CodigoDelSur

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a tech startup. We’re building a fintech money-saving app. Our company is based in the US, but we have teams in the UK and Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed help with the majority of our app build. We’d done some of it with our internal team, but it was more than we could do in the timeframe we wanted. We were specifically looking for agencies experienced with React Native. We had a few other tech requirements; we wanted to use Cloudflare and LambdaTest.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we selected CodigoDelSur, two team members went to their headquarters and spent a week with them in person to scope out the requirements and kick off the project.

They’ve been able to do everything we want. They work remotely.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 8–10 teammates. Their COO has been in contact with us throughout the entire project; we initially spoke to them. We’ve also had a project manager throughout the engagement and someone above them to touch base with when needed, like an account manager.

Additionally, we’ve worked with five different developers and currently have three. We’re shifting around now; some people will soon be coming on for QA and other things. When we remove someone from the team, it's purely because we’re done with that part of the project, not due to any problems.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We initially came across Clutch through Google. We had other agency recommendations, but after initial conversations, we didn’t feel the right fit for the technologies we were trying to use.

When we came across Clutch, we looked at and contacted 5–6 agencies worldwide. CodigoDelSur jumped out to us as the best fit.

They quickly got back to us and set up those initial meetings. The whole process was smooth; we provided them with the initial documentation and what we tried to achieve. We had a quick turnaround from them; they presented other projects they’d work on, which made us feel comfortable about choosing them. Overall, they went above and beyond to deliver what we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been communicating with them since July 2023, but we officially kicked off the project in September 2023. We’re currently a couple of months away from finishing the project, but we’ll likely continue the relationship in a support role to develop further features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Specific metrics are probably tricky. Moreover, we measure if we’re satisfied, progressing, and developing things that will add value to the product. We don’t hold CodigoDelSur to delivering something on a specific day or how long it takes. We know it’s a complex product, so we try to keep it as flexible as possible on all sides.

In general, CodigoDelSur has been excellent. They implement any changes we ask for without questions; they’re just happy to accommodate anything we want. They’ve also worked with a few developers on our side and integrated with them as well.

Overall, we haven’t had any issues. If there’s ever any question on what we should do or which way we should go, there’s always an amicable agreement. They tell us they can do it if that’s how we want to do it, and then they move forward with the project.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project is a bit strange, so we’ve kept it quite flexible. We run the project in two-week sprints and do demos at the end of every two weeks, and CodigoDelSur has generally met those targets.

Sometimes, we’ve pushed back the targets a little, but it’s mainly due to the complexity of what we’re working on, so we need more time. We’ve also changed some parts of the project, which has caused some delays. However, it isn’t due to something CodigoDelSur has done. We usually ask them to take a slightly different approach after we’ve developed and tested something.

We’ve only spent more than our initial budget because we’ve expanded the project scope. We’ve grown the project into further areas, and they’ve requested to push back some demos a few days because they want them to be right before they show them. We've been flexible if they need an extra 1–2 days because we know we’re running for several months more anyway. A few days here and there don’t kill anything. Other than that, CodigoDelSur has generally hit all deadlines.

They haven’t spent time or money we didn’t ask them to spend. They’re accommodating when we want to scale back a little, and when we want to scale up, we add people back to the team.

We initially didn’t have a fixed budget because we knew it would be a long, complex project. We didn’t know where we’d end up until we started, so we went into it being quite realistic. We didn’t want to go in saying we could do it in four months for $100,000 because we knew it probably wouldn’t be the case. It would’ve been nice, but we’re coming up on 8–9 months since September. We now think we should be ready in under a year, and we’re still within our target dollar range. We’re probably past the low point but not over what we projected to be the high point, so we’re quite happy.

We have 3–4 Zoom calls a week. We also use Slack daily and communicate through emails and occasional phone calls, but we mainly use Zoom.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Lucía (Commercial Manager) is the most senior person we’ve dealt with, and she’s been fantastic throughout the project. She organizes everything we need when we need it — whether it’s our in-person visit or whether we need to add or remove someone from the team.

Also, Facundo (IT Project Manager) is our daily manager. Whenever we message him, he responds immediately. I have personal Zoom calls with him 3–4 times a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been outstanding in all areas. The team meets all of our demands, even when they’re somewhat unrealistic. We have extensive discussions to find a solution when we request changes partway through a certain development path because we realize that we need to move in a different direction, but they’re always incredibly flexible and accommodating, even with different time zones.

CodigoDelSur is in South America, so they accommodate all the different time zones, even if it’s not a particularly convenient time for them. Overall, they just go above and beyond.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven’t been disappointed with anything. Some parts could have gone quicker, but we know we’ve given them things that slow them down. It’s been a big learning curve, and CodigoDelSur has handled everything well. The communication has been outstanding, so we can’t complain about anything. Something always comes up when there’s a problem, so we can’t really blame anyone for technical issues. These things happen, but we work through everything together as a team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

CodigoDelSur has said they like that we’re engaged in the project. I have Zoom calls with the project manager and developers 3–4 times a week, so I’m in direct communication with them and not just the project managers. The more directly involved you are, the more successful the relationship will be, and the better you’ll understand each other’s communication styles.

