nomtek

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of echt praktisch— a company organizing workshops for people who want to express their ideas through drawing to increase understanding.

For what projects/services did your company hire nomtek, and what were your goals?

We contracted Nomtek to design and develop a mobile application for learning how to draw. My main goal was to translate the curriculum from my on-site workshops into a convenient mobile application.

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

I contacted Nomtek and from the first call, I was very impressed how Nomtek understood the idea from a technical and moreover from a business point of view. Nomtek also offered me a very agile approach that really fitted with the experimental stage of the project. Nomteks dedication, skill and flexibility were the deciding factors.

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

I had a general idea of what the app should do, and Nomtek’s team helped immensely in transforming that idea into an MVP. The project started with idea validation workshops where the team checked if Flutter was a good choice to build the drawing application in a reasonable timeframe and whether a smartphone was a good device for drawing.

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

Nomtek gave us a team of two developers, one quality and assurance specialist, one project manager, and a designer. The whole process was looked after by Maciek, nomtek’s account manager, who made it easier to bring the product to life.

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

In little time, we had an MVP that allows me to probe the market and also gather feedback from users. With little investment I am now present in the App store and on Google Play.

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

Nomtek used the SCRUM framework for communication and PM style — there was a product demo every two weeks. The team also held weekly status calls.

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

Initially, my idea was to include a breadth of features into the app to make it a comprehensive product from the get-go. However, nomtek’s team convinced me to cut the scope and release an MVP to validate my main business assumption and gauge the demand. The scope cuts were a great idea, and the MVP let me test the waters with my clients.

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

The project went perfectly fine. And I also appreciated their patience and their understanding as this was my first development project. I am really looking forward to take on the next steps in the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CTO of Autovio, an online platform. In Germany, it’s quite complicated to get a driving license; we aim to make the process easier. Since the process hasn’t changed in the past, we’re digitalizing it.

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We had internal developers working on our app, but we needed additional support and guidance to build it well, maintainable, and reliable.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve mainly worked with nomtek doing the research, interviews, and design components of the app. We’ve tested them with real users to get early feedback before we start building. They’re basically co-architecting this application using a Flutter framework, which is one of their specialties. In the beginning, they were also designing a bit.

We have features like booking the mandatory training. Also, the driving teacher can pick up and drop off the student wherever they’d like. All of the theory and practical progress is documented within the app so that the instructor can see how the student is progressing.

What is the team composition?

I’ve personally worked with three people, but the company has worked with 5–6 team members. We have a product designer and user researcher, a QA engineer, two developers, and a business contact.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

My colleague and CTO found them, but I’m not sure how. I just joined the company in January, and the application has been in development since last year.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent over €150,000 (approximately $163,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

They came on board in September 2021, and we’re still working together.

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

Although we have an internal designer, the feedback we received about their design work was great. So far, we’ve been looking at how many changes we’ve done, and we’re doing quite a few every day. Also, we look at how many new errors there are. The engineers have introduced many changes and new features, but it hasn’t broken.

Moreover, nomtek knows what they’re doing, and they’re constantly delivering high-quality work. It’s very maintainable and fast. Overall, it looks great, and the customer feedback is highly positive.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

They really shine in this area; project management has been exceptionally well. They’re proactive, and the team constantly reaches out to check for any issues. They also offer us help, which makes us happy. Although it’s a remote project, it has worked extremely well. We tell them we want a specific type of feature or how we imagine the design, and 1–2 days later, they have a proposal.

We have a virtual office in Graviton, do Zoom calls, and use Slack to communicate. We’re constantly in touch with the engineers, and they’ve basically joined us as team members. Additionally, we use Jira to manage the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The engineers’ expertise in mobile app development is really high. They know what they’re doing, which is very important because we’re not experienced in app development. We need someone we can trust blindly.

On the other hand, the sales development representative has been proactive, and it feels like their team is an extension of our team. In the past, we’ve worked with a few software houses — nomtek is small, but they definitely play at the top level. They listen to the customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They ask this all the time, and there isn’t much that could do better for us. They do an outstanding job on all of our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make them feel like team members, tell them what you want to achieve, and let them build. They’ll work alongside you so you can see everything, but when you allow them to develop and contribute on all levels, that’s when you get the most out of them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a video games company. We're making a next generation AR walking game, like a better Pokemon Go, based on a giant Hollywood franchise.

