DevsData LLC

Please describe your company and your position there.

TipMe - a Fintech startup, CEO

For what projects/services did your company hire DevsData LLC?

Our company needed to find a very experienced Python Engineer. We contacted DevsData LLC to help us.

What were your goals for this engagement?

I needed a person with very extensive problem-solving skills, a deep understanding of the Flask framework as well as some experience with DevOps-related tasks.

How did you select DevsData LLC?

We’ve interviewed several technical staffing firms, but DevsData was the only one with a clear and extensive technical vetting process and the only one we’ve been able to find with a deep understanding of the Python programming ecosystem.

Describe the engagement in detail.

DevsData’s approach is very transparent. They’ve suggested a shape of recruitment pipeline for us that we’ve discussed together and tweaked to focus the vetting on aspects and traits that were the most important to us.

They provided regular updates. The candidates were thoroughly checked, I had access to the detailed notes of their tech lead interviewer, was able to see how well the candidates did on the algorithmic challenge, and it was clearly communicated to me what the strong points, as well as the shortcomings of a specific candidate, could be.

The process was very professional and fast, within just 3 weeks we’ve been able to find - and decided to hire - 2 senior Python engineers based on DevsData’s recommendation.

What was the team composition?

I was working directly with a senior recruiter from DevsData, as well as with Tom (DevsData’s partner and founder).

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

Sure. We’ve been very happy with the Python engineers they’ve recommended and decided to hire them. They are great employees, and I’m about to discuss with DevsData another recruitment project, this time for the Front-End engineer.

The progress was shared with me every week, which I consider very good practice. That kept me well informed while actually not consuming too much time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, 1 meeting a week plus a longer meeting at the beginning, what they did very well was requirements gathering, I couldn’t imagine we’d be able to find such strong engineers without it and yet other firms I’ve spoken with didn’t conduct such onboarding session.

What did you find most impressive about this vendor?

They are the only tech recruitment firm I consider reliable. Very dedicated, fast-paced and extremely professional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I’m very happy with them. Would definitely recommend their services to other technology companies in need of software engineers.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a small online marketing agency that provides clients with various on-demand solutions for their projects.

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

Creating a fully functional website (shop included) for an international e-commerce startup from scratch.

How did you select DevsData LLC and what were the deciding factors?

DevsData has been recommended to me by a colleague that has been working with them for a long time already. After a couple of calls with Tom I realized they have all the knowledge, experience and people I would need to realize the project.

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

Website had to be done in WordPress.

Key features:

• applicable to all SEO standards
• possible log in with social media account (Facebook, Google)
• operational in 5 languages and 3 currencies
• Google Merchant Center and Facebook Shops integration
• responsive on all devices and operating systems.

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

I worked directly only with Tom Potanski (CEO), however I know that there were at least 3 more people in the team (designers and developers).

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

The website hadn't crashed since its launch in early February. My client had close to zero complaints about the site performance and the minor flaws that he suggested to fix were all gone within the deadline.

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

They are really communicative and transparent with the work progress. Contact via e-mail, Telegram, Slack, Messenger - they have it all covered. With task management they use Jira services which is pretty much a standard right now.

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

I think the sheer commitment to the project, even though it probably was not the biggest one in their portfolio. DevsData takes customer service to another level.

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

From my point of view there is not really anything I can come up with. My client had a couple of comments to the first version of the product, but after quick fixes, he became satisfied with the final result.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Project Manager at a fast-growing insurtech startup. We help underwriters estimate risks better.

For what projects/services did your company hire DevsData LLC?

Large scale data mining with Machine Learning models on top of that. Dashboard for data visualisation.

What were your goals for this project?

We had a working prototype in place. Wanted to expand data coverage to all of the US as well as some parts of Western Europe. Wanted to improve our risk and insurance premiums models so our Net Promoter Score increases by 25% (a little bit far fetched, but DevsData guys delivered).

How did you select this vendor?

We met Tom Potanski at a conference and had instant chemistry.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Mentioned above, exact project details are confidential.

What was the team composition?

Two full time Machine Learning Engineers, two Data Engineers one Full-stack and one Frontend Developer. Also part-time Project Manager / Scrum Master.

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

Well, as a result of their Machine Learning and Data Visualisation work we increased our NPS by 25%.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project Manager / Scrum Master in constant communication with us. Some sort of Scrumban on their side but honestly we didn't care how they organised their work as long as stuff was getting done. Weekly all-hands, Jira, Slack, etc. Had a direct line to Tom ;-)

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How fast they move and how much they care, for instance you could ping Tom any time, day or night and he would respond and propose a solution immediately.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are getting busy lately so might be tricky to schedule them for larger projects from the get-go.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Senior Software Architect at a financial services company headquartered in Connecticut. Our company has about 80 employees and we serve corporate and government agencies nationwide.

For what projects/services did your company hire DevsData LLC?

I’ve collaborated with a dedicated DevsData team (managed by Tom, the founder) for over 2 years (starting in 2016) on several IT projects. One of them was to build a B2C app with an intelligent search and real-time Back-End technology. The other, a system for analysis of corporate data. Each project is relatively complex, consisting of a highly scalable and secure AWS Back-End (we work with sensitive data, so security is of utmost importance for us) and a consumer-friendly Front-End.

What were your goals for this project?

We developed this is a new B2C app for our new line of business.

How did you select this vendor?

We found DevsData online. DevsData demonstrated a strong degree of proactivity, taking time and initiative to thoroughly understand the problem and continuously suggest performance, usability enhancements as well as business ideas. From the technical standpoint, they really utilize the very latest tech stack appropriate to the business case.

