CodigoDelSur

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a product and technology consulting firm that helps other technology companies research and build product ideas and prototypes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We were looking to build a complex web application for small businesses. We had determined the product strategy and requirements, but needed assistance in executing on our idea.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CodigoDelSur led the design and development processes throughout the project. The application we created is integrated with multiple web services and required complex APIs that allow us to pull data from several sources. They utilized Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for storage and cloud services.

What is the team composition?

We worked with between three and four developers depending on where we were in the project.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I found them on Upwork. I was considering several firms and after interviewing them, I found that CodigoDelSur’s quality of work stood out. I was looking to avoid a vendor that wouldn’t require active management throughout, and their team seemed to be capable of working independently.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between October 2017–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have user feedback yet, but I was very happy with the results. The platform is very customer-focused and the UI looks great.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Their diligence in managing the project allowed me to take a hands-off approach, which was exactly what I needed for this project. They took ownership and initiative while emphasizing communication with fast response times and daily updates. They utilized a scrum methodology and broke the project down into sprints to facilitate progress tracking. They were very transparent around the work they were doing and their model worked very well for us overall.

Considering the complexity of the project, the CodigoDelSur team did an excellent job prioritizing the various aspects of it. Knowing what to do first in a project this involved is a skill in itself. From a communication standpoint, they were responsive and spot-on. They use Teamwork as project management software, which I had never used before. It was easy to learn and incredibly helpful during development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their approach to UX/UI and interaction design yielded results that other companies wouldn’t have been able to attain. We were very impressed and pleasantly surprised.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish we had focused on certain aspects of the project a bit more, but I could’ve spent more time with them had I not been working on other projects. Overall, I don’t have any meaningful feedback in terms of process or quality of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Picartio. We make apps that convert photographs into cartoons and animations. Our main software turns the user’s selfies into emojis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed to have an app developed for both iOS and Android. Our expertise is in creating backend algorithms for image processing, so we didn’t have an in-house resource dedicated to frontend development. Therefore, we needed to hire an outside contractor to complete the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used CodigoDelSur to develop apps for iOS and Android. Beyond the development stack, they used Git to maintain a repository that we could review and a RESTful API for server communication. They probably utilized various libraries to build the apps, but I don’t have access to those details.

What is the team composition?

CodigoDelSur allocated a project manager, an iOS developer, and an Android developer.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We went through different listings websites while initially looking for a contractor. After interviewing several contractors, CodigoDelSur stood out from the pack with their mix of background expertise and availability. They were also in a similar time zone as us and communicated well during the interview. We selected them for these reasons.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $20,000 and $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with CodigoDelSur from January–May 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The schedule was met and we were able to launch the apps on the App Store. They were willing to work with us as we changed the UI. Internal feedback was positive as the final products delivered the specifications we required. The apps garnered a fair number of users, but not the amount we needed for the next round of funding. We believe the reason was related to the backend technology we had and not the apps themselves.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

We had regular communication through Skype and used a messaging service called WeChat. The project manager and the developers were present for all videoconferences. This allowed us to speak about technical issues and give our feedback visually. The development approach was sprint-based and we were happy with the progress of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having one manager oversee development on both Android and iOS helped keep the two projects on track. The project manager was especially good at getting to the crux of a problem. We also wanted the app to be operational in both English and Chinese. We provided the Chinese translation and CodigoDelSur offered to create a Spanish translation as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The app was targeted toward young audiences, so providing more feedback as to what would better appeal to that demographic would’ve been helpful. Additionally, more familiarity with the Android app marketplace in China would’ve been beneficial to the project’s success. Although, it may have been their first time getting an app certified for the Chinese market. At least it was a learning experience for them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner and founder of a company that created a study app for sailors preparing for the Navy-wide advancement exam.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We'd previously been working with a PHP site—all custom code—but realized we would have scaling issues with the PHP within two to three years, so we decided to reprogram the website in Node.js.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their main project with us has been to redevelop the site in Node.js and to develop fully functioning admin and content development panels. They’re also working on an API for our mobile app.