For what projects/services did your company hire nomtek, and what were your goals?

Most AR applications are indoors, but in our game players walk outdoors. That's a special case and we wanted to fine tune the AR on iOS and Android phones, without needing to become AR experts ourselves.

Our goals included better ground detection, tracking, and handling interrupts, even if no straight lines (manmade objects) were visible.

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

Through LinkedIn, we discovered 12 individuals and 10 consultancies with AR knowledge. We decided to go with a consultancy instead of an individual, because a consultancy will tend to have more resources, professionalism, experience, and stability. Consultancies have broader experience than individuals.

We decided to avoid AR agencies that are really game developers, who could become competitors, and to avoid AR consultancies used to big enterprise clients that can afford high rates. Nomtek wasn't initially a clear choice based on their website, but they wrote a more thorough and convincing proposal than anyone else, and which was delivered more quickly and warmly, and which seemed to better address our needs.

Even though they are slightly more expensive per hour, Nomtek by understanding our needs better ultimately was the least cost provider, too.

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

This was a research project. We wrote up our needs and asked Nomtek to explore solutions. We were astonished how well Nomtek understood our goals, including to smooth the player experience, that we were willing to change the game to accommodate AR workarounds, and that we didn't want to be led into expensive solutions with marginal benefits.

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

We worked with just one team member, Sebastian, Mobile & XR Developer at Nomtek.

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

Nomtek substantially improved the player's experience of being immersed in an AR world, while walking around in the real world. Throughout the project, they used metrics extensively and were very results oriented. Inexpensively, they made a dramatic difference to how players (and investors) perceive our game.

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

We communicated through Slack and Zoom calls. Sebastian gave us daily updates that were clear and extensive, bringing us inside the process and never leaving us wondering what he was working on. It was beyond professional, to a new level of professionalism. I believe in the power of "overcommunication", and Sebastian never missed a beat because of a miscommunication.

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

I was especially struck that Nomtek did not try to sell us services by playing up optimizations of little value.

Having worked with numerous consultants, I found Nomtek in the top 1% for having good communication, a metrics-based, results-based approach, and for knowing exactly what to do with little direction from us. Nomtek began the project with a mastery of the marketplace of AR developer tools and did not charge us to learn or "ramp up" on solutions.

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

I wish that we didn't sign an agreement that we can't hire Nomtek's staff away! I previously founded a division of Warner Bros. and have extensive experience working with consultants. Nomtek was absolutely the best experience, combining the lower cost of working in Poland with a stunning skill set.

Please describe your company and your position there.

A queer creative working internationally who has been involved in the entertainment industry for over 18 years since the age of 6 as a child actor. After completing a master's thesis in NFTs and DeFi at the beginning of 2021, Cash now works full-time in the NFT/Crypto space. Having minted their first NFT in 2019, been investing in crypto since 2014, and researched the space extensively - Cash currently aims to create the editorial voice of the crypto space and help dictate the visual language of our future.

Cash is the Editor in Chief of NFTS.WTF by Outlier Ventures, a founding member of NFTS.TIPS, the NFT Evangelist for Superworld, content manager for Institut by Unit London, and founder of Cash Labs, an NFT consultancy with clients ranging from French Montana to the NBA.

For what projects/services did your company hire nomtek, and what were your goals?

French Montana's team wanted to have an AR aspect to their project. Having an AR filter on this project would have helped get a lot more interaction from his fans. As we didn't have any resources to create that filter in-house, we reached out to Nomtek, to see if they would be able to create the AR filter we needed.

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

We found Nomtek just by searching on the internet, we submitted a form through their website and we heard back from them the next day!

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

Nomtek created an AR Snapchat filter of a sneaker for your feet. Which hasn't been done yet, or is very far and in between from being a norm these days with filters, so it was a bigger project to take on. My team had a lot of specific details that needed to be put onto these sneakers, and they were able to get all those done in a timely manner.

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

Kasia was our main point of contact and she was just the best to be working with. There were also a software developer and a lead for Product, Strategy and Growth who were both also amazing to work with. Their whole team was such a pleasure to work with.

