Go Wombat

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a company that’s creating a product to monitor traffic and perform video analytics. We’re also working on edge devices for surveillance cameras.

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Wombat?

They’ve been helping us with web development for around five years.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve created a number of products with them. One that we’ve completed was a full UI design. Go Wombat created the web interface of the product from scratch, including some new technologies that we hadn’t used previously. We chose the technology and then they developed the design. They helped with the architecture

It was a React development that required them to create a set of automation tools. It works with both video and real-time data, providing users with critical interactive features. HTML, CSS were also used.   

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people for this project: a manager, who created the environment for us, one core developer, and one additional developer doing maintenance and small tasks.

How did you come to work with Go Wombat?

We found them through word of mouth, via a friend of mine that was a part-time developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000–$999,999. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2020.

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

We already have 1,000 users around the world, and we hope that sales will continue to grow, as we just started selling it. We’re 100% satisfied. When we started, we didn’t know where the project would bring us or whether it was even possible to put all the features that we were looking for into the edge device. Go Wombat was able to create a modern interface that accommodated all of our requests.

How did Go Wombat perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve kept the budget under control as tasks pop up. The project is fairy self-manageable, so we didn’t need much management from their side.

We use Slack for communication and have Zoom calls when something is urgent. For our current project, which is very complex, we’re using DevOps to manage tasks and track time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We know the capability of their team and expect them to do everything on a high level — and they do. We’re working with them because I expect them to perform at a higher level than a normal team.

They’ve provided resources capable of handling complex architecture properly. Additionally, when I have a problem, I can speak directly with their CEO, and they will guide me to the proper resource to solve my task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes we have to wait for resources, and I know that’s typical in this type of business, but it could be a bit better. Overall, however, I’m satisfied, and I understand that I will need to be on the waitlist for projects sometimes. The wait has only ever been about 1–2 weeks.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s the same advice as for any company: start small and see how they perform and how responsible they are. You can also check the history of the company.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing operations manager at a manufacturing company that produces products in the recreational vehicle (RV), agriculture, and construction industries. I oversee the day-to-day activities in our CRM, marketing and sales, web technology, and APIs. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Wombat?

We needed to produce an API-based web client portal that would allow our customers to interact with their information. We wanted it to have a slick UI that was fast and modern and that could also interact with our older enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Go Wombat helped us in the development process. We started with the concepts and features that we wanted to do. Then, their team helped us turn our vision into wireframes as we walked through the UI/UX development phase. We used Figma as our primary platform for UI/UX design.

Once we got the wireframes approved and we were happy with the functionality on the portal’s frontend, Go Wombat started to scope out the development documentation. They then began the back- and frontend development.

The key deliverable was a functional web application, so we went through many different phases of testing and revisions. Go Wombat deployed the software onto an AWS instance for us. It was a fully modern stack where our cloud ran the static HTML through an S3 bucket and we had EC2 in the backend. 

What is the team composition?

I was directly working with 4–5 people, who also had interns and assistants to help them. I dealt a lot with the UI designer, especially in the beginning. On the backend, we worked with two developers from Go Wombat, and some people were also assisting them. On our side, there were two developers and a project manager. 

How did you come to work with Go Wombat?

We first found Go Wombat on Upwork. We put a job listing out, and they were one of the applicants that replied to us. We took a broad-stroke filter and looked at companies that worked within the tech stacks that we were comfortable with, which included Python. We wanted a company that was familiar with the Django web framework; we wanted to ensure that we could contribute and maintain things after everything was done. That was our main filter. 

On top of that, looking at the examples of the applicants’ previous works was also important. We noticed that the Go Wombat team had some projects in their portfolio that had very similar concepts to what we were trying to accomplish. We also liked their philosophy around how they created those apps. 

They made it to our shortlist, which consisted of three companies. We could tell that Go Wombat had a high level of confidence and competence after talking to their team. Their communication was also absolutely bulletproof; time zone differences were never an issue. 