In addition to Node.js, they also used React and PostgreSQL.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We needed a firm whose team members were experts in Node.js. After searching for the top companies in the field, we quickly found Codigo.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $175,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work April 2017 and continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're a productive company that creates quality code. Their emphasis on task management and establishing workflows from start to finish helps us track the product’s progress.

The product also uses a lot of Navy-specific terms and relies on a knowledge of rating exams, but they worked diligently to understand it all.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

We would typically work in two-week sprints until we got really close to finishing the website and were just focusing on cueing what we had. We worked largely in Teamwork, which was a new tool for us and which we found very effective, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with programmers from a variety of companies, but Codigo's communication and responsiveness is uniquely incredible. Communication is important for us, and that doesn't go unnoticed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of a babysitting jobs application that connects parents to college students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

When the app was built, we started using Braintree for payment processing. We hired Codigo to transition us from Braintree to Stripe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used the technology stack we already had. Our app has a Ruby on Rails backend deployed to Heroku, and the mobile app is built with React Native. They also worked with our push notifications solution, which uses the OneSignal API.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and a developer.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I found them through a platform called Crew.co. From the start of the interview process, they seemed very polished and understood how to onboard a new client.

Several of their developers had skillsets that really fit our needs. They had experience with payment processors, specifically Stripe, and with building Rails mobile apps. That was the stack we needed.

We were looking both domestically and across the globe. We loved the prospect of working with a South American company. Codigo offers better prices than domestic developers, but are still in the same time zone and have very high English proficiency. It made a lot of sense to hire them.

How much have you invested in them?

We are working on an ongoing sprint basis, and have invested around $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are about 80% finished with the project. So far, the thing that impresses me most is their flexibility. They work with us to figure out the best implementation, and are willing to shift directions when we find a better solution.

Our legacy code lacks tests in certain places. They have jumped in and gotten those up to speed to ensure that everything will be properly tested during the migration. When we ran into edge cases, we have a solution in place. They've been really flexible and responsive in that regard.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is fantastic,  and they are very responsive to our needs. They communicate throughout the day and are very easy to work with. They've fallen right in line with the processes and systems we use, which are pretty lightweight. Since it is such a small team, most of the project is managed through verbal or text communication.

The one challenge of working with them, versus our previous contracting company, is the time to get them onboard. Since it is a large code base and a complex project, the ramp-up period was probably a little longer than it would have been with the existing local contractor. Otherwise, things have gone fairly well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and communication, as well as the overall ease of working with them, have been the highlight for me. Some contractors can be very challenging to work with, whether it’s getting them to understand the directions or making them responsive to our requirements for the code and features.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and general manager of Bikelight. We’re developing an urban mobility system focused on the safety of cyclists. It involves an app with hardware and light devices which help cyclists communicate with the app and with their environment.   

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codigo del Sur?

We won a technology contest in Chile and started this project in January 2017 with another group of Chilean developers, which didn’t work well, so we began looking for other companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was initially planned for Android, so they took what we already had from the previous company—which wasn’t very good— and worked over that. They’re developing and improving our MVP at the moment. We expect to get more funds soon to start developing the iOS version.

What is the team composition?

They’ve assigned a project manager, a UI/UX specialist, a backend developer, and one or two frontend developers.

How did you come to work with Codigo del Sur?

A Canadian company recommended them to me and I really liked their work, so we hired them a couple of months later. They’ve been a great partner until now.

They’re very professional and one of the best in Latin America in their field. I was surprised by their amazing facilities when I visited their offices—they’re just on another level. Also, their personable approach makes you trust them.

How much have you invested in them?

This part of the project will cost about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them at the end of February.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re about to launch the MVP sometime in April. What I can say right now is that they’re actually delivering a solid product. I got more from them in the first two weeks that what I got from the previous company in six months.

