Empat

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of ProStory, a startup with a cross-platform app where users can share and view videos. The content is educational and encompasses languages, physics, and economics. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

I hired Empat to be our technical partner. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of our partnership, we started with a discovery phase. Then, Empat developed our website using Webflow. Their team then created the app design in Figma before developing the app's prototype. 

We're currently working on developing the app using Swift and Native for the iOS version. The Android app uses Kotlin on the frontend and Python and AWS for the backend. Once the apps are done, we'll launch them together. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about 10 teammates, including Sasha (Project Manager), Empat's CTO, a business analyst, a UX/UI designer, Android and iOS developers, and DevOps and QA teammates. 

How did you come to work with Empat?

A friend of mine advised me to hire Empat because he'd also launched a startup with them. Since they successfully set up my friend's startup, I hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I've invested around $80,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in June 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're about to begin our public launch; we're currently running a closed beta launch to test our product. Our first users have given a lot of good feedback about the app. Happily, the app is crash- and bug-free. Once we launch the app, I'll measure success through user volume. 

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Empat communicates well — I'm happy with our regular Tuesday evening meetings. Outside of those regular meetings, we have another two meetings a week and connect over Slack. We also occasionally have design meetings. Their team uses Jira and Google Calendar to manage the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Empat is very proactive and provides good development advice. They have a lot of startup experience, so they help me navigate the industry, pushing me towards success. I find their suggestions to be really helpful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't know of anything Empat could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to be open with Empat and share ideas and weak points — honesty will help the partnership's future. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of DiaWest, a computer hardware retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed someone to help us develop an e-commerce website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat is our primary development partner, and they utilize tools such as Laravel, PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and Vue.js. They first looked at the old code of our website and decided to improve upon its foundation to build a new product.

They’ve been building a regular e-commerce website with functionalities such as an online payment option. apart from that, they’re also providing us with maintenance and support.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with a project manager, web designer, frontend developer, and backend developer.

How did you come to work with Empat?

Empat was one of the companies in Ukraine that took the initiative to propose their services at a cost-effective rate. We chose to work with them and it’s been a perfect match.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in March 2022. They delivered the product in June, but we’re still working together to fix issues and implement new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I received the project earlier than expected and delivered it at the agreed-upon price — as a startup, that’s highly beneficial.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m satisfied with their approach to project management because they made efficient use of their development time.

We mainly use Trello and typically communicate through Slack and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with the quality and skills of their developers, as well as their delivery agility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to discuss and finalize the scope of the project in the beginning before continuing to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project leader for a real estate agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat has done wireframing, design, UI/UX, Amazon integration, and our website's front- and backend development using Vue.js, WordPress, and CMS as main technologies.

We had an idea of what we wanted, and they came up with the requirements, the business analytics, and the design. 

Regarding features, the site has a personal cabinet, a blog, and a forum with a lot of information.

Currently, they provide maintenance and hosting to the platform

What is the team composition?

There's a project manager, a frontend developer, a backend developer, a UI/UX designer, and the CTO.

How did you come to work with Empat?

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $20,000–$22,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've done great work together, and we've also received a lot of good-quality leads.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is great; they stick to our budget, and we haven't had any issues with them. Regarding tools, we use Trello, Slack, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're really nice and have met our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Explain to them what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for a crypto trading company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with the UI/UX design and web and mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat developed our crypto trading web and mobile-based platform; they took care of the design and development, and it's now available for iOS.

We started the project with a meeting to discuss what we were looking for. After that, they came up with the documentation and completed the site. 

Currently, they continue to provide maintenance to the platform.

What is the team composition?

We communicate with five people from their team, including a project manager, a UI/UX designer, a backend developer, and a frontend developer.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We've worked together on a few previous projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $30,000 on this project so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with their work — everything is running perfectly.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time. Regarding tools, we communicate via Zoom and use a software to share documents.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization is outstanding; in our kickoff meeting, they presented a clear plan and went above and beyond to keep us updated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think they can improve on anything — they’re doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want a good team that keeps you updated, works quickly, and delivers a perfect product, go with Empat.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the commercial director for Promteh Service. We operate across the construction, mining machinery, and spare parts industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed an e-commerce and open-source platform to provide our clients with information about the company and give them the possibility to check and order goods. Hence, we hired Empat to develop the platform for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve helped us develop an e-commerce website for the equipment we're selling from scratch.