The other two vendors that we interviewed had some difficulties in getting things together. We thought that if that was happening even before the project started, we wouldn’t know where they’d go if things got tough. Meanwhile, even when we hit those snags with Go Wombat, they never backed down and were always available. 

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we spent around $80,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2020, and we wrapped up the first release in December 2020. At that time, we had the functional application, but we also had other internal projects that took precedence, so we hit the pause button on this project. 

At present, we’re getting back into the process and planning out some functionality releases. As a result, our relationship with them will probably continue perpetually as we have different needs that arise. 

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

Looking at client-side performance, the latency of API calls was very low, and backend calls took only between 20–40 milliseconds. That was the only metric we had since we didn’t have any sales-type metrics like engagement or conversion rates. Nonetheless, we achieved the functionality that we wanted, and they ultimately did a fast and modern implementation of the web app. 

How did Go Wombat perform from a project management standpoint?

We utilized JIRA for project management, and Go Wombat did an incredibly good job of keeping things organized and up to date. Everything was documented so we didn't forget things and events. 

We had daily meetings; we were in different time zones, but it worked out well. The meetings were between 30–45 minutes, and Go Wombat would start them with what they'd accomplished and what they wanted to do. Then, they’d ask me what they needed to deliver next so they could continue working. 

I’d spend the day going through their work, talking to stakeholders, bundling the target deliverables, and sending those over to their team. By the end of my day, they’d have everything fresh in front of them and they could start working. This was our general cycle. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Go Wombat had the ability to keep everything on track even when things got drawn out a bit or when there were confusions. Their project manager did an extremely good and tactful job at ensuring that everything would get reined back in. After that, we’d continue to push through to our goals. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. Go Wombat knocked the project out of the park on all levels. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As far as the tech stack that we used is concerned, Go Wombat is very knowledgeable. If you have a project that requires that stack, you’re going to be happy with them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

RedBud provides SaaS products to a range of companies, as well as consultancy services. Specifically, our clients are website owners that sell advertising. I’m a co-founder of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Wombat?

We’d commissioned another development company to build our product, but it was built using the wrong set of coding languages and tools. It was missing a lot of automation so we put many processes in place to compensate.

We got in touch with Go Wombat to completely redesign our product, using systems and languages that made more sense, and to automate some of the manual processes.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our previous developer built everything in PHP, which wasn’t the appropriate language to communicate with databases. Go Wombat built everything on Python and helped us migrate off of a BigQuery database that wasn’t fit for purpose. We landed on an AWS database that is more in-tune with our requirements for the data that we hold and the queries we run on it.

What is the team composition?

We currently have four fulltime developers working on our team. We started with only one fulltime developer and a project manager, who addressed any language problems and made sure that the team was clear on what they needed to do. Their CEO has also been heavily involved from the start. The role of the project manager is less required now because I’m working directly with the four developers. The manager is still involved, but it’s more for admin queries.

How did you come to work with Go Wombat?

We engaged with three companies: one from Poland, one from the UK, and Go Wombat, from Ukraine. Go Wombat was the first one to understand what we wanted to do. We had a chat with their CEO and a couple of people from their team. A couple of hours after that chat, they sent us a process diagram explaining what they understood from our platform and how they thought they could improve it. They were the only company that grasped what we were trying to achieve and they were proactive in suggesting improvements.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re currently spending £20,000 ($26,000 USD) per month with them, and we were spending less in the beginning. We’ve spent around £150,000 ($196,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Go Wombat in October 2019, and it’s ongoing. We’ve decided not to hire in-house developers, so Go Wombat is our development arm.

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

The first success metric is Go Wombat’s ability to stick to the roadmap we’ve built together. They’ve been great at delivering when they said they would deliver. We have a big release planned for the end of this week, and they’re on track. They’ve actually delivered everything already, which gives us time for additional testing.

