Appstronauts

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the biggest sporting goods retailer in Europe. My role is: Head of UX & Development in Poland. I’m responsible for innovations and delivery of new technologies into the company.

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

We needed to outsource some works related to the frontend frameworks (mostly Svelte / JS tech stack). We expected to hire additional team members for the implementation of our new e-commerce store. We were searching for a vendor company which could help us in this area of expertise. Our goal was to deliver flawless web (RWD & PWA enabled) e-commerce sites for the largest sporting goods retailer in Europe in a new modern, frontend technology. The main goal was to change old-fashioned tech stack and rewrite the code to Svelte framework.

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

We were looking for a vendor who would very quickly provide us with developers specialized in some frameworks / technologies. As Appstronauts have certified specialists and an excellent portfolio of such projects, we have decided to cooperate with them. They are very experienced, have a lot of knowledge and are added value in the whole project - that’s something that we were looking for.

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

We needed to increase the users engagement who were not satisfied with our site. We have decided to change our large e-commerce frontend stack to one of the latest & “light” technologies. Appstronauts team helped us with the frontend of the application. While delivering the apps Appstronauts team used continuous integration and continuous delivery. It allowed for earlier bug detection and serious cost reduction, what is more - we were able to see the “real” progress of business results.

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

The team consisted of 3 people: 1 Senior Tech Lead, and 2 fullstack regular developers.

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

Thanks to Appstronauts team’s support, we were able to finish the project within the time & budget limits successfully and meet all of the business goals / KPIs / objectives.

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

Project was organised in Scrum / Agile. We have started each day with the daily, planned the whole works together. Most sprints resulted in a new version release (which was live). We have used some tools to communicate with the team, organised a meetings, daily calls/ status calls. The communication was really awesome, and we are very happy to cooperate with the team in future projects. Honestly, we are still cooperating.

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

Very easy to cooperate and onboard; talents from the market, easy about setting the business cooperation

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

Much wider selection of developers with SVELTE framework

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of the company that provides consulting and software development services. We specialize in developing web and mobile applications, mostly for clients from USA, Poland, Singapore and Thailand.

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

We needed help in developing a mobile app project for one of our clients. We took over the existing codebase and since Ionic & .NET aren't part of our tech stack, we reached out to Appstronauts for support. We needed 2 full stack developers specializing in these technologies in order to implement required changes and meet the release deadline.

How did you select Appstronauts and what were the deciding factors?

We performed a research on polish companies that specialize in Ionic & .NET. This stack has been a core of Appstronauts projects for a long time now and they have built a solid expertise around it. Their experience and competence definitely stood out and were the deciding factors.

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

The mobile app was originally developed by a different team and was already in the app store. Our goal was to add some new features and perform a minor redesign of a few screens. We have worked on the project for 3 months.

Appstronauts supplemented the team on our end (consisting of PM, QA and a designer) with 2 full stack developers. The scope of work included changes to the backend code (written in .NET) and the mobile app (TypeScript & Ionic), all lying in client's infrastructure on Azure.

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

We worked with two full stack developers: senior (who effectively became a tech lead) and regular.

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

The team managed to complete desired scope under the budget and before the deadline, so we had a chance to include an additional 1-week "polish sprint" with some extra changes before the release, which brought extra value to our client business. I'd look for a reason of that fact in Appstronaut's competence and proactive approach, which makes them work in an effective manner.

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

The project was managed and led by a manager from our team. We used Jira for project management and Confluence for documentation. We worked in two-week sprints. Our standard process included daily standups and demos for the client at the end of each iteration.

Appstronauts team stayed on top of things by following the process and bringing great value to the project. Our account manager at Appstronauts also made sure that we're satisfied with the engagment, by checking in frequently and being ready to address any concerns we might have.

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

Except for the obvious expertise in the area, they've proactively made sure we are satisfied with their work every step of the way.

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

Not that I can think of. We've managed to set expectations and adjust the process of communication very early on, which - I believe - set this engagement up for success.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a Polish theater called Teatr Papahema. It’s a small-to-mid-sized theater with eight full-time workers. We travel around Poland and Europe, especially to Germany, The Netherlands, and Belgium. We have original acts, and we also play ones like Hamlet and Alice in Wonderland.

What challenge were you trying to address with Appstronauts?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very difficult situation for us, given that borders were closed and many artists, in general, couldn’t earn money. We had to think about how we’d survive, and we started looking for ways to move the theater online. 

