CODE/+/TRUST

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m on the board of South Carolina Women in Leadership, which is a 501c3 nonprofit organization operating within the state of South Carolina. Our mission is to increase race and gender representation and influence from the ground up.

What challenge were you trying to address with CODE+TRUST?

Municipal and county boards and commissions in the state of South Carolina are largely presented online in disparate, antiquated ways. To apply to serve on an appointed board or commission in the community, someone would have to search to find it, download the PDF, and complete a number of manual tasks to submit it without the guarantee of knowing where the application ended up. 

We wanted to create a platform that digitizes and streamlines applications for municipal and county boards and commissions. We needed a solution that could be built relatively quickly and evolve as our customers’ needs evolve. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

CODE+TRUST has been working with us to digitize the application process for citizens — they’re working to make it more efficient and consistent across all 271 communities and 46 counties in our state. 

We’re hosted on an AWS server. We use Zendesk for customer support. I don’t recall the code itself, but I know that it was started on an open-source base that CODE+TRUST modified to meet our needs.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a project manager, UI developer, and an account manager, as well as TJ (Software Engineer) and Rubén (Full Stack Software Developer).

How did you come to work with CODE+TRUST?

We had some discussions with our Department of Commerce, Competitiveness Council, and others to find out which companies they recommended. We were looking for a company that’s agile and able to work quickly. We didn’t have a $1 million budget to build large databases. We interviewed all of the companies that were recommended by our friends in the technology world, and we selected CODE+TRUST.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $150,000 with CODE+TRUST.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021.

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

I've worked with a lot of programmers in a lot of different circumstances and CODE+TRUST is the company that I have found to have listened the best and understood the quickest. They’ve been very quick to understand and integrate our brand with both the customer-facing frontend and the client-facing backend.

How did CODE+TRUST perform from a project management standpoint?

CODE+TRUST has finished the project ahead of schedule. They haven’t been under budget, but they’ve been on budget.

We’ve had a very good communication flow via Google Meet, holding regular meetings every few weeks to report progress. Those meetings have been well-organized, with clear agendas regarding what we needed to accomplish. They’ve been attended by all of the relevant people.

CODE+TRUST has been very responsive when we’ve asked them to make adjustments. When we’ve had questions or problems, they’ve been quick to reply. They kept us informed as we got ready to go live in early January, and they’ve been quick to make any tweaks and corrections as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CODE+TRUST’s qualities of collaboration and forward-thinking have been impressive. We’ve very much appreciated CODE+TRUST’s resourcefulness in looking out for our needs and making them happen. I think that they have a lot of tools at their disposal, and they’ve done a good job of selecting the right tools to meet our needs.

CODE+TRUST has been able to look at our project from the customer perspective as well as from the backend and bring those perspectives together, which makes us very happy. Sometimes one almost needs to hire an interpreter who understands both the business metrics and technology, but we’ve found that CODE+TRUST speaks both languages.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any areas for improvement. We’ve had a very good relationship with CODE+TRUST.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan well upfront. Come to a clear understanding of your business objectives and how you believe they can translate through technology. My advice for working with any vendor is to prepare a solid plan and make sure you get a response to that plan in a language that you can understand.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Partnerships at Event.gives, a live event video streaming, fundraising, and event ticketing and attendee management company.

For what projects/services did your company hire CODE/+/TRUST, and what were your goals?

The CODE/+/TRUST development team members have been our tech co-founders from the very beginning of our software. They have helped us every stage of the way, developing new features and working with us as we grew (and continue to grow) the software.

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

We worked with them from the very start of our business when it was in its very first version. It was just a SMS texting app at the point, and over the years they have helped us grow it into an entire event platform.

From the beginning, we could tell that they were extremely passionate not just about building an awesome software product, but seeing the entire business model succeed. Their investment in all aspects of our growing business made it easy for us to decide to work with them exclusively.

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

As mentioned, we started as an SMS texting platform and their team ensured that we launched to market successfully with a reliable product. As our company grew, Code/+/Trust was right there with us maintaining the software, expanding the features, making sure our technology was scalable, and even helping us brainstorm ideas on new features we hadn't thought of.

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

We've worked with several members of their team, from upper level management to project managers, several software developers, and their design team.