Describe the project in detail.

Cannot disclose.

What was the team composition?

Tom was the project manager and there are about 6 senior and junior developers.

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

Very successful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Tom, the project manager and founder of DevsData, was easy to work with. He’s highly responsive (even at night), communicates precisely, and made sure the team was motivated and working efficiently according to the plan.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can honestly say that the quality, experience, skills, and dedication of their technical team are exceptional. They understand complex math and performance problems, really take the time to think about the needs of our business. The code delivered is clean, readable and very well-documented. English level is fluent and communication/soft skills were proficient. They also understand what it means to deliver a proof of concept (PoC) quickly and not to over-engineer the system.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None - DevsData is already 5/5.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Orange Charger, and we build car charging networks for property owners.

What challenge were you trying to address with DevsData LLC?

They built an app for us.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the app, including the back- and frontend. I gave them the designs, and they went from there using Flutter. The backend is all in Google, so it’s set up with Docker and Kubernetes. Then we’re using PostScript for our database. We can’t say too much about the app, but they helped set up user accounts, plus credit card information, and charge people based on the use of our devices. The devices measure energy consumption, and then we charge each user depending on how much energy they use. It also has to interact with our hardware, so our IT platform.

What is the team composition?

Our project manager is our main point of contact, and there are three other developers working on it.

How did you come to work with DevsData LLC?

I interviewed about a hundred different firms. Overall, I’m really satisfied with their work What jumped out was that they were very professional and could answer technical questions quickly.

Of all the teams we interviewed, they were the only ones who let me speak with the engineers, and not just the salesman. They have several freelancers with a lot of previous experience, but who wanted more flexibility. So we told them about the project, and they gave us options based on their schedules. Then, we can interview and determine if we would work together

How much have you invested with them?

A little over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020 and it’s still ongoing.

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

So we have a fully working product on one side, but have about 40% of the app is done, but are planning to add more features. They’re great at getting the product done quickly. We focused on access to the device, data, and management and tried to roll that out first.

How did DevsData LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very flexible. Overall, we have biweekly calls. Even though they’re in Eastern Europe, we have calls from my time. We categorize everything as either “task done” or “task not done.” Then we use Jira to manage issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The backend developers are some of the best I’ve ever worked with. I’ve worked with a lot of very well-qualified developers, so that is not a compliment I offer lightly. Their depth of knowledge and their ability to get things done quickly. They make great engineering decisions, which takes a lot of pressure off of our team. We can be confident that they’ll create the optimal solution.

The other side of that is that they’re familiar with Google’s platform, so that has saved costs. They also see themselves as an extension of our team, so they’re extremely flexible and helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not too much. Overall, they’re able to get everything done in a time-sensitive matter.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I hired a firm beforehand to help with the UI /UX and determine what we really want to develop. It helped narrow down the scope of the project so we really knew what we were trying to do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a financial services firm as an IT systems and applications manager.

What challenge were you trying to address with DevsData LLC?

We wanted assistance in developing several applications that would speed up our data collecting processes.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevsData LLC has done several development projects for us. They’ve mostly been focused on developing mobile applications, backend systems, and improving data processing. Their team has used a number of coding languages in these projects including Python and Go. 

How did you come to work with DevsData LLC? 

We received a recommendation from a friend. We started with a small project to see how they performed before moving forward. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with a team of six people from DevsData LLC, including Tom (Founder & CEO, DevsData LLC). 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $50,000-$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our ongoing work with them in January 2018. 

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

Every product they’ve developed for us runs quite well. We have never had any problems.  

How did DevsData LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They have excellent project management. They communicate, meet deadlines, and stick to the project timeline. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Even though DevsData LLC worked for us remotely and there was a six-hour time difference between our offices, they were so flexible. They would adjust their schedule to accommodate us. The team was very reliable.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

There might be some small things they could improve, but there’s nothing major I would consider advising them to do. 

Do you have advice for potential customers? 

They will help you if there’s something you’re not familiar with or might be missing. Use them as advisors and educators in addition to developers. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a technology incubator

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

This was an urgent microsite development. Just a few days advanced notice of this marketing and promotion type site.

How did you select DevsData LLC and what were the deciding factors?

We were referred by a happy client and devsData assured us they could handle the project on out timeline and budget.

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

Website development using WordPress. Set up ops and integration to our current site.

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

CEO, Project Manager, Developers (2)

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

100%. They did everything they promised and more. Great communication and collaboration. I could not be more satisfied.

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

They had more sophisticated tools but agreed to use PDFs and Google docs as that is what we like.

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

Very service-oriented. Also, they worked hard to give us suggestions to make the product better and those were all good suggestions.

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

none.

I am the Head of Business Development at a machine learning company with its offices in the EU and the US - headquartered in Warsaw, branch office in New York. I oversee our key projects and manage sales.

Our company needed to find an experienced Project Manager for the project starting in March. The timeframe was tight. For this purpose, we asked DevsData LLC to help us. We set the appropriate requirements for the candidate and provided guidance to the company. We aimed to hire someone fast (as the project was about to start) with all the necessary skills whose expected salary matched our budget.

We were looking for a premium recruitment agency and their offer met our expectations the most. After defining the requirements, the company, using their database, and other assets at their disposal, we found a group of suitable candidates and checked their competencies. DevsData sent us a group of the best ones, which we scheduled an interview with. Then, having specified the rate, we agreed on the details of commissions and monthly settlements.

We are really happy with the selected candidate. The communication with DevsData was great with a dedicated person to answer any questions. One thing I can suggest is to switch to Zoom from Google Meet.