From what I can see, they’ve got all the main concepts of the app established, which is very valuable to me. They’re also developing a special algorithm for the app, which is more than what I asked for.

How did Codigo del Sur perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a project management platform in place and we have daily meetings on Skype with them, which helps us directly talk about the work progress, our needs, feedback, etc. They also deliver reports and ask for our comments so they can keep improving their processes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Codigo del Sur is very responsive and fast; whenever we ask for a change, we have it by the next day. They’re perfectionists and I think we couldn't have made a better investment. I’m sure we will have a high-quality product in the end.

I’ve worked with many companies and I’ve never seen such professionalism. They’re very flexible and committed to my project, making exceptions and showing a great appreciation for it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m so happy with their work that I don’t have anything negative to say. Maybe they could take on more projects like mine—ones with small budgets but greater social impact. They have incredible skills and they should share them with projects with that have great potential but no budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at a company that builds software and provides consulting on best practices to businesses in the agricultural space. Our education branch is integrated with local colleges to educate people in how to apply better skills and practices in the field. We have under 10 employees, and we’re located in San Luis Obispo, California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codigo?

We wanted to build a scalable web and mobile application, and needed a team that used modern technologies and wrote high-quality code. We wanted to be able to increase or decrease the number of developers needed, so the team needed to be elastic and flexible as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our web and mobile applications using Node.js, React, Android development, Swift, and miscellaneous services in AWS [Amazon Web Services].

What is the team composition?

We have 6 web developers - 2 front end developers, 2 full stack engineers, and 2 back end developers that focus on the API. Additionally, we have 2 Android developers, 2 UX developers, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Codigo?

We found Codigo on Clutch. I had used other companies in the past, but I wanted to find another pool of potential companies to leverage. After going through several substantive reviews, I interviewed about 10 companies off Clutch, and Codigo came out on top.

How much have you invested with them?

$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their results have been very good. Our dynamic with them is likely different than other customers; we have in-house developers that they work with them on code review and QA. We’re largely working in parallel, and have been able to check code quality in real time. So far, we’ve been very happy with their collaborative approach, and their ability to learn our industry. Despite a significant learning curve, they’ve done a really good job. Their UX designers are very strong. They’re really helping to shape this product into something that is going to be very well received in the market.

How did Codigo perform from a project management standpoint?

We provided the project management tools, which they had used in the past, to keep track of progress and facilitate communication. These included Slack and Skype. They’re responsive, very clear and easy to talk to. They leverage agile methodologies, specifically the Scrum framework. We have stand-up meetings daily, and there’s always full transparency on where the project is and where it’s going. We work in 2-week sprints. It’s nice to have short turnarounds on small deliverable pieces every 2 weeks. Things always take longer than you want in software development, but with agile, you don’t really nail down timelines like you would within a waterfall model. We’re a bit more organic in that sense. However, we’re targeting a big milestone that’s coming up in a month and we’re on target for that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like their communication style. Communication has been clear and transparent, and there haven’t been any issues. Another strength is the expertise and experience their developers bring to the table. They’re all very talented, and I don’t find them egotistical. Some developers don’t want to listen to suggestions, but they’ve been very receptive to our ideas. Our ability to collaborate and define the best architecture has been very effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes we bypass each other in our work schedules, largely due to Daylight Savings. That’s neither our fault nor theirs, though. Uruguay has very stringent laws around hours worked, vacations, etc., which sometimes makes it difficult to overlap.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

COMPAS Global is a software startup based in the Bay area. We make software that helps growing technology companies plan and execute their global expansion. Our customers and our company are mainly business-to-business SaaS (Software-as-a-service) companies. They use our software as a planning tool to analyze their internal readiness for going global, as well as figuring out how to prioritize their geographies. Once they begin the planning and execution process, they use the software to help monitor their progress as they expand their global footprint.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codigo?