The second one is more of a soft KPI: their ability to suggest new things. Go Wombat suggested using machine learning as a better way to solve a particular challenge we had.

How did Go Wombat perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a project manager from the start, who was on it. I’m quite hands-on, so I’ve taken up a lot of this role. They adjusted quickly and we now have daily calls, which are very productive. We each make lists of discussion points. Slack is used for communication and they’re transparent about any issues or possible delays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their ability to understand what it is we’re trying to achieve and come up with solid plans that stand out. They don’t just blindly execute.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One area they’ve made improvements on is the communication level of some on their team. They weren’t as clear as they could’ve been initially, but they’ve improved massively. I can’t think of any big areas where Go Wombat needs to improve today.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

What’s worked really well for us is to see Go Wombat as an extension of our team and not just as a supplier. This means that they’re more open to talking about any issues and that they’ve really bought into the project. Enthusiastic and proactive, having regular calls with and keeping the dialogue open is the best way to work with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief data officer and part of the management group in GlobalDataResources. We offer online targeting, but without the cookies and IDs that lead to a lot of privacy issues. 

We work with geographical areas rather than individuals. So, if a client wants to run an ad campaign for a certain car, we can easily identify the areas where it would have the best success—where people have the lifestyle that supports it, and where there’ve been a lot of sales of similar models historically.

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Wombat Team?

We realized that we needed a self-service tool that would give people several degrees of freedom to customize their own products and connect them to some of the major platforms that support this kind of targeting. 

They could basically create their own audience, specifying income range, interests, and so on, combine all that data, execute campaigns based off of it, and evaluate the results through nice graphical illustrations. We engaged with Go Wombat to build this.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Go Wombat built the complete backend and analytical structure. They made sure that tweaks from the client would be implemented very fast, and made the connections to the platforms. The software is pretty much Python-based, and the part that I’m familiar with is run in AWS.

They helped us connect the platform with Google, Facebook, and Adform. We have a list of similar platforms we’d like to connect to.

We made wireframes on our end to describe the product. Go Wombat didn’t have an in-house designer, but they connected us with one they knew and trusted. That was the only external assistance.

What is the team composition?

They assigned one project manager, two backend developers — including a lead data scientist — and two frontend developers. A third frontend developer was assigned at one point.

How much have you invested with them?

We agreed on $55,000 initially, and we added another $10,000 down the road for improvements to the product.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Go Wombat in January 2020, and the initial scope was completed in June. We’re planning and negotiating versions 1.1 and 1.2, and we will start executing 1.1 in August with Go Wombat.

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

Go Wombat’s backend team was really good, and I’m really pleased with them. The frontend team was good as well, but the really creative minds were in the backend.  

There are a lot of places where they’ve helped us. We’re good statisticians, and we can program a little bit, but Go Wombat is in a different league. The structure and tuning of the databases was handled by them. It involves millions and millions of calculations that have to happen when a user does something like pulling a slide. 

The software is computation-heavy, and Go Wombat suggested and implemented the framework. I’m really happy with how it was done. They worked with APIs for connecting the backend and different external systems to the frontend.

We didn’t have a clear idea of how to build this database and manage this amount of calculations, and Go Wombat came up with those solutions. It’s working really well, and the experience for the user is seamless.

How did Go Wombat Team perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager followed us all the way through. He made sure tat we had daily updates all through the four-month process. They implemented both a project management tool and a Slack account. We were well-connected and able to follow up on everything.

The lead data scientist was easy to communicate with and quickly understood the complicated setup we were trying to build. He came up with helpful suggestions on what to do and not to do.

We had short daily calls with them of 5–10 minutes, which gave us a very clear understanding of what the team was working on and why. We were able to solve problems very quickly, and we had 24/7 Slack communication. 