We decided to build some kind of video on demand (VOD) platform, allowing people to buy tickets and watch plays in the warmth of their own homes, with a coffee, beer, or wine. As the single person responsible for the theater, people were counting on me for their income.

We had to find a solution that would satisfy our patrons and would be easy to use and scalable. We didn’t have the budget for a custom platform, and we also had to react fast.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sat with a senior business and technology consultant from Appstronauts and discussed the current situation and how we could translate our needs into a solution. They gave us an offer, and we set milestones.  

Our main website was already in place, and Appstronauts developed a subpage of it, which allows users to buy tickets and watch video content. On our side, we have a Vimeo integration for uploading videos. We have a connection with eBilet.pl, which is the most popular ticketing platform in Poland. 

Appstronauts developed functionality for generating custom codes to be sent to the ticketing platform for sale. Our main website is built on WordPress, and the sub-portal has a Node.js backend and an AngularJS frontend.

What is the team composition?

Appstronauts’ project manager was responsible for the contact between us and their team. We also had two programmers, one tester, and one business consultant.

How did you come to work with Appstronauts?

I asked a friend who had been involved in a lot of startups, and he gave me some companies to contact, but my project was too small for them. My friend then told me that I should find a smaller and active company that would understand my needs. 

Big software companies work mostly with corporations and startups with funds, and that wasn’t our case. I browsed Clutch and read articles about the top companies in Poland, and shortlisted 4–5 of them. I was interested in Appstronauts because of their portfolio. 

They’d done projects in media, including for a Polish radio station. One of their founders served as our initial consultant, and I could see that they worked closely with their customers. They were simply advising me and not pushing for a sale.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around 55,000 Polish zloty (approximately $15,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Appstronauts in late-August 2020, and the first release was in October 2020. The development took six weeks, followed by user testing and deployment.

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

We’re playing 4–8 acts per week through the platform, and it serves as our revenue source at the moment. We sold 40 tickets per play for the first four plays. The most important thing for me is that we’re earning money for the first time since March 2020. 

The platform is mobile- and desktop-friendly, so if we can promote it properly, we’ll earn money through it. Appstronauts helped us go from offline to online and gave us a way to survive.

How did Appstronauts perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave me a lot of charts and statistics, and they used Jira. I had access to a board where I could see the status of the work. We also used Slack and Gmail for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of engagement was impressive. I talked to their founders about the project, not with salespeople, and they remained involved throughout the process. Appstronauts was proactive in proposing a solution even before signing an agreement. 

We had short workshops, and they sent me articles about MVPs. They also helped me on the business side. They understood what our budget was, and they gave us an estimate of the time it would take for the platform to become profitable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m very happy overall. Communication was difficult at times, but they did tell me that the programmers would be very specialized and I may not understand them. They told me to talk to the project manager, and that she would take care of everything. If not, I could go to the founders.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should tell Appstronauts their expectations, instead of dictating every small detail. I simply came in and explained the situation I was in, and Appstronauts told me about what they’d done with other companies. In the end, my theater was transformed from offline to online.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CEO and the founder of a startup created to help people manage their savings.

For what projects/services did your company hire Appstronauts?

We approached the company with a vision for a mobile app to manage savings in a fun and effective way, through a mobile device. We had an idea to equip people with a tool where they can add a saving goal, the amount of money needed, and then choose the frequency of passing the money on it.

The main purpose of the app was helping people to stay focused on the goal and stop them from spending money impulsively. We wanted to reach users on iOS and Android.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed Appstronauts to design and develop this app in the shortest time possible to put our idea on the market quickly. We wanted to develop apps for iOS and Android as fast as possible.

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a company that could provide us with a dedicated team of specialists offering high quality at a reasonable price. When we talked to Appstronauts, from the first moments we saw that they are perfectly organized and know how to lead the project to success. They were very enthusiastic about our idea and built our trust offering a detailed contract to secure our rights and interest.

Describe the project in detail.

Appstronauts took holistic care of our project. They provided us with UX/UI design, frontend development and backend development. Quality Assurance engineers were involved in our project from the very beginning, and the whole process was supervised by a Project Manager.

The company advised us on the best tools, technologies, and recommended cross-platform development. These were great ideas that allowed us to shorten the time to market and show our product to the world quickly. Appstronauts managed to deliver an MVP of our app for iOS and Android in 3 months.

