Sombra

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Vivuso was a company dedicated to making a B2B sales platform which used social tools in order to leverage marketing for small businesses. It was user-generated, with social media posts, RSS newsfeeds, Q&A and review content for advertising purposes. I decided to close the company for business reasons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

I needed help designing the whole project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I acted as project manager, defined the project, and worked in collaboration with Sombra. We developed the product A to Z and created a production version. I used Balsamiq and provided Sombra with wireframes of what I wanted to build. From there, we discussed the details of the project.

I didn’t define 100% of the scope from the beginning, but I had discussions with Sombra’s team. They asked smart questions and understood what I wanted to do.

The product was a Java-based web application with AngularJS or a similar framework on the frontend.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

I found them on Upwork or a similar marketplace, but worked directly, outside of the platform. In the beginning, I talked to Sergii [Miakshynov], one of their founders, and he gave me a lot of confidence. He was honest with all his answers and told me what Sombra could and couldn’t do. For example, they specialized in Java, and not in other languages. This reassured me that, if Sombra promised to deliver something, they could do it.

How much have you invested with Sombra?

The cost of Sombra’s work was around $10,000. I used a dedicated frontend developer for half the price of the other developers.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Sombra February 2015. The project ended in September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

When building a responsive site, it’s difficult to have a good outcome on the first try, but most of the work turned out well.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was generally good. Something I don’t like about remote work is the lack of responsiveness from the partner’s side, or having them disappear for a few days. This never happened with Sombra. We had clear communication constantly, and, anytime I had a question, I received a response. Their English skills were very good. I also had another project and would have wanted to work with Sombra, but it wasn’t possible since they’re strictly a Java team. If I ever have a Java project in the future, I will contact Sombra.

They were professional in working with our repository and implementing the Agile methodology. Sombra is not just another development company.

What did you find most impressive about Sombra?

The easiest thing for an outsourced company is to say yes to work, even if they aren’t sure what the customer wants, and give a price estimate (usually a high one). I have asked for very difficult or even impossible tasks, and Sombra’s team told me so every time. We achieved around 95% of what we wanted to do.

Are there any areas Sombra could improve?

I know that no one’s perfect, but I can’t name anything that Sombra could improve. They did the job well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a data-driven ecommerce company selling a variety of niche products in multiple marketplaces. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

We’d had a bad experience with a development company a few years back, and were looking to improve our backend operations. Our initial company didn’t do a good job, and produced a messy result.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sombra was brought in to fix our existing issues, as well as move forward and expand our architecture for operations, reports, integrations and so on. Back then, we were building a number of databases, running scrapers and different API integrations related to our marketplaces. Sombra was tasked with taking API connections and building databases around them, improving the speed of our applications and scraping on Amazon, Sears, Walmart, and other big ecommerce platforms.

We have relationships with many vendors, and wanted to integrate each one with their own tweaks. There is a level of sophistication in each case, and we’ve had to adapt those settings to our systems. Sombra is continually working on integrating vendors’ product inventory and many other variables.

I believe that the coding is done on Java, and we have a MySQL database. We use Jenkins for task management, and GitHub for deployments.

I’m currently working with three members of Sombra’s team, each with a wide range of capabilities. Our tasks can range from uploading a new vendor, to improving trading reports, and all the way to integrating a new marketplace. Each member of Sombra’s team should be able to handle these tasks.

I work closely with Sombra’s founder as well as with their CTO in case anything’s needed, I need to add a new person to the team, or have big-picture issues to discuss. I’m also considering getting one of Sombra’s project managers to help me with scheduling, tasking and prioritizing.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

It was a straightforward process. One of my consultants posted on oDesk (now Upwork), and we interviewed Sombra, along with a few other agencies. We felt very comfortable with them and their experience. We had a trial period and solidified the relationship. We’ve been working together ever since.

How much have you invested with Sombra?