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

The Snapchat filter that Nomtek created, was loved by not just our team but was used by 75,000 people! A sneaker filter had not been done yet, so the fact that they were able to create it was truly amazing.

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

During the development of the AR filter, we were in constant communication via emails. There was never an issue when trying to get in contact with anyone from their team. We had a couple of video calls during the project as well when we needed to discuss changes or pressing matters and they were very understanding and flexible to our needs.

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

What we found really amazing was that they weren't this team of 100s of people, they are just a smaller-sized company but doing the work that a larger company offers. Also, the fact that they were willing to take on a project where the product had never been created before and then give us the perfect product in the end just blew us away!

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

Adapting to the time zones when communicating was the biggest adjustment for both sides but it was figured out very very quickly and there were no other issues at all. They were amazing to work with from beginning to end.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am program manager in a med-tec company, headquartered in Germany. With over 50,000 employees in more than 70 countries, we'll continue to innovate and shape the future of healthcare.

For what projects/services did your company hire nomtek?

The Digital Sales Companion (DSC) is a mobile app for our sales force. nomtek developed the first iOS beta version right on time. While we currently continue to work with nomtek on the extension of the iOS version, we will also start the development its Android 'sister'.

For both products we will implement state-of-the-art tracking systems, which will allow for professional understanding of the product's usage and its potential problems.

What were your goals for this project?

After we had run some design-thinking workshops we wanted to prove that agile software development is possible, even in a large global corporation like ours - and it turns out it is possible! Development started in November 2020 and nomtek delivered an initial beta version - as planned - by 31 March 2021.

It was available in the internal app store exactly as we had agreed. The biggest challenges were not necessarily on the technical side, but more on developing fast while still catering for our internal review processes and checks that each IT solution needs to pass.

How did you select nomtek?

nomtek was recommended to us and in the presentation their team scored with a solid game plan and a clear vision on how to utilize analytics software to understand how the product is being used. We immediately connected to their motto that they "don't build b******* software".

They are a small and therefore dedicated company, but had already dealt with a few larger customers (even German customers) in the past. That also helped to seal the deal.

Describe the project in detail.

The Digital Sales Companion (DSC) will help our account executives to be more productive in their daily work. It is a purely internal product. It will have access to many sales relevant systems and will be a digital extension to my colleagues in sales.

We greatly believe in personalization and customization and therefore prepare a product that will learn from the user and adapt to his or hers habits and style to be even more relevant to each person.

We have delivered a first beta for community testing in under 4 months - exactly as planned. This is a major achievement and definitely respected and appreciated by the users.

What was the team composition?

nomtek has provided a team of 6:

• 2 Front End developers
• 1-2 QAs
• 1 expert for mobile app analytics
• 1 account manager.

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

The target to deliver a beta for community testing in under 4 months with a given scope was perfectly met. The team was flexible whenever short-term design changes came up, or when additional QA was required. The development reviews of suggested designs has proven to be a very helpful step of the way.

The initial feedback from the first beta users is extremely positive. The usability is as expected and features have been developed as described. We have just started with the development of the next set of features and we are excited to also start to create the Android version of the application.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The entire team has been very approachable at any time. We onboarded everyone onto our company messaging application and communication is effective but still also personal and passionate. The team is proactive and always trying to deliver even more than what we had asked for.

I would like to give one specific example: As part of the IT review we had to pass a penetration test. A first round normally takes about a week. After the initial test we had only two findings, a new version was published on the same day, retested and we had an all-green pen test result on the morning of the third day. Even our pen-test teams were surprised!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everyone on the nomtek team is very passionate about their work. I had the feeling that they made our mission to their mission - they clearly identify with what we are trying to deliver. Especially in these times of travel ban due to Corona we have never met physically, yet it feels like the team really bonded and I very much enjoy the start of each day with the daily call.

It's the first mobile app development that I am looking after, hence I am also thankful for the patience if I am suggesting something unorthodox.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At this point there is nothing that comes to mind. I am really happy with what the team delivered, how we interact and am looking forward to continuing working together.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of R&D for Audioburst. We transcribe and analyze audio from radio broadcasts and podcasts to create searchable content. 

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed a frontend for our backend systems and AI technology. We wanted to build a mobile application that would be the interface for end-users to experience and search our content.

