Blocksism

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product head for a staffing and recruiting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blocksism?

We wanted to develop a blockchain prototype for data recompilation on the capital market side. The goal was to see if Hyperledger technology could support real-time data reconciliation and information storage in the blockchain environment. Additionally, we hoped to use AWS to manage and support the system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blocksism built a smart contract for the transactions, reconciliations, matching, and confirmation. They also determined how we would show that data in the UI using Hyperledger Explorer.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one developer.

How did you come to work with Blocksism?

We were only looking for a small prototype, so we didn’t need a big vendor. I looked on Upwork and came across a developer from Blocksism.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $2,000 on the prototype.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything we wanted to get validated on the prototype was validated — it was all done.

How did Blocksism perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through Upwork and a couple of phone calls. The scope was pretty clear, and the work was agile.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their price point was good. They’re approachable and responsive — if I asked a question, then they immediately responded. Requirement changes were adjusted to quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure how big they are because we only used one developer. They know the blockchain space and stick to that niche, which is good. They should probably look into other frameworks, however, as they’re mostly Ethereum-centric. They also work a bit with Hyperledger and Quorum, among other areas.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This doesn’t just apply to Blocksism — it applies to any new, small blockchain company where you don’t have the ability to validate, visit their office, or interview their staff.

There are a lot of companies who claim to be blockchain, but the problem is that you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Because of this, I would break the work into small, agile iterations. Starting with a smaller build allows you to see how the process goes and invest in them gradually, rather than laying out the entire project and asking them to deliver it.

Additionally, make sure that the requirements and costs are clearly laid out upfront.