The cost of Sombra’s work has been around $125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sombra in June 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Every time we’ve brought in a new vendor and integrated them into our system, that vendor generated new sales. This may not be specific to Sombra’s involvement, but they are helping our company grow by improving integrations. Without our system, we wouldn’t have been able to scale. We have eight-figure yearly sales.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very communicative. I talk to Sombra’s team on a daily basis, and they’ve been flexible with timing, adapting to our time zone. They’ve helped during emergencies, working over the weekend. We use Asana for project management, in which we create tasks for each member. We also use Skype for discussing timelines and so on. I am currently acting as project manager.

What did you find most impressive about Sombra?

They’ve been very flexible and adaptable. I’ve been able to get close to our founders and team, and they have visited us in the U.S. They’re great and loyal people, going above and beyond in order to help the client. This is something I appreciate, and it’s why we’ve been able to build such a great relationship. I trust Sombra, and never have to overthink our work.

Are there any areas Sombra could improve?

Sombra is close to university areas, so they can bring in a lot of college talent. Those resources are good, but they sometimes need a bit of work. There can be a ramp-up period for a person to become comfortable with the necessary skills for a project, or with their understanding of the requirements. It would be nicer to have more ready-to-go people, but this is asking for a lot.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a startup company working with software-defined networks. We work predominantly on automation and rudimentary machine-learning around analytics and statistics.

What is your position?

I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

We were developing our high-level solution for software-defined networks. We needed some additional firepower on our team; specifically, we needed experts in Java. We came across Sombra, and they have become a part of our team.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Sombra is working as a dedicated team of resources for us. They are predominantly working on Java-based technologies, including the Scala and Play frameworks. We have also used ReactJS for a brief time. Sombra also helped us with some MongoDB activities but to a limited extent. Their work has been predominantly on the backend.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

We found Sombra by chance while we were looking to outsource the extra work that our internal team couldn't handle. We found them to be consistent and professional in their returns. It took us six months to build enough trust in order to bring in Sombra as part of our core team.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Sombra has been between $100,000 and $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sombra in July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We haven't consciously tracked any metrics. We are still operating in startup mode and have a continuous scrum process.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

Sombra has had outstanding performance. We initially saw them as another offshore team, but have come to have very high expectations from them. We treat them as our own employees.

What distinguishes Sombra from other providers?

Sombra has a combination of good-quality work and communication, but they especially stand out in terms of subject-matter expertise. They have helped us improve our internal team as well.

Is there anything Sombra could have improved or done differently?

When we started, there was a bit of a gap in the communication. Sombra had a good approach to fixing this; I don't think that our relationship would have continued otherwise. Looking back two years, compared to now, Sombra has gone through a phenomenal effort in this regard.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a developer and vendor of software for commercial customer experiences. Our solution allows clients to provide quick feedback from their experience with a shop or after a call-center session through the push of a button. The questions asked are tailored based on whatever the companies want to measure. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

I needed to build my company's platform. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Sombra developed my platform. It has SMS and email functionalities and can deliver questionnaires. We've also developed the ability for the software to run unsynchronized, without an internet connection, after implementing it in a shop with a very bad connection. The platform has become much more complex over time in terms of functionality, although it continues to be easy to use and unobtrusive from a customer’s perspective.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

I have worked in software development for 10 years, using sites like Elance (currently Upwork) and contracting people from India, Pakistan, Canada, or the US. I came across Sombra on Upwork and have stuck with them for the last couple of years.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Sombra’s work has been around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sombra in August 2015. They continue to provide development support, and I am looking to start a new venture with Sombra for another company. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Any issues with revenue are my responsibility, so I can't comment there. We do have one bug which seems to bother me. We have an Agile process for fine-tuning the platform, and that issue pops up with every iteration. I don't know if it's related to improper management on Sombra’s part, but they need to make some manual configurations to address this. It's a small drawback.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

Sombra has been very good at requesting requirements upfront, especially compared to other companies I've used that started development regardless of missing or unclear details. Sombra communicates well, without requiring daily updates. One nightmare situation with another company was having to spend an hour each day in order to manage their work. I've been able to get away from that with Sombra.