What is the team composition?

We work with six people from their side.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We found out about them through a referral. I contacted the leader of their company and noticed that they had a good team. I also saw their facilities and got to meet them in person, so we eventually decided that they were a good fit for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly around $50,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2020, and our partnership is still ongoing because we are doing other projects with them for other product categories.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we’re satisfied with how everything went. We’ve seen an increase in customer calls and leads thanks to their efforts.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all deadlines and stuck to our budget. Their project manager is also good at ensuring that everyone is always on the same page — we have regular meetings with their team to answer any questions and discuss new updates. For communication, we use email, Telegram, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are reliable, professional, and trustworthy. Their team also has an open mind and is always willing to provide solutions to our problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re good at what they do, but they need to make their processes faster and services cheaper.

Any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend them; they are reliable and have a really good team that gets the job done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a consumer products company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We were quite popular in the market, but we needed to have an online presence. We were looking to deal with concept development and design with commercial equipment production.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat has built our website from scratch using WordPress. We initially had a meeting to discuss the concept with them, what pages should look like, and the functionality we needed to include in the website. They started off by creating the design. Once that was approved, they began the development process. Now, they do maintenance.

What is the team composition?

We’ve mainly communicated with a project manager. Also, we’ve worked with developers, designers, and testers.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We had a lot of options and meetings with several vendors. However, Empat was the perfect match regarding development cost, how quickly they could deliver, and so on.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020. Our collaboration is ongoing for maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s vital for us that our customers receive the best, and our customers have given positive feedback on the website’s look and feel. Another point for us was completing the website on time, and Empat delivered according to their initial timeframe.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done an excellent job. They’re always available and quick to solve any issues. We’ve had excellent communication from the start. Although we weren’t technical people, we understood how the project was doing.

During development, we had weekly meetings through Google Meet. We could ask any questions or raise concerns through Slack. Empat also used Jira for project management. Overall, we communicated well throughout the development process and tracked all tasks. The progress was very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re exceedingly responsible and responsive. We’ve had many questions, but it has never been a problem for them. Moreover, their developers are highly skilled — thanks to that, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback, and there aren't any bugs. Overall, we’re happy we chose them for this project. They’ve developed a great website, which we’re still using.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Empat has done a great job advising us on how to improve the website. We’ve had a very positive experience, and I’d definitely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and designer of a fashion brand and blog.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

It was important for us to have an e-commerce platform because of growing online commerce trends. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat has designed and developed our mobile-friendly e-commerce website using WordPress. Empat’s team proposed using Webflow instead of WordPress, but we like WordPress because it is more comprehensive. We’re working with them now on new feature implementation, like blogs or feedback forms. Sometimes, when we present ideas, Empat explains to us that those features won’t benefit our business. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Empat’s project manager and developers. 

How did you come to work with Empat?

We started working with Empat because one of my friends recommended them. After meeting with one of their managers and discussing expectations, we hired them because we matched well. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $35,000 with Empat. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership with Empat began in April 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has great conversions; we’ve gotten a lot more clients. We’ve been able to find marketing and financial support partners through Empat. Now that we have the platform and the assistance, we can move into the European markets and expand production. 

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Empat’s project manager is our main point of contact, and they were good at staying within our timeline. Typically, we communicate through email and online and in-person meetings. 

