KnubiSoft

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and co-founder of a family business called Pyck. We're a green laundry services company that goes and gets people’s clothing and delivers it to them in an ecological and sustainable way. Our main mission is to make laundry ecological, effortless, and very simple.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft?

We approached them because we were looking for an app development solution. At the same time, we wanted to find a partner who could grow with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with a discovery session, which was quite amazing because it allowed us to understand what we could expect from KnubiSoft, what they could expect from us, and what the approximate final product we were looking for.

They used Figma, and the app is available for iOS and Android. We don’t have a desktop app, but we do have an admin functionality for the app through our desktops.

The main feature of the app is that it is fast and simple. Clients use the app to access our service, working through 4–5 steps to prepare their order, before putting their clothes in our specific laundry bags. By going through the app they only have to spend 10 seconds on the actual interaction with us, whether at their home, if we're picking up their clothes, or at our physical location. 

What is the team composition?

I connected with around 15 people, but I believe there were around 25 people who worked on the project in total, including 2–3 main points of contact. I was in touch with one person during the onboarding process; following that, we were passed to the architectural design resources. From there, we were in touch with the designer, who we connected a lot with. We were also in touch with the project manager. 

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

One of my brothers, who is also one of my founders, connected with them a very long time ago. When we were developing this business case, he thought about KnubiSoft, and we chose them from among other vendors here in Portugal. They were able to deliver in a short period of time and at a lower cost than the other contenders.

It was very important to us to find a partner who wanted to grow with us, could give us a good quotation at the beginning, and understood that this project needed to grow. KnubiSoft was very resilient, and we felt like they were part of our team even though we were hiring them as external developers.

How much have you invested in them?

The cost was between €35,000–€50,000 (approximately $35,000–$50,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The work started in April 2022, and the project was completed in August 2022. There is some ongoing work, as they offer three months of monitoring and problem-solving.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We still need to do marketing to drive downloads, and, because it's the summer in Portugal, people dry their clothes outside and aren't using laundry services as much; our busiest season is winter. I believe that downloads will start at the end of September and October. In the next four months, we expect to have 1,000–2,000 downloads.

When it comes to bugs and crashes, as soon as they're communicated to me by a friend, family, or user, I share it with KnubiSoft, and their project manager responds straightaway via Slack. As soon as I communicate an issue to KnubiSoft, the problem is solved within four hours at the most. The maximum is 24 hours. I've also gathered a lot of positive feedback when it comes to the design; we haven’t had any design issues.

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack a lot for communication and Telegram for quick questions. It was quite amazing how they instantly replied to my requests if there were any bugs, and this responsiveness has continued post-launch. Sometimes they don’t understand what I am trying to say, but they have a very quick attitude toward jumping on the problem. I had a very good experience on the project management side. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project manager was able to understand what we wanted in all our virtual calls, which was quite amazing. Language can be a big barrier when speaking about technical and development terms, but that wasn't the case with KnubiSoft.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the discovery session, they could have gone into more detail about button functionality and descriptions from screen to screen. They could also be more clear that the budget is determined by the design finalized in the discovery session.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to have a very strong connection with the person that is going to manage the project. Additionally, be honest in terms of what you want versus what you expect. As soon as there is an issue, talk to KnubiSoft straight away because they will solve it immediately.

Be straightforward with them from day one and they will be straightforward with you. They have very strong core values and are efficient. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Launch Cart. We’re a SaaS e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft?

We needed help to augment our staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KnubiSoft has been helping us recruit affordable and competent software developers for our projects. We started by providing them with software coding tests for their programmers to take, and their first developers passed the test, so we decided to go with them.

Their work involved creating parts and pieces of our e-commerce website. The platform is aimed to have functionalities like product reviews, merchant account processing, photos, and videos, among other features, 

In terms of technologies, they’re coding using Laravel PHP, for instance.

What is the team composition?

We’ve hired two senior software developers from their team.

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

Someone introduced them to me, and after reviewing their work and having an initial phone conversation with them, I decided to hire them for this project.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We invest around $12,000 with them every month.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been keeping them onboard the project thanks to their ability to deliver good work on what we need from them.

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is fantastic in terms of communication, sticking to deadlines, and staying within budget. In terms of tools, we use Jira, Slack, and Zoom — they’re very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to provide competent programmers on a timely basis is outstanding.

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?

Be clear with what you want from them to make it a straightforward process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and COO of Djooky, a music platform that invests in the future of music. We’re a full-fledged online global music platform serving as an ecosystem for artists and music lovers. In our marketplace for intellectual property rights, artists can issue royalty rights for their music which fans, labels, and regular investors can then buy and sell. We have two websites and one mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft?

We hired KnubiSoft to help us with web design and mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KnubiSoft developed both the website and iOS and Android app from scratch. In the beginning, we didn’t have a clear understanding of what these platforms should look like and what functions we wanted to incorporate into them. It was a brand-new product, and we didn’t want to copy an existing website or app. 

