Linkup Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a small software company called Zenturion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We have a small team in Munich, and we need development help on occasion. This is where we come in contact with LinkUp Studio.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In most cases, they develop full-fledged web applications for us. Our initial project was a prototype for a startup I was trying to create. It was a Ruby on Rails web app with an AngularJS frontend, and they used Electron to package the web app for local users. They’re currently developing iOS and Android apps for it that connect to RESTful APIs on the Ruby backend. Right now, we give them more product-related requests, rather than prototypes or POCs.

What is the team composition?

My first contact is always with Andriy (CEO, LinkUp Studio), who assigns resources to the project. I’m in direct contact with the resources going forward. One of their developers serves as project manager and the main point of contact.

Our current team is comprised of two backend developers, one and a half mobile developers, one full-time tester, and one web developer.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

Someone recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their ability to grasp requirements and execute quickly has allowed me to shorten timelines by weeks and months and enter negotiations with low-cost estimates. This is especially true at the prototype and POC phases. Their work doesn’t skimp on quality either.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It was unusual at first to work without dedicated project managers (they assign tasks to specific developers), but that made the work much faster. It also eliminates requirement misinterpretation, though it does force me to pay more attention on my side. Jira is installed on our side to track issues, and I believe they’re using it as well.  

We’ve had some delays, but that will be true for any collaboration. What I really like about LinkUp is that no matter how much additional time a project takes, they never ask for more money.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a fast, young team that’s always up to date with the latest technologies. Over the last four years, they’ve changed frameworks multiple times to continue producing modern designs and current software. They’ve been one of the best bargains I’ve ever had because they don’t buffer their estimates. I really like their communication style, and they’re easily accessible for urgent matters, even at night.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The same thing that saves me a lot of money is also something they should improve. Because of the lower estimates, sometimes they don’t meet deadlines. Especially for larger projects, they don’t put enough buffer to be on the safe side, and we need to extend deadlines. This is the only negative point I have, and I could never complain about their quality.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

For larger projects, it’s a good idea to have a project manager on your side and split large tasks into small chunks. This way, you can keep track of what’s been done and what the real-time estimate is.

Involve them in brainstorming and requirement discussions. LinkUp comes up with good ideas and doesn’t just deliver what’s asked for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup IT company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We needed help with development and design for projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

I had clients that needed some help with projects, whether it was design, web development, or anything. We give them a mix of small and large projects, providing the specifications for them to fulfill.

They have done a lot of top-notch design work that has been perfect. Besides the design, they’ve done some straightforward development for websites, as well as some basic stuff. They’ve also done some more advanced custom applications for ordering systems and have built custom online ordering systems for restaurant chains, including the entire backend, accounting portion, and more.

What is the team composition?

I previously had some contact with the developers and project managers, but I prefer to be in direct contact with Nataliya (Co-Founder, LinkUp Studio) and Andriy (CEO, LinkUp Studio).

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

I found them through Upwork. I had put out an ad, and Andriy was one of around 15 applicants. We gave three of the applicants some test projects, and LinkUp Studios did the best job for the best price. We haven’t hired anyone else since for these types of projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in January 2014, and it is an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, they’ve done an awesome job. In the beginning, it wasn’t all perfect, but whenever there has been a problem—either with one of the developers or designers—we have brought it to their attention, and they replaced them. Andriy is very flexible, and if you have a problem, he will find a solution for it, while Nataliya is a design guru.

I have worked with teams all over the world, and Andriy and his team are really good; the best I've worked with. They’re trustworthy, and they know what they are doing.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The workflow we have now is really efficient. We know what they are capable of and what they can do, as well as what kind of projects we can send to them. That makes it easy for us to decide which projects we take on and which to decline. Working with them is easy.

We usually have an initial call and then provide them with the full specifications. Once they come back to us for the first review, we give them feedback. For bigger projects, we have prep calls three times a week for five to ten minutes just to see if there are any problems or issues.

