20 Thousand Leagues

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as Head of Global Operations in a bootcamp-style IT education provider, and I am responsible for the global expansion. This means I drive the process from investigation to a running academy.

For what projects/services did your company hire 20 Thousand Leagues?

We hired 20 Thousand Leagues (20kl) to help us with the launch in Sweden. At first we had tried to launch as we always do, with a physical event and very many physical activities. But then Covid hit and we had to look for alternative solutions.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the project was to get customers for our courses, and to get a "machinery" up and running to supply a stream of leads.

How did you select 20 Thousand Leagues?

They were recommended to us by a close friend, so there was a large amount of trust from the beginning. We thought it looked like a fit from the beginning and we felt confident in them as a supplier, so we didn't really feel the need of looking for any alternatives.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

From the beginning the scope was pretty clear "we need leads to be able to convert to customers". And in the beginning we thought that we had a pretty solid plan that 20kl could execute on. But instead they presented a full plan and strategy on how we should "enter" the Swedish market. We felt that this was way better and more thought through then the plan we had - so we went for what they suggested.

In the beginning I was in many of the meetings trying to understand everything that was going on, but in the end I felt comfortable they would be able to do this which allowed me to not be involved in the operations of lead acquisition.

What was the team composition?

We have 2 guys, let's call them M and D. One is a "growth hacker" and one is more content oriented. We think that they seem to compensate for each other very good and are able to supply a full service.

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

There were many things in the beginning that was untested from our side and we probably had too high expectations on our market launch, without having done much research. So when 20kl joined there was a phase of finding things out, which was good for us to do with them, so we both got an understanding of how we should do it.

Now we have a good funnel of leads that convert to customers which is great. There is still a lot of improvements to be done, but this is something we are figuring out as an organisation how to solve, because it's the first time we enter a totally new market for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very good. 20kl always communicated very clearly on what they did, and why they did it. And it was a very good balance on self management, and they often do the tasks independently which is great for us since we don't have to micromanage anymore.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The skills and deep understanding of a market, even though they aren't from Sweden themselves. Also that they don't fear to challenge us in what we believe and don't hesitate to call out assumptions when they are presented.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement. But I can't really think of anything from the top of my head.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of research and development at a robotics company. We design and produce robots that can repair wind turbine blades.

What challenge were you trying to address with 20 Thousand Leagues?

We needed help with development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide software solutions in the field of machine learning. The software uses our camera feeds and machine learning technology to automate some of the tasks currently being done manually by robot operators. Their solutions help with calibration and navigation for the robots. This includes ensuring that the robots don’t fall over the edge of the turbine blade while moving.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one dedicated developer. There was also a product manager, a junior developer, and a senior developer that were part-time.

How did you come to work with 20 Thousand Leagues?

Our CEO knew their CEO beforehand. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2019–October 2020.

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

They’ve been easy to work with. The assignments we gave them at the beginning weren’t very detailed. Their team was driven, and as a result, they were able to create something meaningful. 

They’re very service minded. They run with what we give them and do their best. We’ve been delighted with them. It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with them.

How did 20 Thousand Leagues perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings to discuss what they’d accomplished in the past week and set priorities for the coming week. That’s worked flawlessly. We didn’t need to do any more hardcore product management processes. They work independently and know how to manage all of the details. All of the team members are self-starters that don’t require too much direction. 

We used Microsoft Teams. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s impressive how much work we’ve completed considering the price we paid. It’s less than half what I would have paid for someone in Denmark.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Something that would help them is to demand a little more engagement from the customer side if it’s lacking. I can see from our side; we didn’t invest enough time in the project. They should demand more specifications and investment from the customer’s side if needed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more time you invest in specifications and following up, the better the product will be.