MadAppGang

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder & CEO of an SaaS platform that provides enterprise solutions for financial services and groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

We were dissatisfied with the previous vendors we had worked with, so we were looking for a new partner to help build a mobile app. We hired MadAppGang to help us in that respect.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began by giving MadAppGang access to our GitHub, the poorly built app we already had, our wireframes, and UX/UI. They assessed our technology and provided solutions.

The team then went on to build an app from scratch. It is natively built for iOS, Android, and the web. The backend uses Go technologies and Microservices. Java was used for the web app, Kotlin for Android, and Swift for iOS.

MadAppGang is currently collaborating with us on an out-staffing solution and will lend us some of their staff until we acquire our own.

What is the team composition?

Jack (CTO & Founder) is our project lead and main contact. Also on the team are backend developers, specialists for iOS, Android, and the web, and a part-time project manager.

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

We saw MadAppGang on Google. They were referred by another startup that had experienced the same difficulties we were facing. We emailed the team to get things started.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $750,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around June 2019. We are still in partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We couldn’t have gotten to where we are without MadAppGang’s help. They’re receptive to the changing circumstances around startups and are very adaptable. 

In terms of tech, they can build anything. They know exactly what they’re doing, and we couldn’t be happier. They also suggest better solutions whenever possible. It’s a great dynamic. 

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

Jack handled project management in the beginning and did a great job. However, as the project grew larger, he suggested bringing in a dedicated project manager. The whole collaboration has run smoothly, and communication has been quite fluid. We use Slack and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability and expertise are excellent and make them stand out. We feel like Jack is our own CTO and not an external partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that needs to be highlighted for future clients as a warning or anything. They usually work short-term with clients and then move on. We want to continue our work with them, and they’re improving on the aspect of long-term partnerships.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it. Make sure all parties understand what you want. I advise startups to work with MadAppGang because they’ve been through it all and can handle anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Katasi. We’re a software development company for the telecom industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

We had a very difficult iOS development problem. We needed an app to do something, but it was killed and wasn’t getting many CPU cycles. There are certain ways to get activity from an app, even if it’s killed, but it was a very difficult challenge. We went with a number of senior developers, and they told us that it was impossible. Our in-house developers worked with MadAppGang to find a very innovative solution to our problem.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a framework for a native iOS app, and that framework needed a core code that could send an alert from a killed state. MadAppGang was able to put together the software code that allowed us to query this app, even in a killed state, get access to the information we needed, and then provide alerts.

At first, we provided them a set problem to do an app with seven specific tasks in six different conditions. They actually took a month of their own investment to brainstorm, and then they finally got back at us and described the solution. It looked viable, so we hired them, sent them the shell of the app, and they put the code in and sent it back. It had 1–2 minor bugs, but it did everything we asked them to do for a little less money and time than what they had told us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people, but Jack (Founder) was the catalyst for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership with them in October 2020, and we finished the project in April 2021. Nonetheless, we’ll definitely be looking for them to do more work for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were all about trying and doing. They wouldn’t tell us they could do it until they were sure they could, and then they came back with a very detailed proposal on how they would do it.

At first, we weren’t sure they'd be capable, but our developers said that there was a 75% chance that they could deliver, and they came back with enough technical detail to show clearly that they’d really looked into this. They were unambiguous at saying they could do it, how long it would take, and how much it would cost. They met those aggressive dates, and they delivered what they said they would just with one exception.

When they delivered, they missed a subtle, little bug that maybe they could’ve caught. Our developer put it through paces, stress tested it, and found the bug. We actually solved it, and when we told them about it, they appreciated it and wanted to get their developers on the line to learn about the bug. They didn’t charge us more, they just wanted to hear about it so they wouldn’t miss it out again.

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicated with their lead technology people, and what was nice about that was that it didn’t feel rushed. It wasn’t like they only had 15 minutes before having to get off. Besides, I’m not a coder, and they really respected my intellect and treated me as a peer. We would kind of put our feet up and brainstorm almost for the fun of it, as if we were sitting over beers.

Most of the development work was like that, and then there were a couple of kickoffs in Zoom. The rest of the communication was all on Slack. We were working here from the US, the head of the project was in Sydney, Australia, and the guy that actually did the work was in Ukraine. It was all pretty seamless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t take the word lightly, but they delivered as promised, on time, and under budget. I thought I was going to pay twice as much for what they delivered for half the time and price. The developer cost per hour was about half to a third of what I would pay here in the US. It was amazing.

It was a fixed price, low cost, and challenging program, and that’s not what I’m used to with developers. I’m used to hearing that it got harder, it’ll take longer, they can’t give me a firm date, or it won’t meet all of my requirements. Usually, developers have the approach of trying instead of doing, and MadAppGang simply rocked it.

Also, we went to 2–3 really important development houses in the world. People had told us that they were the best, but nobody had a solution for it.

Therefore, we appreciated that they saw our request as an opportunity to solve a really tough problem, and that they’d be rewarded if they solved it. That’s a very different approach than thinking that we’re paying them a certain amount for them to try to find a solution. It takes real confidence in your team to believe that you have smart people that are able to solve the problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. We thought communication and time would be harder, but they were actually better than we thought. Everything across the board was 50% better than what we were hoping for. I can’t think of anything that I would suggest they do differently.

