ShakaCode

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Network for Good is a SaaS company providing innovative fundraising and donor management software for nonprofits, backed up with expertise, training, and support to drive successful campaigns. Based in Washington DC, the company distributes millions of donations from donors to good causes each year. Since 2001, Network for Good has processed more than $1 billion in donations to over 100,000 charities through its secure online giving platform. I’m the VP of Growth Technology responsible for identifying and utilizing technologies that can add value to our business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ShakaCode?

ShakaCode was brought in to develop a questionnaire generator that enables customers to build tailored questionnaires for their donors. Intended to be a highly interactive tool, we felt that developing it as a server-based application would be too restrictive. After researching the different technologies available, we decided on ReactJS.

We believed it to be both the best fit for the questionnaire and a good tool for developing similar capabilities in the future. However, while we know Ruby on Rails well, we didn’t have the in-house ReactJS skills needed to develop client-based UX ourselves, so we looked for a partner and found ShakaCode.

What were your goals for this project?

Our general philosophy is to make software that’s easy to use and delights users. Our clients needed a way to augment their ability to gather additional information about their donors so as to understand their interests. We wanted to provide a way for them to easily create, manage, and maintain surveys independently without having to involve us.

Since our users aren’t very technical, we needed to provide a simple, intuitive way for them to build customized questionnaires for their donors to complete. The questionnaire builder was to be embedded in our larger web app, so it was adding a piece of functionality that we previously didn’t have but really needed.

Developing the dynamic questionnaire builder functionality also provided us with the incremental value we need to keep our customers happy and ensure retention.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on the fact that we’re a Ruby shop and wanted to find a ReactJS partner, Googling Ruby+React gave us Justin Gordon, the creator of the react_on_rails gem. Justin and I had a conversation. He had available bandwidth and the budget suited us, so it didn't make sense to spend more time looking at alternatives. Based on their experience and skillset, ShakaCode was a logical choice as a partner.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project consisted of creating an intuitive and highly-interactive client-based frontend in ReactJS integrated with our Ruby on Rails backend via an API.

A key capability was that the technology developed was flexible enough to be reused in different areas within the application.

Once ShakaCode helped us develop the questionnaire functionality as we wanted, we needed them to help us maintain it so we purchased a React on Rails PRO subscription which gives us access to their developers for a fixed number of hours each month without having to go through a lengthy search and procurement process.

Now, whenever we have smaller projects where we can use their skills, we just give them a call. It’s really made our lives a lot easier.

What was the team composition?

The ShakaCode team included a primary developer and a couple of other developers who participated in code reviews. If we had a particularly tricky challenge, they just brought in someone else with the right skills to resolve the issue. From our side, there was a Ruby on Rails developer and a UI/UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One thing that really amazed me was how everything was just so smooth and seamless. Once ShakaCode had developed the dynamic questionnaire functionality, we rolled it out to a select group of beta customers expecting to get a lot of feedback.

We really believed that we’d have to iterate and make some improvements. What's fascinating is that we’ve hardly had to make any changes at all from what was released. It just worked.

The users loved it. They easily understood the questionnaire’s build capabilities and just jumped in and did it. ShakaCode gave us exactly what we needed - a high-quality, robust feature that adds real value to our clients.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

ShakaCode’s team was really easy to work with. They laid out the framework, created the test and deployment environments, and developed the code. Everything went extremely smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

ShakaCode has a deep knowledge of ReactJS and, in particular, how to best integrate ReactJS into Rails. We brought them in because we wanted, not just someone who would build a feature and disappear, but a development partner for the long-term.

We wanted someone who would co-develop the questionnaire with us. We wanted them to be integrated into our regular development cycle, participate in pair-programming, do code reviews together, and share knowledge about best practices for building ReactJS apps. ShakaCode did all of that.

They were happy to share knowledge and transferring skills. They’ve made our team better and given us the confidence to build our own ReactJS components, although we still bounce ideas off of them and have them lend a hand when we need it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I started off with very high expectations and ShakaCode met those expectations. I can’t say there is any specific area where they need to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Datacenters.com is a strategic partner of Global Communications Group (GCG) offering high-density colocation, enterprise cloud, managed services, and connectivity solutions.

I’m the Vice President of Software Engineering at for both GCG and Datacenters.com, responsible for managing the worldwide software development and marketing teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ShakaCode?

We initially contracted a different team to develop our new IT services registry with Ruby on Rails and React. They were using the React-on-Rails gem, but were unable to implement server-side rendering correctly to the level we were looking for from a design standpoint.

