SEROKELL

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a fintech company. We’re exploring the opportunities in Bitcoin. Our purpose and aim are to make Bitcoin transactional.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Serokell OÜ?

We came very open-ended and approached them with ideas of things we want to get done. They were accommodating to the fact that we didn’t have a 100% clear goal of what we were trying to accomplish. It turned into an outsourced R&D engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I can’t get too specific about the details because of an NDA but essentially, they helped us build an API that connects our Bitcoin exchange directly to other partners. We sat down with them on video and conference calls in an effort to help Serokell understand what we’re aiming to do. We did workshops, and they helped us map the terrain as we were walking it.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been serviced by 4–5 people throughout the engagement, and I’ve worked directly with Roman (Chief Business Development Officer).

How did you come to work with Serokell OÜ?

We heard that the developers at Serokell were extremely avant-garde in their field. We needed the best and most advanced people for what we were trying to do; that’s why we engaged with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about €600,000 (approximately $700,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from October 2019–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t really know where we were going while we were completing the project, so it was difficult to set a clear goal. We had to understand when we reached the goal. Everything we’ve done up to this point came together, and we can directly tie it into some of our core products.

Nevertheless, the developers at Serokell have done something that has never been done before. They’ve shown extreme competence and instilled trust in us as a company that we tied things together in a way that’d ultimately be beneficial for all of us.

How did Serokell OÜ perform from a project management standpoint?

I would urge them to improve their project management skills. However, I understand that part of their success formula is to let the developers develop rather than having strict project management KPIs. Having worked with a lot of developers on a lot of projects, that’s an approach that I can get behind.

However, being a customer of a consultancy like Serokell puts me in a bit of a difficult position because they’re not always great at saying what has been accomplished the last two weeks, where we stand according to our road map, and so on. I pushed them pretty hard on that because we came to a head where we needed to make some returns on our investments.

I’ll also add that they were very accommodating in trying different approaches to broaden my knowledge of where the different projects were at and if we were hitting mile markers. They showed a lot of effort trying to let me know we were getting our money’s worth. Both of our organizations were performing in strides. We used Notion for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed with their competence in very new and cutting-edge technology. What they’ve delivered in the form of tangibles are second to none.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ll reiterate what I said about project management. As I mentioned, I know why they did what they did but at the same time, we were on a tightrope.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a clear spec of what you want to accomplish is very helpful. It’s a good idea to come in sharp and agree on project management tools.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of StakerDAO, a cryptocurrency-focused company that delivers financial products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Serokell OU?

We hired them for software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The original scope of work was to develop a smart contract — a software program on a blockchain. It would provide the infrastructure for our business. It would allow token-holders to make decisions about how the business operates. That software, built on Tezos, was the first project. Subsequent to that, we’ve hired them to do some additional engineering projects for us.

The software allows for decentralized governance. The decisions that token-holders make are made visible on the blockchain, the transparency of which was critical.

What is the team composition?

We had a primary point of contact, George (Lead Software Developer). He played the role of a product leader. He had a team of three other engineers under him.

How did you come to work with Serokell OU?

Serokell OU has a great reputation in the blockchain community. We knew that they had experience on Tezos, so we knew that they had the technical skills necessary for our project. We talked to several other engineering teams but ultimately decided to go with them on that basis.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in September 2019 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We followed a phased-deliverable approach, where we expected certain deadlines to be hit to enable our launch in January. They were able to fulfill all of those expectations. The product definitely functions as specified. They’ve been very accommodating of solving emerging issues and implementing adjustment requests.

How did Serokell OU perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good in terms of delivering within the needed timeframes. They used a project management tool called Notion, which was effective for them. It was useful for us to track project progress. We had ongoing video-based meetings on Zoom or Google Hangouts.

They were experienced developers who needed very little ongoing guidance. They checked in with us and gave us updates and insights.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise in blockchain and the ability to deliver a high-quality, functional product are both hard to find.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would’ve appreciated more thorough documentation of the solution they built. It took them a while to rebuild sufficient guidelines which would enable users to effectively use the product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have thorough specifications of what you want to build first before you kick off your project. They’re great at taking requirements and executing upon them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a tech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Serokell OÜ?

We wanted a team with deep functional programming expertise to support our dev projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with software development. They built user-facing and B2B applications for us using Haskell and TypeScript.

What is the team composition?

I worked with eight people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Serokell OÜ?