Actually, I think they invested almost too much in this. They’re good enough to charge more and not have the research and discovery stage done on their own nickel. On the other hand, that’s probably why they succeed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely use Zoom to communicate with nuance and in multiple directions. For us, it wouldn’t have worked just by using Slack. Sometimes speed-up developers don’t like video calls and prefer to communicate just by Slack, but you should take the time to put up your feet, get a beer, and sit there.

Furthermore, I think the reason why they really engaged with us is because they enjoyed working with us. I’m a pretty chatty person, and if it would’ve been just the facts, they probably wouldn’t have wanted to work with us in the same way. Since our relationship developed, they really wanted to bend over backwards to impress us. That’s why Zoom is important; it helps create a relationship with them, and a personal relationship with them is the best way to succeed with MadAppGang.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a medical startup. We accelerate clinical trial recruitment by connecting researchers, physicians, and patients to trials automatically.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

We needed development work done quickly as part of an accelerated program. We wanted to get an initial proof-of-concept out to market and solidify the scope of our project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MadAppGang built a search engine for people to look for clinical trials in their area. They used AWS, AWS comprehend and AWS comprehend medical. After viewing some of my initial sketches they created the frontend and backend of our platform. They also created a landing page for our website. They only had 8-10 weeks to develop this project. We wanted something that was user-friendly, had the right amount of data, and had an overall optimized view for the patient-facing side.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jack (CEO, MadAppGang) and at least four other team members.

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

I was referred to MadAppGang by a colleague.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $24,000 AUD (approximately $17,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project spanned from March – May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our business as a direct result of their work. We now have a brand, an initial lead-generation flow, and basic infrastructure in place.  

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

MadAppGang was excellent in terms of project management. They worked seamlessly, and I had access to everything. We engaged in a daily standup where all my questions were answered. We used Slack and Zoom for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found their project management to be most impressive. They were flexible, in terms of working around my schedule, and were able to prioritize tasks well. The team was highly communicative and resolved any issues quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have a post-deliverable wrap-up session. We had an informal one, but it’s an area that could be refined better next time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it’s important for a client to know the scope of their project well, so that development is as seamless as possible. It’s always best to give more information than necessary up front so that the project doesn’t slow down.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the president of the WUW Technologies Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

We needed a partner for our Creative Connect project, which is a mobile app platform that connects artists with clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

MadAppGang built the iOS platform using Swift as well as AWS AppSync on the backend. They played an extensive role in the development process. We came to them with the vision and the designs ready to go, and they made the app functional. 

The platform features an idea solution form built into the app where users can submit ideas. Artists scroll through to decide if they want to create the ideas or not. The user can also search by scrolling the artists feed to find someone to create their idea. 

What is the team composition?

Jack (CEO & developer, MadAppGang) is our main point of contact. He had about seven developers working on our project.

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

I found them just by browsing online. We did a video call with Jack and decided to go with MadAppGang.

How much have you invested with them? 

We’ve spent $115,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work began in October 2018, and they had the product ready by March 2019. The engagement is ongoing as we're still improving the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MadAppGang delivered a working app. It does exactly what we intended it to do. We've been getting a lot of great feedback. The app currently has a five-star rating on the App Store. 

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint? 

Jack is a tremendous developer and the whole team is very professional. We communicate by phone, email, and video calls. They respond quickly and always do their best to help.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They understood our concept quite well and were able to bring it to life. MadAppGang is a partner we can go to with a big idea and know that they'll make it happen. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

They did a great job overall but certain things can always be better. We’d like to improve the backend so it’s faster and more reliable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Before you start the project, dive deeper into areas of the app where you need to really pay attention to the design. There are sections of our app where it scrolls and there's no data so maybe we need an extra button. You need to guide your audience and make sure each page has the right details. That's your responsibility as the person who's coming up with the idea.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a food ordering company. We provide an app that lets users order ahead at restaurants and bars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

We started out with an in-house tech team but started seeing lots of bugs in our software, so we decided to hire an outside team to repair it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After going through our code and identifying the bugs, they redeveloped our software from the ground up and provided a scalable infrastructure for us. Our original site had been built somewhat poorly using PHP but they’ve redone it using GoLang and built a sophisticated admin panel using React JS. We run on AWS and we also use one of their tools for reporting, with integrations for Google Drive. On top of that, they developed native Android and iOS apps for us, with a payment system set up through Stripe. They’re also currently working on a web app to go with the mobile ones, which is being built with React JS.

Generally speaking, they develop projects almost entirely from scratch. Sometimes we’ll give them designs in advance, but they’ll often have to collaborate with our UI/UX designer to build from the ground up.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is their CEO, Jack Rudenko. We have a developer team that averages between eight and 16, depending on what we’re building, but there have been times when we’ve had up to 30 people.

