CRODU

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a UK-based e-learning company. We focus increasingly on tools that allow people to share knowledge with organizations, and are one of the companies in our industry that is moving away from a boring, traditional model. We have a content catalog with modules, videos, PDFs, and resources companies may find useful. The bigger technical piece is a learning experience platform that allows users to share information and knowledge. I'm the CTO, and I look after development and maintenance of our systems.

What challenge were you trying to address with CRODU?

We hired them to work on our learning experience platform and to develop content. Initially, we contracted them for an extension within our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started on a smaller scale to develop types of content and interactions. At the start of 2019, we engaged them for the platform extension. That included implementing a new microservice and work on our frontend with React.js. The microservice handles content moderation reporting. Users can flag inappropriate or problematic content, and our moderators can get in and examine those flags. CRODU also implemented functionality on the frontend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with several individuals, but the core team was about three people.

How did you come to work with CRODU?

We searched online for React developers, and CRODU came across very well. They knew what they were talking about, and the process was very straightforward. We spoke with a few other companies, but CRODU provided the development services we needed at a rate that fit our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £27,000 (approximately $33,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The platform work started in January 2019 and ended in April.

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

We have an internal development team that we rely on, and CRODU supported that internal team. It is challenging to attribute the success to any one group, but we did complete everything we hoped to accomplish and more.

How did CRODU perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good project managers, and time tracking was very clear. We did face some initial issues with clarifying concepts and our approach. We worked in AWS, which includes some uncommon technologies. They had to get up to speed, but they were very supportive. Our point of contact was great, and after a bumpy start, everything was very straightforward. They joined our standup meetings, we assigned tickets through Jira, and they worked as part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were willing to work with us on our terms. We wanted something very specific, and we knew what we hoped to achieve. They worked with our needs and helped meet our goals. Their team is very capable, and they know what they're doing. They were interested in our process, and they offered suggestions. They seemed much more collaborative than the other providers we considered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some issues with paying invoices at the beginning, but we resolved that. They could offer more technical support from their senior members. None of the issues had a massive impact, and we fixed things as we worked together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Discuss your requirements with your main contact to create a frame of reference. Take their experience onboard and consider their suggestions. If there is anything you really want, speak with them about it and they'll make sure you achieve those goals.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of KnowDrugs. A nonprofit project, we offer an application that provides people with the latest information about substances, drugs, and addictions to help them reduce the harm associated with drug consumption.

For what projects/services did your company hire CRODU?

We had an existing MVP that needed an overhaul to accommodate growth in our monthly active user base. We engaged CRODU to start that overhaul.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to boost the backend to handle a growing number of monthly active users while reducing costs for cloud services and traffic. We also wanted to improve the user experience. This involved optimizing feeds, implementing redesigns for key screens based on critical user feedback, and reducing the number of crashes.

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve worked with CRODU’s engineers in another capacity in the past. I was familiar with their collaborative approach and their high-level skills in JavaScript and ReactNative. It was an easy decision to reach out and bring them onto this project. Given that we’re a nonprofit, CRODU was very accommodating with their rates.

Describe the project in detail.

CRODU first refactored the app’s messy code with zero documentation. This required diving deep into the codebase as well as the goals and principles of our mission. They also redesigned part of the NoSQL database.

I provided their developers with high-fidelity designs and prototypes. I also wrote user stories and acceptance criteria. CRODU’s developers took ownership of the stories and defined the tasks necessary for them to deliver independently.

What was the team composition?

For the first two months, we worked with three JavaScript junior engineers. We then scaled the team down to one full-time engineer. When I wanted to tackle more complex challenges and new features, CRODU provided a senior developer on a part-time basis.

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

Within three months of starting the project, CRODU’s work on the NoSQL database led to an 80% decrease in traffic while monthly active users increased seven-fold. Without CRODU, we couldn’t have accommodated this rapid scaling in a viable way. The new design we later rolled out has received positive feedback. We also now have a 99.5% crash-free rate for both the Android and iOS versions of the app, enabling high rankings in both stores.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Due to our limited resources, I handle project management and design while CRODU provides me with developers. This setup allows me to save resources while making sure that their work met my standards. CRODU also has been extremely flexible about scaling their team to my needs and ideal workflow.

We have a remote setup. We communicate daily through Slack and have regular standups through Google Hangouts. We manage the backlog, tickets, and documentation through Notion, while Figma hosts my designs, prototypes, and specs. This lean yet effective setup ensure that no information is lost at any point.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their developers are committed to finding the best possible solution; they’re not afraid to learn or suggests ways to improve outcomes. They are immediately responsive to emergencies, no matter the day or time. This level of dedication is rare and immensely valuable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Communication can be improved between CRODU’s developers and their internal advisory resources. I often have had to research and define architectural elements to them and wished for more advice from their side. However, this area has already improved throughout the project so far. I’m confident it will continue to do so going forward.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of advanced analytics at a technology development company. We work with software, data science, and machine learning.

What challenge were you trying to address with CRODU?

We needed support with JavaScript and React development for a client.

What was the scope of their involvement?

CRODU built the client’s web application with a React frontend and Node.js backend. They’ve worked on additional projects as well.

What is the team composition?

The 10-person team includes a lead developer for frontend and backend.

How did you come to work with CRODU?

An employee at our company knew them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

The end customer is satisfied with the high-quality code.  

How did CRODU perform from a project management standpoint?

CRODU ramped up the team with impressive flexibility. They meet deadlines and work extra hours if necessary. We use Jira and hold occasional workshops at either team’s office. The latter keeps everyone on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is flexible and reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Regular communication is important for remote projects.