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

In general, the incredible amount of time the team has spent on our projects since our inception has been very impressive. Particularly during COVID, we saw the opportunity to pivot the project toward live video streaming. Their team jumped on the idea and had an MVP launched within two months.

We are continuing to grow, thanks to the reliability of their deliverables and the quality of the work they do.

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

Their project management and communication tactics are great. We have never had a problem with them meeting deadlines, don't have to follow up with them to get updates on ongoing projects, and their ability to deliver on time has been awesome.

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

Their ability to respond quickly and efficiently, how they communicate without us having to follow up, their turnaround time when problems arise...there is a lot to be impressed about.

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

I'd love to see them continue to grow and expand the team. It hasn't been a problem for us at all, but they are very good at what they do and we would love to see them continue to scale the company and continue building great products.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Tallo is an end-to-end ecosystem of solutions for all phases of workforce and talent development. It connects talented people with colleges, scholarships, jobs, and career opportunities across the U.S. In 2019, Tallo launched a new app, Ping by Tallo, as lightweight solution to provide a better college and career matching experience.

We pulled apart the virtual fair model and put it back together. That's my job. I work to keep Ping by Tallo nimble and efficient everywhere it can be and I work closely with CODE/+/TRUST to improve it every day.

For what projects/services did your company hire CODE/+/TRUST, and what were your goals?

We had used other software development firms in the past and we needed a firm with expertise and a consultative approach that could help guide us in our product development.

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

I heard about CODE/+/TRUST through a personal referral. They scoping process for the initial project was quick, but thorough. We could tell they were excited about the work, nimble enough to meet our needs, and ready to jump in feet first.

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

Ping by Tallo lives and breathes on the Django framework. We brought in CODE/+/TRUST to launch a live chat feature on a tight deadline for our virtual fair solution. We sprinted through strategy, designs, and delivery to create a rewarding new solution for our users. Every measure of user engagement ticked up and we moved on to larger projects from there, eventually rebuilding a considerable portion of our existing app.

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

We worked with their leadership team to provide vision on the initial product offering, which included a complete design and functionality gameplan to release our updated product. We also worked with their design team for the UI/UX development and regularly work with their team of developers as the relationship continues. We work with 4 core representatives, with input and assistance from other junior members along the way.

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

When we first came to them, we had a bare bones that worked, but we needed to streamline actions that would lead to conversions for our clients and show them the value.

From strategy to nuanced UI concerns to crisp code, CODE/+/TRUST helped us push our product to new heights and you can see the proof in our increasing sales and retention. Now, we have a product full of features that is more engaging for both talent and talent seekers.

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

I'm always pleased with the amount of communication and insight they provide, and we're never concerned about raising a flag when a dependency rises or there is an unknown that needs to be addressed. Overall, the work relationship is a breeze. We're very happy with their team.

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

The buy-in of everyone involved with the project is really impressive. I can tell everyone has a deep understanding of the project, and they all care about the outcome. They all try to make our product better on a daily basis. If you're looking for a prototypical vendor relationship, CODE/+/TRUST may not be for you.

They engrain themselves into the projects and business model they undertake, until their understanding of the product rivals your own. You can expect a lot of investment; they'll approach every project as if they are a real part of your company.

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

They're fun to work with, communicative, deliberate, adaptable, and effective. Our work styles mesh well, so if there's room for improvement, we haven't found it yet.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of a media production company.

What challenge were you trying to address with CODE/+/TRUST?

We needed help developing custom UX software and the interface to approach that software from start to finish.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re building a platform called Crew Mama, which is a software for booking video crews and managing video throughout the world. They started with logo and branding efforts for the site and jumped right into creating the software for internal shoots management and potential external use. At first, they delivered a prototype of what the interface would look like and do, and now they’re doing the product that does exactly what they presented to us.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with Chris (COO & Project Manager), Sam (CTO & Co-Founder), Pate (Lead Developer), Shaherazad (Director), Shannon (Designer), and other groups of designers and developers that execute the work.

How did you come to work with CODE/+/TRUST?

They were referred to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We’ve been using the software they developed for us for about two years, and internally, our president, the production coordinators, and myself are satisfied with using it daily. Also, their turnaround times are incredible compared to other offshore providers — it’s been beneficial to have a team dedicated to your account in the same time zone. Although they have other clients, they make me feel like I’m the only one and deliver the work immediately.

