Code District

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP and COO of Limbik. We’re a content data science company. I head up the development teams here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

We were taking a service-based business and turning it into a SaaS business. They helped us develop a platform that could be a self-serve service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use data science to help marketing firms position their content, in particular for social media marketing. We use predictive analytics to do this, which drive the best interactions and best results. The application Code District helped us create allows us to do all that, and it helps our clients create ideas that will be successful in the media sphere. We’re using AWS software, Lambda, GitHub, and other technologies.

They mainly did our frontend design work but they also helped on the backend. We have an internal development team, who they work in tandem with.

What is the team composition?

We worked with upwards of nine people. Everyone from frontend developers to backend developers to full-stack resources. We had a UX/UI design team of team people, as well as two auditors. They provided a team lead and an oversight resource too.

How did you come to work with Code District?

They approached our CEO about six months before I started with the company. We put them through an RFP process with a number of other development shops and they won the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2020. This project is going to wrap up in the next month and we’re planning on retaining them for further services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our first success metric is that they’re 100% on time. The RFP outlined the scope of work and pricing and they’ve been 100% on budget as well. They’ve delivered really good work.

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been exemplary and are great at listening. This has been a bit of an interesting project in that we’ve been the project managers but they’ve managed their side of the project; it’s almost been duel project management.

We use Slack, Confluence, Jira – all the Atlassian products to manage projects. This helps us watch their progress. They have a tight system and, between us, we have a good communication strategy. The project is being done in an agile environment with daily scrum sessions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very agile. During this process, we’d forgotten some stuff in our RFP and we had to have them pivot their work. They had the bodies in place to do this within one week. They’re very nimble and seem to have a very good network of people they can draw from.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t criticize their work at all. Sometimes our communication has issues but those are on our side as well as theirs. They’ve been a pleasure to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them, especially during the planning phase. I’m in a company where our executives are more sales-driven so they don’t always understand what goes into development, which means they want things faster. Code District pushes for a thorough planning process, however, that pays dividends in the end. You’ll stay on budget and you’ll stay on time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

One of my businesses is a consulting company that does niche web and mobile apps for our clients. I’m a founder and partner there.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

They augmented our dev staff to help us serve our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our customer needed a brand new web app done in the .NET framework. In-house, we focus primarily on Ruby on Rails development, so we brought them on to handle this task. The final platform that they built was a proposal software intended for our client to use in-house. 

What is the team composition?

I had a project manager, two developers, a designer, and a UX expert. 

How did you come to work with Code District?

Based on our previous engagement, I thought they’d be able to manage the tech requirements and be a good fit for the work. So, I sent them an email asking if they had developers that met our customer’s requirements. They did, so we brought them on.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in May 2019 and ended in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this point, the product is past testing. Our team is now collaborating with the client’s in-house team to support the app and clean up any bugs. They’re actively using the solution and are satisfied with it. Based on that, I’d say the project was successful. They implemented all the requirements and handled the vast majority of the coding work.  

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

They were pretty good at communication. We worked most closely with the project manager. Sometimes, it would’ve been nice to have more direct contact with the developers. We started doing this toward the end of the engagement, and I noticed that communication got much better between our teams. We used Jira for this project because that’s what they used. Our team normally uses Slack and Trello. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to the project and willingness to put in the time to correct bugs stood out. The developers take pride in their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do well when the requirements are clear and defined upfront. With this project, the client changed their mind frequently, and their process wasn’t always equipped to handle that. Otherwise, the quality of their work is great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sometimes, we got bogged down on the project management end. I will hire them for other projects, so this learning experience was important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a software platform for the fire protection industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

We wanted to roll out a new feature for our platform, but didn’t have the time to focus on both the development and our day-to-day operations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Code District developed our service software on Ruby on Rails. The software makes inspections, testing, and maintenance easier for the fire protection industry. Their team used an API to create a database for our team. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two developers from Code District, both of whom were involved in discussions with our team. 

How did you come to work with Code District?

A friend of mine has a startup and recommended Code District to us. He passed along one of the directors, so I reached out to them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $4,300 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Code District from January–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we are very happy with Code District’s work. Their team lead ran an internal code review that went well. We plan to use them again in the future. 

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated primarily through Trello. Despite the time difference, their team is very responsive. We heard feedback from them every day about what they were working on. 