To create our app faster, they chose to use the Ionic framework. It allowed them to share a great part of the code between iOS and Android. Also, thanks to that, only one team was working on our project which contributed to lower cost. The final effect was excellent.

What was the team composition?

We were working with a dedicated team that consisted of full-stack developers (frontend and backend), UX and UI designer, Quality Assurance specialist and a Project Manager.

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

The app was warmly received by initial users and allowed us to start building a business around it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project was organized according to the Agile/Scrum methodology and guided by a Project Manager. The whole process was really impressive and effective. The development team was working in two-week sprints, and at the end of each sprint, we were presented with the newest results.

On a daily basis, we were able to track the progress and time reports in Jira. We could talk to the team whenever we needed to. The company was organizing video calls using Slack to keep us in the loop. The team was always honouring our feedback.

Appstronauts were able to make decisions quickly and implement changes without hesitation. Thanks to that kind of project management, everything was delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed us a lot, was that Appstronauts genuinely cared about open and transparent communication. In outsourcing mutual trust is crucial and in my opinion, it contributed a lot to the final success.

We felt like they were a part of our team and really engaged in our success. We also think that the way the company organizes projects is very impressive. They have everything under control and deliver on time.

We appreciate that they advised us on the best development direction and technologies, which allowed us to show our product to the world really fast. We’re delighted with the partnership and its results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes up to my mind, we are really delighted about our cooperation with Appstronauts.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Store Manager at Decathlon. Our company is the largest French sporting goods retailer in the world. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Appstronauts?

We’re well-known for our big retail stores, but we also have concept stores in various cities. Recently, our concept stores entered Poland, and we needed a mobile app to optimize the work of the back office. We wanted to improve the communication between local stores in order to facilitate the process of shipping products from one store to another and deliver a required product to a client on the same day they requested it.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed an app that would enable a salesperson to communicate easily with other stores and warehouses to check the supplies and to order, on client’s requirement, an item or clothing from another local store. The app should allow our employees to make an order, confirm a transaction, generate a bill of lading, and a code to self-service checkout for a client. We also needed an easy-to-use panel for store managers.

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for a software house in the nearby area. Our goal was to find a company from Warsaw that offers rapid development of an MVP, high-quality of the developed product, and could handle a long term relationship. Appstronauts' team fulfilled our requirements and showed us a portfolio of previously created products. They turned out to be experienced in progressive web apps (PWA). We’ve selected this company based on their competitive offer and experience.

Describe the project in detail.

Appstronauts provided us with UX and UI design at the beginning of our project. Then, they designed the whole system architecture and developed a PWA using the Ionic framework. The MVP was created in a couple of months.

We received the app that covers both sales and logistics modules and has an intuitive admin panel. Developing a PWA allows us to have a useful web application that can be also added to the home screen like a mobile app and delivers a native mobile experience. The whole time Appstronauts provided us with IT consulting, we could count on their advice and experience.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of 3 full-stack developers and a UX/UI designer.

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

At this moment, we have an MVP that is used by our salesmen in concept stores at Warsaw. The app allows us to optimize work, significantly accelerate the process of delivering required products to clients, and facilitate communication between stores. Now our local stores are connected, and sales associates can easily send items between them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Appstronauts used Agile methodology, and the whole work was divided into sprints. We could track the progress in Jira, and after each sprint, new features were presented to us during a demo. The team appreciated our feedback and implemented every suggestion. We used Slack for daily communication, mostly cooperated with Project Manager but also could communicate with developers directly. The whole project was well-organized, and the process was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I especially appreciated open communication and friendly atmosphere during the project. Appstronauts treated us like a partner and did their best to provide us with a product that complied with our requirements. The company approached the project with a lot of enthusiasm.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We received a polished product that met our requirements. We appreciate the partnership.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a startup that was created to unite craft beer lovers in Poland. We have a mobile app that allows beer passionates to find places that serve their favorite beverages.

For what projects/services did your company hire Appstronauts?

We hired Appstronauts to develop a functional, visually attractive mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to quickly create an informational app that allows users to search for new flavors easily, but also carries the idea of a community of those passionate about beer. The ideal app would differentiate us in the market, providing a detailed base of craft beer pubs and prices.

How did you select this vendor?

