codequest

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO and board member of ~150 people retail company, in charge of building technology organization and stack from the ground up.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired codequest to give us a helping hand in developing an on-demand delivery app for Poland’s largest convenience store chain.

SOLUTION

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

I worked with Tomasz, the CEO, on other projects in the past. I was really impressed with the way he and his team works. I was very confident codequest would be able to pull off both the iOS and backend development in a short period of time - we managed to get the MVP out the door in under four months!

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

Since the digital product is an on-demand delivery app, we really needed to include those last mile features, which codequest learned about rather quickly during the Discovery Phase. All the features were then successfully implemented throughout Development alongside our internal team. Together with codequest, we worked on both modern native iOS apps as well as complex backend TypeScript/NodeJS based systems.

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

We had 7 codequest engineers on our teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched on time (~4 months), on budget and with morale through the roof. Codequest team integrated beautifully with our teams and they have delivered more and with better ownership and quality than we could expect.

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

Project management was on our side, the engineers were great and always delivered beyond our expectations.

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

codequest took on the project without hesitation. Might I add, they took on the project as if they were building the app for themselves, a venture of their own. That’s how much care they put into it. I was also really impressed with how the engineers communicated with us too. Whenever they saw something that needed improvement, they let us know. Whenever it was something that could affect the app later, they also mentioned it. At the end of the day, we have an on-demand delivery app delivered to us in under four months and within budget, thanks to codequest.

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

Yeah, I wish I had involved codequest in this project even earlier!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a digital advertising agency, but I decided to start Adviselii as my side project and latest business venture. So I’m the founder there too.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I wanted to create a platform for mentors who could offer their guidance to advice-seekers in business. That’s how I came up with the idea for Adviselii. My goal was to create a marketplace for that kind of service and deliver an MVP within 6-8 months or so, which I could then promote and validate.

SOLUTION

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

I wanted an experienced software boutique that offered a range of services that were not only engineering-related but also concept development, project management, and design. I also wanted a software house that could simplify the whole process and who could quickly create template solutions for marketplaces. I was then referred to codequest and sat down with the CEO, Tomek. We connected right from the beginning. I love what the company stands for and our values seemed to align really well.

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

My working relationship with codequest was exactly how I imagined it. There were the Discovery and Development phases: During the Discovery Phase, I worked with the project manager to figure out the main goals of the platform, what the flow for the users should be, and what I wanted to see at each stage of the user flow. Then the designer adapted the Sharetribe template to my needs. Although I wanted to use the template from Sharetribe, it turned out we needed to customize the template a lot, so the designer’s and PM’s helped a lot on that important task.

At the end of the Discovery, and after a few revisions from my side, I received:

1. the full design for the platform and
2.  the estimation sheet with all the features to be developed and their expected cost.

As I knew right away that I wanted codequest to develop the platform, we started the Development Phase earlier. During the Development Phase, codequest did the project setup using Heroku, Github, Continuous Integration and Development tools. They also stayed connected with me and reported on every feature’s development and status in Trello.

codequest also developed and adapted the main flow of the platform based on Sharetribe Flex and React as the main frontend technology such as:

• Users’ onboarding
• Listing creation
• Search and filters
• Booking
• Booking management
• Online meetings
• Reviews

Since the Sharetribe Flex template is quite basic, codequest had to do a customized integration with Agora.io to allow online meetings between the users. When the Development Phase ended, the code was pushed to my production account on GitHub and deployed on my Heroku. Google analytics was set up, too. I received the project documentation and then continued implementing some minor changes with them.

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

The team included 5 people:

• up to 3 frontend developers
• a project manager
• a designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we cannot share any KPIs as per the user agreement, the first measurable result is that the application is in production and available to the public.

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

codequest provides a project manager, who takes care of the work from the very beginning till the end and who was in constant contact with me. She not only coordinated the process, but also gave meaningful advice and provided great feedback on how the product should look. codequest also uses slack, but I preferred to communicate via emails.

During the Discovery Phase we had more frequent calls, which during the Development Phase turned into regular, biweekly status calls. In those meetings I could see the features deployed since the previous meetings and was able to provide further feedback. If I wanted, I could also follow the project’s progress on Trello, which was updated regularly.

