LaSoft

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of OutSail

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

OutSail helps businesses research, evaluate and select the right HR software tools

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire LaSoft to accomplish?

• Digitize our manual, offline consulting business
• Build world class tools to help our customers

SOLUTION

How did you find LaSoft?

Referral

Why did you select LaSoft over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from LaSoft were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The goal of the project was twofold: 

1. Build a matching algorithm that would match businesses to the right HR software tools and 
2. Provide the user with tools that will help them to evaluate and select the best option 

We started the process off by building an MVP matching algorithm. We did robust user testing and made enhancements to this matching experience. After that, we developed the more robust platform for evaluating and selecting the right tools

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. Increase in customers - by building a beautiful, user friendly matching experience, we are able to convert online traffic into our funnel 
2. More efficient purchases - we can help companies purchase software faster because of the tools we provide them

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

We have a dedicated project manager throughout the engagement. This person gives us a clear line of sight to our timelines, costs and development milestones. We also have two weekly meetings to review development and design. Any time there has been requests from our side, they are promptly responded to. The team is not afraid to push back on my ideas to ensure the product is scalable and built efficiently

What was your primary form of communication with LaSoft?

Virtual Meeting

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

The team's work ethic and communication are of the highest quality. I never have emails go un-responded and they are always hitting the deadlines that were set out

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

As a first time software builder, it would have been helpful for me to have more education and understanding about the entire process. I wanted to build a large platform from the start, but had to learn how to take a more agile approach

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Advisera, an online support company. We work in the standards compliance field, and we provide our clients with tools and knowledge to help them become compliant with ISO and other standards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We were building a new SaaS platform as our new product. Our partners on this project decided that they couldn’t support us any longer, so we were looking for a new software agency to help us finish the product, put it into production, and help us maintain it later.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LaSoft helped us build out our SaaS platform using PHP and Laravel, and they hosted it on AWS. Their work has included software development, UI/UX design, bug fixing, QA, general design, and application maintenance.

The platform consists of a step-by-step wizard that guides small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) through an automated process to help them become compliant with ISO 27001. It also has a document management system component that generates the documents needed for compliance, and it has various modules such as risk register, incidents register, and more.

What is the team composition?

We work with three developers, one project manager, a full-time QA, a part-time QA, a designer, and a DevOps person as needed.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

We did an online search on various platforms and found them. We also had some referrals but we chose LaSoft.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t measure LaSoft’s performance on its own; we measure our whole team’s performance. The most important result is that we launched our platform on time, and it is now stable and working well.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

LaSoft operates within our deadlines and estimates, and their project management is very good. They’re also very responsive and communicative; we’re in daily contact. We use Jira to manage the project and Slack and Zoom to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LaSoft is customer-centric. They’re committed to their customers and help them make things happen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, we had an issue with their English knowledge. However, that has changed throughout our engagement, and they have a good English level now. Aside from that, it would be good if their DevOps side could organize their work better and have a more structured documentation process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on your expectations and have a structured documentation process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of Axle Education, an ed-tech company based in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LaSoft?

Our application currently provides teachers and students access to academic data. We wanted to extend this to parents by developing a dedicated mobile app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose LaSoft based on previous projects and cost-effectiveness.

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

LaSoft set up multiple meetings to try to flush out exactly what we wanted from this mobile app. Once we had agreed on requirements, a project manager from LaSoft helped the work according to our schedule. A UX designer then liaised with LaSoft's project manager to meet the deadline.

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

My team worked directly with a project manager and designer from LaSoft.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're very pleased with the deliverables from LaSoft. The project manager was especially helpful in making sure requirements were clear and a constant line of communication was kept active during the course of the project. The UX designer was able to adapt to the feedback we provided and ensured we were always happy with the designs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager proposed weekly meetings and created a clear, easy to understand project board on Notion. Meetings were kept short and efficient and all points were always followed up.

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

LaSoft's engagement manager (Ivan Matolinets) was our main point of contact in the company. He worked tirelessly to ensure we had the right people on the project with the right budget. LaSoft's CEO was also very accommodating in relation to the payment schedule making the process significantly less stressful on us financially.

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

We had a change in the assigned UX designer for our project. It would've been nice to see previous work carried out by that UX designer for reference purposes. However, the work carried out was still excellent.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Shopperations is a SaaS company that automates marketing planning and analytics processes for the CPG industry. I am the company's CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LaSoft?

I hired LaSoft to develop a new custom application, Vendorstan.com, which is modern day "yellow pages" for the CPG marketers who are looking to find media vendors and services to help them achieve their brand objectives.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop a two-sided "marketplace" platform to allow vendors to register their company profile and create a catalog of services/products that CPG marketers then can browse, filter and search based on keywords or other relevant filters.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found LaSoft on Clutch and interviewed among 8 other Ukrainian developers. They were the best combination of price and effective communication style.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed, tested and implemented a fully functioning application that caters to two types of users: marketers who seek information about vendors and services and Vendors who want to showcase their capabilities to marketers.

