Ancient

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Mesada, a remittance company that handles international payments from Mexico to the US and vice versa. We receive remittances through electronic systems. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ancient?

We needed a software development service provider specializing in financial services and fintech with experience with our type of project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ancient is building our full digital product. They’ve provided consultation, developed the product, done backend engineering, designed the product’s UI/UX, built the transactional layer, and built the frontend. 

First, we had an initial meeting to explain the project, product, and our needs. Then, we did a deep dive into the product parts and components we already had. Along with Ancient, we determined the sprints they would carry out to see how we would move forward. The app’s design has been a collaboration with Ancient since we already had preliminary UX work that they’ve helped us polish. The team has used Figma for UI/UX design.

Ancient first sent us a proposal with schedules, pricing, sprints, methodologies, and a 12-person technical team. From there, we worked with the technical team on the legal aspect of the project. Ancient then started the development phase. 

For development, Ancient has used Flutter, Python, Go, React Native, Flutter, and MongoDB. On the DevOps side, they’ve used continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), Kubernetes, and AWS. The team has built some native components on iOS and Android and a web version of the app. Currently, we have a functional MVP. 

The US-to-Mexico remittance market is the biggest in the world, averaging $80 billion annually, and we receive those remittances from users who are in the US. Users can log in and register, uploading some Know Your Customer (KYC) and compliance documents to verify their identity to US authorities. Once registered, users can send money. 

For example, a user can send $1,000, the app generates a receipt, and the system generates over 1,000 payment points. The payment goes through a clearing house so that another user in Mexico can receive the money. This final user can insert the reference generated by the app. Final users must also upload documentation to verify their identity to Mexican authorities. Finally, users in Mexico can go to a withdrawal point to collect their remittances. In that transaction, we charge users a fee. 

Although we have a basic product, we still need to integrate services, optimize the processes, and build up the infrastructure. Ancient will continue to be our technology partner to perform these tasks. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with approximately 15 teammates from Ancient, including the technical team, the commercial director, the CTO, a technical lead, and a project manager. Each development area also has a leader.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I’d like to shout out Emilio (Co-Founder & CTO) and one other teammate, who have been the main drivers of this project. 

How did you come to work with Ancient?

We found them through a recommendation about Ancient’s commercial director. From there, our technology department got in touch with Ancient. Our goal was to form a large development team, which implied knowing the technological, financial, and compliance aspects of a product build. We decided to partner with Ancient due to their fintech expertise. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$600,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our product has over 50,000 users and a very positive rating from users who send money to Mexico. As with every development process, we’ve had bugs, but Ancient has covered all the technical gaps. The team has handled all bugs within a non-productive app, so they’ve never affected the users. Although the work we have to do with Ancient is long, and our business will take time to develop, we’ve had great results so far. 

How did Ancient perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been very good. All deliveries have been determined under a statement of work, so when we have a review every two weeks, we know which modules and functionalities should be finished by which date. 

Our communication process is also great, thanks to a hybrid project management process. The commercial director and project manager visit our office for in-person meetings, and we also use Jira for project management and email, Slack, and phone calls to communicate. 

Additionally, we have an effective communication ladder structure where our CEO is in touch with Ancient’s CEO, I communicate with Ancient's CTO, and our product manager is in contact with Ancient’s project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ancient’s fintech and software development expertise is their greatest strength, along with their project management and development methodologies skills. Their talented resources enable them to complete high-quality work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their delivery so that their work feels like a solid deliverable. This would be more for show than functionality, but it could be useful for them to grow. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having clarity about your needs so the right team from Ancient can assist you. Initially, we thought we only needed development services, and it turned out we also needed product support, which Ancient helped us realize. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a manager at Innover digital

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide our clients with digital transformation and consulting services. We also provide managed services and staff augmentation services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Help support our staffing needs in Latin America
• Provide us with resources to carry out projects and meet deliverables

SOLUTION

How did you find Ancient?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Ancient over others?

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

How many teammates from Ancient were assigned to this project?