If they were ever stuck on anything or needed more direction, they would reach out to us, and then we would set up a Zoom meeting. They quickly addressed any bugs that came up throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were always able to decipher what we wanted, even when our instructions were vague. Code District could give us as many mockups or as much detail as we wanted with the little information we gave them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have a very good operation, and I have nothing negative to say about Code District.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Since there is a language barrier, it’s important to be as detailed as possible with them. It’s better to give them the information instead of leaving it open for interpretation. Unfortunately, our team was very busy when we first brought them on so it was difficult for us to write up exactly what we wanted. When we did, we got better results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a technology-driven title insurer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

We were looking to build the first version of our platform. The work had to be done quickly and affordably without sacrificing the product’s quality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we provided Code District with screens and workflows for the project. From there, they designed all the database structures and the frontend, developing the entire application by the end of the project.

The completed app will allow for more transparency and visibility in the home closing process. It will use a task management system, a status tracker, contacts, and calendars to make managing a closing a much easier.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Asher (CEO, Code District), but we work with an additional 2–3 of their team members.

How did you come to work with Code District?

Our company was putting out a few bids for other projects when we came across Code District. We were impressed with their experience in the real estate sector, so we spoke to them and seven other development companies. They delivered a very clear, professional spec, so we decided to go with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working on the project since February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We completed the project on time and according to our budget. They’re hardworking and deliver quality services, so we plan to continue working with them.

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve stuck to a pretty strict schedule, but they always let us know about upcoming holidays. When changes need to be made to the app, they communicate to us clearly. It’s made our relationship work well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were much more organized than I initially expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great to have a little more attention to detail from them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure the designs and workflows are in place, and then they’ll provide good advice from there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a SaaS product that provides ERP for project-based companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

Our first project was to write a plug-in for Outlook. We wanted a panel that would surface information about our platform directly in Outlook. We also needed Code District to rewrite our mobile app, so it worked for both iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wrote the functionality for the API to surface the information in Outlook, and Code District figured out how to get it to appear in the program. The panel provides access to our app, letting the user interact with our data, functionality, and tools. They finished the Outlook plug-in and are currently working on the app.

For the app, we did the concept design and requirements, and Code District turned it into a functioning app. It connects with our API to pass information back and forth. They built different versions for both iOS and Android, and they also do QA.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager, four developers, some React specialists, and a QA analyst.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in July 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internal development had been meaning to work on the mobile app, but it kept getting delayed because of day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. Code District was able to focus on the project and deliver what our own team wasn’t able to do.

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

We hadn’t worked with an external team before, but the partnership’s been great. We have a great relationship, communicating and collaborating well together. They adapt to our change requests, and we hold weekly meetings to review progress. We communicate via Slack and use Jira to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always positive, even if we have a big problem or concern. They integrate well with our team, so we’ll continue to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The code branches got a bit complex, so we’re working on making them more simplified for the next project. It’ll make it easier to test things more quickly.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Consider Code District to be part of your team and have them communicate directly with your internal staff.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and co-founder of a business that’s building a network of preventative cardiology practices and software to support them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

We initially needed help developing prototypes for the software that supports our internal operations and patient-facing marketing side. The project evolved into production-level work for live patient development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Code District works on a fairly comprehensive project. They’ve taken on everything from server management deployment to frontend web dev and backend service creation. They also integrated the platform with our APIs. We have some legacy code that they’ve also improved, too. We provided the design, workflows, and general idea, and they executed on what we outlined. The software includes numerous features, such as a risk assessment function, patient dashboard, HIPPA compliance messaging, and case and task management systems. They use Ruby on Rails, React.js, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and Google Cloud for hosting.

What is the team composition?

We work with two developers and a technical architect.

How did you come to work with Code District?

We interviewed about 20 firms. Code District offered a free trail for 40 hours of work, and their code was great, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in April 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform reduces the amount of time it takes our admin staff to enter patient information. Before, it took around 30 minutes, but now it only takes about two. We haven’t had any downtime or major issues with the product, and Code District quickly resolves any small problems.

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

At first, communication was difficult because it all went through the project manager who was a bit removed from the process. But as time’s gone on, we interact directly with the developers now, which has made things much better. We use Zoom for video meetings and Slack to track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did a large amount of work in a short period of time and are extremely professional. They care about our product, suggesting improvements instead of just finishing the job as quickly as possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Swapping resources should take less time, and they should provide more documentation to facilitate smoother transitions.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Interview the engineers you’ll be working with and take advantage of any trial period they offer. Negotiate a good price, too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and majority owner of an enterprise feedback management firm. We primarily assist large companies in collecting feedback from their customers, employees, and partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code District?

I was looking to create an enterprise feedback management application system that, unlike other survey software on the market, allowed companies to create surveys without coding knowledge. I also wanted a system that would store collected data so those being surveyed wouldn’t have to answer the same questions more than once.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Code District’s team came to my office to speak with me and other executives to assess exactly what my team wanted. After the assessment, they gave us a functional specification document along with an API that detailed my team’s expectations and the ideas they built around them. 