We hired ShakaCode to help us sort out the server-side rendering and fix a lot of legacy code that wasn’t working right. Since they did such a great job, we increased the scope and kept them on to develop the entire marketplace.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a unique, disruptive, IT services platform that would evolve over time to allow enterprises to research, find, purchase, and spin up any IT solution or service.

To begin with, we needed to build a sophisticated, modern colocation and managed services marketplace, with each user empowered to manage their own experience. It needed to incorporate in-depth insights and offer access to expertise, enabling clients to make the best, informed choice for their business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The inability of our previous team to get server-side rendering running as designed was affecting our SEO. We quickly needed to find a way to render our pages correctly so Google could consume the information to increase our rankings and traffic.

Since ShakaCode created React-on-Rails and had an established development team experienced in launching sophisticated marketplaces (including HawaiiChee.com), we reached out to them.

Describe the project in detail.

We hired ShakaCode to improve the way the site was structured, fix the legacy code that wasn’t working correctly, and build the brand new front-end for the two-sided marketplace with IT providers the “sellers” and consumers the “buyers” of IT services.

In addition, ShakaCode provided guidance on choosing the technical stack and shared best practices to ensure automated test procedures were put in place, all code was peer-reviewed, and each task carefully tracked. Weekly, detailed reports made it easier for us to keep track of milestones and budget, and ensured that issues were promptly addressed.

What was the team composition?

The size of the team fluctuated between four and ten, with a project manager, designer, and two or three developers—including the lead developer—from ShakaCode entrenched in our team.

I and ShakaCode’s lead developer do all of the code reviews, while ShakaCode also provides a ReasonML specialist who makes sure that the site is mobile-friendly. Whenever we need additional skills such as SEO optimization, ShakaCode was quick to provide them to meet our milestones.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We now have a marketplace that’s a first in the industry. The entire site is redesigned with a brand new directory, a real estate section that we never had before, and an improved look for our blog.

The original vision for the site is finally a reality. We’ve gone from chasing a vision to creating a whole new world where we can explore ideas and scale the business.

From a design and functionality standpoint, the marketplace exceeded our goals. Following the launch, we experienced rapid adoption with more than 270 colocation and disaster recovery providers adding over 1600 global data centers and more than 300 products to the marketplace. That was 3X what we originally anticipated!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

ShakaCode was easy to work with and quickly scaled up the team so we could meet a hard deadline ahead of an important trade show. We really liked the way ShakaCode managed the project. Everything was super-transparent.

Because we’re extremely cost-conscious, that was important to me. With everyone tracking their time by task, it was easy for me to predict how long it would take and how much it would cost to develop new features.

Having ShakaCode’s team spread across multiple time zones is also an asset since it keeps the project running 24x7. As a result, we’ve never missed a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We hired ShakaCode to help us fix a lot of legacy code from the previous developers that wasn’t working right, but they ended up doing so much more. They also helped us create a great product upon which we can build our business, and a more efficient development flow that we’ve rolled out across all of our projects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s always room for improvement, but ShakaCode is exceptionally good at what they do. They’re great communicators. They love the technologies they build on, and they’re passionate about coding. I trust them. I trust their opinion. I love these guys. I wouldn’t want to live without them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Printivity—previously known as MGX Copy—is a digital print company dedicated to providing the best possible print experience for customers. We have three production facilities—two in San Diego, and one in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

I’m the Chief Technology Officer responsible for choosing, developing, deploying, and maintaining technologies in line with business goals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ShakaCode?

MGX Copy was growing fast, but our website and our name were limiting our growth plans. We decided to rebrand to Printivity, but our old site didn’t reflect the creativity, quality, or ease-of-use of our new identity.

It also lacked a mobile-friendly UI and SEO capabilities. We also had to cope with a long and expensive IT development cycle to launch new print products. To meet our goals, we needed to build a new e-commerce website that reflected our core processes and commitment to quality.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build a new website that was fast, modern, scalable, and user-friendly to support our product growth and marketing campaigns. It needed to be mobile friendly with an easy to use interface, and incorporate best practices and processes to maximize the efficiency of our software team. The framework chosen needed to be easily extensible and have enough industry support to ensure longevity.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered several different options but decided on ShakaCode because they were the creator of React-on-Rails and had an established development team experienced in launching real-world applications.

They also offered expert guidance in technology choices and development best practices, along with flexible resource allocation, and competitive pricing.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

ShakaCode was our only technology partner for this project and did the majority of the development. They created a project structure based on industry best practices in terms of code coverage, formatting, testing, and typing.

They integrated our existing application server administrative frontend and created the business logic to integrate the UI with the backend. They also leveraged our current controllers/API interfaces for bidirectional communication between the React frontend and our Ruby on Rails application server.