During the platform development, we accelerated our plans to accommodate testing. The design collaboration was perfect — we worked with their designers through Google Meet, trading design suggestions and dislikes. I know Empat’s developers used Jira; we still utilize it for special tasks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our partnership was at the highest level and felt more like a friendship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything for Empat to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should explain all their expectations and wishes clearly. Don’t be afraid of Empat charging high prices or having bad managers; they’re above that. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Global Medical Knowledge Alliance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed to create an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat built a mobile application for iOS and Android. The app allows connecting physicians in Ukraine with each other and counterparts abroad to answer specific questions about patient management.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with a project manager and the CEO, but I believe many more were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We previously worked with them to create a website, so we’d been collaborating with them for more than a year. When we had to develop the app, we didn’t look for anybody else. We already knew their work, so we continued our engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $7,500, but they donated a good amount of their work because the app is for Ukraine and the Russian Invasion is ongoing. The project’s cost itself was $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in March 2022, and they completed the app in May 2022. Currently, they’re providing continuous support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, we’ve enrolled about 200 physicians. We’re in the process of expanding in Ukraine and the US. On the other hand, the app’s interface is very intuitive and easy to use. Overall, working with Empat was effortless; they did everything relatively quickly, and the team provided good advice on how to improve. They put a lot of thought into their work and came up with solutions.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They completed the tasks one day before they were supposed to and met the deadlines. Also, they met with us and updated us regularly. We usually communicated through email, messages, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was very easy to work with them. They created an amazing product, met deadlines, provided many suggestions, and had a very personal approach. I didn’t know I could get that level of personal and detail-oriented approach. It was also pretty easy to reach them. They’d respond within 30 minutes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they really knew what they were doing. I don’t have anything to add.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them closely, bring up the issues, and describe exactly what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Front Line Ukraine, an alliance website for scientists, medics, and the military for the sake of saving the lives of Ukrainian children and the Ukrainian population. It is mostly an informational website focused on the situation we’re currently living.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat is the web development team that developed our website. Although we had in-house designers, they also helped us with the design portion, mostly related to the website’s frontend.

The project was divided into three phases. Empat took one week to design the website, two weeks to develop it, and some extra time to fix bugs and make changes.

What is the team composition?

Empat’s project manager was my main point of contact, but I also worked directly with a designer. Additionally, they had a development team that included front- and backend developers, testers, and QA specialists. However, I didn’t work directly with them.

How did you come to work with Empat?

I found Empat on Clutch. Then, I found out on social media that they supported Ukraine during the Russian Invasion by making free software solutions and development projects for Ukrainian nonprofit organizations. After I checked their website and saw the projects they were working on, I decided to work with them as well to support their cause.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and they finished the website within 3–4 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Empat delivered a high-quality and well-designed website very fast, which was great because I didn’t know how much it would take.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Empat worked on the project using mostly Google Docs and Jira. It was very helpful for me to use Google Docs, but I know that the development team used Jira, Confluence, and other tools to manage the project on their end. Given that I had direct communication with the project manager, I didn’t have access to Empat’s development team; I just told the project manager what I wanted, and he created tasks for the developers.

The team provided me with timesheet reports to see how many hours they had spent on each part of the project. Additionally, we communicated via Telegram to discuss the project points. We also had a weekly update call via Google Meet with the project manager to talk about the project status and ask and answer questions from each side. Whenever I had questions during the weekend, Empat still replied within a few hours. Initially, we communicated via email, but we simply moved everything to Telegram.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Empat’s commitment to deadlines distinguished them from other providers. If they told me that they would finish a task by tomorrow, it was finished by tomorrow; I was very satisfied with that aspect of theirs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if Empat had a content manager or a content development team that could help us with that portion of the project. They don’t have it, so we’re now in charge of populating the site. However, it would be great to have some expert guidance because it is a big website, and we would like good recommendations to make the best of it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When looking for a company to work with, go to their Clutch profile and to their website to understand their main skills and see if they adapt to your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner at Plfa, a financing and lending association. The company was registered last year, and we have around 20 members right now. We are a fintech association that focuses on making a network between different financing platforms in the Philippines. We’re also actually the pioneer in implementing some regulations and guidelines for this kind of platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We hired them to create a website for us. Our goal is to expand and promote our platform in the Philippines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve engaged with Empat to create our website. They’ve been taking care of everything; whenever we need something like a banner or a promotional idea, they’re able to help us right away.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been in touch with at least four people from their side.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We originally found them through LinkedIn. My partner, who is a Ukrainian national, also knew the CEO and had a great experience working with them before; he really trusted them. Hence, he referred Empat to our board, and we decided to go with them. 

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent about $15,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on this project in August 2021, and our collaboration is still ongoing as we try to create another platform with their help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, they have been able to meet our expectations with the website. Apart from seeing an improvement in site traffic, we’ve also been able to connect with new people in the market. 

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use email, WhatsApp, Telegram, and phone calls for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like the fact that they really work fast — whenever we want them to add, revise, or improve something, they’re able to take care of it within a few hours, which is really impressive. It’s also easy to communicate with them, and they are really young and focused, and very creative in terms of doing web design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, we are okay with everything; they’re professionals, and they’ve been able to meet and exceed our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a professional web development company, I think Empat is one of the most competitive and best options out there.