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

We found them through Outreach. After interviewing several companies, we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $1.5 million to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July or August of 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Partnering with them is like having an in-house development team. They’ve done a solid job of building out a scalable infrastructure and they’re flexible about adapting to our project needs. All of their products are tested thoroughly and stable upon release. There are only ever minor bugs.

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

They integrated really well with our team. We manage projects internally with Jira and their staff also uses Asana, so everything’s thoroughly covered. Their project manager is great at interfacing between non-technical staff and developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility is one of their biggest strengths. They’re definitely top tier as far as coding skills because the company’s very strict about hiring developers who are familiar with cutting-edge languages, but their ability to adapt to changing circumstances and come up with creative solutions really sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. We’ve worked with them for a long time and they’re a core part of our team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have the opportunity, hire them. Their CEO thinks on the large scale and has high standards for the company. They’re careful about quality as opposed to focusing on profits, which is refreshing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a logistics service provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

The challenge was building our entire application from scratch. We were working with a transportation company, and the development area was completely new to us. We were approached by that company to build the application. I was in charge of the project, but I didn't have any previous experience, so I needed someone to help me acquire that experience and build the application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our Android application. It connects to a web interface, and its requirements also include an integration with the transportation company.


We set up the specifications and provided them to MadAppGang. We constantly updated the requirements during the work. They chose the best technologies themselves and kept me updated about crucial decisions, the APIs and other technologies, and so on.

The app's main users are drivers, who receive trip information from the logistics department of the company. Trip managers plan the trips and send them over to the drivers, who are then able to follow those trips and see all the destination points. The app sends out truck statuses: where they're being loaded and unloaded, whether they're waiting for a load, whether they're being serviced, and other information of this kind. These details are delivered back to the company's ERP.

What is the team composition?

The most crucial topics were discussed with Jack (Founder, MadAppGang). He had a team of people for tactical questions but remained our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

I found them through a reference as I did with the rest of my shortlist. I approached someone who used to work with MadAppGang and had had a positive experience. 


How much have you invested with them?

Above $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was split into two parts. We built one application from October 2016–April 2017. We started work on the second one from August 2017–March 2018, on the foundation of the first.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is currently underway, and we're waiting to have more users on the app. We've just started to receive information from drivers.


There's been a testing period, during which we expected to see some bugs, but there was nothing unusual. Everything we identified was fixed, so we're satisfied with the level of quality.

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

Slack was our main communication tool. We try to stick to two-week sprints, and we've mostly been able to do it. If something unusual or unforeseen occurred, they took care of it on their own, and tried to compensate for any unplanned hours, bugs, or more difficult tasks. They delivered all the features we agreed upon and I was updated constantly.


What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism. They know their stuff and they've been honest with me. If the client is new to the field, it's easy for a vendor to bill more hours, but MadAppGang is completely open and transparent. We've built a trusting relationship, and we almost always were able to find compromises on any issues. We kept a simple agreement; all questions or issues were settled through communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Probably, but there's nothing crucial; there are only minor incremental improvements like being more precise and focused. MadAppGang was pretty strong already, so they should just keep improving.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should draft clear specifications from the beginning, as far as possible. This will bring more clarity to their products and architectures. This is just general advice, not something related to our specific work with MadAppGang.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of WallBrand, a social shopping platform where users get paid to shop. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MadAppGang?

Even though our app is relatively basic, developing it from scratch required a difficult, complex build.  We’d tried using remote developers from all over the world. After none of them could meet our requirements, we hired MadAppGang to take over. Specifically, we requested a beautiful, stable product that would function properly for the long term. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MadAppGang used Swift 3 and 4 for iOS to establish sound logic for our app. For the UI, they employed a combination of React and Swift. Each component they programmed is reusable. All the screens are entirely independent of users, which reduces the possibility for errors from iOS to the API. MadAppGang found a way to detect bugs without incurring significant consequences for the new framework. None of the developers we’d worked with before had been able to achieve this goal.

What is the team composition? 

My main point of contact is Jack (Founder, MadAppGang). 

How did you come to work with MadAppGang?

One of our in-house programmers been working with an iOS developer from MadAppGang and was impressed with his masterful technical skills. We considered trying to hire him directly but decided to partner with the whole team from a B2B perspective instead.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000-$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MadAppGang produced awesome work. I sent their soft code to be audited. Based on the results, we invested in a talented team that programmed a robust and reliable app for us.

How did MadAppGang perform from a project management standpoint?

Deciding on a strategy beforehand helped project management progress well. MadAppGang really did their part concerning the development. They produced satisfying work, so we didn’t have to check in on them often. Even though they worked remotely, we communicated effectively using Slack on a daily basis. Additional tools we used included ClickUp and Trello. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with developers from all over the world, and MadAppGang is in the top 2%-3% I’ve ever seen. They can build an app at the same level of quality as major social media networks. It’s truly amazing. The team is kind, flexible, and really tries to understand our goals. They develop our products as if they were their own. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

MadAppGang could benefit from employing more people who speak different languages. They’ve communicated well with me in English but unfortunately couldn’t work with a French-speaking client I referred to them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to share all the features you want and always explain your long-term view. Making sure they understand where you’re going will avoid any duplicated work or miscommunications.