Smart Rockstars

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a Norwegian company that works with EdTech. We started off with a physical board game in 2002 and had great success; it’s one of the best-selling educational board games worldwide. We’ve launched it in 29 different language combinations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart Rockstars?

We are developing an application based on our physical board game. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started working with Smart Rockstars after finishing the web solution with another Ukrainian company in October 2018. With this solution and some Powerpoint presentations, we began the app development.

I’m also using their services on minor projects related to other parts of the company. 

What is the team composition?

We started off working with three team members, but now there are four.

How did you come to work with Smart Rockstars?

I started looking through many businesses on Clutch, mainly from Eastern Europe. I met with 14 different companies and worked with the one from Lviv for a while. After a year, I wasn’t entirely happy with them, and a representative from another company that was slightly too big for us recommended Smart Rockstars. We ended up with them, and I am very happy with this decision.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in November 2018. The project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do have some metrics and statistics, but it’s too early to share them. 

How did Smart Rockstars perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very happy with them. We have Skype meetings every Tuesday and Thursday, during which we make bug and improvement lists. I went to Ukraine every month until COVID-19 began, as it’s important to have a personal presence.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The first meeting was very impressive and promising. Smart Rockstars’ team immediately understood the project concept. Normally, when I presented the project, people had many questions, but their team didn’t have a single one. Instead, they came with improvements to my basic idea, which I’ve thought about for 20 years or so. 

They are a small company with a good work ethic, and that fits our needs perfectly. When there is a smaller group of people, it becomes more personal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, there was new technology that they were unfamiliar with. However, you can’t expect a company to know all of the tools. They are fast learners and become experts quickly. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d say to stick with companies from India, Ukraine, or other countries. I’ve had very positive experiences with development companies in Ukraine, so I think it’s a good place to start. Smart Rockstars stands out because they grasped the philosophy behind my idea and the concept almost intuitively. 

There are some absolutely brilliant people with a very high level of English in the country. Talk to them and see what technology they’re experts in and which company fits you best. 

It’s also a good idea to actually fly there and meet the people face-to-face, because their online presence may differ from a personal meeting. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software and data solutions company. We work with human capital data, analyze it, and provide a good return.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart Rockstars?

We needed to advance in our technical services and needed a team to work with us collaboratively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We built our whole platform and our backend from scratch. They’re a full-service provider for everything we do on a technical basis.

When I first started working with them, I only had a business idea. We validated the business idea with a couple of clients but we didn’t have any technical foundation. With Smart Rockstars, we created the whole architecture for our system which starts with the whole backend system with the servers, how our platform looks like on our backend, and how we source and analyze data. They’ve integrated processes into working with publicly available data. They converted all the ideas into technical operations.

We discussed every option. They were developers as well as consultants for us. We had an idea and of where we wanted to be in a week, in a month, or in a year, and they provided us options and explained in great detail what the difference in the options was, as well as what options were feasible for the short and long-term. We made the decision together.

We started with using Python. They had proposed 3–5 different software languages. After hearing the aspects of every language, we made the decision together. They have the capacity to provide nearly every software language.

What is the team composition?

We communicated with at least three developers. They also have someone for QA.

How did you come to work with Smart Rockstars?

One of my mentors worked with a couple of developers from Smart Rockstars before the company actually existed. He connected me to them to discuss our goals and what solutions they could provide. Smart Rockstars were one of six companies that we had a detailed discussion with about our project. We chose them because they were so open and professional.

Since we don’t have many people with a highly technical background, it was very important that we didn’t have a gap between our business foundation and Smart Rockstars’ technical foundation. We required somebody who could bridge those two areas and make it clear what kind of businesses and important aspects there are.

We also looked at some of their previous work. They were very open to showing us anonymous product versions of what they’ve done previously. They’re very technically capable and we knew, since our project was not very clear from the beginning, that they’d be able to help us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They always deliver on time and exceed my expectations. It’s way more than we would have gotten from any other developer.

How did Smart Rockstars perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very organized. They work like business people and have strong short-term and long-term strategies and visions. All the decisions they make right now are based on long-term goals. They can implement all the ideas into the current business.

We communicated via Slack and Skype. We also used email at the beginning but there wasn’t much need for email. They integrate very easily into an existing organization and preferred communication methods. Their communication was highly professional and they were very easy to work with. We never had to ask where the results were.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very flexible and open to whatever we desired. We didn’t end up having to meet in person because we had very intensive Skype calls, but the option is always open if we desire it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, it wasn’t really clear to me when they were working. However, they were available every time I contacted them. They might overwork without certain boundaries.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an independent consultant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart Rockstars?

At the time, I was developing a platform for managing pharmacies’ operations and daily business. I needed some assistance with software development, in terms of programming capacity. The overall aim was to fulfill the client’s specific wishes and needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smart Rockstars worked with me on the platform using the LAMP stack—standard web technologies. The software was customized to the individual client’s request. They wanted to have some very specific functionalities.

What is the team composition?

They assigned a single developer, who worked closely with me on the software. We didn’t use a project manager.

How did you come to work with Smart Rockstars?

I chose them based on our personal relationship so I didn’t look at other teams. I had worked with some of their developers on other jobs a couple of years ago.

How much have you invested with them?

It cost between $30,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Smart in July 2016. The project took nine months to complete. There were some delays caused by the client, in terms of changing specifications.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client didn’t differentiate between me—as the primary provider—and Smart Rockstars. They were happy with the results, and I was happy with the collaboration I had. We delivered a nice product, which is currently being used by the client. There were no unresolved issues with it.

