Atlann

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of 1inspiring, an international online training agency focused on small-business entrepreneurs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlann?

We were struggling with follow-up for participants and customers. I already had a plan for this and had built several apps before, but they weren’t satisfying to me. I’d had some bad experiences with other app developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atlann has become our main supplier for building our training program and curriculum into a digital platform. I showed them the digital solution I had in place at the time, and we talked through it. Atlann came up with all kinds of examples for how to improve it.

We made a list of everything that was wrong with it and what changes we had in mind. We focused on making a 100% functional application at first. Then, we took it to another level after that, focusing on the specific needs of our participants.

It was a digital canvas in the beginning. We created a board mechanism on the application, which made it easy for people to start teams and collaborate. The second feature is a ranking mechanism for projects. It helps investors sort out projects.

The platform can create one-page project summaries for sharing with friends, investors, and teammates. It’s strictly a web application initially built on Google Cloud. We moved to AWS six months ago.

What is the team composition?

I’m working with around three people from Atlann. I communicate with their CEO and the project manager. 

How did you come to work with Atlann?

I’d worked with one of their managers, for quite some time, on a project involving a housing platform in Spain. I also met their CEO at an event in Poland. They had the right spirit and an interesting price. We were busy running another project within an international accelerator program, so I gave Atlann the opportunity.

How much have you invested with them?

The first assignment cost €7,500 (approximately $9,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Atlann in September 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. We reached the first milestone at the end of that year and the second one in the first quarter of 2020. We have some small sprints to finish at the moment, but we’re not in a hurry. We plan to add extra features and make mobile versions in 2021, and we’ll be using Atlann.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have an international event with 60–80 people from 20 countries joining us. They’ll get registration links during the workshop, and we’ll do some showcases. The first metric is that the app built by Atlann did exactly what the one before it did, but it was 100% functional.

I don’t have a lot of technical knowledge, but I tested and tweaked it by myself, guided by my CIO, who bridged the communication between Atlann and us. We ran five sprints to improve the app after that and had a few hundred testers during the launch. We’ll continue to improve the app, and we’ll launch fully in 2021.

How did Atlann perform from a project management standpoint?

One of Atlann’s members came to Amsterdam in the beginning and worked closely with us. We’re using Trello boards to manage the workflow. We start sprints only after there’s a full agreement from both sides on what the expectations are. This was my biggest challenge in the beginning.

I can get too enthusiastic at times and be on the wrong page. We have a team member on our side who has more technical knowledge. I don’t have a lot of technical experience, but he helps keep communication in an official workflow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can be overenthusiastic at times and that can lead partners to respond in the same way. We have to be realistic in the day-to-day work, and Atlann helped manage our expectations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Atlann is really professional, and I don’t have a point of disagreement or disappointment. It’s more a matter of taking a close look in the mirror as far as my organization goes. We were developing something completely new, so it was sometimes difficult to give them clear instructions. Making visual representations before starting development is an important point to keep in mind for the future.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients have to be crystal clear about what they want, although Atlann is great at providing advice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Pepe Housing is accommodation marketplace in Poland. I am CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Development of the whole IT infrastructure. Custom-made technology, which supports processes of the innovative business model.

SOLUTION

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

Professional attitude of the CTO of Altan, as well as the technical knowladge.

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

- marketplace front end - marketplace back end - admin panel - social integration - google data studio integrations - payment gateway integration - marketing tools integration - b2b tool creation

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

- 1 project manager - 3 lead developers - 5 developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cost-effective delivery of the software. Development based on lean approach, considering the clients' feedback. Working system.

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

Professional attitude. Use of software: - Jira - Trello

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

They have the technical knowledge and a good understanding of the business as well as the client's requirements.

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

It was all good. I recommend Atlan.