We had some issues that were down to our knowledge. There were things that we didn’t prepare correctly, but their project manager navigated around that. He changed the plans a couple of times to utilize the team in the best possible way, and he did it with limited or no impact on our product. We had people waiting to get clearances from us at times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the reasons for choosing Go Wombat over some other people we talked to was that they were willing to do the job. They didn’t want to start with two weeks of workshops and other things, and we needed someone who could execute without getting too creative. 

They did that, but they were also really good at coming up with solutions on things that we had limited knowledge of, including database structures. They really helped us with the area that hadn’t been well-defined in the beginning.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really like the team, and we’re giving them the best possible rating in continuing with them. The backend team was superb, really world-class, while the frontend one was simply what was needed. I saw that there was a difference between the backend team, which was very competent, and the frontend one, which just did the job. It’s the only thing I can come up with.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The hours spent preparing for a project like this will save the client money. We were just not suitably prepared. We were in a hurry to get this done, so we started without having all the boxes ticked on our end. That ended up delaying the project for a month, but Go Wombat was very flexible around that.

I also recommend that clients start the project at a time when they can visit Go Wombat in Ukraine, and not during a coronavirus lockdown. It’s good to just say hi, have a chat with them, and get to know each other.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of operations for an advertising company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Go Wombat Team?

We are developing a platform from scratch and needed help developing it from the basic set up we had done.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Go Wombat Team redeveloped our existing platform. Some of the work is under non-disclosure, but in short, they developed a tool that creates digital ads and then uploads those ads in an automated way to social platforms. They also created data-collecting elements within the tool. They connected the tool to Facebook. 

What is the team composition?

There was a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a project manager. Our main point of contact was Mike (CBDO, Go Wombat Team).

How did you come to work with Go Wombat Team?

Go Wombat Team worked with a friend of the business who does technology consulting for us. He had worked with them before, and they came recommended through him. They were a good fit. They were also much cheaper than local London-based developers, and we got a full team from them rather than just one developer.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent £25,000 (approximately $32,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2019–January 2020.

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

The quality of the work was good. If there was ever a bug, they fixed it pretty quickly. We don’t have any complaints.

How did Go Wombat Team perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was really good. We used Jira to track everything. We briefed them on tasks we wanted within the tech tool, and then we had daily standups to check in on the progress of the project. They gave us updates when we needed them.

It was a slow start with some onboarding that needed to happen. Go Wombat Team was really keen on asking the right questions, and they got up to speed quite quickly after the initial phase of learning about Facebook and how to work together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came recommended.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not based in the UK, and sometimes there could be a language barrier with their developers, but overall it was really smooth.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of R&D at a big-data AI SASS startup in the domain of electronic components.

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

We needed to quickly build our product, automating the collection of million of images from customers and continuously running AI algorithms on those images.

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

We evaluated many contractors on Upwork and directly. We started with assigning small projects or tasks and eliminated many contractors as they did not deliver per our expectations.

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

We started with one cloud software engineer, supported by an architect from GoWombat. They helped design the cloud solution and implement it. Later we added more developers from GoWombat and the initial GoWombat engineer became the leader for significant parts of our service development.

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

In the last 6 months we have one lead engineer and two developers from GoWombat. We also receive services with an as needed basis for QA, Security, Database management, and other experts.

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

We provide online high quality services to our clients at a cost that are within our budget. Even though the load and data scale are above our original plan. With the help of GoWombat our architecture evolved from monolithic to become a modern micro-services based.

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

The project management changed over time as more responsibilities moved to the GoWombat team. We started with direct management of each developer by us, and gradually moved to relying on their leadership to manage developers. We use Discord for chats and Zoom for meetings. GitLab and Jira are used for task management and code reviews.

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

GoWombat is flexible to our work methods, communication style, and changing needs. They often take the initiatives to suggest improvements in the process and our product. Their engineers are highly engaged with us, our customers, and the product quality.

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

It happened that after a while we learned that one of their engineers was not delivering at the expected velocity. They took the initiative to replace him before we even raised the issue. They have even credited us for the waisted costs on our side.