We met 2-3 times a week for stand-up calls and once every two weeks for the demonstrations at the end of the sprint completion. PM used Jira to assign cards and formulate sprints and releases. All developers were present in the calls and were able to have direct communication with me as a client.

What was the team composition?

One full time back-end and two full-time front end developers; part time PM, Designer, Dev-Ops expert and SEO consultant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I like the quality of the product that was delivered, the timely response of the PM and the upper management, the pride the team takes in their work, the good spirit of collaboration among all team members, and the overall trustworthy nature of LaSoft. At no point did I doubt that they were working hard and had my best interest in mind.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I had Tetyana Bas as a part-time PM, she was very productive, efficient and effective communicator. Knows Jira very well and did all the requirements gathering, task delegation and QA herself. She has programming background and is pretty technical, so she could effectively monitor developers' work and give them good direction.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The amount of time they spent with me BEFORE I formally signed them on. They gathered detailed requirements, proposed a sprint/release plan, gave me details of what team members will be required for the project at what point, what their hourly rates were and how fast they can wrap things up.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have nothing major to complain about.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Britesiders is a platform for unique, interactive fundraisers for causes and creators. I am cofounder and COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LaSoft?

Lasoft was hired to design and build a custom website and interactive fundraising platform, integrating nonprofit payment systems, unique engagement mechanics, and other fundraising abilities.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to set up a polished platform ready for consumer use.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met Lasoft via YouTeam.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Lasoft provided detailed discovery work, design and development, and ongoing support for our platform.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of a designer, project manager, front end developer and back end developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lasoft has delivered a solid and functional platform to being our work and testing how we will be serve nonprofits and content creators. It has been vital to the beginning of our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had a terrific and responsive central project manager who handled everything through email, Google Hangout calls, and Slack. We did not experience significant language barrier or time difference issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have been very impressed with Lasoft's ability to quickly understand a project and deliver iterations as requested with rapid turnaround. They have deep knowledge about many solutions, both custom and off the shelf.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would have liked to see slightly more proactive help on design as we did not have a designer or a good sense of what we wanted to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technical project manager for gamelab.berlin. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We were looking for a reliable partner that could provide us with a team to cover front– and backend development for a new museum application with a gamified approach. This included design and architecture. We also wanted a partner that could react to our demands and understand the unique environment of the cultural sector.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LaSoft is developing an accessible, multilingual React Native application for iOS and Android, featuring a swipe mechanism for users to assert preferences quickly and an algorithm to track points of interest within museums. The team has built a chat function around the display objects with preconfigured choices and images. This allows people to follow the narrative similar to a text adventure. They've integrated the TensorFlow image recognition algorithm, which lets users identify objects through their device's camera, and an indoor matching system to locate objects relative to the user's position.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager who is our primary point of contact and several LaSoft teammates. We discuss agenda items with 1–2 teammates and three others also work on the project.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

A company we knew from past collaborations recommended LaSoft knowing we needed a capable React Native developer. Overall, we evaluated three agencies. Their track record, value for our budget, and understanding of the project cemented our decision to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far has been around €37,000 (approximately $42,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began collaborating in January 2019, and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every month, they test the app with users in the museum, and we’ve received very very good feedback.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

To save time, LaSoft began the project prior to our finalizing the contract. The team is responsive, following up on points we mention during calls. They organize the timeline, which they effectively manage, and deliver working results every week or so, even on short notice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything they produce is quality-assured and tested. From both a user and a partner perspective, LaSoft produces quality deliverables. The team is also completely flexible with our limited time resources due to the multiplicity of our projects. Unlike previous vendors, the team understands our needs and asks for clarification when they don't. As a result, we don't suffer from unnecessary overhead due to miscommunication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there are areas for improvement.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Take LaSoft’s experience seriously and listen to their ideas. To accelerate processes, provide precise written requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a socio-digital urban mobility platform that aggregates multiple mobility servers into one application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We needed help developing the frontend interface of our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the layout and mockups of different frontend layers to LaSoft. After a face-to-face meeting to make sure they understood the requirements, their team gave suggestions on what the frontend should look like. We iterated on that several times. A backend developer assisted with adding a React Native extension to the frontend.

What is the team composition?