We originally started as a consulting company, and we helped companies create their global expansion plan using traditional consulting techniques. We’d create templates in Excel and PowerPoint and use those to help them analyze, visualize, and then share this type of data. It was very cumbersome to involve various members or present multiple functions across our client teams. We had to speak to 10-15 different folks, get their input on what they thought about the internal readiness, and get their input on what they thought was the assessment of different geographies. It created a lot of need to organize the data. Using the Excel models did the trick, but involved a less than ideal UX.

We had the idea to create a better way to aggregate, visualize, and share the data through a SaaS with a better interface than we could ever achieve with Excel. We started to sketch out ideas and hired Codigo to build us a frontend-only demo product. We wanted to use it to get input and see for ourselves what it would look like if our Excel sheet were to come alive and if it would make the process easier.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our own designers came up with the wireframes, and Codigo created the frontend that we could then click through without saving any data internally because there was no backend. It looked really nice, and it was initially also on the iPad platform, which made it easy for us, at a conference or a client meeting, to click through it to show them what it would potentially look like with some dummy data already inserted. I assume they used Swift.

Their role entailed changing things slightly or making a graph look cooler with different features. For instance, one of our best screens was a bubble chart that showed all the geographies with different market sizes. To make it come alive, they helped us evaluate a few different libraries so they wouldn’t have to make it from scratch. They ended up finding one that had a nice design with semi-transparent bubbles. Even if the bubbles overlapped, it didn’t look bad like it would in an Excel bubble chart. They did a good job with tweaking details like this.

What is the team dynamic?

There were 1-2 people working on our project. I mainly interacted with their project manager, Natalia [Head of Business Development, CodigoDelSur].

How did you come to work with Codigo?

I reached out to friends in the tech space and received a referral. We evaluated about 5 different shops. Most of them were in Latin America because I wanted someone close to my time zone. I came up with the plan of the use case, the background, and what we wanted to accomplish by when, and distributed it. We evaluated their budgets, processes, and plans. I was impressed with how organized and professional Codigo’s proposal was, and their price point was reasonable compared to other shops we evaluated in Colombia, Argentina, and Costa Rica. Codigo came out on top and we started working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $50,000-$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from the fall of 2014 until spring of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Given it was just a frontend product, we needed it to look nice, and it did. The end result had the wow effect we were looking for. They helped us reach our goals. After getting feedback, we decided to go ahead and build it out into a real software product, which we ended up launching in the fall of 2015. Codigo didn’t do the backend, but I was happy with what they did for us on the frontend. The company that built out the backend looked at the code that Codigo wrote for the frontend and validated their work saying it was good.

How did Codigo perform from a project management standpoint?

Natalia and I had a weekly update meeting. She’s always responsive over email. We worked in 2-week sprints. They gave me a new version every 2 weeks. I reviewed each version and provided feedback live to Natalia. With Codigo, I didn’t talk to the developers directly. If I were to do it again, I would look for more transparency so I wouldn’t have to go through a person in the middle. My experience since then has shown that shorter sprints brought quicker turnaround and feedback, and I like the rhythm of daily standup meetings better. Codigo could use tools like Trello to give more visibility into what they were working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re happy with their work for the first phase.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had them scope out building the backend. Their proposal had a wide price range, and they weren’t able to narrow the level of effort and cost from our side. We understand building a new product from scratch involves certain risks, but they were the ones who built the frontend so they knew the product intimately. They had us shoulder all of the risk of overruns, but we would have preferred that they shoulder at least some of the risk since we wanted to build a longer-term partnership with them. We expected them to find a way to make it work, but they were very adamant about not doing that. Their management policy prompted us to pursue other shops.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a startup. We are currently working on a social discovery tool to help users find exciting places around them while they are out and about in the city.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We were ultimately looking for some governance around the entire process of developing an app.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’re building an iOS app using Swift. We have been using Sketch to do the design, then we’re taking those Sketch files and uploading them into InVision, and then using InSpec to get the code. For the frontend look and feel of the app, we are taking a lot of that from InVision.

