Hutko.dev/ ex. DEV-3

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive of Stay365, a platform aimed at digital nomads to rent accommodations, including homes, hotels, and hostels worldwide, as well as book experiences.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEV-3?

Our main goal was to create the MVP for our platform to demonstrate the concept was the right fit for the market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEV-3 provides us with web development services. We created thorough wireframes for them to begin with. From there, they started building the platform using those wireframes in the Agile methodology, focusing on fast iterations and many changes. The team has used PHP and Laravel for development. 

The website’s main features are a search widget and marketplace functionalities. Users can sign up to the site and search for a rental using filters, tags, and countries, and the marketplace returns results for accommodations. Additionally, the platform has a management portal for property owners. In it, they have a dashboard where they can see who’s booked their properties and manage those bookings on a calendar. DEV-3 has developed the platform’s MVP. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Dimitry (Co-Founder & General Manager) and Denis and Max (Co-Founders & Senior Developers). 

How did you come to work with DEV-3?

Our company put out a job posting and received 25 applicants. We went through a review process, shortlisted some providers, and then had an interview process. DEV-3 impressed us during the interview because they’d done many past projects that worked well, so we decided they were the best team for the job.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around January 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DEV-3 has delivered our MVP, enabling us to begin sending products to customers through the website. As a result, we’re on track to make six figures in revenue over the next year through holiday rentals. 

How did DEV-3 perform from a project management standpoint?

I serve as a project manager for this engagement. There’s no perfect process within tech; there will always be unplanned changes. The DEV-3 team has handled this dynamic environment with fast changes very well. Their developers have worked proactively to think of solutions to problems we hadn’t anticipated. 

We have constant communication with the whole team, which has been absolutely perfect. As for tools, we started using Telegram, and now we use a range of team management software tools. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by the array of work DEV-3 has done and their very skilled developers, who have the credentials to back up their experience. Moreover, the team is down to earth, knows what needs to be done, and is ready to go and do it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything about their current work they need to change. However, they could improve by getting into blockchain development because that’ll be in demand. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re considering working with DEV-3 on a large project, make sure you have a communication pipeline set up from the beginning. I recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a strategist for an outsourcing company. We are a platform for outsourcing software development for startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEV-3?

We had a need for development resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEV-3 provides Shopify design and development services for our company, mainly handling the frontend side of it. For this project, they developed a Shopify website for our client, who is a wholesale grocery distributor. The site was built from scratch, and it has standard Shopify components. 

What is the team composition?

I work with Dmitry (CEO).

How did you come to work with DEV-3?

We do a pretty extensive vetting process for potential partners — the basis of our decision-making was how they handled the interview we conducted. Their interpersonal skills, responses to different development questions, and their mentality and philosophy were the defining factors. We also looked at their portfolio. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020, and it’s still ongoing. We’ve done several projects with them throughout our engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work exceeds our expectations. We generally define success by looking at the product itself — specifically, we consider product functionality, look and feel, and so on. Overall, this project was definitely a success.

How did DEV-3 perform from a project management standpoint?

The project has been fantastic — they are a very attentive partner. The project management tool we use is Aloa Manage. We facilitate most of our communication through the platform itself, so we’ve never needed to have standup meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their diligence, attention to detail, and responsiveness. The team is really great at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re fantastic, so I can’t think of anything they can do better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to let them handle everything. We definitely recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The name of the company is FRESH, and we’re a branding and digital services provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEV-3?

We needed someone to help us with WordPress and Shopify development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEV-3 provides us with Shopify and WordPress development.

They developed a Shopify microsite for a shoe shop that manufactures and sells newly designed shoes. E-commerce is a major component, as users will be able to select the color, style, and size of the shoes they’re ordering. The major functionalities for that project are getting the products into the cart, and the ability to transact on the site.