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek designed and developed an iOS and Android app using an API to our backend system. This provided access to our information and data. Their team adjusts functionalities as needed and manages monthly updates.

They also developed an automotive Android platform. The system enables users to connect with Android-based automotive systems.

Currently, their team’s working on an SDK (software development kit). This product allows our system to integrate into other third-party applications. nomtek tests all of the platforms.

What is the team composition?

We collaborate with an account manager, two developers, a QA tester, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

At the time, I wasn’t with the company. I believe the company found them through a referral. Following a test phase, we determined that they were a good fit for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the partnership in May 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

We provide potential customers and investors access to the app because it’s high-quality. Their deliverables meet our expectations. When resources change, they make the transitions smooth. We’re happy with them. 

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We talk nearly every day and primarily communicate via Slack. We also have weekly meetings with our project manager and developers to manage tasks. We follow an Agile methodology and release on average a version weekly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re happy with our level of communication with nomtek. They understand our limitations and problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider them a partner, not just a vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It initially took time to figure out how to work together and onboard the developers to meet our needs. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Explain your goals for the partnership. Interview the developers to ensure they possess the skills you need to achieve the best outcome. Ensure that they’ll mesh with your team too.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and managing director of a startup in Berlin called Covert Science GmbH. We make various lighting-related products and there’s always an element of embedded development within those products, but we’ve never made an app before.

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

This project was an experimental last-minute project. We wanted to make an app that could work together with a smell testing kit for diagnosing the novel coronavirus, and later, possibly interface with a sensible electronic sensor in the future.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the project by discussing the best way to move forward and determined what operating system to use. They helped us how to come up with a proof of concept quickly. We decided to make a very simple web app. It’s a questionnaire that saves information in a database. They used Flutter.

We didn’t provide them with much, but we gave them graphics and logos later on in the project.

What is the team composition?

Peter (COO) was our main point of contact. We also had a database developer, a graphic designer, and data scientist involved.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

My friend at another company works with nomtek on a similar project. They seemed to have a good experience, so it seemed like a good way to go.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s between $10,000–$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in March 2020 and there is still some ongoing work.

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

They delivered exactly what we wanted. I’ve received quotes from other app development companies, but I like the way nomtek worked because they were very flexible and they didn’t make us put our requirements in a specific format.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a Slack workspace to structure things and put together a team. It was a bit unstructured, but it worked for what we were doing. They just understood we needed to create a proof of concept quickly. They understood that we needed to get the proof of concept out there. There weren’t too many formalities.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really liked how flexible they were. They weren’t worried about changing plans or ideas. That was a pleasant surprise for me. They structured the project so it was easy to make changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Generally, you should have a good idea of what you want them to do before you start. Of course, that’s true of any collaboration with an outsource provider.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Music Artist & Creative Director

For what projects/services did your company hire nomtek?

nomtek was hired to create a mixed reality audiovisual experience on magic leap that allowed people to manipulate AI generated audio samples with their hand gestures.

What were your goals for this project?

During this 2-week artist residency, I finished my first AI music album and needed to create a more tangible and immersive way for people to engage with some of the AI audio samples generated from my voice. As I see how current happenings in the space of AI are very intangible, and sound plays a secondary role in how we as humans react to external senses, I had this deep need to bring these strange machine created sounds to visual life.

How did you select this vendor?

Based on their award winning background, expertise, professionalism, and shared excitement about creating something new, it was an easy fit.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Once learning about the potential of magic leap, I wanted to create an experience that allowed people to manipulate the audiovisual pieces with their hands, creating a new artistic and meaningful way of engaging with all the emerging technology of today. In just 2 weeks they helped execute my simple but technologically complex process of creating 5 audiovisual objects in magic leap.

With this very short deadline, they were quickly able to create a web-based prototype in just 2 days. The journey from prototype to execution happened very quickly and efficiently. nomtek's ability to understand the vision of the project and communicate clearly of what was possible and not possible within our tight timeline was a great experience. They were also able to make great new suggestions when certain technical aspects were not feasible.

What was the team composition?