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

codequest did a fantastic job! They understood my needs right away. Their engineers are top-notch and they made great designs and deployed the MVP within an impressive amount of time. What I loved most was that everyone on the team really cared about the best interests of the project as if it were their own. They really amazed me during the entire product development journey

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

Honestly I highly recommend codequest for any web or mobile application’s development, on any project that requires backend, frontend, concept development!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief product officer of a wearable device firm. I oversee product, software, operations, and product design. We’re about to launch our device into the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with codequest?

We needed someone to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our device helps with stress and sleep. It reduces stress and improves sleep over time if worn 20 minutes each day.

They’re developing our mobile app for iOS and Android. The app serves as a way to register and pair a device. The app also offers device personalization features such as vibration intensity. 

Beyond that, the app serves as a habit formation tool so users can address their stress and sleep. They integrated reminders and a daily check-in report about last night's sleep.

What is the team composition?

There are 5–10 people.

How did you come to work with codequest?

I found them through a reference. We used to work together in the past as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very happy with them. Their sense of ownership in their work is admirable. I  treat contractors as full-time employees, and they reciprocated that with a commitment to the project. They feel like part of the team. The quality of work we’ve seen is really tremendous, and I’m grateful for their services.

How did codequest perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is always handled very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They all do very good work. Their sense of ownership and commitment is excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. I only would like to see them continue to scale their company. It’s always difficult to scale excellence, but I think they can do it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise them to have a strategy and plan for the partnership. You have to make them part of the team and be fully engaged with the project. Communicate requirements fully and make sure that both parties understand what success looks like in the confines of the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and Managing Director of the Triangular-PST GmbH & Co. KG. I founded the company to help chemical companies develop and process materials in a sustainable way. Triangular-POD is (Process on Demand) a platform that connects available processing capacities and industrial know-how with customers who want to utilize them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired codequest to design and develop a custom web application that will connect chemical industry experts, raw material owners, and machine owners to get the most out of the chemical equipment and establish efficient material processing.

SOLUTION

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

codequest was recommended to me by one of my customers. We considered codequest along with two other vendors. The project was a top priority for us because the technology was a foundation for company growth. We needed a trustworthy partner who had the initiative and was committed to delivering an exceptional marketplace specific to the chemical industry.

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

codequest was responsible for the design, development, and deployment of the Triangular platform. We started our working relationship with the Discovery phase. The result of the Discovery phase was the delivery of the interactive mockups of the platform together with a set of user stories written down in the format of cards in Trello.

As soon as we were done with the Discovery we moved to the Development phase. Landing and marketing pages were developed on top of Gatsby’s framework. The platform was developed with the React framework on the frontend and Ruby on Rails on the backend. The application was deployed on AWS.

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

The size of the team depended on the project’s needs. The core team consists of five people, including a project manager, a designer, and three engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch the project without any hiccups which was a major achievement for us. Please visit https://www.triangular-pod.com/en/ to check the results of the project.

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

The project manager was great. He proved to have the initiative, was very organized, open in communication and understood our needs. We communicated through Slack, Trello, and regular video calls.

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

I believe that the most impressive element was that we managed to work as one team committed to a single goal. I think what makes codequest unique is flexibility and open communication.

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

In general, I’m impressed with the team and the quality of the work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a well known and high growth SaaS company in the marketing tech space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We partnered with Codequest to help rebuild one of our software products as well as build a new product offering. Codequest became part of our team and helped drive the project from inception through to completion. Their team became part of our team across design, front-end development, back-end development and product management.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a team that wasn't just an outsourced development shop. We needed a team that thinks like a startup, has experience taking products to market, has strong product chops and takes ownership over what they do. There were a lot of dev shops we researched but Codequest stood out as a team that had all of these elements, would become true partners and had the ability to grow with us.

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

The Codequest team partnered with us to rebuild one of our well known software platforms as well as build a new product. We brought them on at the inception of this rebuild as well as at the inception of the new product. Therefore, we scoped the project togethers (with a focus both on broad market and a Shopify/e-commerce app), created the product plans and together did all of the product planning, design and development. The projects were in Ruby on Rails and React.