I looked for a team with experience in structural programming.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in January 2019 and work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have a very high-quality team that is extremely talented. They’re very precise and very discreet. Users are happy with the product, too.

How did Serokell OÜ perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Slack, GitHub, and their own internal tool called Mint. It was nice to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have unique expertise in Haskell.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can work to better anticipate my needs. They could care more about practicality and client needs over functional programming, but they’re phenomenal at delivering to precise specifications and guidelines. They’re extremely high-quality executors.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a specified project plan, you’re likely to see really strong results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CEO of a company that makes 3D solutions for business, such as virtual tours: Google Street, Yandex Street, and etc.. Also we developing and installing projection systems for cinemas, shopping malls and other.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Serokell OÜ?

They implemented algorythm of 3D rendering for specific needs of our customer based on our possibilities.

What were your goals for this project?

We got in trouble: it was an additional feature which wasn't described in technical issue that we've got. It was exciting to meet guys who could help me in very short terms.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We was looking for R&D company and then one of my friends told that he know guys who could do exactly what do I need. It was kinda luck, because we find them in just one week.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We had a deal about to install projection dome in new planetarium. Everything was fine before customer's CEO did decide to make a 3D scanning room, that could make 3D projection on a walls.

Unfortunately, we had no technical solution for 3D real-time scanning and imagging, that became a reason to find a vendor of custom software development that able to perform very fast calculations.

What was the team composition?

I had a direct contact with their CEO - Arseniy, and both developers. At the start it was only one developer - Ilya, but later there were two of them, after Chris joined.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well, we finished this contract, and the subcontractors did not let us down, so nothing special. And our portfolio has replenished with the restart of the St. Petersburg planetarium: http://planetary-spb.ru

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They invited me and my assitant to their Slack and YouTrack (still don't know for what last one is), but honestly I was following only the result - rendering performance of the algorythm.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really smart and they speak Russian, don't know what to sey else.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Cost could lower, but rest is fine.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and your position.

I’m an advisor on information privacy in a ministry of citizenship protection and also the product owner of the facial recognition system.

"Z." is an artificial intelligence that is being developed for a public-private partnership. Our main goal is to create a system of facial recognition for the local Olympic committee and the ministery of sports to deter crimes in stadiums.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Serokell OÜ?

Local laws don’t allow anyone to collect personal information without user permission. Serokell OÜ is developing a distributed system for collecting stored personal data.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re performing turn-key development, in which I would note the following stages:

• Research and proof of concept: Implementation of Gaussian processes and latent variant models on Haskell
• Back-end AI core development
• Building distributed computation systems for the needs of AI
• Development of a personal data security system with multiple uses
• Hardware soft integration
• DevOps

What is the team composition?

At the moment there are 8 people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Serokell OÜ?

At the first stage we discussed the scope of work with several vendors, Serokell OÜ made a proof of concept, and that closed all of our questions and doubts.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our contract is from July 2018–July 2020

How much have you invested with them?

At the moment, we expect it to be around €800,000 (approximately $881,000 USD).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their proof of concept and MVP were really exciting. They proved that can achieve an accuracy rate of face detection of up to 99.75%. 

An AI core is already developed, and the next stage is training the facial recognition system and collecting information for its correct operation.

How did Serokell OÜ perform from a project management standpoint? 

The development process isn't entirely transparent, in my opinion. Sometimes our technical overseers criticized them for weird work prioritization. But they do well now. Everything is always completed on time.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I don’t have a lot of experience with companies like this, which why I can’t tell a lot. However, the Serokell OÜ team seem almost like geniuses to me. They have very extensive technical expertise.

Is there anything Serokell OÜ could have improved or done differently?

I would like a little more attention paid to the indirect wishes of the customer, as well as greater transparency of development, with timely updates of the current program code on Github. It would also be nice to have a little more direct communication with the developers.

What advice would you give to potential customers?

Their choice of technology makes the starting price of development high. I am sure that lowering the bar of the offered services would give them the ability to earn much more. Don't hesitate to try to bring expectations (and price) lower than what is offered at the start.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a business development manager at DISCIPLINA, a blockchain solution to verify students; academical history and skills of students, such as their grades, exams, courses taken, and achievements throughout their life. It provides the opportunity for head hunters and companies to find specific students with specific skills and verify their field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Serokell OÜ?

We searched the market looking for different technical solutions to realize our ideas. There weren’t any working solutions for us that were flexible enough for us, especially since we’re working with private data. it became clear we needed to create our own solution from scratch. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with the technical documentation and business requirement specifications. We ran an ICO together and raised some funds before the development. We’re not developing the blockchain. We did the frontend development for our side, and Serokell OÜ did the whole backend. 

