Railwaymen

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

I can’t recall exact numbers, but as we worked with Railwaymen we were able to secure a second round of seed financing, and we ultimately got acquired.

Our first platform had roughly 500 apps, and at the time of acquisition, it was generating $10,000–$12,000 a month in revenue. Through the second platform we sold about $150,000 worth of software licensing, and Railwaymen was certainly instrumental in building both of those products. The final platform they developed is what ultimately led to us being acquired.

How did Railwaymen perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve worked with outsourced engineering and IT companies for many years, and all around the globe. Railwaymen is by far the best in terms of quality and project management. They set deadlines and delivered on time. Especially Lukasz (Co-founder and CEO, Railwaymen) was very focused on the project management and excellent at estimating accurate timelines.

On occasion, things would run over, but it never presented a problem. I respected and appreciated that every day, every week, every month they delivered with the right pace. There wasn’t an ebb-and-flow in their productivity. It was consistent.

We used Skype for most of our communication, leveraging both chat and video calls. Beyond that, we used a pivotal tracker.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with Railwaymen’s consistency, test coverage, and how well they integrated into our team. Many times, when you work with a growing consulting shop, there is a lot of turnover in the roles and it’s difficult to maintain a level of quality and consistent productivity. Over the several years we worked with their team, beginning with two people and growing to include more, they provided consistent service.

The fact that our project pivoted twice in two different platforms, and we didn’t break the platform either time, is a huge testament to their good test coverage on the product.

Lastly, Railwaymen really felt like an extension of our team. They tried to understand the problems we wanted to solve, and challenged them when necessary. They asked the right questions to help us deliver the best product, and that’s something I haven’t found in my experience with many offshore consultancies. I will take any future chance I have to work with them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our engagement ended a few years ago, so they might have this available now, but the only place I could identify for them to augment their services would be through offering UI/UX design—becoming more full stack developers and designers.

It wasn’t something they offered when we worked together, so we had to work with somebody else on that front, and Railwaymen would implement their work. In regards to the services that we asked for, they did a great job; they excelled.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to communicate with them and remain open to back-and-forth discussion. They’re an agile team—meaning they operate in incremental sprints—so you can’t give them requirements, leave them alone, and then come back in three weeks. They want your input on their progress and recommendations on where to refine their deliverables. As long as you prefer that methodology, they’re a great fit.

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

The company grew and we ended up selling. The team also helped us with that process by briefing us about tech stacks and preparing us for other technical conversations.

How did Railwaymen perform from a project management standpoint?

Though we were based in entirely different time-zones, communication was consistent and easy. A team member was always available to answer questions and meeting and discussion schedules were planned in our favor. They were extremely understanding and collaborative throughout the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only can Railwaymen provide results, but they can talk you through the business principles behind their strategies. It never felt like we were working with an out-sourced coder, they became part of our team and worked to develop our app in the best possible way. The work they provided for the price they charged was exceptional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was some difficulty in learning our entire code base from scratch, but they picked it up quickly and continued to progress with the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is really important that the client is clear on how the engagement model is going to work. Structure is extremely important when communicating and scheduling with a company based in a different time zone.

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

Back in 2011, it was harder to build a website compared to now, but they did a fantastic job. Speech pathologists who used our platform loved the new site, and we were completely satisfied with their work.

How did Railwaymen perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. We scheduled weekly calls to go over the project and address any inquiries, and they were totally amenable to our timelines. For all of our implementations, they gave us an outline or snapshot of how the page would look and then go over the functionalities.

We primarily communicated through email and Skype. Although collaborating with an overseas agency can raise some complications, they were always available. If we said we needed to talk the next day, then they would block off the time. On this front, they couldn’t have done anything better.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated how honest they were, and they consistently remained true to their word. They also worked at an exceptionally high level. Over the last six years, they’ve continued to grow, becoming more advanced than before. While we never went with a mobile application, I’m confident that they would have been competent enough to make it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s not reflective of Railwaymen if the customer constantly changes the design and project scope, so know what you want to do beforehand. Furthermore, it’s tremendous to work with the people you trust because you know that they’re going to build a functional product as promised.