Gecko Dynamics

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co founder & CTO of Enterprise League

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I’m awardee of 30 under 30 by Business Elite Awards and CEO & Founder of Enterprise League - the world's first platform aimed specifically at connecting SMEs and empowering their growth. It enables multiple ways of growth for small & medium enterprises - creating a unique company profile, making connections and finding your potential clients and suppliers, easy access to tenders and many more. A lot of our users managed to find their “first big client” on our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gecko Dynamics to accomplish?

• Custom Software Development for a startup bringing in an innovative B2B platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Gecko Dynamics?

• Clutch Site

Why did you select Gecko Dynamics over others?

• Company values aligned

What was the size of Gecko Dynamics' team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They did the full project cycle with us. First of all, they invited us to come over for Product Workshops. We spent a few intensive days analyzing the product vision and going step by step through it. They were pointing out potential gaps and threats and then proposing specific solutions to them and visualizing them with mockups. We spent a few days like this. After the Product Workshops, we made a decision to go full-in with them.

They moved to creating the design of the portal which took about 2 months and then to its development which lasted from October 2018 to April 2019. We had some small delays due to several reasons but managed to launch the MVP of the platform in April 2019. They then continued to implement the first batches of feedback after the beta release. They did all the necessary services, including frontend development, backend development, project management and testing.

In August 2019, we took over the development by our internal team which was the plan from the very beginning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Custom Software Development for a startup bringing in an innovative B2B platform

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The people at Gecko Dynamics took great care of us and they were an invaluable part of our success. Already after the first few meetings we knew we wanted to go ahead with them. They saved us from making a few mistakes when designing the platform as well as proposed some ideas that we hadn’t thought about before. They were also very supportive during the project.

As in every software project, there were one or two bumps along the road but they resolved it very smoothly and without any impact on the final outcome. They understood very well the dynamics of an early stage startups and communicated very well. I knew exactly what was going on every day and on every stage of the project. It almost felt like we worked as one team instead of client & supplier.

What was your primary form of communication with Gecko Dynamics?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

They were very attentive and were really proposing solutions in our favor. There are companies who will just build whatever you tell and let you find yourself in a dead end and they were exactly opposite to that - they were pointing out potential pitfalls and threats that may resolve in technological debt and so called “dead end” and suggesting alternative options.

At the same time, they understood where we were and weren’t suggesting solutions that cost millions but the ones that were perfect match of quality and cost for the stage where we were. Also, they communicated very well throughout the entire project duration. I always knew what was going on.

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

As they say, it can always be better so I personally think that every company has some areas to improve, but at the same time I can say they met all my expectations and I am happy with the results of the cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a managing partner at Like Minded Software Inc., a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We wanted to build a software product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gecko Dynamics is doing custom software development for a product aimed at providing people access to affordable housing. We started by going through a market survey to identify if there were any competing products, how long they'd take, and the project's scope. In terms of features, we've asked them for a software that could work with multiple browsers and devices and be ADA-compliant. Regarding tools, they've been using Microsoft Technologies.

What is the team composition?

We're currently working with three members of their team.

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

We found them online and worked with them on previous projects, so we chose them for this task based on their ability to understand what we wanted. In addition, they made suggestions that made sense, so we had confidence in them.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we've spent around $350,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A product of this kind would normally take close to three years to be ready, but Gecko Dynamics will deliver it in only one. Moreover, they’ve gone beyond our scope — Gecko Dynamics’ team has been flexible in guiding and advising us on best practices.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve delivered everything on time and have been responsive to our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their core software development skills are exceptional. Additionally, they have great talent on the bench and can move people around quickly for us when we need resources to fill a position.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on because they’ve been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend people working with them and having a defined scope of work written out for them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of Like Minded Software Inc., a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We were trying to build a product in-house and hired Gecko Dynamics to help us. Our company provides software development services for the government, and after many years of doing the same kind of work, we wanted to build something that was repeatable. The idea of a product came in, and we went through a market survey to find out if there were any competing products, how long it would take, and what the scope would be.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gecko Dynamics is custom-building our product using Microsoft technology. We direct them based on our earlier work with multiple clients. 