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

We had 3 people from Codequest for the entire time. At times during the project, we scaled up to more (at most we had 6).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to re-launch a rebuilt product that quickly enabled us to enter new markets and has been much loved by our customers. This product has enjoyed significant growth and churn has been reduced by 50%. The other product was a new product offering for us and is still quite new in the market. So far, traction and feedback has been good on the product.

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

They became part of our development team. We were on Slack with them on a daily basis, used Trello for product management and held standups two times per week. We also were lucky to be able to visit them and work side by side for 10 days.

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

They are a product development company rather than just an outsourced dev shop. They have experience and are passionate about making a great product. Their team is very easy and responsive to work with and they are led by an exec team that takes a very active interest in each company. They are small enough to be able to be nimble and to be true partners but large enough to be able to be able to scale as needed.

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

I can't think of specific areas. They were part of our team and so there were times that we could have more clearly defined who was responsible for each but we eventually worked that out and they were great partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a director of the Special Projects engineering team at one of the largest 50-state real estate brokerage in the US. WIth recent expansion into 8 new countries and having listed on NASDAQ a couple of years ago, there's lots to do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our team is tasked with building new web applications that are a time sensitive nature. We're working a tech stack that is different than the legacy systems are the company and so we were looking for strong resources that would be comfortable in a fast-paced environment and could achieve scalable, quality work. We were looking for a team that could grow with us too.

SOLUTION

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

Codequest took the time to very carefully understand our needs and goals. It was a meticulous process and as part of it, we got to meet the potential members of our team and discuss how they like to work, what excites them, discuss their skills and philosophies and at the end of the day, we realized that this team felt immediately like our own in-house crew and we hit it off immediately. Since we need to be able to scale up in personnel quickly too, Codequest was simply a perfect fit.

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

We've built three new web applications using Ruby on Rails (6) with associated parts of that stack including Postgres, Redis and various AWS services.

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

Three so far. We've had a senior ruby on rails developer, a project manager and a team director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've launched three new web applications and taken another, previously built one under our control for maintenance and iteration. Everything has been delivered early or on time so far.

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

Our company uses Jira and Bitbucket and so the Codequest team was happy to use those too. Additionally we have a twice weekly standup and use Slack to communicate.

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

The quality of every person I've spoken with or worked with at Codequest is absolutely unmatched in the industry. I've been working with dev teams around the world for more than 15 years and none of them come close the quality of Codequest.

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

I honestly can't think of anything at this time. It's been a stellar experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're building a nieche travel marketplace, where polo players can discover and book online various types of polo holidays. I handle most aspects of this project (design, marketing, pm...)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Front end development of our designs, which were based on a sketch template we've received from the software provider. Codequest implemented changes to the front end template and took over deployment.

SOLUTION

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

I received recommendation from two previous clients, and then during the interviews they asked the right questions to help us estimate the project and quickly get started.

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

• Front end development in React.js — adjusting a front end template we've received from the software provider, and adding many new elements to it.
• Project management — helping us break down the project into smaller chunks and stay up to date on what's happening.
• UX/Design consultations — codequest's designers were there when we needed advice on some of the key ux flows. Testing

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

Most of the time we've worked with one front end developer and pm, but throughout the project we also got in touch with: 2 Front end devs 1 Pm 2 Designers 1 or 2 Back end devs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After problems with our previous platform we needed to find and deploy new solution fast. With codequest we were able to implement our new site within 2 months, and get through the initial planning / negotiation phase fast.

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

Friendly, and open about their approach to planning. As a client you're included in the process and feel free to pick their brains as you go along. They're happy to share their knowledge, which is cool if you're into that.

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

They're genuinely nice people to work with. They are also happy to share their knowledge and tips during the project and open to ideas.

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

nope

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Labo Clinic Sp. z o.o. Sp.k.. We are a company that is a distributor of innovative medical devices in Poland. In 2019 we decided to extend the scope of our activities and decided to open our own diagnostic centre.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codequest?

We hired Codequest because we wanted to have a user-friedly mobile app for our patients

What were your goals for this project?

- We had to finish the project in a very short period - The app had to be aligned with our CI and also with interiors of newly built centre - The app had to be extremely user friendly - many of our patients are elderly

SOLUTION

How did you select codequest?