They’re very responsive; often Andriy or Nataliya instantly reply, but the others are not so fast. It depends on who the project manager is. We use Slack and Skype for communication, as well as Basecamp and TargetProcess.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design is top of the line. I wouldn’t be able to find someone who does the work that Nataliya does for that price—she really gets the specifications, and that makes her unique. 

When it comes to web development, the price sets them apart. They deliver, almost always within the timeframe. If there are delays, they communicate that to us so that we won’t be in a bad position with our clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A few years ago, they wouldn’t say no to a project, and I got the feeling they would take on anything. I had faith in their skills and ability to deliver, but they didn’t always have the skill set in-house. This sometimes made it a little difficult, but they delivered anyway. It is something I have had some concerns about, but I communicated it to Andriy and, as far as I know, if they don’t have the skill set in-house, they will not accept the project now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should have extremely good specifications. If they aren’t good enough for you to understand as a client, you can be certain the development team won’t understand them either. Knowing exactly what you want is essential.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Winfluencers. My platform empowers micro-influencers to generate campaigns for brands and monetize their passions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LinkUp Studio?

I needed LinkUp Studio to build my entire platform. This included the landing page, backend dashboard, and enable tools for mass payments.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a simple, clean, intuitive platform that has a scalable backend to accommodate future needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had two connections working with LinkUp Studio who highly recommended I use their services. After doing my research and interviewed several firms, I felt most confident in them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

LinkUp Studio did the overall design for our platform, including the logo. They developed our landing page, admin panel, and API. From there, they created the signup forms and dashboards for brands and influencers to use.

What was the team composition?

They supplied a variety of people, including a designer, a lead developer, and back- and frontend developers. I’m not sure about how many people worked behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I hope to have more detailed metrics of the platform’s success after the official release, but I’ve already received wonderful feedback from my partners.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Slack and Bitbucket to communicate, along with regular video chats. There were also ongoing discussions about product iterations and future improvements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

LinkUp Studio was friendly and professional, making them easy to work with. They were receptive to feedback and eager to improve. We valued their seemingly around-the-clock availability.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s very little they could improve about their process, so nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of a financial technology startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire this vendor?

We needed design and development services for our platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to execute the initial release for the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The six-month project requires the team to leverage various design and development skill sets. We hired them via recommendations and a thorough interview process.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We are collaborating with LinkUp Studio to create mockups and a more advanced UX/UI.

What was the team composition?

We work with resources for design, frontend development, backend development, QA, and DevOps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LinkUp Studio has met all deliverables and timelines. They’ve enabled us to expedite our product to market. The team also adapts to last-minute features and proactively suggests solutions.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it? Did you use any specific project management tools?

The team is always responsive. We communicate daily via Slack and hold weekly video meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are professional and solve problems in a proactive manner. The team regularly thinks “outside the box.”

Are there any areas where they could improve?

Most team members have strong English skills, but there’s a slight language barrier with others. As a result, we’ve had to make tedious content corrections.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO of a startup-focused organization. We partner with and build new companies and applications for a variety of sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We needed a mobile development partner with experience building applications that would run on both Android and iOS platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re working together to build a social networking application in the sports space. They offered a few different options to build the app, as well as design services to realize our vision. The bulk of their involvement is in the development of both the web version and the mobile versions for iOS and Android, including work with UI/UX. They helped with our testing phase and the review process as we launch new updates to the app.

What is the team composition?

I meet with the mobile and web developer daily, the owner and lead of the company weekly, and the design lead a couple of times a week.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