The collaboration is positive in general. We don't use any project tracking software like JIRA, at least not in the collaboration with me. I can break down functional requirements, while Sombra will put together timelines in a pure-text email. That's what we use generally, and it works well.

What distinguishes Sombra from other providers?

Sombra has the capability to translate business understanding into technical language. They've bridged this quite well, and it's the biggest reason I've stuck to Sombra. They can understand what I'm trying to accomplish, so if I suggest a solution, they will give me insight into it. It's more than developing up to requirements and leaving it up to me to get the solution working.

Is there anything Sombra could have improved or done differently?

We've had some discussions around working through a fixed scope, but this is just a financial issue. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

WISER Investments builds digital technology for financial institutions, including robo-advice platforms, advisor interfaces, and content management systems related to financial planning and advice. The business was started in 2015. Since then, we've established some large financial partners in the Canadian market. We also dabble a bit in the US market as well. We have a team of 15 employees locally.

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

We use the Sombra team as an offshore development resource.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sombra works in coordination with our internal development team. The structure involves us handling most of the architecture and design locally, and working with the Sombra team on the implementation side. They're involved in design as well since they've learned quite a bit about our platform over the last year. Sombra has a strong team that responds well to feedback for our iterative process.

We started out by using 1–2 part-time development resources and have come to use close to 10 members of Sombra's team. Sombra has assigned people for everything, from the software design side to the actual coding. We use AngularJS on the frontend side and the Spring Framework on the backend. Sombra has multiple resources for the various areas we're looking at, which was one of the main advantages of working with them. We've been able to scope out the work and have Sombra deliver a relevant resource.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

We tried a few other freelancers and organizations in different parts of the world. We looked for software talent on Upwork. Sombra had good ratings on the platform, which is an easy measure. Our tech team interviewed a few of their development resources and gave them some online tests in which Sombra scored well.

How much have you invested with Sombra?

The cost of Sombra's work has been close to CAD $500,000 [USD $380,000]. Over the last two months, we've spent between CAD $14,000 and $15,000 [USD $10,600–$11,400] per week, after signing an agreement with one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Initially, we were doing a lot of proof-of-concept development, but we've come to manage a full-fledged relationship with a large customer, so the scope of our work went up drastically.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Sombra's team has been involved with us from the start of our initiative. We've grown our organization from nothing to generating around CAD $3 million [USD $2.3 million] in revenue.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

We wouldn't be here without Sombra's team. They're a phenomenal group of people, able to meet unrealistic timelines. Sombra's team is very committed, willing to work 70–80 hours per week in peak season, which was important for us as an early-stage startup. Beyond just putting in extra hours, Sombra has proven to have a smart group of people.

What did you find most impressive about Sombra?

The main thing I've appreciated is the dedication and ownership over what Sombra does. We've gone through outsourcing gigs for a while, and the unique thing about Sombra's team is that they continue to show an interest in how our demos went and what could be improved, even after working until 11 o'clock at night. Our success is beneficial for Sombra as well, but they genuinely want to make sure that the work is of high quality.

Are there any areas Sombra could improve?

There isn't too much which we've asked of Sombra which they weren't able to deliver. I have nothing to mention in terms of improvements. We would like to have better delivery cycles, but we're moving at an accelerated pace, so it's not really anyone's fault. It's more related to how we manage the overall project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Acquisition Simplicity. We develop software for the management and acquisition of hospital equipment. Our company makes this process seamless.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sombra?

I was building my platform from the ground up. I was trying to create a custom product that could be used by the Department of Defense for acquiring hospital equipment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sombra provided the coding and development for our entire software suite. The customization was built around determining which phase of an acquisition was incomplete and who owned responsibility for that. It features custom backend analytics that Sombra created based on my business guidance and vision. I also gave them drawings of what I wanted to build, down to what individual buttons needed to do. Sombra gave me advice around elements that I hadn't thought of, so it was a collaborative project.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

I found Sombra through Upwork. They sent me copies of their prior work and put in extra effort in order to win the bid. They helped me understand what their company offered.