This solution aims to help users find affordable housing. Gecko Dynamics will build a back office and a public-facing website. The software must work on multiple browsers and devices and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. 

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with five teammates from Gecko Dynamics, and now we work with a team of three members. 

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

I found a few vendors through online research, and we chose Gecko Dynamics due to their confidence and understanding of what we wanted. Part of our evaluation was giving them the project in the initial stages; Gecko Dynamics reviewed the material and came back with the suggestions that made the most sense. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent in the ballpark of $350,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. Although the project will wrap up in December 2022, we plan to keep working with Gecko Dynamics through 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although I don’t have formal statistics, a product like this would take close to three years with another provider, and Gecko Dynamics will complete it in a year. They’ve gone above and beyond the scope of work — they’re incredible and very flexible. We’ve had a lot of give and take because they don’t just build what we want; they guide and advise us on best practices and where to add or subtract work.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver items on time and are responsive to our needs. Our communication is all virtual. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gecko Dynamics’ core software development skills are exceptional. They have good talent on the bench and can move teammates around quickly for us. Whenever a team member has needed to leave the project, they’ve found equal or better talent to replace them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything I’d have them improve; they’ve been really good. Although it would be easier for them to have more of an on-site presence, I knew going in that they were an offshore partner. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a defined scope of work that makes sense and write it out, even if it’s basic. Gecko Dynamics can take it from that point. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of Innovid, a provider of marketing automation software. I work in the measurement division and am responsible for measurement and attribution of TV advertising. For our customers who advertise on TV, we measure the effectiveness of their advertisements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We’ve grown quickly over the last five years, and it’s always been a bit of a challenge to keep pace with our growth. Our goal was to boost our development resources with some expertise we could bring on quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rather than being Gecko in to work on a specific project. I have a development team internally, but Gecko boosted our bandwidth, working on a range of projects.

We put them through our standard onboarding process for new developers and ran them through a decent amount of documentation. We’ll start them on a specific task and give them access to experts who will help them get up to speed.

The products they’re working on contain large amounts of data — up to 10,000–20,000 data points throughout the day. We provide advertising information to thousands of customers and release updates to our software every week on a regular basis. At any given time, we have a number of initiatives running to enhance our software with new features.

Broadly, we’re a python shop; most of our product is built on Python. We have a number of other technologies in use as well, but most of Gecko’s developer are Python developers. They also have JavaScript expertise and knowledge of other frontend languages.

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

I found them through Google. I had quite specific criteria and assessed a number of different companies. There were quite a few companies that met my criteria. After interviewing 4–5 of them, we looked at the pricing of everyone eon my shortlist. We considered a number of different factors, including their manner of business ,our confidence in their technical resources, etc.

We didn’t want to engage with a massive organization on this project, but we also didn’t want a vendor that was too small and didn’t possess the necessary expertise. Communication was also an important factor, and they were very easy to deal with during interviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $500,000–$1 million at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understood our needs quickly and delivered strong CVs for potential resources. After putting them through a trial period. Since their staff has embedded within our own teams, it’s impossible to pinpoint specific responsibilities.

During our time with Gecko, the revenue coming from the product has doubled. It’s hard to assign responsibility specifically, but Gecko has been a critical part of our journey.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been highly responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication has been very good; our collaboration is straightforward and easy to deal with. They’ve provided us with the technical skills that we need. We’re always looking for a vendor that can supply technical skills when we need them, and Gecko always comes through.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Things have been great so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a good definition of what you want is important. Spending a bit more time upfront to define what you’re trying to achieve. Having a clear definition of the components that you’re going to work on will allow Gecko to find the right individuals for your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an organization that manages multiple e-commerce brands in the beauty vertical.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We needed a development house to find dedicated outsourced resources; we also needed an HR partner for that offshore team. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gecko helps us build and maintain websites and backend services that support e-commerce operations. The team helps us find talented engineers that can create programs using our tech stacks, which include JavaScript for the website and Node.js for the backend. We cover everything from the customer’s experience while visiting a website to backend services supporting e-commerce functions such as fulfillment, analytics, and marketing. Moreover, we also need talent that has experience with Shopify, which has its own tech stack and cloud infrastructure. We also use AWS Services.  