As a solution, we didn’t establish any form of architecture at the outset. We did numerous pivots throughout the process, and sometimes on a weekly basis, making each iteration according to the feedback of our users. KnubiSoft also developed a huge database where we could collect user data around their music preferences, listening history, and the artists that they’ve voted for. 

Their team also recently developed our marketplace, starting with front- and backend development before moving into UI/UX design, as this was most convenient for our users. We launched the marketplace at the end of 2021, and we continue to work with the team to improve all of our platforms. 

What is the team composition?

Over the course of two years, we’ve interacted with a total of 30 people, though we’re currently working with only 10–12.

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

We had worked with three other agencies prior to finding KnubiSoft. We’ve wanted to work with them since our first conversation, and it took about three months for us to formally enter an arrangement with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested no less than $600,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in June 2020, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Apart from having hundreds of reviews, our app has also received a five-star rating on the App Store and 4.7 stars on Google Play. We also now have over 200,000 registered users from 194 countries, 10% of whom are artists who’ve uploaded their work on our platform. We’ve even been featured by several media outlets as an innovative, first-of-its-kind platform and have received investments because of our product.

All of this has been made possible thanks to KnubiSoft’s round-the-clock responsiveness. They react promptly to any issues, even on the weekends or on holidays. We don’t encounter too many problems on a daily basis, but due to our large user base, the newness of our product, and my perfectionism, we find ourselves approaching their team very frequently for assistance. We’ve also experienced hacking and severe Amazon-related issues, but KnubiSoft efficiently addressed these situations, which is why we’ve stuck with them for two years.

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They are professional, reliable, and prompt. It’s not an easy project because we make changes weekly, but they survive each situation and meet most deadlines, so I cannot complain.

We have a shared Google Drive, and we communicate via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom. When needed, we meet with their team in person. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to the other teams we had previously worked with, KnubiSoft is flexible, quick to fix any issues, and reasonably priced. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything is good on their side. I do wish we could hire a bigger team, but we have a limited budget. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to meet with their team more than once per week. This way, neither of you would have to wait until the next call to have your questions answered. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the COO at Trustap. We are a milestone led payments platform, protecting buyers and sellers from fraud.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KnubiSoft?

We have been rapidly growing our product and tech teams, but we're under resourced in QA. As we had a backlog of features to test we decided to outsource rather than go for permanent hires.

SOLUTION

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

We looked at several vendors, checking reviews and looking for comparable case studies. After meeting with the shortlist we were convinced Olga and Knubisoft were the right partners. We found their approach consultative rather than 'salesy' and were impressed by how quickly they got to grips with our complex brief.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

There were a large number of relatively small projects which the team worked through independently.

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

We had two QAs working full time on this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This is an ongoing relationship. We have been impressed by the dedication and quality of the team as well as Olga's willingness to facilitate additional requests and changes to the brief.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I'm not directly involved in this but I'm not aware of any issues. The team speak great English and they seem to work very well with our in house project manager.

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

The solution oriented approach. Almost every other vendor we approached were more interested in closing us before they fully understood the brief. Our collaboration truly feels like a partnership.

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

We've not experienced any downside as yet, so unfair to suggest room for improvement. Our expectations have been more than met.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder & CEO of Smart Arbitrage Technologies. We develop software solutions for the capital market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft?

We needed software services to build our web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KnubiSoft provided full-stack development, including UI/UX design, and they built the web app from the ground up. They did everything on the frontend, including design. They used HTML and React. 

The web app has all the elements of our design, specific UX, action buttons, and more. They also provide ongoing maintenance of the web app.

What is the team composition?

I work with Dennis (COO), a frontend developer, and a UI/UX designer.

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

My friend, a client of theirs, referred them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 plus maintenance fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2020. The web app was launched in April 2020, but they’re still doing maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were efficient in their design, UX proposals, and cost. It has been a successful collaboration, and we will continue working together.

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

KnubiSoft did well in structuring processes step-by-step. They're always available and responsive, and they deliver on time. We used Figma to see pages and various app screens. We communicate via email, Slack, and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are professional and creative. The team is good at understanding what we need, even when we aren’t great at explaining it. Everything about working with them has been positive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any specific improvements to suggest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent about what you want. If you don’t know, they will present innovative ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO for YuRide. It’s a rideshare company tailored for universities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft? 

We have in-house knowledge in software engineering, but we needed someone with experience to help build our mobile application to be ready for market and a large load of users. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for building the core application. This included design, aesthetics, testing, and building the backbone of it. It was not the full application, only phase one. 