In total, we were working with four people from their team. During most of the work, their UX/UI designer was our main contact. We were later put in touch with the backend developer and a project manager. Our team also interacted with the CEO and their UI designer.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

I found out about LaSoft from a friend who used to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with LaSoft between September–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we haven’t tested the product on the mass market, users who have seen the product thought the design was modern and sleek. Feedback from potential users has been great so far.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager made sure the interaction between the UI and backend worked smoothly. The process was good, and my only objective was that at the time, I wasn’t given enough visibility into the status of different tasks. I was happy with the delivery of the task on the set deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is one of the main things I like about them. When outsourcing products to remote companies, this is always a major test for teams. We had no issues with communicating with LaSoft’s team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project management tool doesn’t lend enough visibility to customers. Using a platform like Jira would enable the client to understand where the development process stands easily.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I did have a small concern with communication in the beginning, but that ended up not being a problem. Clients shouldn’t be afraid to get in touch with LaSoft.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a legal SaaS platform that is bilingual in French and English.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We needed a high-quality team to provide Ruby on Rails development for our SaaS platform, so we hired LaSoft.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LaSoft began by providing programming support according to our designs. They developed some visuals for the platform and improved the workflow of our SaaS. We eventually took them on to manage the project. They implement new features into the platform and make changes as necessary. One deliverable they produced for us is an automatic document generation wizard, which enables the system to generate full documents and fill out proper fields.

What is the team composition?

The number of people working with us varied, but at the peak of production they supplied four full-time teammates.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

We contacted 10 firms and narrowed our search down to about three of those. We found LaSoft on Upwork and we decided to choose them after a few test-runs with their team. We gave them larger projects as time went on and they were always on top of it.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €50,000 (approximately $56,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2015–Fall 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work always exceeded our expectations. The deliverables they created have been major assets to our business. Their team constantly improved our ideas.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They were amazing in managing the project. In addition to working overtime to deliver on our milestones, they communicated almost daily with us. Working with them was a relief.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were reliable and impressively affordable. Although other companies could produce similar work, the price tag would triple. Other vendors aren’t as reliable as they are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should not undersell their work with low prices. In the beginning, their cost wasn’t realistic and needed to be adjusted to a higher, more sensible point. I’d suggest they find a cost that makes sense before starting an engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a co-founder of The Spoke. We take word-of-mouth recommendations and bring them online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We were looking for a development team to build an MVP for our web and mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a web and mobile platform for us. Our users can go to our website and search for their favorite genres or cuisines the same way they'd do that in Google. After that, we give them different lists of recommendations from the people they trust, such as publishers, influencers, or friends. Those recommendations contribute to our personalized score for every restaurant, movie, and other things. Users can select a list and swipe right to save it, swipe left to skip it, or swipe up to rate it. They can also select who they're with and see any overlaps or what they have in common with those people. If they're looking to make a group decision, that will take only 30 seconds.

LaSoft produced high-quality work, so we made them our full-time development team. They mostly used Python Django and React Native to build the app. The app has been in the App Store since summer, but they're constantly making updates.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Dima, who was our project management, Alex, who oversaw backend development, and Mariana, who was responsible for the UX/UI design.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

We found them on Upwork. We interviewed a number of teams and decided LaSoft was the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017 and we launched the app in June 2018. They continue to do ongoing development work for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've raised $750,000 with this platform, which is the biggest result for us.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a very solid team. They deliver everything on time and address bugs quickly. We operate in 10-day sprints and we usually use Slack and Skype to stay in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a start-up and try to grow at a fast pace, so they often work till late at night–not because they have to, but because they want to. They're truly passionate about what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into the project knowing that their team will do what is needed to help your project succeed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a real estate investment startup in Israel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LaSoft?

We engaged LaSoft to build a web- and app-based platform that helps homeowners navigate building renovation in compliance with local regulations and incentive programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LaSoft built a working prototype of the product. They used React for the frontend, Node.js for the backend, and React Native for the app. They also designed the platform’s UI/UX. The platform allows buyers to source contractors and architects, communicate with sellers and service providers, and store files in a central location. Users can also receive help with the negotiation process from start to finish.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager, a developer, a UX designer, a React developer, and two QA developers. We’ll be onboarding another frontend developer as well.

How did you come to work with LaSoft?

I was familiar with their work beforehand. One of LaSoft's developers previously worked with me on smaller projects, and their results impressed me every time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LaSoft turned an unfinished platform into a stable prototype. We’re about to launch four new projects with their team soon. We have potentially 115 more projects once we sign new clients and acquire a government contract.

How did LaSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is highly capable, communicative, and accessible; they have integrated well with our workflow. The UX team, in particular, keeps in frequent contact with us, reducing my initial worries about the lack of in-person communication. We use Slack for communication and data management, Google Drive for sharing documents and architectural designs, and Trello for project management. The UX team uses Slack and InVision, and we designed the system in FlowMapp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their CEO improves efficiency across every process from UX to development. He had a thorough understanding of our scenario and provided insights into business analysis. LaSoft makes their work transparent with short daily reports and clearly-written invoices. They deliver high-quality products at 60%–70% of the price of local developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

LaSoft can do everything from business analysis to development and design, but we still feel the need to supplement their project management in-house. However, we encounter this issue with every freelance company we’ve worked with.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

After finishing unsuccessful projects with other vendors, I was extremely pleased to find LaSoft. They have never let me down.