In terms of resource searching, I typically provide our requirements to Michael (Chief Business Development Officer) in terms of the talent we need. He screens candidates and brings developers to us for final interviews. Then, we go ahead and hire people. In terms of research, they know about our domain and understand our tech stacks. They use that knowledge to bring in quality candidates. 

In some instances, we also look for UX research and design talent. Instead of searching for a dedicated staff member, Gecko recommends agencies to us. In case they can’t find the resource we want, they connect us with comparable agencies.

What is the team composition?

Michael is my main point of contact. I also work with Sylvia (IT Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

I did some research online and might have come across Gecko using Clutch. I also reached out to several companies and narrowed my options down to a few contenders. We were looking for top talent that could communicate well and execute with standards. Eventually, I chose to work with Gecko.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gecko in January 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The majority of our development team has been hired using Gecko; around 60% of the team came from them. So far, we’ve been seeing a 100% increase in revenue year over year, and Gecko has been a large part of that. 

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

The candidates that Gecko finds for us have great communication skills and are culturally fit for the organization. They’re motivated self-starters; they consist of senior talent that helps us achieve our development goals and ultimately increase our bottom line. Moreover, Gecko has been quick to fill the roles. They’ve also helped us with solving problems and finding solutions to help us with any business continuity issues. 

In terms of tools, we use Shortcut for project management, Google Suite for meetings and conferences, and Slack for chatting. These are the primary tools we use for communication. Meanwhile, we also use GitHub and other developer tools. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gecko is a boutique shop. They provide the attention and the understanding that we need as a business to be successful. They’ve always helped us achieve our goals and solved our problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When recruiting for a company, there’s always a learning period where the recruiter has to learn about the business. If Gecko can shorten that time, that will be beneficial for them and their clients. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Always have a clear objective, and communicate that well with Gecko. Provide them with business context so they can meet your objectives. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and founder of Mave, a job board platform for the SaaS industry. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We hired Gecko Dynamics to help us improve our site. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gecko Dynamics offered my firm everything from consulting services to IT development to my website’s UX/UI. First, they helped build up my job platform with an intuitive online profile encompassing sales characteristics. I requested that the site be user-friendly and simple to use; I provided some photos of the layout I wanted to use. They developed the site’s UX to optimize the site’s flow — they used Figma to flesh out the structure and add my branding. Then, we worked to create wireframes that Gecko Dynamics then put into action; they used Java to develop the site. In a matter of weeks, the site was up and running. 

Since the website development was completed, I’ve worked with Gecko Dynamics on website maintenance and updates. They’re also consulting on SEO and marketing tactics to help my business grow. 

What is the team composition?

I directly work with the sales teammates from Gecko Dynamics, along with a project manager, 4–5 developers, and occasionally their CEO.  

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

I found them online, and what drew me to Gecko Dynamics was their experience developing SaaS and software-type websites. They have multiple case studies on their site that display their different projects and the companies they’ve worked with. I could tell that Gecko Dynamics had the experience to complete my project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $60,000–$75,000 with Gecko Dynamics so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I began work with Gecko Dynamics in December 2020, and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The entire site development process with Gecko Dynamics has gone seamlessly. I’ve received many compliments on how modern and easy the site is from users. Gecko Dynamics’ quality of work is superior to others I’ve seen — they always go above and beyond to meet my expectations and ensure there are no issues with the deliverables. 