We were searching for developers in Warsaw that could offer high quality, rapid development with a competitive price and excellent project management. Appstronauts offered all of this, plus we were thrilled about their approach, engagement, and ideas.

Describe the project in detail.

Appstronauts provided us with UX and UI design ideas. We brainstormed together, participating in design thinking sessions. Iterations of the solution were tested in a group of future users. The MVP was finished in four weeks.

They used Atomic Design Methodology and an Ionic framework for app development. They prioritized quality frontend development, access to native device features, and a polished UX. They added user-centric features such as a geolocation function to the solution. 

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a UX designer, a graphic designer, and two full-stack developers.

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

The mobile app was the core of our startup, and it turned out to be a success. Beer passionates were very enthusiastic about the solution. Also, whenever parts of the app were tested on future users, it was clear that Appstronauts drove the project in the right direction. Now, the final version is available at the app store. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were always up-to-date on the team’s workflow. We remained in regular contact with developers and the project manager. Appstronauts informed us about every status change, and we could also track their progress in Jira. The whole project was organized very effectively, and we were able to give our feedback and adjust the requirements at each stage of the process.
 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Appstronauts were not just our developers — they also supported the business side of our project as they were invested in our success. They treated us as a valued partner and showed enthusiasm as if they were a part of our team. We really appreciated their open communication and efficient work processes.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We’re thrilled with our partnership with Appstronauts. We’re happy about the work we did together.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a project manager at Agora SA, also known as Agora Media Group. A major media company in Poland, we own several radio stations including Radio Złote Przeboje. I oversee new digital products and relationships with partners.

For what projects/services did your company hire Appstronauts?

Our mobile application for Radio Złote Przeboje was last updated in 2013, and its downloads were falling short of our goals. We engaged Appstronauts to lead a total rebuild of the app.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a competitive radio app that would attract new users and increase user engagement. It needed engaging functionalities and a high level of usability and reliability. We also wanted to update and maintain the app easily going forward. 

How did you select this vendor?

Our team searched for app developers in Warsaw. We wanted a company that offers high-quality products, rapid development, and transparent project management at reasonable rates. Appstronauts provided a competitive offer with an appealing tech stack, so we chose them.

Describe the project in detail.

We first provided Appstronauts with a new design of the app. The team built new functions and an improved UX for the app. They developed it as a cross-platform app using Ionic Framework. 

Key functionalities include an alarm clock, a geolocation feature that finds the nearest radio station, a contest mechanism, sharing, analytical tools, communication features, and integration with Google AdMob. 

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with a project manager, but we also could contact the development team, which consisted of two full-stack developers.

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

The final application met all our requirements. Its functionalities and UI/UX are significantly improved. Thanks to its analytics tools, we can see that more users are joining and the app’s reach is expanding.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our cooperation was excellent. We appreciated the ability to contact developers directly if needed. It made communication that much fairer and more open. We kept in touch via Slack and received progress updates in Jira.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Appstronauts treated us like a partner rather than a client. They were personable and invested in our success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could have developed more detailed test scenarios. However, we ultimately received a polished and bug-free product that met our every requirement. We’re thrilled with the partnership. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Asap Technologies, a freight marketplace that matches carriers with shippers. With our innovative system, we deliver a tailor-made solution to supplement empty carrier loads and offer reliable service and competitive prices to businesses/private clients.

For what projects/services did your company hire Appstronauts?

We wanted to develop a set of web and mobile apps for our carriers and shippers. 

What were your goals for this project? 

We were searching for a reliable partner that understood our need to pursue perfection in development. They were responsible for helping us outline the most valuable functionalities for our MVP before developing the apps.

How did you select this vendor? 

My team contacted app developers in our area and shortlisted a few companies based on their provided case studies. We then met with each candidate to learn about their experience, evaluating them based on their pricing structure and approach to our project. The latter was important for us to establish a meaningful partnership. We eventually went with Appstronauts.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, Appstronauts led a series of workshops to help us define our needs and establish the core functionality for the MVP release. They then developed all of the designs before proceeding to the first phase of development.

The team created a set of apps for shippers and carriers. Each user side had an iOS/Android version in addition to a progressive web app (PWA). They developed the apps using the cross-platform framework Ionic and integrated Braintree payment functions. To monitor all of the carriers, shippers, and orders, they also created a CRM and dashboard. 

Currently, we’re alpha testing the apps and hope to launch in Q2 2019. They’ve created a website to help promote our services. 