How did Smart Rockstars perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a close collaboration. I was part of the development, along with Smart Rockstars’ resource. That person did a good job in terms of self-management. All the tasks were done in a timely and precise manner. The communication with the end-client was handled by me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a very generalist approach, providing not only a programmer, but also setting up the infrastructure, and performing administration tasks on the machines. I appreciated the flexibility offered when moving from pure development to setting up systems. It was good to have everything provided from a single point of contact.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they worked well for me.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The advice would be specific to the client’s purpose and the skills they’re looking for. I cannot provide any general comments.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an online marketing company that does affiliate marketing, AdWords, and media buying.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Smart Rockstars?

We needed a CRM built from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was small, but it evolved over the years. I went to them with specs I’d drawn on a piece of paper, then they built a web-based platform in JavaScript. It serves as the back office of my company, so I can see all the APIs and data from different web crawlers, including earning from sites, each campaign, and work hours. Any number you can imagine is in there.

What is the team composition?

There are at least 10 people working on various aspects of the project: server, frontend, Java, etc.

How did you come to work with Smart Rockstars?

My wife is from the town they are from in Ukraine. Through a couple of subsequent connections, I was referred to Smart’s CTO, who then was with a different company. Meanwhile, I got three quotes (including theirs) and they were the ones who came with the most price friendly quote. They also took a big risk because if their first test wasn’t good, I wasn’t risking much.

I worked with the CTO’s team until he and a few others split off to form Smart, at which point I went with them. They took a leap in faith in me. They’ve always been very good to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The CRM is live. The original plan was to make it a subscription service so other online companies could use. I know most online affiliates who have a similar business like me don’t keep track of anything. I decided to keep it to myself, however, to maintain a competitive edge.

How did Smart Rockstars perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a good relationship and communicate well with them. They’re easy to get on Skype. We have a group chat with the Smart team. If it’s a critical issue, I’ll write it there. Otherwise, I have my own project management system and their team members have an account there. They follow my instructions with feedback, labeling, clearing, and moving it from one folder to another. If you’re a client that knows project management, they really follow your instructions. If you don’t, it might be difficult.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sometimes, you might sit there wondering how you’re going to fix a problem or even put into words what it is that you want. They’re able to help us to explain what I mean. They give us ideas, but they also follow directions (including design requests) to a T. They tell us what the fastest and best way is. It’s very good especially if you don’t have a CTO in house.

In terms of handling data through API calls, they learned it along the way working with me. Now, they can work out many different APIs and documentations across many years and many of my partners. They’re quick to assess when something is slow and why it’s slow, but give me the space to decide whether I want to invest the time and money to upgrade. Even though I’m not a big-money client, I get the services and people I need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can keep deadlines better. They said I’m the only client that’s billing hours. Their other clients have full-time employees and it’s easier for them to track time. They kept me because we worked so long together. When I say deadlines, they might come back and say there wouldn’t be a problem with deadlines if you hired a person full-time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a health analytics company, but have also worked with Smart Rockstars when I was at an oil and gas company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart Rockstars?

The first engagement occurred when the people at Smart Rockstars worked under another company name. That project focused on processing non-structured medical data. Another project involved customizing web-based software and services for a highly-demanding pharmaceutical company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 I’ve worked with them on several different projects. For health analytics, we partnered on business intelligence for marketing pharmaceutical clients’ applications. They had to identify and address the following: opinion leaders and key organizations in each medical field, and the physicians working on specific diseases.

They developed both iOS and Android apps for the oil and gas company that was under my direction. For one project, the key challenge was building a state-of-the-art BI system for a large data source that was constantly streaming into the organization.

In total, the team did analysis using Python, SQL, and Big Query, which is a Google platform. They’ve worked on both LAMP stack and Windows-based stacks. In other engagements, they also used MySQL, BigQuery, PHP, and Apache.

What is the team composition?

That first group I worked with was approximately 40 people. About 10 or 15 members from that team then formed Smart RockStars. At this point, I’ve likely worked with everyone there.

How did you come to work with Smart Rockstars?

I engaged the same group under a different company name when I was promoted to manage overseas development at another firm. Subsequently, I moved to the oil and gas company, where we needed additional resources for web development and BI. I hired them – then as Smart Rockstars – due to past experience. I stayed with them when I moved to the medical analysis company.

How much have you invested with them?

Counting all the engagements and companies, I would estimate I have spent around $300,000 working with Smart RockStars. I continue to work with them now.  

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Smart Rockstars in May 2015 and the partnership is on-going.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their quality and timeliness stands out among other groups. We’re particularly happy with their work on mobile apps. For example, I submitted a bug fix last night at midnight and woke up this morning to find it resolved. That happens regularly.  Whether it is a bug or an action item - they take care of it very fast.

Their rates are very good. American firms charge much more for even the simplest services. This team is much cheaper, even for difficult coding.

How did Smart Rockstars perform from a project management standpoint?

Recently, the team completed an Android app by November 25 when the deadline was the 30th. They hit the mark despite the already aggressive schedule. But overall it fluctuates. Usually, they’re a week ahead. If they are late, it isn't more than a week late.

The team is very accessible. I can call them or Skype whenever I have a question or request for a new feature. That convenience is awesome.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with 3 other groups on web-based solutions. There’s no comparison between them and the other 2. Not only does Smart Rockstars perform better, but they’re a whole order of magnitude cheaper. I’ve never had a bad experience with them.