They also empowered our internal software team through knowledge transfer to run, maintain, and implement new features after launch and handoff.

What was the team composition?

Over the course of the project, we worked with eight or nine different developers and one project manager from ShakaCode, together with myself and two other in-house staff.

While most developers participated only when their specific skills were required, ShakaCode’s primary software engineer was involved throughout the project. He was extremely knowledgeable, fast, thorough, and always available. He documented in detail everything that was done, communicated proactively with the team, and shared what he was doing and why.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We went into production on schedule with all of the functionality needed to register accounts, login, view our current product line, add to a cart, and place and track orders.

Within the first month, we saw adoption rates of over 75% as customers moved from the old site to the new, aided in part by the user-friendly, mobile UI. Cleaner product and cart pages, streamlined navigation, and a more straightforward purchasing process resulted in record sales and usage, with internal customer campaigns enjoying higher than expected returns.

From a technical perspective, we’ve also reduced the time it takes to bring new products to market from weeks or months to just a few days, with cost savings of up to 90%.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

ShakaCode’s project manager was flexible and helpful in offering solutions and out-the-box thinking to meet our requirements and operational constraints. Risks were expertly managed, and scope reduced as required.

He never overpromised and carefully explained the time and cost implications of any decision we made. We used Slack, Zoom, Github, and Trello to communicate and manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This was a high-risk project. We had limited time and resources to develop and deliver a functioning website. We also wanted to have a development, build, and test environment that we could scale after deployment.

ShakaCode was able to manage the risk while leveraging their experience and knowledge to deliver a quality product according to schedule.

Are there any areas for improvement?

A few of SkakaCode’s newer front-end devs developed closely to spec, but not exactly. Some of the completed tasks were close to the diagrams, but not visually fluid across different devices. However, these issues were quickly addressed and fixed once the project manager became aware of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ResortPass is an online booking platform that sells non-resident access to the pools, cabanas, gyms, and spas of over 80 resorts and hotels in seven US states, including California, Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii. I was the Lead Software Engineer and Acting Director of Engineering responsible for deciding on and implementing the technical stack.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ShakaCode?

The original website was built in WordPress and later ported to Ruby on Rails. However, it wasn’t scalable and the pages loaded really slowly. Users became frustrated when trying to make bookings, so customer retention became a major issue. We’d made the decision to use React on Rails but needed help in making decisions around the technical stack, file structures, and server-side rendering. We didn’t have the expertise in-house, so we brought ShakaCode on board to help with overall guidance, code scalability, and performance.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to deploy a React frontend to help accelerate performance, increase scalability, and enhance the overall user experience. We wanted to provide the foundation which would serve the needs of the business for the next couple of years and which we could build upon in the future.

The design was already complete, but we needed help on the technical side to do the actual port using Webpacker and ShakaCode’s React on Rails gem. We also needed to add an admin portal for providers to manage pricing and inventory.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After deciding that React was the best choice for the project, we considered outsourcing development to an overseas company but quickly discarded the idea. We wanted someone we could partner with and was invested in the project. I came across Justin Gordon and ShakaCode when doing research and looking for existing gems that could add value.

The thing that really attracted me was ShakCode’s flexible support plan. We didn’t have any React expertise or experience in-house, so the idea of having a scalable support service to rely upon during the project was extremely attractive.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

ShakaCode helped us talk through and validate technical design decisions and manage scope in a collaborative manner. That gave us the confidence we needed moving forward, Once we’d made the decisions, ShakaCode provided the developers to help us implement and document them.

What was the team composition?

ShakaCode provided three extremely experienced developers, each contributing based on the specific needs of the project. Continuity was provided with the lead developer and technical architect/project manager being involved throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Load speed increased exponentially which was our original goal. ShakaCode also helped us refine our development processes to become more agile. They introduced us to tools that allowed us to build UI components in isolation without having to connect them to the backend, helping us to get more done within the limited time and budget. We definitely got more out of the project than we expected, not just in terms of quality code, but also in terms of best practices that extended well beyond the scope of the project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

ShakaCode did an excellent job of writing up quantifiable goals that could be reached within the agreed-upon milestones and progress easily communicated to management. They kept the communication flowing and the project moving. As a team, ShakaCode was self-sufficient within the project scope. They created the milestones and stuck to them. We never had to chase them. ShakaCode set up Zoom, Github, and Slack which allowed us to communicate freely.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

After working with a couple of different outsource teams, ShakaCode did the best in terms of partnering and helping us reach our long term goals. ShakaCode didn’t just give us what we asked for. They helped us understand our challenges and offered recommendations without ever forcing their opinions upon us.