What was the team composition?

They’ve assigned a project manager, two full-stack developers, a project tech lead, and a QA specialist. 

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

Right now, we’re in alpha testing for all of the apps and plan to go live by Q2 2019. Initial results have proven that we’ve created a set of good, intuitive apps. We’re currently trying to recruit additional carriers and find shippers to participate in our marketplace.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow is very impressive. Appstronauts uses a Scrum methodology, preparing a backlog of tasks and Sprints. After each sprint, we have a day to demo the new version release, perform our own tests, and give direct feedback. They’ve been very helpful in quickly implementing all of our suggestions.

Overall, the contact is consistent, and they feel like a part of our team. We use Slack for daily communication and Jira to manage the project. This grants us access to the entire team and allows us to track the progress ourselves.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re agile and open-minded, making quick pivots to implement improvements. Not only do they understand the programming side of the project, but they also grasp our business needs, which helps to build great products. As such, they’re dedicated to developing apps that best align with our goals rather than just sticking to the agreed specifications. Finally, they’ve simplified our MVPs, focusing on the most important functions to be more cost-effective. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of any at the moment.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of several auto body shops in Poland.

What challenge were you trying to address with Appstronauts?

As an owner, I have many things to manage such as orders, business operations, as well as employees. My business used to be totally offline several years ago; all my new customers came from the recommendations of our satisfied ones. I wanted to grow my business and gain new customers online, as well as find a way to optimize our processes and automate everything, so I decided to build a web app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a web app for me, recommending a technology that’s cheap to maintain. The app allows me to manage almost everything and is also mobile friendly. Additionally, Appstronauts built a website that describes all the services we offer, which we’re aiming to expand in the future.

They’re building a progressive web app using used Node.js, HTML, and CSS, as well as Bootstrap for the frontend. There are many advantages to this, and it’s what they specialize in.

What is the team composition?

We started with one project manager and one developer, and then it grew to two developers.

How did you come to work with Appstronauts?

I created a post in a Facebook group and several of my friends recommended them. I picked five offers out of 50 companies. I met with three of those companies, and I really liked Appstronauts’ co-founders. I had a feeling they could create what I needed and that I would be a part of the process, which is what I wanted.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent around $14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2016–March 2018.

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

Everything is working well. I’ve been able to get more done online as well as capture new customers through the website and Facebook Ads. I’m also happy that I can take care of everything in the web app, which is also available for me on my phone, allowing me to manage my business anywhere.

I had some experience with IT teams, but I wasn’t happy because they didn’t deliver. Appstronauts delivered and I’m now able to have everything automatically. Before, when my accountant was on vacation, I wasn’t able to send receipts; now, I’m able to do it myself.

How did Appstronauts perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and were in contact with us throughout the whole process, which was really nice. We mainly used Slack to communicate. They also invited me to a testing session, which was really awesome.

Initially, one of their co-founders was responsible for my project, and later on, passed it on to a dedicated project manager who handled the entire process. If there were any issues or questions, I could always ask either of the co-founders. They were always helpful and answered all of my questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge is impressive. They produced high-quality work and treated me as a friend, making me a part of the whole process. I was so excited for my product; whenever a certain feature was completed, they’d automatically upload it to a server, thus making it possible for me to test it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I didn’t personally meet the people I had previously hired, but I met with the Appstronauts’ team, which was a good idea.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of a mobile app to find and host real life events.

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

I trusted Appstronauts with the development of my app both for iOS and Android

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

they were competitive on pricing, reactive to my email and I had a very good contact with them. They seemed trustworthy and caring which was the deciding factor in the end.

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

I provided wireframes and tech specs documentation. They took care of back end (Python) and front end (Flutter) developments. We had 2 weekly meeting for the 5 next months to make sure we kept on time and budget.

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

There were at least 5 people deeply involved: COO and PM, 2 developers, 1 tester.

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

Not only the app was launched on time and budget which was the main initial concern with all the initial features completed, but the quality of the project was as high as I expected.

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

The project management was key in the success of the project. The bi weekly meetings, as well as weekly release of a test version proved to be absolutely instrumental to staying on tracks

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

Definitely the involvement of the team. Everyone deeply cared about the project and it showed in the result.

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

Make sure to keep the excellent communication at every step of the project. When we tried doing slightly differently after the launch, it worked less well than with strict planning and communication that we had earlier.