We have 6–7 nodes running on Amazon. People can use it, but they can’t install and download the node. We did some testing, and now we’re working on the maintenance to allow people to download the node and start maintaining the network.

What is the team composition?

There were 6–12 people depending on what we needed to create. It’s an average of 9–10 people on the team. The CEO is responsible for all their improvements in development, and we have a team lead in charge of the technical teams. The CTO is in charge of architecture and all technical solutions.

How did you come to work with Serokell OÜ?

I researched companies and we chose Serokell OÜ. I found them on their GitHub.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $400,000–$450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We couldn’t be happier with our business development director who sets up the roadmap. We are always following our roadmap. We aren’t only partners in business but have become friends. We love the way Serokell OÜ works and their approach, and we are happy with the results. 

How did Serokell OÜ perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira and Slack to communicate, and we have weekly sprint planning as well as online and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a great relationship with Serokell OÜ. We understand one another, and they’re very flexible. We have the opportunity to meet in person as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have developers from all around the world, so sometimes we’ve had the problem when we need to contact someone from their team but they’re sleeping, for example.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Stop configuring and start working.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CPO of Symbiosis

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develop cross-chain bridge services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SEROKELL to accomplish?

• Our cross-chain transfers used an intermediary network. When we decided to integrate TON, we started looking for smart contracts developers, since TON operates differently from EVM-compatible chains.

SOLUTION

How did you find SEROKELL?

Referral

Why did you select SEROKELL over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from SEROKELL were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

TON smart-contracts development for the native cross-chain bridge.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The TON smart-contracts were successfully developed, audited, deployed in the network and used in the protocol.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

A project manager oversaw the process, while the CTO supervised and reviewed every step. All the agreements were kept. The deadlines were met.

What was your primary form of communication with SEROKELL?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their expertise, for sure. They are great problem solvers. Serokell’s developers are highly professional and designed scalable, adaptable solutions that will help us develop. The solution has been launched and has successfully passed a security audit conducted by Zokyo Security.

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

We have no complaints—everything went smoothly with no issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Grants of a Blockchain Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Blockchain Foundation

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SEROKELL to accomplish?

• Run, Update and Maintain our platform
• Kiln and Tandoor maintenance
• Packaging maintenance

SOLUTION

How did you find SEROKELL?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select SEROKELL over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SEROKELL were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Serokell is maintaining the following tools: Agora and the TZIP explorer, Kiln and Tandoor, and packaging. This includes ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, protocol updates, and the phasing out of Tandoor. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We consistently receive high-quality deliverables with exceptionally fast turnaround times. This efficient and responsive partnership has been highly successful.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Their deliverables are timely.

What was your primary form of communication with SEROKELL?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Demonstrated strong teamwork and a solid understanding of blockchain technology and its associated challenges.

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

nop

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CTO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Pony is a Python ORM (object-relational mapper), enabling developers to ​​write database queries using Python generators & lambdas. I am the CTO of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SEROKELL to accomplish?

• We brought Serokell on board to audit our codebase. We needed to optimize performance and security and make sure everything was running smoothly within our Python-based systems.

SOLUTION

How did you find SEROKELL?

At a networking event during a conference

Why did you select SEROKELL over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SEROKELL were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We needed to optimize performance and security and make sure everything was running smoothly within our Python-based systems.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Enhanced performance, security audit, improved code quality

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Serokell demonstrated exceptional project management by completing the project on schedule within the two-month timeframe. They were highly responsive to our needs, maintaining clear and consistent communication throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with SEROKELL?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Definitely - their deep knowledge and expertise, they are great professionals and very client-oriented. 

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

If I had to point out something, it would be helpful to have more detailed timelines for each phase of the project. But overall, we were really happy with their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP, Product of a cryptocurrency company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

At our company, our mission centers on building bridges into the world of cryptocurrency. By creating DeFi accessibility through traditional financial standards, we bring ourselves one step closer to the equitable financial future we all believe in.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SEROKELL to accomplish?

• rust smart contract work

SOLUTION

How did you find SEROKELL?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SEROKELL over others?

• High ratings
• skillset

How many teammates from SEROKELL were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Rust smart contract advisory & development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

development of software on time and with quality

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

detailed and communicative

What was your primary form of communication with SEROKELL?

Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by SEROKELL's skill set and talent.

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

N/A