A friend of mine worked with them in the past and recommended them. We instantly hit it off and decided to work together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere near $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking with them in February or March 2018. The build began in June, and we launched in August 2018. They still work with us to add new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in very early stages, so we don’t have any concrete statistics to underline the success of the application yet. That said, we wouldn’t have a mobile platform without their help, and their impact on our business is huge.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very professional and communicative, and the engineers and other team members are all high-quality. Much of our interaction is by phone and email, though we use project management tools as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their hearts are invested in the project. The partnership feels much stronger than it would with other subcontractors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; I have nothing I would ask them to differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any vendor, be specific and pay attention to your project. They have a good set of resources, so as long as you have a clear vision of your application and communicate your ideas, they will serve you well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at an advertising company. We develop a variety of on- and offline software for mobile devices and desktop computers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We needed to build a solution for a new client. We were looking for assistance with developing the software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LinkUp Studio is developing two apps using React Native. The first app is a cryptocurrency cloud mining portal for both mobile and web-based devices. The second app is a cryptocurrency investments portal. They’re working on a mobile version and a browser-based web application. So far, they’ve completed one of the projects and handed it over to my team for finalizations. They’re currently finishing up the second project.

What is the team composition?

We speak directly with their programmers and developers. On occasion, I interact with the CEO.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

I searched Upwork for agencies that specialized in React technology. Initially, I chose a different vendor, but that didn’t end well. I revisited the Upwork list and found LinkUp Studio. They had good rankings and offered an acceptable price.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We plan to launch both products by November 2018. LinkUp Studio’s coding was good. They’re very collaborative and responsive. Their future clients will be happy with the quality of their work. Overall, they’re capable of delivering on their promises.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Rather than working with an assigned project manager, we collaborated to coordinate tasks. Their team is built on a horizontal structure, which allows us to interact directly with the developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The LinkUp Studio team was prompt, knowledgeable, and reasonably priced. They’re highly communicative, making for a smooth collaboration. Also, they’re not very arrogant, which is appreciated. We ran into a few conflicts, but we sorted them out quickly and professionally.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they assigned a project manager, they’d be able to secure more clients; it’s an important position to fill. With that said, LinkUp Studio is clear about this from the beginning. If any clients are unhappy because of the team structure, then that's their responsibility, not LinkUp Studio's.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’ve had a good experience with their team. As long as clients know exactly what they want, there won’t be any problems. If a client is unsure, there could be delays to account for the additional decision making. They do have a good UX designer who can help conceptualize the customer-facing side of software projects. Additionally, potential clients should know that they offer a good price for the quality that they deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of 2nd Plate, a food planning and delivery company. Through our website, we enable users to select meals from restaurants ranging in demographics, which we then deliver.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

I needed help building a functional platform for my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I approached them while the product was still in the idea phase. With my direction, they developed a visual representation of the website and its functionalities. From that point, I provided general feedback on necessary modifications, design changes, or updated functions as they designed and created the site.

What is the team composition?

I generally worked with Andrew (Full Stack Developer, LinkUp Studio) and we would talk once or twice a week to stay up to date on the project’s progress. He introduced me to the rest of the team, but he was who I interacted with the most.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

I was doing online research into a variety of development companies. I went through a selection process that included a Skype interview and review of relevant work history. Through that process, I decided that LinkUp Studio would be a good fit. I sent them a one-page description of my idea, and they responded with a solid package and business plan for the project. That was what helped me solidify my decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $24,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from approximately December 2016–July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They took my ideas from the conceptual phase and created a versatile platform. We developed such a good working relationship that I still reach out to them with questions or for suggestions on other projects. I enjoyed working with them and plan to use them again in the future.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive and organized. I always knew how the project was progressing and was never left in the dark regarding technical issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have exceptional problem-solving abilities. Whenever I had a complex idea, or we encountered a complicated issue, they found and implemented simple solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more accurate with timing and cost estimates. We initially agreed on both of those. However, I know that this project was a unique situation because when I approached them, I hadn’t established the full scope of work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have your ideas, business plan, goals, and timelines solidified before approaching them. They will improve on whatever you have, but we would have saved time and money if we hadn’t been creating those as the project progressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the author of an educational online project for preschool children called "Study-smile.” The purpose of my project was to give children early knowledge in an interesting, accessible way. The project consists of nine online programs in two languages, a large number of printed assignments, and guidelines for parents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LinkUp Studio?