Over 10

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

We required quality resources to help scale our projects at reasonable costs. We wanted a partner that could act as an extension of our company, a partner that was trustworthy and dependable. Since we have begun working together, there has not been a single position Ancient haven’t been able to fulfill. They have always gone above and beyond to meet our needs and maintain high standards.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Affordable resources Receiving profiles within 48 hours of sharing the requirement and having them onboarded within 48 hours of being their selection. Being able to scale the team in a gradual manner Acting as an extension of our own team Less than two escalations per consultant per year

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

There was always a good flow of communication between us. My POC at Ancient was always reachable and would often connect with me on WhatsApp as well in order to be more efficient when needed. Project deliverables were always met. All staffing requirements were met.

What was your primary form of communication with Ancient?

Virtual Meeting

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

The culture and their passion to help us achieve our goals. Ancient always tailors their services in a manner that would best fit us and make us feel comfortable and supported

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

I honestly don’t think there is anything else they could have done to provide us with a better experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Direct USA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company serves the USA with quality Telecommunications products with the focus on delivering telecommunications solutions to small business and large enterprise customers alike.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Having a team of experienced and skilled IT professionals to support our projects.
• Improving the overall efficiency and productivity of our company.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ancient?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Ancient over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ancient were assigned to this project?

Ancient provided us with a team of 10 IT professionals, including software developers, project managers, and quality assurance specialists.

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

The scope of work for Ancient's team included developing custom software solutions for our telecommunication industry, conducting software testing and quality assurance, and providing project management support. The key deliverables included high-quality software solutions, detailed testing reports, and regular project progress updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The outcomes from the project included increased efficiency and productivity in our operations, improved software quality, and faster project delivery times. Additionally, our team was able to learn new skills and techniques from Ancient's team, which improved our internal processes.

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

The team's management was outstanding. They provided regular progress updates which helped us to stay informed and make informed decisions.

What was your primary form of communication with Ancient?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What we found most impressive about Ancient's team was their ability to understand our needs quickly and delivered great solutions that met our specific requirements. Their team was highly skilled, and they worked seamlessly with our team to achieve our goals.

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

We were highly satisfied with the services provided by Ancient and we have no suggestions for areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an operations director at an IT services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Ancient?

We had a high demand for resources for our projects and needed to expand our team quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ancient provides staff augmentation services for our multiple projects, including tasks focused on UI/UX design, DevOps, QA, and development.

What was the team composition?

We work with different members of Ancient’s team depending on the project, but our main communication is with their CEO and a project manager they assigned to us.

How did you come to work with Ancient?

We found Ancient on Linkedin and had an initial meeting with them in our offices. We realized we were a very good match from the first moment and immediately started collaborating with them.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve spent about $600,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main success metric is our client’s satisfaction, and we’ve successfully delivered all the projects we have worked on with Ancient. We’ve never had any complaints.

How did Ancient perform from a project management standpoint?

Ancient’s team has met all deadlines, which is one of the main reasons we’ve continued our collaboration with them for so long — our clients are very important, and delivering on time is key. Regarding communication, we use Jira, Slack, and WhatsApp, but other project management tools depend on the project and the client.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ancient offers good quality for a good price. In addition, they’re flexible, and their management team offers great communication — whenever we have any slight issue, they solve it right away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and transparent, and have them set up a team that works for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CTO of a digital agency serving clients from across the globe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ancient?

We needed reliable and competent IT resources who can help us with our projects. We wanted to expedite the development process while delivering a great customer experience. Because we were falling short of resources, we decided to on-board the Ancient team.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed a lot of companies: three main aspects we reviewed included the strength of their team, their expertise, and engagement model. Of all the other agencies we interviewed, the Ancient team checked it all. They had a flexible engagement model, and a sound team of trained professionals - so we hired them for the project.

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

They worked closely with our team and helped us execute our client’s projects. Their team was comfortable working with all the leading technologies. The designers helped us create fresh website/software concepts, and the development team helped us build it from the ground up. The coordination was seamless among them.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We worked with multiple departments. For the most part, we were in touch with the project manager and had a chance to collaborate with UI/UX designers, Software Developers, and QA engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the help of their team, we managed to take on 3x more projects and brought the project timeline to just 30 days from 60. Their team is skillful, deliberate, and easy to work with. We continue to work with them and appreciate their dedication and genuine interest.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We collaborated via Slack for the most part. Apart from that, we had a few Zoom calls every now and then. They are very particular when it comes to managing timelines. They always respected given deadlines and delivered things on time.