They then developed a survey software on a .NET framework with a rich text editor that allowed companies to build a survey without coding. The system also had brand logic, meaning if a surveyee identified themselves as male, they wouldn’t be asked whether they’re pregnant.

Code District also built an email system that allowed me to send out automated reminders. For example, if a survey goes out 100,000 people and 50,000 of those people don’t respond within two weeks, an automatic email reminder will be sent out to those people. The email system will also automatically notify my company’s project or case managers if a surveyee gives a low rating for a particular question, so we’re able to reach out to that person and address the issue.

Along with the survey software, Code District also built us an Android and iOS mobile app on native software.

What is the team composition? 

We worked primarily with Ashar Samdani [CEO and Founder, Code District], as well as a project manager. We also worked with five developers.

How did you come to work with Code District?

While visiting Pakistan, I attended an entrepreneurial conference that Ashar was chairing as well as speaking at. Someone there introduced us, and we began discussing our work. I spoke with some of his other clients and met with a few when I came back to the U.S. They all raved about him, so I decided to partner with him out of the seven other companies I interviewed for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested close to $150,000 with them. I anticipate investing an additional $250,000 in the next 12 to 18 months with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2016 and finished up our work in November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In about two and a half months, we’ve generated almost $500,000 in business revenue based on the features they developed. 

Before pushing the software live, we had two separate firms verify that the code is reusable for different development team should I decide to bring the technology in-house. Those firms concluded that a recent college graduate could look at the coding and the notes Code District left as they were writing it, and reuse it fairly easily. 

How did Code District perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very happy with their work from a project management standpoint. We did the project in bi-weekly sprints. I received a weekly and monthly call updating me on their progress. I also met with Ashar face-to-face to discuss the project’s progress every quarter. 

They used Jira to keep track of their progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their staff is extremely impressive. Not only are they highly educated in their field, but they have great interpersonal skills. Despite his high position in the company, Ashar was on each and every single phone call I was on. His dedication to my project reflected on his team, who worked tirelessly to produce high-quality deliverables. I’ve done approximately 12 development projects in the past, and Code District’s team has done the best work for me. I’ll continue using them for that reason. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; out of the other companies I’ve partnered with in the past, Code District behaved in a manner which elevated my expectations on how a development company should perform.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

One of the reasons I think my project with Code District was so successful is because I invited them to discuss my business challenge and listen to my vision for a solution before development. They created a working prototype that I could agree on before taking the project through development. I would suggest any company looking to do development work assess and document their requirements and expectations before starting building anything out.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department head of Humanity Neurotech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Development of medical devices to reduce neuroinflammation. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Code District to accomplish?

• Develop webapp to facilitate data exchange with our device.

SOLUTION

How did you find Code District?

Cold email

Why did you select Code District over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Excellent references

How many teammates from Code District were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Develop webapp to generate csv files for device programming.
• Develop webapp to generate a report from an event log and a metadata file pulled off of our device.
• Stand Up application on Amazon web services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project delivered on time and on budget to our specification.

Team was flexible with minor adjustments as the project unfolded. 

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

Organized, responsive, on time. 

What was your primary form of communication with Code District?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great communication, easy to work with. 

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

Not really 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO & Founder of GPSmyCITY

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our mobile app offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 cities worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Code District to accomplish?

• Develop and improve our iOS app

SOLUTION

How did you find Code District?

Online Search

Why did you select Code District over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Code District were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We hired a dedicated iOS developer from Code District for one year.  The developer's main tasks were implementing new features and fixing bugs in our iOS app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developer from Code District was in regular contact with our in-house development through Skype on regularly basis.  They discussed tasks and issues as often as they need, sometimes a few times a day.   The developer committed code after completing each task.  Our in-house team checked changes and gave feedback.

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

The developer from Code District was integrated into our development team and we managed her work directly.

What was your primary form of communication with Code District?

Email or Messaging App

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

The developer they provided us was competent.

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

In the beginning there were issues with communication, but we solved them soon.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Skywatch

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SkyWatch makes Earth observation data simple for everyone to use. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Code District to accomplish?

• Build a world class e-commerce site for Earth observation data sales

SOLUTION

How did you find Code District?

Referral

Why did you select Code District over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Code District were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Development of a custom web application, allowing users to search, order and receive Earth observation data from multiple suppliers. Includes integration with:

• Payment vendor
• Authentication provider
• Existing platform APIs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launched application successfully in late May

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

• The team works very hard, time shifting for us and ensuring our requests were turned around very quickly. 
• Code District did an excellent job of asking questions, using judgment, and pushing forward with progress.

What was your primary form of communication with Code District?

Virtual Meeting

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

• Very strong techincal resources.
• Very driven to deliver. 

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

As we had very tight timelines, automated testing wasn't built during this project.