Additionally, we’re also using DEV-3 for several WordPress projects. One of which is for an interior/exterior home remodeler. They rent out renovated homes and provide ongoing monthly maintenance services. What they’re developing is a basic marketing site with different functionalities such as video, links to services, partners, and vendors in the area for a variety of needs including, dry cleaning services, groceries, and restaurants among other things.

What is the team composition?

I only deal with Dmitry (CEO).

How did you come to work with DEV-3?

We get a lot of solicitations on LinkedIn — we vet all of them and we don’t just ignore everybody. Usually, what will stick out to us is the ability to do good frontend development. Backend is a little bit commoditized these days, but the ability to pull off a good front end is typically what we look for. We talked to DEV-3, looked at their work, and thought they were pretty good. We tried them on for a small project to see how they would do, and obviously, they did well so now we’re using them for some of our projects.

How much have you invested with them?

A rough estimate of our investment would probably be $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and the partnership is still ongoing. We use other shops for different projects, and DEV-3 is definitely on our bench of vendors we go to for certain projects, as they possess certain strengths we need to accomplish what we need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A lot of our metrics are just qualitative because we’re not a company of marketers — we just build the marketing vehicles for people to use, such as a website. We typically work with the in-house marketing team of the brands and companies we partner with, so it’s up to them to drive the traffic and get the metrics.

However, qualitatively, I would say that DEV-3's work needs to match the design that we send over, and match the functionality of the technology that we specify — those are important. Additionally, we have project management on our side, so we always want to meet all our schedules and deadlines and so far, they hit all those qualitative metrics.

How did DEV-3 perform from a project management standpoint?

Dmitry is really responsive and his communication skills are very good. DEV-3 is seven hours ahead of us, which can be beneficial for production, but sometimes getting in touch can be hard. Even then, in a lot of cases, I still get responses.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything, because I haven’t really run into any issues as of yet.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What I would say is you need to have your stuff buttoned up on your end. The developers that we work with say that other companies would just spend on random things and create a ton of work for them. They want these developers to produce, but they would already be behind schedule because they’re working for somebody who doesn’t really understand the development world.

Just make sure that you have yourself buttoned up.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Company- Unitraka UK Ltd Manufacturer of High Quality Security GPS Tracking Devices Position -Managing Director

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEV-3?

Finish the development of a progressive API+Web+Dashboard+App integrated

What were your goals for this project?

Build Platforms for API-Web + dashboard integrated with App for user to track unitraka device

SOLUTION

How did you select DEV-3?

Met through Upwork- Long interviews and conversations before finally awarding DEV-3 the project

Describe the project in detail.

Finish a website with dashboard fully integrated with App iOS/Android Finish and logically improve our API Developed Dashboard for Web or App to track unitraka device. Multi function features -Multi tracking-Motion sensor-NFC-SOS

What was the team composition?

There was a Team leader with front-end and back-end engineers+Front end web/app designer Backend Engineer finish and improved the logic of our API and integrated API to Web+ Dashboard Frontend connected Web/Dash and App Front end web/app designer (Figma)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unitraka product launch April 2021 Now testing receiving good reviews Market research on user use Fixing bugs, implement new features

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Both the Hardware and web/App teams worked in unison and very effective.Dev-3 understood the requirements added additional logic to the overall project Communication was key, complete understanding on both sides

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication/Alertness/and complete understanding of Unitraka's requirements. Agreed work schedule and delivered a nice product DEV-3 have a very good working relationship with their teams all of high standard i was impressed a very dedicated team

Are there any areas for improvement?

They delivered what was required and did extra work

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We haven't launched yet, but I'm the CEO of a business services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEV-3?

We hired them to help develop our company's website. I don't have a background in website development, and we also wanted support as we developed a platform that served two specific groups.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked in WordPress for the frontend, but the backend was built using a different technology. Another agency started on a website for us, but I was very unhappy with the previous results. DEV-3 completely transformed the site and restarted from scratch. They did everything I wanted at a fraction of the cost.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a minimum of four team members.

How did you come to work with DEV-3?