I’ve had a lot of experience working with people in many different countries, and you should always give credit to people who speak more than one language. CodigoDelSur’s first language is Spanish, and they all speak fantastic English. However, English isn’t their first language, so sometimes translation gets lost.

CodigoDelSur hasn’t told me specifically about other projects, but they’ve mentioned that some people send an email and walk away; they want the team to figure it out. This is not to say that CodigoDelSur needs to be micromanaged, but it’s up to you to keep the project on track and on time and get what you want out of it. If you talk to people daily, you can quickly catch any time there’s a tiny mistake because you’re involved.

In our case, it doesn’t take a considerable amount of our time. We probably communicate with them about an hour or less every day. Moreover, we think it has massively improved the project’s outcome because CodigoDelSur knows exactly what we want daily; they don’t have to guess what we want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the global director of technology at Caravela Coffee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed software development support on Ruby on Rails. We were looking for a business partner more than a supplier. Someone with whom our company felt supported and a provider that wasn't limited only to software development but would also provide us with ideas to improve our development process with high-quality standards. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CodigoDelSur has supported us to continue a software development project in Ruby on Rails. We had already started the software development, and it took some time for CodigoDelSur to get to know the initiated project. The team lasted a month to understand our business process. Afterward, CodigoDelSur understood how the software operates and worked in sprints and Agile methodology. CodigoDelSur has added functionalities to our software and is in charge of our entire platform.

CodigoDelSur has also developed websites for our company, using Laravel, PHP, JavaScript, and PostgreSQL. We provide the design mock-ups and explain functionality, and CodigoDelSur is responsible for front- and backend development.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager from CodigoDelSur who manages each project individually. We've also worked with two software developers.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $15,000 in the web development project.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We searched for service providers in Google to help with our in-house software development and found CodigoDelSur. The team was part of a selection process in which we contacted and validated references. We reached companies that had previously worked with Ruby on Rails and evaluated their ability to respond to eventualities, such as if a developer falls ill.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CodigoDelSur at the beginning of 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project's results are seen in the efficiency and continuity of our software development project. Ruby on Rails is a language that not many companies know, and it's difficult to find a developer who wants to dedicate themselves to developing for a company that isn't dedicated to software. CodigoDelSur has generated a lot of wealth for us because we've continued our software development without interruptions. 

I want to congratulate the entire CodigoDelSur team because the project's success is thanks to their teamwork. In the company I work for, we've had the opportunity to work with many service providers, and I've found a true business ally in CodigoDelSur. I feel calm working with the team, which has helped me resolve several bottlenecks. 

Sometimes, developers get sick or go on vacation, and CodigoDelSur always has a teammate to cover for them without affecting the development performance or software quality. CodigoDelSur is a serious and efficient service provider that fulfills their promises. 

If we talk about costs, CodigoDelSur's prices are competitive compared to those of other development companies. Having a development partner like CodigoDelSur that manages our core projects and ensures quality has generated a lot of value for our company and reduced downtime. 

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily 15-minute meetings with CodigoDelSur. The team documents tasks and updates their status, showing an organized work approach. We're always aware of what CodigoDelSur is working on, and there isn't room for surprises. We've used Microsoft Planner for project management and are migrating to GitLab. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

CodigoDelSur could improve the software QA process. We've found improvement opportunities, and I think having a teammate from CodigoDelSur who is only dedicated to ensuring the quality of the software and not the developers themselves could improve the deliverables' quality. CodigoDelSur's deliverables are very good, but this could improve development efficiency.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend sharing your business model before starting the development project. When the developers understand the business process behind the product they're developing, they can generate much more value than when they only execute directions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent contractor who was consulting for an end client that worked with CodigoDelSur. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

The company I was working with was developing a device with e-paper technology. We were looking to connect professional document manager services to the digital paper tablet. We brought CodigoDelSur in to create a proof-of-concept application. Our goal was to take this proof-of-concept app and introduce it to professional document service companies. We wanted to use the application to demonstrate how we could easily integrate their services with a digital paper tablet. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team was responsible for developing a proof-of-concept app that connected to Dropbox and interfaced with the device to enable documents to be transferred. The app was built for Android and connected with existing firmware on the device. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a business development manager, a project manager, and two engineers. 

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I was cold-calling Android developers. After speaking with multiple companies, I was directed towards CodigoDelSur. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The development occurred between June–August 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My end client is in the middle of running a campaign that includes the proof of concept app. CodigoDelSur’s work has allowed the end client to demonstrate that what they're doing is possible and not just talk. 

