DataMix

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CPO of the TeQatlas, an augmented investment intelligence solution that brings the 80/20 Pareto Principle into the investment management lifecycle to make it seamless, efficient and straightforward.

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

One of the main challenges that our startup faced in the making process was the lack of resources. In that case, having an outsourced software development partner like Datamix was the best choice. Firstly, Datamix handles the resources used for the development. Secondly, Datamix fosters our team to focus on doing the business. Datamix allows us to have multiple options for a project like quality control, product management consulting, customer support, and staff augmentation if requested.

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

We found them through the recommendation from our friend working with Datamix on a few projects. We considered Datamix along with 3 other vendors. Because the project was such a high priority, we needed a results-driven partner that was committed to providing high quality service.

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

Datamix has experience with solutions based on Machine Learning models along with just software development. We first started with a discovery workshop to go over our business concept and goals. Then, we started the work from the infrastructure design while the design mock-ups were under approval before beginning production. They completed the initial project tasks in about half a year while we continue our cooperation on the rest of our product backlog. We continuously test functions and give feedback to the Datamix team. TeQatlas is already launched in the Beta version. The final product will be ready in a year if we find the product-market fit.

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

There are about 8 people in the core team, including a project manager and technical lead, few back-end and front-end developers, DevOps, and QA team. Other resources come and go depending on the project needs.

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

We had to make a long journey, learning a lot along our way. We have an amazing product to share with our clients while getting this fantastic experience, intensively developing, testing, brainstorming, and having tons of meetings. We spent 94k working hours on product development, drank 50k cups of coffee, computed 34m+ pairs with our AI, and finally got to Beta launch. Their team performed so well that we decided to continue working with them to maintain the solution.

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

The project management was outstanding. I work closely with Maksym, and he is very involved in the work. That's why we didn't have considerable blockers during our journey. Maksym always manages to stay in touch with me. We communicated through Telegram, Trello and have regular calls and meetings with the teams from both sides.

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

We have one entry point which is very convenient for us to keep everything organised. Things can be lost or misunderstood if you have a lot of people involved in the decision-making process.

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

There are always areas for improvement. But the most important thing to understand is that Datamix is a very flexible team. As a startup, we change our to-do list very quickly based on our constantly conducting client feedback or market research.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder/CEO of the company. We're a social network where people post video comments about pop culture, world events and life in general.

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

We hired Datamix to help us build the very first working version of the platform. This included helping us scope out the necessary components, build a realistic schedule of work and make sure we were using the most cutting edge technology.

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

I had experience working with Datamix on a project for another company and was impressed with their level of organization and commitment to the end product.

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

We were starting with a concept and some basic designs. Datamix helped guide us in the direction of knowing how we should plan the majority of our features based on the technology stack we would be using (Python, React, Next.js). The platform is a very complex build because it uses many new social features that had to be programmed from scratch. Datamix planned out the entire scope of work, split into 2-week sprints and helped us stay on schedule.

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

Datamix had approximately 10 different employees working on the project, including project managers, developers, and testers.

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

The project is ongoing, but we are very happy with the quality of the work delivered so far.

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

Datamix is very organized. They held meetings with us to discuss each sprint and the work already completed. The team is very friendly and easy to get in contact with. If there was ever a need to extend a deadline, they always make sure we know as soon as possible and are very accommodating.

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

There are several things that are very impressive about Datamix. First is their organization. This project is very complex and could never have been completed without the extreme level of detail they commit to each task. I've worked with many developers for other projects and Datamix is by far the most organized. Second, they actively participate in the planning for every step to make sure what we want to build is possible. Communication is unparalleled. After every meeting, we always received a summary email, which made the whole process so much less stressful. Finally, they are truly good people who care about the work. At every step of the process, Datamix has made us feel that they are interested in what we're building and are able to provide meaningful insights to improve the platform. They even made accommodations to help us stay under budget despite having changes to the functionality of the site. It is the best experience I've ever had working with a developer.

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

I can't think of a single instance where I wasn't delighted by their work or process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for a consulting agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with DataMix?

We needed a partner with strong IT capabilities to help us build an IT system.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided frontend and backend development, QA, IT support, and more for our IT system. The system guides companies as they prepare reports. It is partially automated.

What is the team composition?

Maxim (Frontend Developer) was our main point of contact, and he delegated tasks to the team. We also interacted with Sergii (Co-Founder).

How did you come to work with DataMix?

They were referred to us by a colleague, who gave great feedback about their work. We reviewed some of the work they had done and gave them a trial task. Based on the positive outcome of the trial, we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$199,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2019–August 2020.

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

They worked in two-week sprints, and we checked their work at the end of each sprint. They fixed any mistakes we found and made any requested changes. External resources tested the system and provided extremely positive feedback that the system works and is user friendly.

How did DataMix perform from a project management standpoint?

They have strong communication skills and do well at meeting deadlines. Maxim was always available to us. We communicated primarily through Skype, and we used Jira to track the delegated tasks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were dedicated to the project and worked to ensure their work was high-quality. They made suggestions for improvement. Maxim organized a workshop to help people understand the platform – he is quite competent and a good communicator.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their design skills could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as detailed as possible about the project’s scope and make sure everyone has the same understanding of expectations.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital marketing for Cochran.