We organized a tender: - Codequest was willing to create the app in very short time - They also had a lot of references from demanding markets such as the USA or Scandinavian countries - The price was acceptable too

Describe the project in detail.

It is a mobile app that provides patients with information regarding our services (ultrasound, x ray, CT etc.), provides information regarding preparation for diagnostics. It also provides booking feature and most importantly: gives a chance to communicate with patients and inform them about some new slots / empty slots for diagnostics. This feature is very useful - people can get the service faster and we do not have so many empty slots!

What was the team composition?

2 + 2

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well, the app was delivered, it looks great and it is used by our patients - they like it a lot.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

On our side there were two people & on Codequest side we had a contact with 2 people too. The contact was perfect.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The way they communicate & understand our needs. We did not have to explain our needs more than one time :)

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective - no!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a cofounder at the software company behind mobile sales enablement product used by sales reps on the road. We're a small team, but have some high-profile clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire codequest?

We needed external help with several major features of our product, requested by large, international client (CRM integration, custom views, and a few more). Unfortunately we were unable to complete those projects on time with our internal development team.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to complete requested features within 3 month and rollout to globally to multinational client (>500 users).

SOLUTION

How did you select codequest?

We knew Codequest from my previous work, where they developed several apps. Tomek was the first person I called and we were lucky with timing. They started working on our project very quickly.

Describe the project in detail.

Our product is an off-the-shelf mobile application, however many corporate clients require white-label version of the solution. That frequently include specific customisations, extra functionality, etc.

For this particular project, we were required to build very sophisticated CRM(SFDC) integration, completely custom views, document subtitles, and a few more.

What was the team composition?

I am not able to tell exactly how many developers worked on the project on their end. Tomek and his team did the project end-to-end and after initial training did not require much guidance. They even talked directly to our client at some point.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Success. They've completed all requested features within (tight) timelines and the quality of their work was very high. We successfully rolled out the customizations to our client and they work almost unchanged to date.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very pleasant experience. Except for one or two initial meetings, all work was effectively done remotely (even though we both have technical teams in Warsaw, Poland).

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are easy to work with and deliver solid results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't recall any specific problems that would require improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a digital project manager at Orbico Beauty GmbH, a leading distributor of luxury beauty products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with codequest?

My company created Poland’s first beauty-on-demand digital platform, enabling consumers to book whatever beauty services they want from wherever they are. We have begun web development and will eventually develop Android and iOS apps. We hired codequest to build the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

codequest is responsible for building the entire platform, including the software roadmap and design. The team has developed the platform’s front- and backend based on branding done by an external agency. They built the landing page with call-to-action buttons. They also created a booking wizard, which enables users to book services based on stylist, date, location, and other specifications.

codequest built our web app using AWS for hosting and Ruby on Rails. Once the web app achieves a certain user retention rate, codequest will develop the mobile app. They have completed an MVP version and are working on an advanced MVP. They are adding e-commerce features, such as the ability to purchase multiple services and gift cards. They are also improving the English version of the platform.

What is the team composition?

We have worked with a project manager, two frontend developers, and three backend developers.

How did you come to work with codequest?

My team wanted a vendor capable of building our whole platform. After completing a search on Clutch, we spoke with a few software houses in Moscow and compared their quotes. We chose codequest based on their approach and experience.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in August 2018, and the first MVP launched in February 2019. Our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we’ve just started to deploy the platform, my company has gotten great feedback from clients regarding the professional UI/UX design. The platform is simple and user-friendly, which was one of our primary project objectives.

How did codequest perform from a project management standpoint?

codequest has always worked in alignment with our strategy and project agreement. My team carefully tracks the project’s daily progress through Trello. We work with a project manager who maintains a deep understanding of the beauty industry and is thus able to work with our vision. They have provided top-tier project management. We communicate via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

codequest has an impressive track record developing on-demand platforms. They utilize creative thinking and marketing knowledge in their approach to our project. The team has also provided crucial advice and guidance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There have been minor things, but the overall collaboration has been high-level.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

For anyone seeking a software developer, codequest is a great choice. They offer reasonable prices for quality work.