There are a few integrations such as a capability for transactions to be done on a university card, logins through university authentication, and matching students, faculty, and staff for commuting to help share costs. They recommended using Android Native at first, but we decided to build in React Native. For design, they used Figma. Bitbucket was used for Cloud storage. 

What is the team composition?

There was one main point of contact that oversaw the team, which consisted of an Android developer, a tech lead, a designer, and a QA engineer. 

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

They approached us, presenting the idea of working together. We decided to give it a try because we didn’t have a lot of experience. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2020 to March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with the code review, mockups, and design they presented. An experienced programmer looked over the code and was also impressed. 

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the things I really liked was the ability to meet in person to discuss things. We worked in weekly sprints, with code reviews, and they provided email updates. There were no issues with deadlines; they usually finished ahead of time. Even though there was a main point of contact, the entire team was available to talk if we reached out with a question. They were good at providing everything we asked for. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very engaged. The team was great to work with, very friendly and responsive. They showed interest in the company, and we were able to build a great relationship. They already did some work towards the next phase of the project, free of charge. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get clarity on why they do certain things. They are open to helping you understand what they’re doing, and explain their reasoning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m CEO for a finance app startup based in the London metro area. Our app allows users to manage their personal household finances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Knubisoft?

Before working with Knubisoft, I worked with a U.K.-based developer to build my app for iOS and Android. However, I wanted to find an agency that was more responsive and appropriate for our budget. As a result, I approached Knubisoft to review the app’s code and finalize the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they reviewed our code for both the Android and iOS apps, performing a security analysis. I anticipated their work to be limited, however, they ended up finding numerous issues and inefficiencies from the previous vendor’s code. They addressed the errors, fixing old features while adding new ones, and delivered the app for launch.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with a project manager, though they had designers and programmers who also worked on the app. During the engagement, our original manager left the company, so they assigned a new, equally knowledgeable project manager.

How did you come to work with Knubisoft?

After finding them online, we reached out to them and met their CEO. Compared to our previous vendor, they responded well to our inquiries, and their CEO often came to London for business development, which felt like a personal service.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just under £25,000 ($33,362 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The main work lasted from November 2017–January 2018, however, they’ve continued to provide ongoing maintenance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager at Octopus Labs, a department of Octopus. We provide IT and services for the rest of the company. We also develop, launch and support our own products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Knubisoft?

I have projects that involve the creation of new websites and migration of existing websites to primarily WordPress and Django platforms. I’m in charge of 5 projects right now, 3 are migration and 2 are new WordPress websites. We initially needed help with migration, but Knubisoft now helps us with the creation of new websites from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are quite independent. They give us access to their system so that we can monitor what they’re doing if we want to, but they don’t really require our active participation. We are able to give their project manager a brief on priorities and they take it from there. They run their own sprints and they have their own testers, developers and technical leads.

Thus far, we’ve been dealing with simpler websites. They helped us migrate a 15-page website and are now creating another website of a similar size from the designer’s prototype. They are also working on a more complex website that involves calculators, maps and interactive features.

Our websites target different audiences. Our departments target venture capitalists, consumers, investors, and financial advisors. Our websites are mainly created for information, and for giving some background on what our company does.

What is the team dynamic?

I don't really know how many people are working on this particular project, but I work closely with two people. One of them is the project manager and the other one is the technical lead. From what I see on JIRA, there are about three or four more people working, but we don't really communicate.

How did you come to work with Knubisoft?

We found Knubisoft after we had a not so successful experience with another developer. They helped us finish the existing project and we liked the way they worked so we brought them on for additional projects.

As far as I know, our CTO used their services in the past, but I don't know the details. When we started this series of projects, we were trying a series of different developers. At some point, we realized that we needed to narrow it down, so we shortlisted three. Knubisoft is definitely the first choice every time we start any project.

How much have you invested with them?

On projects that they are working on with me, it's about £15,000. However, we have different accounts for different projects, so I'm not sure how much the total is for the other projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April of this year. They are also working with different teams at my company on other projects. We are giving more and more work to them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well, they have definitely helped us free up some of our resources because they are helping me do my job. As a project manager, I spend less time dealing with the issues that I used to, and now I can concentrate on other things. They have definitely changed my life. They have also freed some other resources like our designer because she doesn't have to explain things to them. Now she's free to create rather than spend hours on specifications for the developers. They freed our hands, allowing us to do more creative things while they take care of the development.

How did Knubisoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They are awesome in that. Everything is taken care of. They are very organized. We invited them to our Confluence and they invited me to their JIRA so we're always on the same page. It's very easy to keep track of what they're doing and it's very easy to communicate what we want. It's very structured.

They pick it up very, very quickly because they use the same tools. Also, I would say that they're very attentive. Even if I put something on Slack they never miss it. They record everything and later on, they come back to things that I mentioned before. I never worry that I mention something and it will be forgotten. That's a very good quality as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re better than your average offshore development team, and we’ve worked with a few so we have a basis for comparison. They put a lot of thought into the user experience and often give us advice on how we could do things better. We are very happy with that.