We found them on Upwork. The previous company depleted a lot of the resources I'd set aside for the website, and DEV-3 offered a very good rate.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we've spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the work took place in April and May 2019. This project will run in multiple stages, and the second phase hasn't started yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They intuited what I wanted to say, and I’m pleased with all the work they did for us. I love the quality and the way the site looks and flows. The site has a beautiful hovering capability, and they walked me through the whole process. I know how everything works and how best to use it.

How did DEV-3 perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was great. He coordinated everyone and made sure we didn't have a delay in our launch. I was originally concerned about a language barrier and the time zone difference, but I could work with them at any time, and we communicated very well. They worked around the clock and were always available to help me. Their timeliness, courtesy, and ease of use were all fantastic. They broke everything down, explained all their choices, and were very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though we had different backgrounds, they did an amazing job. We didn't have much experience in a lot of the aspects of this project, but we committed to them and trusted their suggestions. They were very respectful and kind, and their recommendations never made us feel inadequate or unintelligent. They took a completely different approach to the previous agency, and they let us have a role in the process. They really heard us, and the whole collaboration was so seamless.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are absolutely no areas I think they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a development and advertising agency dealing with healthcare clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEV-3?

We mostly needed support with web development. Since we had a lot of work, we decided to outsource.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Most of the website development they’ve been doing for us is with native HTML. They do usually help us with branded websites for big pharmaceutical brands, including Fortune 500 companies.

What is the team composition?

I deal with the project manager, but they have 3–4 people working on our projects.

How did you come to work with DEV-3?

I found them on Upwork. We chose them because of their English fluency, response time, and accessibility.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every time we are swamped or need support, they are ready on the spot. They’re quick and deliver on time. Plus, their work doesn’t require a massive amount of changes.  

How did DEV-3 perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is very good. We use Basecamp internally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly reliable, responsible, and available. They’re always easy to reach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, they had some quality control issues on minor points that could have been dealt with before sending to us —for instance, letting bugs sleep before sending or a link that wasn’t working. However, it’s not an issue anymore We had discussions, and they’ve improved since then.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of RangUp

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have a platform for easy payment links

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DEV-3 - web design & development agency to accomplish?

• Creat a web app that allows quick payment links using Stripe

SOLUTION

How did you find DEV-3 - web design & development agency?

Upwork

Why did you select DEV-3 - web design & development agency over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from DEV-3 - web design & development agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Created stripe API. 
• Integration of web app with stripe. 
• Developed multi functional web app. 
• Tested all of the above.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created an app that works well and delivered all functions that were requested.

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

Communication was excellent. Items were delivered on time and are in good working order.

What was your primary form of communication with DEV-3 - web design & development agency?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to understand the needs of the project and execute to the fullest even when improvisation was needed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something DEV-3 - web design & development agency could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a fitness educational provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEV-3, and what were your goals?

We needed a website revamp to improve our click rates and sign ups. They created a brand new website for us from scratch.

SOLUTION

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

I have worked with DEV-3 before and they delivered successfully.

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

We provided them with a basic wireframe and they created our website based off of that. They created a beautiful WordPress website from scratch and linked it to our CRM system.

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

A project manager and web developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased our sign ups and revenue as soon as the website was released.

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

We communicated through a freelance website.

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

Their ability to do pretty much anything I needed doing it with quality was impressive.

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

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and managing director of a platform as a service (PaaS) company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DEV-3?

We hired DEV-3 for WordPress development.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a company with WordPress expertise to design a completely new WordPress site for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected DEV-3 after many other software developers didn’t meet our expectations and couldn’t complete the work.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed a WordPress site. The team provides ongoing maintenance.

What was the team composition?

The team had about six people with different areas of expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was completed on time and within our budget.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Most tasks were issued through Asana, and the rest was left to DEV-3 to organize in an efficient and productive manner. Support was always immediately available, even though their team works across different time zones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re very easy to work with, and we never experienced issues concerning the management of tasks.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None, I highly recommended them.