DevsData LLC

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.