On the backend, we have built all of our API using JavaScript, and they used Swift to call those APIs. For the most part, we built a lot of the backend, and they have been doing most of the frontend aspects. They take the backend requirements, which are essentially our user stories, and translate them into executable tasks. They take those tasks and knock them out, and keep us updated with the progress they are making.

What is the team dynamic?

We have one project manager and one developer assigned to our project.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We reached out to a lot of firms that were considered the best. The talent was there from a coding perspective, but in terms of understanding the business vision, I felt like the other companies fell short. If I am paying someone to get the work done, I shouldn’t have to handle them along the way.

My father recommended I look in South America; in Argentina and Uruguay as we speak Spanish and the developers are good. We looked online, on Upwork, and other sites where you can locate these types of firms. We eventually found Codigo through Upwork. I looked at their reviews, their portfolio, and some of the companies they’ve worked with, who are incredible.

We gave them a 2-week project initially. After going through 2 or 3 other companies, Codigo is the one that felt right. We saw their deliverables and how well we worked together so we knew after 2 weeks that this was the partner we wanted to work with.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend $10,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2017 and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First of all, the app works the way we want it to. We had very specific requirements and ideas, and they do a really good job of listening to what we want and providing us with feedback, which has been useful. If there is a UX [user experience] improvement we could make, they will run it by us with a mockup. 

They have been a godsend because the quality is good. The users that are testing the app are happy and can see what it should be able to do. When you see the quality and execution, you don’t have to worry about what they are doing. 

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

They use the Teamwork platform, in which they show all the activity, milestones, upcoming events, and release notes. It’s perfect because we can see what has been done, what is still outstanding, and what is slated to be done the following day. I was more familiar using Jira, but Teamwork gives me all the information I need. It has been really nice to have that visibility, as at the end of the day, you want to see how your money is being spent.

We have a daily standup meeting, which is a quick 15-minute call. We also have our own channel on Slack times they have questions or need clarification. We communicate a lot via Slack, and we also use Google Docs to share notes, requirements, and user stories.

Codigo moves so fast. They will give us a conservative estimate, and then always get things done with a day or two still to test and get any bugs fixed so that by the next sprint, we can work on some new features. I really appreciate their authentic and professional approach. They keep you updated on the progress and give you tools to see what has been done, and what they plan to do. They execute the work and have been able to satisfy all my requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, it is their transparency and deliverables; the output is incredibly good. They are incredible, especially the speed at which they work. My team really meshes with them. They immediately understood our vision, and have always been very transparent with us, which led to a lot of trust. We have a very good development cycle, things are running a lot smoother than they had been running with other companies we have worked with in the past.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing bad to say about them. I like that there are guardrails in place, where if a developer isn’t doing what they are supposed to be doing, the management is going to be on top of them to make sure whatever is not working will get fixed. I appreciate that so much.

I am not used to the Teamwork site, but I love the fact you can see the tasks and milestones. One thing I do miss from other platforms, whether it is Jira or Axosoft, is a burndown chart to track velocity. They have offered to do this, but I want to stay focused on getting the development work done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Eventful Conferences conducts about 12 SAP [Systems, Applications & Products] conferences a year, with attendance ranging from 100–1,000 people. I am in digital marketing. Aside from handling all the emails and social media, I also work with Codigo on web design and UX [user experience]. I’m based in New York City, and we have another office in upstate New York, in Syracuse. We have about 20–30 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codigo?

We needed someone to build our company website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We handed over a website that had been built by our previous providers, and they made lots of frontend enhancements. We worked exclusively in WordPress. They built a TV page and added Smart Slider, which is a dynamic way to display content. They did several bug fixes, font changes, and minor design things here and there.

What is the team dynamic?