I hired LinkUp Studio to create a website and program animated online lessons that worked on the browsers of PCs, laptops, and tablets. LinkUp Studio also carried out site analytics, gave instructions on writing texts, set up a payment system, and performed optimization to promote the site on the Internet. We are diligently working now to develop the site and create new products.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project is to create a good, high-quality product that will please and benefit both parents and children.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I opted for LinkUp Studio based on the recommendation of one of my site designers. Before that, I scheduled a few talks with freelancers and had one unsuccessful experience with them.

LinkUp Studio also conducted some explanatory conversations and showed me some of their similar work to assure me that they could perform the assigned task. It was important to me that participants displayed initiative, flexibility, and a spirit for success during the work process. That's what I got. I made the decision myself.

Describe the project in detail.

"Study-smile" was completely my idea. My life project is to make children's education fascinating. The basis of this project is to create online assignments that children can independently move by clicking the necessary elements, entering letters, and translating.

We discussed every task with the programmers at LinkUp Studio and created technical tasks for each module. The programmers performed the assigned tasks. I checked them and they made corrections. I can also send questions to the developers and ask them anything about the site at any time of the day, and I get the fastest possible responses. 

I am also the site administrator. The guys taught me how to simplify the use of the site for customers. The programmers at LinkUp Studio provide full technical support of the site, which is important.

What was the team composition?

Initially, several programmers worked with me. Then I was assigned to one developer, who understood and implemented my requests the best.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

The goal of the project was to create a high-quality product that would please and benefit both parents and children. And we succeeded! This site is actively used, and I get a lot of positive feedback every day.

The biggest indicator of the project’s quality is the approval of customers and the subsequent purchase of our products. People do not make one-time purchases. They continue to buy, become regular customers, and lead friends to our site.

Since LinkUp Studio has more computer experience, they give me advice from time to time about features that we could add to the site to increase user loyalty.

How effective was the project management?

At the initial stages of cooperation with LinkUp Studio, we had some misunderstandings. It seemed to me that everything was taking too long, although they assured me that the project was progressing relatively quickly.

The cost of the main work turned out to be more than we originally agreed upon, but the LinkUp Studio employees assured me that this was only a small part of what they can do.

Soon, we found a common language. Now our cooperation is truly coherent and reliable. The time difference does not affect the performance and quality of their execution. Often their programmers respond even it is a day off or a late night, and they do everything possible to help when the issue is urgent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What most impressed me about the LinkUp Studio team was their humanity. I felt that they were truly listening to me, empathizing with me, and trying to understand my needs and position themselves to address them. This was true of all their team members. The second quality was their professionalism and progressiveness. Another was their desire to work and refusal to make excuses. It suits me very much.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

After four years of work on the project, I concluded that it is necessary to discuss the full range of work before giving assignments to specialists and agreeing to implementation. This helps avoid any surprises at the final price and terms of work.

Unfortunately, we had realized that programmers do not fully appreciate the whole amount of work: we agreed at a certain price, but once the work turned out to be more extensive, the price rose. Now I try to formulate tasks more clearly and eliminate questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Co-Founder of Nestler, an online rating and review platform for the property rental industry in Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp Studio?

We didn't have any technical experience. We needed a team that could take our ideas and put them into a working product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our entire custom platform from scratch. They helped us take a wireframe design and build that out into a workable product. The platform is technically multiple websites built on Ruby on Rails. It has a search function, messaging system, and a payment gateway that they created. It’s not quite up and running but it’s close.

What is the team composition?

Our main interface is the CEO.

How did you come to work with LinkUp Studio?

We found them via Upwork, the freelancing website. We interviewed them and a bunch of others. They weren’t the cheapest but they were the ones who most seemed to know what they were doing. We decided that would be the best bet and I’m pretty happy with that so far.

How much have you invested with them?

So far about 30,000 AUD ($23,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August 2017 and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work they've done has been really good. They’ve delivered on milestones and fixed any bugs. We haven’t been able to test the full set of features yet but what we have tested worked almost exactly as we wanted it to work based on a sometimes quite shaky brief from us. They’re very good at taking a semi-ambiguous instruction and turning it into something that works properly.