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager that I’ve been working with is great. Gecko Dynamics has met all my deadlines and the clear deliverable expectations we set up at the beginning of the project. Typically, we communicate all project information and questions via Slack, which has been a great tool. When I have a problem or question, Gecko Dynamics responds within 24 hours. During the site rollout, Gecko Dynamics was there every step of the way to answer my questions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gecko Dynamics’ value and expertise set them apart from the competition. I’m seeing a great return on investment with Gecko Dynamics. Their developers are extremely skilled in multiple coding languages and can build out the site while still maintaining it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Gecko Dynamics to improve; so far, my experience with them has been very positive. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to communicate clearly with Gecko Dynamics and set expectations upfront. Gecko Dynamics must know a customer’s timelines and speed of work. Also, customers shouldn’t settle — if a deliverable isn’t up to par, Gecko Dynamics should be notified so they can ensure that another developer is put on the project to ensure expectations are met. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m director of operations at a technology company. We work in the insurance sector and use distributed ledger technology to transform the insurance space from end to end.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We needed a number of developers to reconfigure and redesign the frontend build of our distributed ledger technology (DLT), so we hired Gecko Dynamics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We conducted fairly intensive interviews with Gecko Dynamics’ sales team. They provided us with a range of CVs and a package of services that we could use. We ultimately chose a time-based package with a fixed price contract for specific deliverables on our website’s frontend.

We then moved into the UX. Gecko Dynamics came in to design the screens for the DLT, which we then subjected to a peer review and selection process. 

What is the team composition?

He worked with two developers and had one QA who was brought in to do internal testing. There was also a team leader who acted as a project manager. Some of the members worked on a part-time basis, but we ramped up and down as needed. The project manager also came in as required. 

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

When we found them, we were very thoughtful of the price, and Gecko Dynamics was not the cheapest. Nonetheless, we hired them because they provided a range of services that we felt we could work with, scored pretty well on our pre-established criteria, and had the flexibility to move into a retainer arrangement later on. Add to that the fact that they were in a timezone that was an hour ahead of us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested within the range of $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with them began in December 2019 and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Relationship-wise, we work very well with Gecko Dynamics. Even though English is not their first language, they are very good at communicating and always inform us if they are having trouble interpreting something. 

In terms of the deliverables, their outputs were pretty much on the mark. They hit the target and produced something that was way better than what we could’ve achieved internally. We're still working on marketing but people who’ve seen the original version of what Gecko Dynamics created have been really impressed.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

They came in with a timeline and a budget, and though there were some ambiguities in the solution, we did eventually resolve those together. 

We used Jira, where the team put up an agile board for us. We were able to track the metrics and the progress as we worked from the requirements all the way down to the code. It provided pretty good visibility on what they were doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gecko Dynamics was very effective. They did what they said they would do and stuck well with us. We sustained a pretty good relationship between us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really jumps to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

One of the good things about working with Gecko Dynamics is that they were very happy to talk through what we were doing and why we were doing it. They understood what our needs were and applied that in their work. My advice is to not just use them as a resource but to let them be part of what you build.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run Executive Science and Fulfilment Science. We are digital health and HR analytics businesses and I am their founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gecko Dynamics?

Initially for the build of the prototype of the 3 interlined applications. One app and 2 desktop. We had little or now budget and a really clear idea of what we wanted each to do.

What were your goals for this project?

To deliver a prototype that we could take to investors. It needed to be within a very small budget and timescale!

SOLUTION

How did you select Gecko Dynamics?

Reviewed around 200 companies and their reviews. From this down selected to 5 potential providers. Thought the best dynamic thinkers were Gecko and their portfolio looked really good.

Describe the project in detail.

The concepts driving it are complex and the product needed to be simple. We thought we had mapped everything from palette through to designs. Actually really surprised about how much they brought in terms of originality to the UX/UI process. Completely overperformed by every measure

What was the team composition?