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

Working with the Ancient team was a delight. They were friendly, skillful, and very supportive. When needed, they directly coordinated with our clients and got things done. They take the accountability of their responsibilities and are always there when needed.

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

Nothing in general. They have been very supportive throughout our partnership and we expect the same going forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at a software development agency. We build custom software for the healthcare and medical industries. Our team works with large public organizations, government departments, and small startups that have funding to exponentially grow their software. I handle everything from operations to sales and marketing. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ancient? 

We were looking to expand our footprint in Latin America since we didn’t have any entity in the region yet.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company has worked with Ancient on a staff augmentation basis. They essentially provide us with resources and expertise against specific technologies, which mainly involve JavaScript and React. 

At present, we’re contracting Ancient for their QA services. Our group uses their Cypress-based automated and manual application testing services to ensure our software development process is smooth. Their team helps us find bugs quickly if there are any. Overall, we rely on them as a support team that helps us expedite the development process. 

Meanwhile, the app they’re working on gathers information and data points from individuals throughout the world that might be suffering from malnutrition. As such, the app is data-intensive, and Ancient’s QA resource reviews these data points to ensure they’re accurate.

What is the team composition?

Around 7–8 people are working on this project, including the QA resource from Ancient. The whole team includes our internal frontend developer, a backend engineer, designers, a technical lead, and another developer. 

On the end client’s side, around seven people are on the project — they have their own infrastructure team. 

How did you come to work with Ancient?

We started looking for agencies in Mexico via Clutch. Our team went through a handful of firms, and Ancient ended up being the one we hired. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our total invested should be around $25,000–$50,000 CAD (approximately $20,000–$40,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since Ancient is providing us with QA services, we expect the development process to speed up. We can’t quantify that just yet. While we can’t execute their automated tests, we’ve seen the processes and they look great.

Overall, Ancient has been a great team; they’re trustworthy and transparent, and it’s easy to work with them.

How did Ancient perform from a project management standpoint?

Technically, our side handles the project management component; we’re the ones building the custom software. We use Jira for project management. To communicate, we use Slack, Google Meet, Zoom, and emails. 

Ancient’s management is great. We reach out to a specific contact person from their team and conduct a hiring process to find resources. During the process, their aptitude is strong in terms of what we need. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

A lot of agencies do the same thing when it comes to staff augmentation. The reason we’ve chosen to work with Ancient is the number of individuals available from their side. Simply put, their resource availability is good. On top of that, the way they’ve adjusted their workflows for us differentiates them from other teams — they’re flexible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When they started sharing candidates with us, Ancient only shared resumes; they didn’t have a 1–10 rating system. As a result, we couldn’t quickly know where the candidate was good at — we had to do a little bit of digging. 

That said, after communicating our needs, we’ve reset our expectations on how they provide us with resources. To sum up, there’s been a little misalignment in the beginning. We want more information about the candidates, and they’re working to get better at providing that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should have specific resource requirements. That way, the process will be quick. Ancient will deliver based on what you share with them. For instance, if you tell them that you need a frontend developer but fail to share enough information, they’ll give you frontend developers that might not align with your needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of an IT agency offering end to end digital services from development to marketing and everything in between,

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ancient?

We were looking for reliable resources for our company. We neither had any team or infrastructure to hire them - so we onboarded Ancient as our sourcing partner. They would help us hire the right technical resources we needed for our company.

SOLUTION

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

We screened several agencies for this project. After a lot of to and fro calls, we onboarded Ancient as they had sound experience in IT staffing and a flexible engagement model.

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

We shared with their team a list of resources we immediately required. They got us the right candidates in just 3 weeks. After a thorough screening and multiple interviews, we ended up hiring 90% of their resources.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We worked with an IT sourcing strategist, project manager, and their CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the Ancient team, we were able to hire reliable IT resources easily and in a very short amount of time. They were professional, deliberate, and easy to work with.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used trello to manage the project and for communication, we mostly used Slack and emails.