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed with their whole team; they were organized in their approach and always on top of the ball. We had daily stand-ups, which we appreciated because they always kept us up-to-date. We used Zoom and another chat platform to communicate. CodigoDelSur worked within timelines and, for the most part, stayed on budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

CodigoDelSur's engineers were great, and we had no issues with communication. They were patient when we had to pause the project, flexible, and efficient. We also appreciated their willingness to work on a smaller project and be so dedicated to it. CodigoDelSur was responsive and transparent throughout the process. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend anyone work with CodigoDelSur if the work is in their wheelhouse. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a mobile application product for consumers, and I’m the head of product for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We reached out to CodigoDelSur to rebuild mobile apps for us because we were working against very aggressive timelines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with CodigoDelSur on rebuilding our mobile apps from scratch. First, we provided them with a brief and a list of requirements, and they collaborated closely with us as if they were part of our team to understand what would make a compelling product for our users. From there, they started with the development work, helping us identify areas of opportunity for our backend apps along the way.

CodigoDelSur’s scope has also included design and QA. Now, we’re close to releasing our product’s MVP, and moving forward, they’ll continue working with us on refining and improving our apps.

Among the apps’ functionalities are a signup system, a subscription management system, and other features unique to our business. As for its technology stack, we’ve used Swift and Swift UI for the iOS version, as well as Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for the Android version.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around nine people from CodigoDelSur, including QA engineers and a product designer.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I found them through a referral. We also interviewed other providers, but we felt that CodigoDelSur would be a true partner for us. So far, that has definitely been the case.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The short deadlines we were facing were one of the biggest challenges we had. Thus, the fact that CodigoDelSur has been able to complete their work on time has been our success metrics and surpassed our expectations. Once we launch the app, we will measure other KPIs to track success.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

CodigoDelSur has excelled at meeting deadlines and staying on budget. We have daily meetings and communicate primarily through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CodigoDelSur’s communication is impressive, and every member of their team really cares about the success of projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything they could improve on. Their team is always willing to receive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and transparent about what you’re looking for, and they’ll work hard with you to ensure your project’s success.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a buy now pay later company that has historically been focused on travel providers. I am a director of engineering that manages merchant success, point of sale, and servicing. Was recently tasked with building out the growth vertical and mobile app as a result.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired CDS to help us in the development of the mobile app which is the flagship product the growth team is launching

SOLUTION

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

I am pretty sure we were recommended CDS just am unsure from whom.

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

Develop mobile app and backend supporting from scratch. Integrate our point of sale SDK in mobile form. Build out shopping, shopping list, and borrower portal functionality. An additional portal was needed to manage all of the merchants displayed in the shopping function. We use kotlin, swift, and python for backend.

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

We got up to around 18 folks 1 pmo 1 qa 1 designer 7 python 4 ios 4 android

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this point we've sent 10k existing uplift users the app, only about 210 downloaded the app but we've has over 30 loans generated as a result. We've also developed new feature capabilities that our internal teams will utilize like pre-approval and real time loan management

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

We're 1 week kanban as it stands but will shift into 2 week sprints as we move out of build phase. We use slack, jira, asana, etc. PMO functions have been fantastic up all the way through.

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

Quality of work. This agency is the best development quality I've ever experienced.

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

Nothing I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are developing a mobile social music app that allows user to listen along with each other in real-time cross-platform (Apple Music, Spotify Premium). I am the Executive Assistant to the CEO and the Project Manager. Currently, I am leading the Android development which we outsourced to CodigoDelSur.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Android app to be published in the Google Play Store

SOLUTION

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

I was not involved in selecting this vendor.

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

Large scope of work. Implementing the Android version of our iOS app from the beginning with little documentation provided. The v1 was to get into the Google Play Store in the Open Testing Phase with the MVP. Our goal for this was end of 2020, however, we had to stop production with Codigo for a few months in 2020 due to funding issues during COVID.

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

We initially had 2 developers. After the break, we started with 2 developers then added a 3rd and a PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverables have been of great quality. 

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

Great PM. He is very communicative. The entire team is very process-oriented, which has worked great for the project. We use Slack and Jira. 

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

Their ability to work with little initial documentation is commendable. 

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

They are still going strong. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of mobile engineering for a company that provides a platform for fitness instructors and creators. We handle their tech stacks and pricing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed to be able to give our customers mobile experiences for them to offer to their students. As a startup, we wanted to hit the ground running and needed more engineers on hand to help us build fast.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As we had technical expertise on our team, we pursued a staff augmentation route with Codigo. We started with one embedded engineer from their team and after two months, we added a second iOS engineer. They helped us build our iOS app from scratch. We recently submitted and released our product in the App Store.