3 of them and 4 of us. They had Project, Product and UX/UI. Our side was 2 founders, one project and another technical (psychology).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have found Gecko Dynamics a joy to work with. They are a responsive and engaged partner and are truly part of our team. They know where to challenge and when to double down and make beautiful looking and feeling products. We initially brought them into work on the prototype.

However, quality of their work and ability to consistently deliver ahead of schedule and under budget made it impossible not to extent our relationship with them. I fully expect to be working with Michael, Sergiy and Bart at Gecko for years to come and know that they will be as central the continued success of this business as anyone in our team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless, they are already part of our business and I already see them as a strategic partner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Know when to challenge. They improved the process and made what we did better than we expected it could be

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are quite a young business, so of course there will be. What we have asked of them they have delivered underbudget and early.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as a product owner for a telecom company that focuses on the interconnection between mobile network operators. As a secondary function, we offer texting messaging, VoIP, Facebook Messenger connections, and other services to the global market. We have other projects that target mobile operators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

I worked with Gecko Dynamics on a service that provided an API over SMTP for secure communication. We wanted to grow the company’s reputation and be seen as a leading provider of enterprise solutions. Without our control, a lot of spammers could be included within the platform, so we needed a clever and expandable system.

The email service would be increasingly useful, generating more volume in the coming years. Our expectations were high because we wanted to provide a total solution for our enterprise customers. We wanted to give them security and a guarantee that a verified email originated from the bank. We’re essentially providing insurance to our customers.

We’re one of the major global hubs for text messaging. Our connection lines are secure in both physical and logical terms. We have direct lines with mobile operators, or we use a third hub. Our side connects to the hub, and we have contracts and assurances from their team. Both sides have credentials. Because of this, we can guarantee the route is not imperceptible. No one can create or launch a phishing attack against the recipients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed to create an extendable rules machine that applied rules, regulations, and settings according to the destination domain and actual originator of the message or campaign. We also wanted to track the metadata of each message, ensuring its complaint with transparency requirements and GDPR and other regulations. Because we expected a huge volume of traffic, we needed a range of IPs, a fast pricing mechanism, and fast authentication.

With the standard telecom operation at the routing or core network level, we had the same challenges. While the worlds are similar, I had to lead Gecko Dynamics through the whole project until implementation. We also have time-critical components, namely the SMTP authentication and charging plug-in, which are both developed in C++.

The infrastructure is around Linux and Docker images. It gives us the ability to expand the infrastructure without investing in additional hardware. Docker allows us to create new environments.

What is the team composition?

I believe we’ve worked with five people, including a sales manager and a technical project manager. We have a two-person team for Java development. We also employ a part-time system architect and one senior C++ developer.

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

One of our previous project managers did extensive research on companies. We started a global RFP. After that, we spent a couple of weeks waiting for the request to reach interested parties. We went through an interview with Gecko Dynamics, and they demonstrated a competent response and approach. It was compatible with what I had in mind.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $80,000–$85,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gecko Dynamics in July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very happy with them so far. We’ve managed to close the first phase of the project, and we’ve moved to the second. We went through phase one with forward compatibility. I expect us to be ready for production by the end of 2019.

There were some technical issues due to the system being incompatible. We switched technologies and moved to phase two. The same analysis and business requirements will be served by a different technological approach but will still be compatible with the phase one work.

They’re quite responsive, meeting our expectations. They’ve managed to fit into our team’s plans, incorporating into our own infrastructure. We plan on launching a few products at the same time, which is a daunting task, especially because they have to be integrated with an existing environment. We’ve managed to deliver a stable service that can be easily expanded.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite my service, I’m not the biggest fan of emails. We have daily meetings over Skype, use Slack and have voice calls. One of the major demands we put in the scope was to communicate needs immediately, no matter what it is. As soon as those are communicated, we involve the specific team that can resolve the issue. It’s much better that we know a person is on the other side, rather than a machine.

The project manager is technical and competent. He understands our wants and concerns, keeping me informed at every turn. Another plus is that we can send the data directly from a computer or cell phone. The team at Gecko Dynamics works almost around the clock. They treat tasks as if they’re their own, and I quite like that.