How much have you invested with Sombra?

The cost of Sombra's work has been $50,000 thus far, but I estimate to go over $100,000 in total during 2017. There will be additional costs for support and new features.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Sombra in January 2016. After completing a few projects together, I decided to start a long-term relationship with the company. They continue to support my platform; I wouldn't let anyone else touch it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We're in the rollout of beta testing with the US Navy and they like it. They have also brought in the Army, with whom we're having final discussions. The average project has 20–30 people involved in the acquisition, looking at every piece of equipment being purchased. Overall, it comes down to a lot of users for the platform but we do not have specifics, yet.

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

Sombra was always on time and within budget, which was rare compared to anyone else I'd used. We use JIRA for communication, as well as face-to-face calls whenever I can't understand certain concepts. Sombra's project manager has been amazing. He understood my vision from day one, articulated it, and got the development team to build exactly what we asked for. I couldn't be happier.

What did you find most impressive about Sombra from other providers?

The communication has been fantastic. We've had daily back-and-forth discussions, and any language barriers were overcome. Sombra spent extra time trying to understand what my needs were and reached out to me for updates. The only one who slowed projects down has been me.

Are there any areas Sombra could improve?

I wish Sombra was located in my city, but I can't beat their prices, so I can't complain.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Packback, an education technology company that uses AI-powered platforms to help educators teach critical thinking, writing, and research skills. We enable students to develop their unique voice through mastery-based learning and high-quality pedagogy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sombra to accomplish for your AI-powered education platform?

We needed long-term staff augmentation for our QA and SRE teams.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sombra provides and manages employees who work as an embedded part of our team. They’re responsible for sourcing and recruiting (we also interview them) and then for the ongoing management of the employees.

What is the team composition?

We work with two teammates from Sombra.

How did you come to work with Sombra?

We found them through a referral. We chose them over other options because of their clarity of communication and reasonable expectation setting.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in Early 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Sombra perform from a project management standpoint?

Sombra’s reps have been extremely communicative and proactive. Our primary form of communication is regular sync-ups between me and our account manager and between our team leads and their project managers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re so proactive in their communication with us that we always know where we stand.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of a hospitality services company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Hospitality services for live events

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Ongoing support and development

SOLUTION

How did you find Sombra?

Online Search

Why did you select Sombra over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Sombra were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We use Sombra for augmenting our develpment teams.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are getting good developers for a reasonable cost. 

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

The project is ongoing, but we like the speed and quality of the development work done. We also like an effective support from the project management team. 

What was your primary form of communication with Sombra?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The go above and beyond culture. 

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

None I can think of at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Technology Officer of Campminder

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide Camp Management software to Summer and Day Camps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design work.

SOLUTION

How did you find Sombra?

Referral

Why did you select Sombra over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• A solid referral from a trusted person

How many teammates from Sombra were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Augment our team to provide UI/UX design and development support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable outcomes were varied, and many. They were all tied to specific product delivery projects for one of our product lines.

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

The quality of their work is outstanding, and the designer with whom we work is fantastic. He's now a key member of our team.

What was your primary form of communication with Sombra?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're not a very large company, and sometimes, it can take a while to determine how we need to augment our team. We want to be thoughtful, but sometimes that takes time. Sombra has been nothing but patient with us. It's resulted in us onboarding (this week) a performance engineer, and we hope to augment our team with additional Sombra team members in the very near future.

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

None. It's been a wonderful relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Digital Strategy & Transformation of an investment management company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Ours is an investment manager with industry-leading management capabilities providing a comprehensive range of domestic and global solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop custom software solution

SOLUTION

How did you find Sombra?

Referral

Why did you select Sombra over others?

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

How many teammates from Sombra were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Custom software solution to support investment management operations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

bi-weekly software releases

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

agile and outcome-oriented team

What was your primary form of communication with Sombra?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were technical, professional, and efficient

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

none