They made sure that the solution was properly engineered and maintainable, with the code of a high quality and easily testable. They shared their knowledge with us, helping us to implement best practices and improve our processes. ShakaCode definitely went well above and beyond what we had originally anticipated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t think there are many areas ShakaCode can improve on. ShakaCode’s developers are dedicated engineers and have a passion for delivering the best code out there. However, as individuals with their own styles, each one has an idea as to the best way to do things. It was difficult to keep up at times.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Software Engineering Manager of Square Roots

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

World class CEA Vertical Farming & Research

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Upgrade Webpacker to Shakapacker in business-critical RoR app

SOLUTION

How did you find ShakaCode?

Online Search

Why did you select ShakaCode over others?

Unique Expertise

How many teammates from ShakaCode were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

• Key deliverables were upgrading from Webpacker to Shakapacker, and associated upgrades

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Github PR passing all automatic tests and Heroku Review app passing all manual tests

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

Very responsive

What was your primary form of communication with ShakaCode?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with their skill sets.

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

not for this project

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO & Co-founder of Upfactor

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI/Fintech Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• MVP Proof of concept for fintech startup.

SOLUTION

How did you find ShakaCode?

Referral

Why did you select ShakaCode over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me

How many teammates from ShakaCode were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Assist in the definition of MVP
• Design of all screens in Figma
• Implementation using Ruby on Rails and ReScript, using TailwindUI
• Integration with data API
• Production-ready hosting infrastructure setup on Control Plane

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• High quality with minimal bugs
• Easy-to-use UX
• Product good enough to demo show, building investor and client excitement and the
• confidence to move to the next stages of the project
  Scope of Work

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

On time and great work!

What was your primary form of communication with ShakaCode?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to navigate a tough prroject, and insight into best practices

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

No, it was a perfect project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Engineering of an arts, entertainment & music company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help creators all over the world succeed in what they do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Data Gathering Infrastructure
• Search infrastructure optimization

SOLUTION

How did you find ShakaCode?

Referral

Why did you select ShakaCode over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from ShakaCode were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We had two major projects with Shakacode: 

1. Text searching optimization - Improving our postgresql based search performance 
2. Building data ingestor - Building a tool other applications can use for gathering data from specific source.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Search performance improvements (Search performance improved 5X) 
• Robust Data ingestor - Reduced downtimes for data gathering, minimum required backfilling

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

They are very professional and have a great system for task and time tracking. They provided expert professionals who were able to solve complex problems in a timely manner. Everyone we interacted with have been very personable.

What was your primary form of communication with ShakaCode?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Good quality of engineers, holistic time tracking and good communication.

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

The timeline on some tasks went beyond what we expected. It might have to do with R&D nature of the tasks. Other than that, everything was good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Software Engineer of a financial services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a venture capital firm that specializes in seed-stage investments and building a vibrant community of technology entrepreneurs and companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Upgrade frontend packages for one of our core apps
• Upgrade backend packages for one of our core apps

SOLUTION

How did you find ShakaCode?

• Online Search

Why did you select ShakaCode over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

What was the size of ShakaCode’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

They helped us update our FE packages and begin Ruby on Rails updates to help us get on the latest heroku stack.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Successful package updates on both the frontend and backend
• They provided helpful resolutions for our dependency issues 
• Tips about the nuances of our frameworks

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

They did deliver on time and were quick to communicate updates.

What was your primary form of communication with ShakaCode?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Exceptional in-depth knowledge about the backend framework / language we use.

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

I think there was a little bit of churn on the legal side at the start (contract language)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is an operating system for payment operations. I look after the Foundations engineering group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ShakaCode?

We needed a way to regularly triage, review, and merge dependabot PRs to keep our dependencies up to date with the latest security and bug fixes.

SOLUTION

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

We had used Shakacode to replace webpacker with shakapacker, and found their Ruby-on-Rails expertise to be compelling. Hence, we decided to use Shakacode to review dependabot PRs and call out risks and changes that we need to manually handle.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

- Regularly triage and review dependabot PRs across multiple Ruby repositories. - Evaluate the risk of the update, and decide if it's safe to merge (well tested) or requires additional work. At times, add unit tests to increase test coverage before upgrading the gem.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We followed a referral to Shakacode, and added a second project after the first one was completed successfully.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

The engagement is ongoing and has been productive.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This has been the easiest vendor engagement.

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

Shakacode has specialized RoR expertise that is hard to find elsewhere. They are well-versed in the Ruby ecosystem.

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

None.