The platform gives fitness instructors and creators a mobile experience to offer to their students. Users can create their brand, colors, and upload all their content to the app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two engineers from Codigo.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I talked with agencies based in New York but most of them were expensive and catered towards full-service models. One of the agencies in New York recommended Codigo based on our budget. I chatted with one of their sales representatives, and their services aligned with our needs. I also thought it would be nice to be in a similar time zone. When interviewing one of their engineers, I asked the same questions I would if I were hiring a full-time candidate. They were knowledgeable.

How much have you invested with them?

They charged us $65 an hour and provided 40 hours of work per week.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in September 2020, and we launched the app in March 2021. We only ended the partnership because we hired internally.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the platfor in the App Store in six months. It took about three months to build the app and then another three months to test and launch it. I was happy with our timeline. I have an engineering background and during reviews, I was happy with the quality of Codigo's code.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Our company ran the project management in this case. It was easy to communicate with them, so there weren’t barriers between us. Codigo was also flexible rather than assertive about a specific way for the project to unfold. The engineer assigned to our project had a great attitude.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their code and their flexibility were two stand-out qualities of the partnership. There was a two-week trial period, meaning it was low risk. When our needs changed, it was easy to ramp down to one iOS engineer again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only consideration is price. It was a lot less expensive than hiring an agency based in New York City. However, Codigo was more expensive than companies based in other regions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a digital style company. Our goal is to change our relationship with style and fashion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We’re building a personal styling application for iOS. Users will be able to use the app to automatically generate outfit recommendations on a daily basis by adding all of the items in their closet to the platform.  We needed to make sure the design and UX are high-caliber because fashion is so visual, so we hired CodigoDelSur.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before this project, we didn’t have anything on the frontend, but we did have a complete UX/UI designs ready to go. We initially tried to develop the app in Flutter, and it wasn’t working. It wasn’t advanced enough for us to develop the UI and features we wanted.

CodigoDelSur assessed the designs and ensured that it would be feasible to develop the app. Now they’re building the app based on our designs.  

What is the team composition?

We started with two people –the developer and her project manager. Then we brought on another developer for two weeks temporarily.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

They were recommended to me by a friend of mine. I didn’t speak with any other development companies because I knew I could trust his recommendations.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with CodigoDelSu back in January 2020 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My experience has been incredible. I’m super pleased. They’ve over-delivered on every single sprint we’ve had so far.

At this point, we’ve been through 5–6 sprints and I do all of the QA. There has only been one major bug that I notified them about. It was just an oversight too — they needed to add a text field over a keyboard so when users tap on it, they can see what they’re typing. It was impacting the UX. Otherwise, there have been no glaring issues and everything has functioned as expected. Consequentially, we’re always able to move forward onto the next task.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very structured and are good at clarifying what they’re doing and setting expectations. They’re patient and understanding. We actually had some timing issues with backend development and that put some strain on the frontend, but they’ve gone the extra mile to work around that and patch things up.

When our backend developer was unavailable, they scaled and helped us by bringing on a fantastic Python developer. It really helped us move forward.

Everything is meticulously documented. We review priorities and the backlog properly. They’re constantly making sure everything is up to date. We’re all on the same page. They’re so excellent that I’ve implemented some of their tactics in my own team.

Even though they’re an overseas team, there have been no communication issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by how well they’ve been able to manage the project. They do everything to make sure that we’re organized and on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any criticisms.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an e-commerce company in customized photo gifts space. I am in charge of their mobile engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CodigoDelSur?

Build the entire suite of Product Information Management for our mobile organization.

What were your goals for this project?

To be able to manage a catalog of 10+K products, streamline product release cycle (including defining, testing, releasing, disabling products), as well as manage merchandise screens in mobile apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I previously worked with them in a different project. I know their culture, technical competence, and the sense of ownership. I didn't look at other companies because they were really good.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Under my direction (product management, product design, and a little bit of data modeling), they completed all the aspects of full-stack software development, including, implementation, refactoring, testing, deployment, and trouble-shooting.

What was the team composition?

Myself, and two developers from this company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Thanks to their work, we were able to increase our revenue by tens of percents every year, because the software they developed allowed us to streamline physical product release cycle as well as full-control of merchandising products in mobile apps.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They adapted our project management methodology - a lean software development method. They are 2-3x more efficient than teams who use a conventional 2-weeks sprints.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their quality of the code, pride in their craft, and their communication was most impressive. And the highest level of sense of responsibility and ownership you could think of from software consulting companies. Also, they effectively rotate talents not for the sake of their benefit, but for the sake of my company's benefit. Thanks to them, they were able to provide their services for 365 days basis, even when a developer takes a vacation - they always provided a fully qualified developer with the domain knowledge when somebody was away. We didn't have to worry about unavailability throughout the year.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish they could provide more ways for me to thank them.