Code Symphony

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of an app development company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed a team of great engineers to build a product I designed and then iterate on it through time as the idea/product/business developeed

SOLUTION

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

I created a small prototype and gave it to a few different developers and companies like Code Symphony

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

The app is a journal/writing app so the fundamental challenges are managing a lot of content - both from a backend and user generated content - and creating a drop dead simple UI/UX that is easy to navigate/find content. And of course to do this as quickly as possible I think we're using react native primarily

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

I think there are 3 or 4 folks - all software engineers that work on various ideas (frontend/backend/etc)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So thus far we've built and that's gone through the following stages: prototype/MVP --> able to collect user data --> making improvements on retention so being able to see users come back day after day --> making improvements that track users purchasing

This means we developed an app/framework together that allows me to continually steer toward increasing user adoption/revenues

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

I pass over a Figma file for that next sprints features, we all use Figma/Skype to communicate, and then we sync up over a voice call (Skype) to cover anything that isn't obvious For the most part, we shoot for weekly sprints/releases

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

At first, it was their CEO, who was clearly interested in a longer term relationship. When you evaluate companies like this, one huge concern is interacting with a salesman who oversells. There was none of these concerns as I got to know Aman

Additionally, I really enjoy the weekly releases and the fact that they have a senior engineer who manages all the other engineers that work on the project. English level is great so this makes for smooth sailing and clear communication

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

Not really. The only problems we have are with timezone. They are literally half a world away so there isn't a lot of overlap in our work days, but there's nothing to be done about that

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Buddoh, a financial technology startup. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code Symphony?

We needed expert help developing and deploying our mobile app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Code Symphony built our mobile app from scratch. We provided their team with mockups of our user journey. Their team took that information and collaborated with us to refine the mockups and design the app. Code Symphony has acted as an advisor and guided us through the technical process. They also provided advice on what development direction would be best for our business. They integrated the app with our various APIs. Once the app was done, Code Symphony led beta testing, working with our internal team to layout testing criteria. 

Users can create an account and complete the onboarding journey on the app. The app then groups users based on the information they provide in their profiles. There are banking infrastructure integrations that handle financial privacy and payment codes. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three teammates from Code Symphony, including a lead developer and a senior software developer. 

How did you come to work with Code Symphony?

We found Code Symphony on Upwork; they had a very good rating. Their profile was robust and clearly showed their mobile app development expertise. We had an initial conversation with them about another project, but didn’t end up working with them. However, we kept in touch and then hired them when this project came up. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $15,000–$20,000 with Code Symphony. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with Code Symphony began in January 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the app launched, we’ve had 6% week-over-week user growth, and for us, that’s a great result. Our user engagement scores increased eightfold. 

How did Code Symphony perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d rate Code Symphony a 4.5 out of 5 for their project management. We’ve worked in sprits throughout the development. Primarily, we communicate with Code Symphony through Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Code Symphony is not transactional — they’re focused on building relationships that turn into long-term engagements. We’ve been working with Code Symphony for two years because they invested a lot of time in building a strong working relationship at the beginning of our partnership. Also, their solutions focus on delivering what is best for our company; they have open conversations with my team and provide feedback on our goals. They’ll push back on our ideas if there is a better way to deliver what we need that will help our business more. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d appreciate it if Code Symphony put together step-by-step processes for clients to follow. However, that didn’t hinder our development because we’re a startup and don’t have rigid processes ourselves. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to think of Code Symphony as a close partner, not as an outsourced vendor — doing that will bring out the best in their team. It’s also essential to put together a clear project roadmap so Code Symphony’s team can fully understand the project goals. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a mobile app and web development agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Code Symphony to work alongside us on one of our largest projects. We were a new business, and we needed to increase our working capacity.

SOLUTION

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

Before meeting Code Symphony, we went through at least 5 other vendors. We decided to try Code Symphony because they fit our tech stack, and the constraints of our time and budget.

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

In the beginning we discussed expectations about communication, deliverables, and working style so that we could work efficiently—and the project which was a Magento frontend and backend that also supported a React Native mobile app. We also went over our immediate needs to improve site loading speed and work on new features in the backlog.

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

There were 2-3 developers on the project, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Code Symphony delivered on time and according to the spec, and we were able to meet our client's expectations.

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

We primarily use Slack to communicate, but alternate between Github and Slack to describe and assign issues to work on.

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

Their solutions and implementations are practical.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and chief designer of a video production management SaaS company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Code Symphony?

We needed help with development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for different parts of our app’s frontend development in React.

What is the team composition?

Aman (Software Developer) was our contact who distributed the work to his team.

How did you come to work with Code Symphony?

I found them via Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team did a fabulous job executing what we asked them to. They were very efficient and easy to work with. Whenever there was an issue with the quality of work, they were always quick to repair it.

How did Code Symphony perform from a project management standpoint?

Aman did a great job managing the team and distributing the work. We had no problems with project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came across some fairly difficult development challenges and they were always able to rise to the occasion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The agency model is difficult because you get different coders working on your project. They need to find a way to unify the quality of the code across their internal coders. Often, we would find different levels of quality.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone who chooses Code Symphony will be in good hands. Aman really stands behind his work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at TC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

My company is a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a frontend app for our internal system

SOLUTION

How did you find Code Symphony?

• Online Search

Why did you select Code Symphony over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location

What was the size of Code Symphony’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

My company was initially using a system developed by a third party. However, the system had many limitations, so we decided to build a system in-house. The project was to build a frontend for an already developed backend.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We were able to successfully migrate from our old system to our new system.

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

The project was split into milestones. For each milestone, a list of requirements was provided. The team would then provide an estimated price and completion time for the milestone. The majority of milestones were completed on time and within budget. If unforeseen complications arose, they were communicated in a timely fashion.

What was your primary form of communication with Code Symphony?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

They would always be responsive to any questions or demands I have. If something couldn't be done, they would communicate it upfront. They have a great sense of accountability, which can be seen in the effort they put to complete milestones.

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

All good.