How did LinkUp Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been good at setting timelines and milestones. We had been meeting once a week. Now we've upped that to twice a week to make sure we're on track with everything and to keep up to date as much as possible as we get closer to the end of the project. We have those meetings as Skype calls but we also chat frequently via Slack. If there are any problems, especially important questions, they’ll ask us about them so we can address them before the regular calls.

The team's good to work with, especially the CEO. He's the one who has the best communication skills but the rest of the team is also pretty good to deal with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They seem quite happy and willing to work towards completion of the project. They’re not just hitting milestones. They want to build to the point where it works.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely work out the milestones and functionality before employing them. I think that's how it goes with any development team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Lisa Tsjin. I am the founder of Travechat, a worldwide travel message board where users can ask any questions they want and get answers from locals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LinkUp?

We found that there was no custom platform for travelers outside of WeChat and WhatsApp, which only connect users to the contacts in their phones.

We saw that there were a lot of travel groups, and many people willing to answer questions, but that no one knew the people inside a group. Our aim was to create a more systematic tool which, after we gathered enough data, would allow you to store and search through questions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on my paper wireframes, LinkUp developed our website and our Android and iOS apps. We went through a lot of changes between the idea and the finished product.

The platform allows users to send their questions directly to locals from the places they’re interested in. Anyone with an account on our app can become friends with another user and answer questions from around the world. If someone is traveling to Malaysia for the first time, they can ask a question about the country, and the Malaysians on the platform will be notified to reply instantly.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Andriy Sambir, the CEO of the company, as well as two developers: one for the website and one for the app.

How did you come to work with LinkUp?

They stood out from the other providers we approached. On our first call, they brought their whole team together for a teleconference. I knew that, rather than having a single person build my apps, I would have access to a dedicated team. This was a crucial reason for choosing them. I looked at other freelancers and groups on Upwork, and many of them promised to do the job, but none set up a call like LinkUp.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $10,000 in their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with LinkUp in June 2017 and have been working on the project for six months. We launched the MVP version in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LinkUp’s designs were a 90% match to my vision. They delivered what I wanted.

Launching the MVP version has been a challenge because of cost, but the result is okay. We’ve organically onboarded 300 users, mostly friends, family, and people attracted from Facebook travel groups. The user count is small, so people don’t expect instant replies, but they’re still using the platform because they support the concept. I’m quite satisfied with this result.

After the MVP gains a presence, it will be easier for us to find investors. They will be able to see that we’ve built a minimal version ourselves, so they will believe in us and help us advertise in the future. We’ve been happy to work with LinkUp so far.

How did LinkUp perform from a project management standpoint?

The timezone difference was a challenge. When we discovered bugs or needed a change, we had to wait 4-5 hours for their team. This made us consider hiring an in-house programmer rather than continuing to outsource them.

We can only communicate in English and don’t come from a tech background, so Slack conversations have been difficult at times. If a client isn’t handling the development themselves, there can be differences between the idea and the finished product.

In one case, the developers made a change to the website without my permission. I could see the effort that they put in, so we were okay with paying another $200 without advance knowledge. They put a lot of effort into the website and wanted it to come out perfectly. After this, we realized that any features they create should be confirmed with us.

Coming to an understanding between parties takes time, especially when outsourcing the work. We devised a solution by writing details in Google Docs spreadsheets, confirming them, and only then starting the job.

We’ve had a lot of discussions and made some changes, which extended the development time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because we don’t come from a tech background, finding the right development team was crucial. LinkUp Studio gave us the confidence we needed to grow. We work as a single team. I appreciate being treated like a member, rather than a customer.

They understand the difficulties faced by startups and haven’t pushed for the development of more and more features to get our money. We were lucky to choose LinkUp as our first developer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their response times could be improved. They work on weekends, but we sometimes don’t get a reply during those times. Being more responsive would bring us better results.

We currently have six weekly calls to develop a better understanding. We didn’t always do this.