They’ve assigned 2 project managers who manage the development internally. We use project management software, and we work with them on a sprint basis.

How did you come to work with Codigo?

I met Natalia [Head of Business Development, CodigoDelSur] at The Next Web Conference in New York City. We were in the market for some new web developers, and they seemed to fit our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$200,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been happy with their work. Customers are saying that they really like the website, and it is getting much better engagement. Since Codigo moved us to a faster server, the website’s performance has improved.

How did Codigo perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve dealt with a lot of web developers and this, by far, has been my favorite project management of all time. They hit all the deadlines and work in a dynamic way—no task is too big.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve had no problems with anything, which is rare. Their Agile project management has been second to none, and the customer service has been fantastic. Externally, their work has been really good and appreciated by our customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

None at this stage.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a company that’s currently working on developing a next-generation data science approach for integrating the Internet of Things—or the Internet of Everything depending on how you look at things. We have an approach that dramatically lowers the integration costs of systems that many companies are dealing with right now.

Companies that make acquisitions have the huge problem of having to deal with tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of systems which are provided by just as many vendors as they end up having to hire to more or less integrate all of it by hand.

We're trying to dramatically reduce those integration costs by as much as 80%, which usually take up the entire IT budget without providing any real core business value. It’s a really challenging and important area to be addressing in the word right now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We had them develop a large component of our minimally viable product for the core systems assisted integration tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The system was basically the backend that enabled the discovery of solution components as well as provided the interfaces necessary for our proprietary software to properly integrate them. They implemented the prototype that provided the backend for the services that we offer.

You can think of it as a catalog—a combination of a system that looks like a service catalog type application. It contained a lot of components that were advertised through the web frontend and also included a number of APIs that allowed for the backend services to discover and self-organize those components on demand.

This application was entirely written in Node.js as the primary technology component. The rest of it was built using HTML5, MongoDB for the bulk data, JSON for keeping records, and a little bit of MySQL mixed in for the relational databases.

What is the team dynamic?

They assigned two full-time developers to this project—one for the backend and the other for the frontend.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

A startup called Weave recommended them without hesitation. In fact, we had the opportunity to work with Codigo on a project before hiring them to develop our initial prototype. They’d also been referred through another client and because of our prior experience with them, we decided to hire them again.

How much have you invested with them?

The estimated total cost ended up being around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship officially started 17th of April, 2014. It was a 6-month project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a very effective job of taking a relatively complex piece of technology and developing it with minimal oversight. The firm is able to take an abstract idea and make it concrete, which is different than many of the other contracting firms out there. As of now, their work has allowed us to demonstrate our ideas and get our concept into the hands of several clients.

We successfully sold our concept, but as a business, we’re still struggling to find a profitable way forward. That’s not attributed to them, though.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Rally for Agile management, which is a tool that they had never used before but were able to pick it up and use it very effectively. At the time, they were mostly used to dealing with JIRA. They did a very good job of both meeting deadlines as well as working interactively with me and the rest of my team, helping us solve issues and find solutions.

I think they enjoyed working with us because we were also software engineers on our end, not just marketing people. We were trying to get things built right instead of doing the work as quickly as possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're able to quickly turnaround and implement things such as ideas, concepts, and prototypes. In some cases, we were able to develop requirements for the user interface, have it prototyped, and then have it implemented and partially functioning within 4 – 5 days from a high-level concept. That’s an impressive time for implementing concepts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are primarily a Spanish-speaking firm and we’re a highly-technical firm on our end, so a bit was lost in translation. Occasionally, some work had to be done to help bridge the language gap, but it’s not necessarily an issue on their end since it’s more of a cultural thing.

Translating some of the concepts was probably the biggest challenge of working with them, but they were very good at interactively working through those issues, especially in areas where there was some ambiguity on what was being communicated versus what was understood. However, all those problems that popped up were resolved pretty quickly. They've done quite a bit of work since then to improve on that.