project was already underway. We completed everything by August 2018, but will reach out to them again for future frontend projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn't have a working frontend without them. The functionality and reliability of their work is solid. As with any agile development process, we identified bugs regularly and prioritized to solve the most significant ones.

How did Selleo perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was smooth; most of our interactions were via Slack, Jira, and Google Sheets. We had daily meetings to coordinate the project and monthly retrospectives, in which we raised our concerns and found ways to collaborate more effectively.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though they were a remote contractor, they worked as if they were part of the in-house team. They outperformed any other contractor we’ve worked with, and their communication, dedication, and quality of work is second to none.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any areas they should improve; they did a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We used them primarily as an extension of our staff, but I know they do ad hoc projects as well. If you’re hiring them as an external workforce, communicate with them as much as possible to ensure your expectations align with their understanding of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of an international business consultancy. I lead the development, technical project, and product teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Selleo?

To accelerate and improve the development of our core product, we needed to scale up our team.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a high-quality product, with regular and mapped updates, implemented and managed using agile development processes.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose to work with Selleo based on the cost, efficiency, and quality that they offered.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Their developers not only provide basic coding services, but they also participate in code reviews and offer feedback. We collaborate to define the best strategies for our product’s technical architecture, implementation plans, and development processes. The team’s suggestions are extremely valuable, making them a cornerstone of our product development.

They’ve taken on more tasks and responsibilities, building off of their initial coding role.

What was the team composition?

There are usually between 15–20 developers working on the product at any time. About 50% work on the frontend, and the other 50% focus on the backend. While the teams are restructured occasionally to accommodate our needs, the total number of resources is relatively constant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The finished product is currently a major selling point for our company. As a central element in the grand scheme of our services, it has swayed many clients in our direction and boosted sales. Additionally, it is regularly used both internally and externally.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They joined our internal management process. At the direction of our product owner, scrum master, and QA team, the Selleo team communicates consistently and uses tools like GitHub, Slack, Jira, Confluence, and Trello to stay up to date with the project. We’ve never encountered a language barrier; all interactions and documents are done in English. They’re interested in our feedback, proactively finding ways to improve.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their talented developers don’t see this as just a simple project; it’s clear that they care about our success. This attitude is something money can’t buy, so I appreciate this level of dedication.

Additionally, their developers have a wide range of interests, extending their knowledge to improve different elements of my business.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We run into minimal issues. The invoicing process is not as smooth as it could be.