The number one thing that stands out is their communication style. They are always responsive and they provide feedback. I mean, it’s incredible; they do things we don't ask them to do. They go the extra mile.

The first thing we noticed it is when our designer looked at the code, she realized that we don't have to break down the tasks into small parts because Knubisoft gets it. They see what she sends them and they understand how to implement it intuitively. That tells us that they probably have a designer helping them or maybe very experienced front-end developers. Or maybe we have a very good understanding of each other and they just fit our style. I’m not sure, but we do spend considerably less time explaining how we want things to be done because they get it straight away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Actually, I don't know because they’ve surpassed my expectations so far. I don't really know what I would be happier with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a director of Bold Statement Productions Inc. We are based in North Vancouver, in British Columbia, and we develop apps and custom software. We outsource most of our work and have an internal team of fewer than 10 people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KnubiSoft?

We were really low on funds for the project, and had an internal challenge. We had purchased all the assets of an app and had a connection with the old developer, but they had stopped updating it. We didn’t have the internal knowledge for developing it ourselves and knew that the community wanted updates, so we started looking outside of the local economy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KnubiSoft developed a first prototype based on the old app and helped us transfer it from our old developer account. We gave them the original code, which they analyzed and tried to update based on iOS and Unity changes. It needed the latest framework in order to be released to the Apple Store. It turned out that the whole code was a mess. KnubiSoft patched it up as much as possible, and they did release an update, but it didn’t go well with the community, since it didn’t work to their expectations. We started looking into improving it, and couldn’t, so the decision was made to start it again from scratch. KnubiSoft wrote brand-new code, converting the old Java app into C#.

They built us a virtual server from where the app pulls its data. It was done from scratch. KnubiSoft is very good in terms of databases, PHP and app development.

This has been our only project with KnubiSoft, but it’s technically comprised of three apps. We have an old app which was touched up and released in June 2016. It’s still available online. We also had to redo an old app, which was posted on our new account. We also released its Android version a couple of weeks ago.

Since we started working with KnubiSoft one year ago, we’ve used five people from their team, that I know of. I spoke with their owner, the business development person, two project managers, and two or three developers.

How did you come to work with KnubiSoft?

We looked at their profile and contacted them. KnubiSoft was one of five companies we chose in the beginning. We talked to each one and sent them the code. KnubiSoft told us they could do it, and I asked them questions about the actual game for which the app was being developed. They were familiar with the resources we needed and had a good-looking profile. We gave them a chance, and we’ve been happy about it.

How much have you invested with KnubiSoft?

The cost of KnubiSoft’s work has been between $30,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with KnubiSoft in February 2016. The assets for this project were purchased in January. The work is ongoing, and we’ve just released the new Android version. We have many plans for new features on the app after we’ve fixed all bugs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The challenge was to revamp the existing app and retain its user base. We needed to appeal to people familiar with it, and also couldn’t transfer the app to our new account. KnubiSoft’s developers did well in maintaining our timeline and delivering what we were talking about. It’s still an ongoing process, and we have existing challenges and features to implement.

How did KnubiSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

There were some kinks in the communication since we’re in Vancouver and KnubiSoft is in Ukraine. The 12-hour difference caused some delays, but they did well in delivering what they promised to. We had everything setup in Trello, where we logged bugs. There was good back-and-forth in terms of addressing each issue. It was a professional process.

We don’t have set deadlines. KnubiSoft will release each new update when it’s done, and they will communicate how much time was spent for developing it. We pay them based on the hours used.

The team’s native language is Russian, but we communicate in English. Ukraine is a fairly unstable region at the moment, and we’ve experienced some lack of communication during the last six months. We can have one- to two-day delays, which is the only point we’re not happy about, but, results-wise and in terms of professionalism, KnubiSoft is good. There has also been some restructuring in the company lately, which may be why we can’t always reach the project manager or the owner. I would say that we’re 80% happy with the communication.

What did you find most impressive about KnubiSoft?

They are very good coders, especially on C#. They’ve had to write some very complicated plugins which were not available off-the-shelf, and make our app work. The system converts files into 3D models internally, and presents them on the screen. KnubiSoft wrote that whole engine internally, based on the descriptions we gave. I was very impressed with this.

Are there any areas KnubiSoft could improve?

They could definitely make improvements in communication, which is an area we’re lacking in. We want fast replies, but also understand that there is a delay due to the time difference. Messages we send at 10 p.m. reach KnubiSoft at 2 a.m. their time. There is an additional delay in our communication to shareholders, which can stretch out development. Our project specifically is more than a standard app, and it has required a custom engine. KnubiSoft has had to pull out extra people from their side, outside of the regular developers. They actually managed to do it, so we’re happy overall.