Timbucode

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Coworklib. We provide a B2B app for organizing work between employees’ home and company offices. It allows managers and teams to quickly determine where their colleagues are. It shows who’s currently at the office and who’s coming in.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Timbucode?

We had an MVP app, and we had to rebuild it into a more powerful version.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Timbucode learned what our needs were and defined our backlog accordingly. They proposed using React Native, which is a trendy technology that we could easily find developers for. We were considering how to move forward from the beginning, in case we wouldn’t continue the collaboration, and we wanted to have everything on track. Timbucode also proposed Ruby on Rails for the backend, and they handled the cloud hosting.

The app serves as a network for coworkers. It has a map, people can create events and invite others, and it has notifications. There’s a back-office section with elevated access rights, where owners can customize the app.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with one React Native and one Ruby on Rails developer, their CTO, and a business analyst. They also have a test team working on the app. Their CTO is quite involved and reviews all the work being done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €60,000 (approximately $75,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Timbucode in April 2020, and we released the app in September of that year. We’re doing less work now, but the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understand me quickly, they’re realistic about parts that aren’t doable, and they always propose a solution.

How did Timbucode perform from a project management standpoint?

We create stories in Jira, and we organize in agile sprints. We also use Dropbox, Skype, and Slack. We use Skype for sprint reviews and other meetings.  

I can see everything that’s being worked on, in terms of features and bugs. They give me price quotes for each task, based on which I prioritize the work. I know what every hour is spent on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out in terms of pricing. Making this kind of app is really expensive.

They also have a French speaker on the team. That’s really useful, since my English isn’t that good. It makes things a lot easier, although I can speak with everyone on the team during meetings.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve wanted the work to go quicker. There were some misunderstandings in the beginning, and I felt that things were going too slowly, but the collaboration is stable now. Also, it would be good to meet with them face to face.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My advice is to work with them now. I specifically recommend Timbucode for French speakers.