The team composed of me (Portrait XO) as the creative lead, Kalam Ali (Mentor), Peter Mezyk (COO), Tamara Bolsewicz (Product Consultant, nomtek), Harriet Blend (3D visual artist), and Sebastian Ewak (Software Developer, nomtek),

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

The reactions during the nomtek pop-up event during this residency were incredible. The most interesting aspect of observing how people engaged with this mixed reality experience was how much control they felt like they had over the movement and sound of the objects. Although technically, we only created 1 hand gestures, because each object were animated to move differently, people felt like they had super powers in their hands - convinced they were manipulating other aspects of the sounds and visuals. Official testimonial and recap video coming soon.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was very quick and efficient. It was amazing how quickly Tamara and Sebastian worked to help deliver this concept. To do something that hasn't been done before is always a huge risk and it was amazing to collaborate with a company that was so enthusiastic, flexible, and able to execute to such a standard. It's been a dream to work with such a talented team of people at nomtek.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed with the level of insights they were able to share during the phase of prototyping. When a hand gesture was not feasible to create for this experience, Sebastian Ewak was able to clearly explain why it was not possible because of the limited timeframe we had, and how much time he would actually need to develop. There was never a problem that couldn't be solved, it was more of a need for more time.

The speed of how quickly changes were implemented and prototyped was really remarkable, and new suggestions that were made when something was just not possible to create at the time. It is rare to find developers and tech leads who are able to effectively communicate and execute ideas. It's clear the team of nomtek are not only very experienced and talented but understand the creative vision of a project. They work within the limitations of tight deadlines, delivering a high standard of technicality, and great communication skills.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Let's make more magic.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager of an architecture and planning company.

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We have a home-buying platform where users can download ready-made house plans. According to Google Analytics, most of our traffic stemmed from mobile users, and more specifically, Android users. To meet our client’s needs, we wanted to implement a mobile app version of our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to duplicate the UX from our website on the app, so we hosted workshops to discover which functionalities needed to be translated into the new platform. With their development team, we created an Android app and developed the API that we use across the entire platform. We then started working on the UI for each page of the app.

The app helps users select the perfect house to buy. They can use filters and save their favorites on a wish list. The mobile app is used primarily to help users find the house plan they want. Then, it directs them to their desktop to complete the purchase. Since they have a single sign-on credentials, they can then investigate more or buy the house plan from their desktop.

Now nomtek maintains the app and provides management services. If we add any new features to our website, we also ask them to create the same feature for our app.

What is the team composition?

We had about five people working on the project.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

We researched software houses that specializes in Android apps and were impressed by nomtek’s portfolio. They’re local to us, which made collaboration very convenient. Additionally, they’re well-known and trusted the quality of their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May–October 2017.

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

A lot of our users switched from using our website to using our mobile app because it was more user-friendly. We’ve started to see more conversions from the app versus the website, so we encouraged our users to try our mobile app.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We collaborated very well. We held meetings, workshops, and discussed the UI in-person. Now we communicate via Slack, and they reach out to us when the platform needs to be updated or fixed.  

What did you find most impressive about them? 

It was really easy to collaborate with them because they’re very flexible. Overall, we’re really happy with our partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we are really happy with their work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for an e-commerce company that focuses on secondhand goods, where both businesses and consumers sell and buy items.

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We decided to rewrite our experience in new technology and needed it to get started quickly. We didn’t want traditional outsourcing help but wanted to expand our in-house team with more engineers and QA testers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, nomtek provided engineers and QA personnel to join our team for both iOS and Android development work. We went full native for the application, using Kotlin and Swift. Our app allows consumers to sell and buy products in the marketplace.

Our process involves an engineer writing a piece of code before it gets reviewed by another engineer. It is intermixed, meaning they could write code and reviewed by an engineer from our company and vice versa.

What is the team composition?

There are five people on the team.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

nomtek was recommended to me through a connection of mine. We reached out and decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested €300,000 (approximately $330,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with nomtek started in February 2019.

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

Our tech leads assessed how well the collaboration was working in terms of quality and development speed. It’s been positive, which is why our engagement has continued.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

nomtek works with our in-house team, joining dailies and weekly planning meetings. The team is responsive, constantly keeping in touch with our lead engineers through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were happy to find that their team was quite fast. They were able to start within a few weeks. The team at nomtek is flexible and pragmatic. Their team understands the urgency of delivering high-quality work at a reasonable speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s been a positive partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to establish a great working relationship between team members. We visited them and they visited us, which was extremely helpful.