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

The Ancient team is very professional. From communication to project execution, they were always on top of everything. Their team is friendly as well. They were always approachable and seeked our feedback from time to time. It was wonderful working with them.

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

Nothing I can think of at the moment. They have been a good sourcing partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Principal and main Partner at the leading Mexican branding agency. The firm is 23 years old and has a solid positioning in the country given our specialty in big branding projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ancient, and what were your goals?

Our second website was starting to feel outdated and we wanted some additional features we could manage by ourselves. Since we are a design-driven firm, we needed a strong technical parter to understand our needs and love for detail.

SOLUTION

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

Technical skills, young team, strong leadership and geographical proximity.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We started with an analysis of the existing website, both form an analytical point of view and from a design/user experience. Secondly we conducted a series of meetings to define our expectations of the new webpage. Thirdly, we defined that we could design the look and feel of the website and submit it to Ancient's opinion and feedback. After refining the initial design, we delivered a final version and Ancient started to work on a rough version (a wireframe). We conducted a series of monthly meetings to refine the design and test it before launch. Additionally, hosting and SEO's topics were addressed as well. Finally, we published the webpage and is currently under surveillance to make final adjustments, mainly due to the performance on different devices.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Mainly Five, although some advisors were included during the process: Top management Project Leader Programming Leader Programmers (2)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Not yet, but we will have them shortly. To mention a not minor aspect, we have a very good feeling of the speed the current webpage is displaying its content.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication was mainly conducted by our internal leader of this project, and the Project Leader and Programming Leader. Ancient shared with us their internal project management tool but we had no access given to our Apple platform. Every meeting had an agenda and precise minutes.

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

We appreciate their calm and patient reaction to our very demanding details of design.

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

As always, we would have liked to finish the project sooner, but we reckon being an important factor in the resulting timeline.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m an executive at an online medications marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Ancient?

We have numerous challenges in terms of technology, and our in-house development team focuses on our core needs. Whenever we have other projects, we need IT staff augmentation services or partner companies to help us with our custom software development. We often hire Ancient for these kinds of projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Ancient works with us on projects related to scrapers, which is the technology we use to extract information from our e-commerce sites. They’ve also worked on projects related to frontend development, using mainly React.

What was the team composition? 

The team varies depending on the project; we’ve worked with up to 10 people from Ancient.

How did you come to work with Ancient? 

We found them through a Google search. 

How much have you invested in them? 

So far, we’ve invested between $350,000–$450,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around January 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ancient has implemented everything we’ve asked for. We establish KPIs to measure the success of our projects. For staff augmentation services, we measure the quality and skills of the resources. As for software development projects, we evaluate deliverables, deadlines, and code quality.  

How did Ancient perform from a project management standpoint? 

We’ve never had any issues in terms of budget management. As for deadlines, they’ve finished about 94% of deliverables on time. We use Trello and Jira as project management tools and email, WhatsApp, and Slack for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with numerous technology companies, and Ancient is among the best in terms of professionalism, timeliness, and costs.  

Are there any areas they could improve? 

I can’t think of anything they need to improve at the moment. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

My advice is to be clear about your goals and KPIs from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a convenience sales manager at a global tobacco company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ancient Technology?

We needed their team to build our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the project brief, and Ancient Technology took it from there and built our website from the ground up. Since we were keen on producing a user-friendly platform, they developed UI/UX solutions that highlighted that requirement.

What is the team composition?

I had one point of contact, but there were about six resources in charge of the development process.

How did you come to work with Ancient Technology?

One of my colleagues recommended Ancient Technology to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from March–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just wrapped up the project, so there are no quantifiable metrics to share at this point. From our perspective, Ancient Technology was a customer-oriented partner that took our technical needs seriously and patiently. They gracefully dealt with our modification requests and delivered a product that was at par with our standards.

How did Ancient Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and phone calls. Ancient Technology remained responsive to our queries and mindful of our deadlines despite encountering timeline adjustments. They managed to facilitate a smooth process from start to finish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with customer-centric communication skills. I could go on and on about Ancient Technology’s technical skills, but what set them apart from their competitors was their commitment to preserving a transparent and collaborative relationship with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were an effective team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent in relaying your level of technical understanding — this will help them adjust their communication methods to accommodate your needs.