In terms of external metrics, their product helps our filming crew access their shooting calendar and film notes immediately, which implements new and helpful technology.

How did CODE/+/TRUST perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent in that area; they’re through the word and show up as promised. They also meet the budget and timeliness that we agree upon, which is great. We also have bi-weekly standing meetings to check on the project’s progress, online or in-person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their hands-on approach highlights their work; they use several tools to ease communication without making it robotic, especially when in-person contact is problematic due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can tell that they’re experiencing massive growth, so I think they should expand their team to be more efficient.

Any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of the person-to-person engagement rather than using technological tools — that way, you’ll get the best out of the partnership with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and COO at Blinktbi, Inc. We’re FDA-approved for a device that puts a small puff of air in the corners of the eyes and then gives feedback. It uses high-speed cameras to watch for a blink reflex. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Code/+/Trust?

Our vendor prior to Code/+/Trust was very difficult to work with, and their end results were poorly delivered.

So, we had a system that was unusable. We also had a list of upgrades and changes we wanted to make to the system. We also needed to solve bugs from the prior software company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed a backend portal to store, analyze, and backup data. It also needed a UI that would be easy to understand.

They quickly fixed the bugs to get our portal working. So, within a week, we opened the scope up to add some new updates. Now, their scope involves building an app. They’re delivering weekly, and their scope expands weekly. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve mostly worked with 2–3 of the founders because we knew them previously. I’ve worked with two coders, and we also have one contact who is a program manager.

How did you come to work with Code/+/Trust?

I’ve known the founders of Code/+/Trust for 10 years. (We’ve known each other from various aspects of business, startups, and friendships.) When they said they were starting the company, I asked if we could switch over to them from our prior vendor.

We were interested in hiring them because all of the founders have built and sold tech companies before. Also, they all started with small companies and could bring relevant expertise to our project. They'd worked with the same type of solution we needed. That’s something we couldn’t find in a large corporation. 

There are great coding companies out there. But, none of them had the background in growing a startup that we were looking for. For various reasons, we also needed to choose a team within the United States.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May of 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We can’t find anybody else that can deliver the way they can for the price that they do. It’s an easy decision to continue working with them. 

They’ll give us a non-working mock-up, we’ll go through changes, and then the next time it comes around, it’s 95% exactly right.

I’m friends with two of the founders, and I know they are good people. I know that morally and ethically, they are going to do what’s right. They’re growing quickly, but they’ve assured me they don’t intend to sell the company, and they’re in it for the long-haul.

Over the number of companies I’ve started and sold, I’ve found that it’s worth waiting for that type of person. They may not be “over the top” or have the best office, but the results will come out amazing. You can trust them to do what they said they will. 

How did Code/+/Trust perform from a project management standpoint?

Their prices have been so reasonable because of their prior experience and proactivity. The founders know how to get to an endpoint with only the resources that are needed, no extras. 

Instead of simply leaving digital comments, we were able to collaborate with a point person on their team (a lot of times it’s a video conference). This is much more effective than explaining requirements through written paragraphs. 

A lot of times, the coder is sitting with them and makes changes before we even hang up the phone. Then, they’ll pull up the changes on our screen so we can see them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength was looking ahead and planning for the future. 

They’re very quick and detail-oriented. They offer such a reasonable cost because they ensure they know exactly what we need beforehand.  We get results with one turnaround — I can’t think of a time when they missed what we were asking for. 

They ask questions ahead of time and invest effort in mocking up quick examples. This ensures we’re on the same page before they put weeks of work into the solution. This has been game-changing for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re growing at an exponential rate, but that hasn’t affected our happiness with their work. They’re bringing in new coders, but they won’t bring in anyone who doesn’t fit perfectly. I know some of their other clients, and they’re happy as well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone that hires them is going to get a good engagement. Potential customers can go to them even if they don’t have all their requirements laid out. They’ll help you if you have an end goal, but are unsure how to get there.

For example, one time, we thought we wanted something that would have been $50,000 of work. After they understood what we wanted, they said, “You could do X, Y, and Z to save $40,000 and get the same results.”