What challenge were you trying to address with DataMix?

We were looking to create landing pages for all of our models. We are a 24-dealer group, so it is challenging for us to keep all of the landing pages updated with relevant information. We looked around for other vendors that already exist, and we found some that do similar things but not exactly what we wanted. The cost was about $1,000 per month per dealership, approximately $25,000 per month. It would cost us almost $300,000 a year. Right away, I said it would be better to build it ourselves.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I laid out the logic with Maksym (CEO), and I knew that his team could easily handle it as long as all of the logic was thought through.

We were building the dashboards and essentially a data automation solution to aggregate and visualize it. We were also working on a landing page builder for automotive. It was very complex, but it made sense to build it custom versus hiring a vendor and paying them a monthly fee.

The automotive agency can see all the tools they are building that are strictly built for dealerships, and they are helping them build all the scrapers, the data aggregators and then visualize it.

It also acts as a budgeting tool so users can put their monthly budget in there for different vendors, and it calculates the ROI for them.

In phase one, we were basically outlining all of the logistics and basically putting all of the app's logistics in a document where they could follow through. First, they needed to understand the logistics, but then it quickly escalated into them building wireframes and what it would look like.

They basically did the prototyping first, and once I liked the prototype, or we made changes, and I approved it, they went into the phase of doing the full design. Once they do the design, and it is approved, they started developing.

Throughout the development process, there is the backend development, database, and frontend. I don’t really get too much into the backend as long as I can do the things I need to do, like change and customize features. They also did website management and maintenance. They did a lot of builds here and there.

What is the team composition?

I mostly communicated with one or two people. Some did QA.

Once we would close the sprint, the QA testers were the ones that would go and test it to make sure that everything is working the way it’s intended to on different browsers. There might’ve been ten people in total, but they would bring in people at different times when necessary.

How did you come to work with DataMix?

I had already worked with DataMix in my previous position. I trust them, so when the opportunity came up here, I knew that they could deliver.

When I was working at my previous company, we were looking for a development team. We had previously worked with a couple of local developers here, but we couldn’t find anyone local. DataMix was recommended to me by a friend who used them previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little over $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in June 2019.

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

The projects were completed on time, which was very important, and it was within budget. Those are always the important things.

Over time, while working with different teams, people learn how others work, helping everyone work together. I worked with different teams in the past, and we would run into some issues here and there, whereas, with DataMix, it’s much easier because it’s all transparent. They have a great understanding.

How did DataMix perform from a project management standpoint?

The team works in sprints, so every two weeks, we would jump on a call, and they would show me all of the things that we completed. We would go over what would be done in the next two-week timeframe.

It is very fluent. A lot of times, the logic of the program would change, but because we work in sprints, it makes it easier to make those adjustments. Every time we would close the sprint, they would get paid.

For the most part, they use Jira, but they can use almost anything. I can see all of their tasks. As we talk through our sprints, I can see what’s aligned. I can also see what’s completed, so it’s all transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DataMix is great at understanding what the customer is trying to do. Maksym explains it to his team and how to achieve the end result and deliver it on time. It’s everything combined together with the team’s experience, delivery, and honesty.

Sometimes, we had unrealistic expectations, and they were able to tell us what would take longer. Because they have all of this experience, they’re able to be more realistic in expectations.

They’re also cost-effective. We tried to find some local companies here, and we got quotes from three or four different companies, but it was 10 times more than DataMix, but I guess that’s expected when working with offshore companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From my standpoint, their communication is fine, but if someone else works with them, they might run into some issues. It isn’t a big issue, but that could be an area for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to think through all of the logistics.

Obviously, Maksym and his team will help, but that is always the big thing. I already know that because I have done so many development projects, but if someone is looking at it for the first time, I would say that they should make sure that they think through the whole project because it will save time for everyone.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Co-founder of an Open Innovation Studio, headquartered in Finland.

For what projects/services did your company hire DataMix?

We needed expert UX/UI designers and developers to build a complex interactive wireframe for a product demonstration for the space industry involving also quantum technology.

How did you select this vendor?

Online review

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

DataMix advised for an in-depth requirements gathering session and proposed a full day workshop with all the key stakeholders. Following up on this discovery session, their experts started to build screen sketches that were iteratively discussed and improved thereby eliminating waste and rework. Once we all agreed with the final screens they have made for us available the full interactive wireframe plus a comprehensive and well designed pitch-deck summarizing all the key product components and functionalities.

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

My team worked directly with their expert UI/UX designers, developers and a project manager.

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

Along with previously provided outcomes and deliverables, DataMix also provided a detailed cost estimation of any next steps, comprising feasibility study and scale up. We are finalists in a EU competition also thanks to their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our team felt like we have been always working together thanks to the friendly but professional atmosphere and impressive flexibility with regards to online co-working sessions

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

The outcome of the project went beyond our expectations! Particularly, we have been impressed with the attention to details, their contribution to the project - even with new and better ideas, and an open mindset. The team had unique and impressive skills, it was fast at execution and understood even the nuances of the problem despite the complexity of the endeavour.

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

Nothing. Simply outstanding.