We use an agile scrum for the development part, but the project management recording is on our side. We have to report on the status, budget, distribution, and other aspects. Thankfully, Gecko Dynamics help us with that as well. They provide us with fully detailed reports about their process and the deliverable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team tries to keep their promises, and if they can’t, they simply say that. If there’s an issue, they let us know right away. As a product or project manager, we always have buffers or redundancies. In this case, I didn’t see the need for that. I’ve had projects that seemed easy to manage, but took longer than six months to start production. While this project was a major one, it took them four months to deliver. The technology issue we had will take less than three weeks to fix, which I consider a success.

Their most valuable quality is that they’re true to their work. Along with being transparent about issues, all of the stakeholders are aware of what’s going on and where the money is going. That makes it much more comfortable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

All development companies have more or less the same issue when it comes to delivering documentation. At the end of the project, we need to have their full documentation of the project in order to close it. All the APIs and administrative parts need to be documented.

If the developers are doing well in the early stages, they should start by putting comments on future ideas in regards to implementation. This will have when we have to create documentation for escalations and customizations. In any case, we have to have it at the end of the project, and Gecko Dynamics is not that strong with the documentation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any potential customer should dedicate a person to keeping track of the project, in terms of budget, tasks, and materials. If the outsourced team is managing itself, the client needs to have requirements clear. I suggest having a project manager on their side because that would help with the analysis. The good part about Gecko Dynamics is that they do offer their minds. It’s also important to have the budget assured.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Hive Exchange Technologies LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gecko Dynamics?

We needed a partner to help us develop an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a platform trading app for iOS and Android. It serves as a marketplace that allows users to buy and trade different assets. Users can also collect data on sales, inventory, and market metrics. In addition to their development work, they created a logo that could be displayed in the apps. At this point, we’ve launched the deliverables, making tweaks and updates as needed.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, there were 8–15 people working on the project from their team. This included two project managers, front- and backend developers, and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with Gecko Dynamics?

I researched and interviewed several different software development teams, identifying the top five vendors from my findings. While narrowing it down, I was very aware of my company’s time constraints. We had a very stringent deadline that not every vendor would be able to meet. I made that a top priority in the interview, so Gecko Dynamics was up for the challenge. They were also transparent with costs from the start, which was encouraging.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,00–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in May 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverables are still in beta testing, but initial feedback has been good. We’d like to see improvement in the fluidity of swiping gestures in the final version. They’re planning to tighten that up a bit. Otherwise, the app functions wonderfully.

How did Gecko Dynamics perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in development is miscommunication, so I was glad to not have to worry about it with them. I don’t have a technical background, so my vernacular is different from most dev shops. This was a learning process for me, but their team made it easy. Throughout the different iterations, they communicated clearly, translating technical aspects of the development into ideas that I could easily interpret.

Whenever I called, I got a response within six hours, even with a time zone difference. We primarily used email and Google Hangouts to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The agility of the team was impressive. Halfway through the project, I realized that we didn’t account for factors that would present massive problems once we grew to scale. Once we alerted them, their team was able to come up with a solution on the fly. I also requested major design changes partway through the development. They were able to overhaul the whole design in about a week. Whenever we had a problem, they presented me with 3–4 potential solutions.

While I don’t have much insight into how the work was divvied up, I know they had to be working extremely efficiently to accomplish everything on time. They were spot-on with timelines, scheduling, and organization, especially since the project had to be overhauled twice. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to think of anything major. When I was thinking of a taxation solution for the app, I ran into trouble because of its complexity. I was trying to brainstorm, going out of my way to solicit their feedback, but it was challenging. It would’ve been helpful to have more initiative on their end because that was an area in which I lacked experience. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear in your communication and provide a thorough project plan. While being clear with your goals for deliverables is important, don’t be too ambitious. Stay patient with their team, because it’ll take a while to deliver everything. Once they complete, though, the results are excellent.