Cosmonaut Technologies Pvt Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CTO of a platform that connects vendors and educators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cosmonaut Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We hired Cosmonaut to help us build a customizable website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We originally had a WordPress template, but we reached the limit of what we could do with it, so they built a customizable website for us. We provided them with the design and the RFP, and they sent us the quote for it. 

Cosmonaut created an entire platform for users to sign up and create profiles. In addition to this, they created three different user bases for the site where we can log in as an administrator and approve listings and reviews, and then there are two pages designed for the educators and vendors where they can connect with each other. 

They’ve been working with HTML and CSS on the frontend, and PHP on the backend. It is a full-scale web platform where educators can request a quote, and vendors can respond, so it is a communication platform as well. 

AWS hosts the website, and Cosmonaut is providing maintenance for us. 

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager, and we work with a team of developers that ranges from 2–8 people. The team changes in size based on the amount of work that we need completed. 

How did you come to work with Cosmonaut Technologies Pvt Ltd?

A close friend referred them to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $10,000–$20,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in January 2020, and it is ongoing. We just recently signed a one-year contract with them to perform maintenance on the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is just about ready at this point. We’re still working on redoing the copy of the website and a few other modifications, but for the most part, the platform is up and running. We’re planning on doing a marketing campaign soon, and we’re going to launch it to recruit vendors. 

How did Cosmonaut Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We really enjoy working with our current project manager. He makes it really easy for us, and when we go over stuff, he understands what we’re looking for, so we’re very impressed with the project management. 

We use Bitbucket for all the code, and we meet via Zoom and Google Meet. We mostly communicate through the phone, and our project manager gives us weekly updates. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cosmonaut makes the experience easy for us. We sit down with our project manager and explain what we want, and then he relays that to the team. The process isn’t ever frustrating because we feel understood. 

They meet deadlines and are always open to hearing our ideas. If we don’t agree about something, we work through it and move on because they provide such a fantastic level of communication.

During office hours, they are always quick to respond, and we call for updates on the weekend. Their flexibility has been a really big key in making this partnership work. 

They also bring a can-do attitude to everything we do, especially once we stepped away from WordPress and didn’t have limitations on what we could do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we aren’t working with our project manager or he’s not able to be on a call, there are times that we struggle with the presentation of ideas. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a software development firm. We do everything from mobile applications to integrated applications to websites. I'm the managing partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cosmonaut Technologies?

We needed additional resources for our work on websites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve assisted with several development projects. Two of their assignments included a healthcare marketing and research site, an e-commerce CMS for the flower industry. The e-commerce site is still in early development and they continue to provide maintenance and add features to other finished sites.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with the owner and his lead designer. We occasionally work with another programmer, but the owner usually takes the lead on the programming side.

How did you come to work with Cosmonaut Technologies?

Another client of theirs referred them to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They deliver good quality and rectify any problems quickly. They do good work, provide exceptional end products, and are a valuable asset. The products we deliver get good feedback from clients, which reflects well on us.

How did Cosmonaut Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredibly responsive and highly collaborative. They are in the 90th percentile for scheduling and are communicative if they need more time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pay attention to timelines and understand what needs to be done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They overcome a lot of the cultural and language barriers that other overseas companies struggle with, but it’s not always perfect. There is an extra management layer, but they’re worth it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Cosmonaut combats the intrinsic considerations that come with any offshore partnership. If you designate a dedicated point of contact to communicate assets and information, you will have an even easier time. Make sure that person has enough technical and product experience to understand when an outsourced company needs more information or better explanation.