RedDuck

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a blockchain-based entity that pursues various projects in the crypto space. We’re a decentralized autonomous organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with RedDuck?

We needed a way to exhaustively and rapidly test the Solidity code we were outputting. We needed F# specialists who were really good at functional programming, specifically because functional programming has a set of features and opportunities around it that we needed to build our products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RedDuck helped us with software development using Ethereum, Solidity, and F#. First, we communicated our software requirements to Mark (CTO), and he found us several developers on their side who could help us. He also helped us build the tapes for the first version of the product and to put that version up.

The purpose of the software was to thoroughly test Solidity code, which is a smart contract language. Smart contracts are typically responsible for a fair amount of money going into them. RedDuck helped us build a mechanism to test the code and test it rapidly. The team created a PI (process intelligence) provider system for Ethereum. 

Additionally, they started a second version of the product that we’re still busy with on our side, though they’re no longer involved. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Mark (CTO), who acted as a Scrum master and product manager.

How did you come to work with RedDuck?

I initially found RedDuck through Upwork, and we started working via the platform.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2021.

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

I was satisfied with the quality of RedDuck’s code and the speed at which they completed work. Our primary metrics were whether the code worked and if it was maintainable. Since I’m a developer myself, I had a look at the code that they were outputting. One of their consultants stood out for their very high-quality code.

Our engagement only ended due to budgetary constraints on our side. Otherwise, I would have loved to continue working with them. 

How did RedDuck perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was satisfactory regarding communication, deadlines, and staying on budget. In terms of tools, we mostly used Jira. We primarily communicated through instant messaging. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by RedDuck’s large concentration of functional programming expertise, which very few providers have.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When I gave RedDuck negative feedback, I never got excuses from them — I got adjusted behavior. They were able to take criticism from us and adjust their approach versus blaming the circumstance. RedDuck is on the right track; they should keep doing what they’re doing, and I’m sure they’ll be incredible in a few years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise engaging with RedDuck and making sure you spend enough to gain one whole resource from them. You can expect a lot from the team because they adjust their approach to the client’s expectations. It’s okay to get a little demanding with them — you’ll get good results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I don’t have a position inside the company. I helped set it up and created the idea. We’re building a blockchain crime game, which is something new. Users can steal money from each other, buy weapons, make themselves stronger, play with a spinning wheel to get special perks, and more.

We’re trying to do pre-sales and get listings on board.

What challenge were you trying to address with RedDuck?

We were searching for a programming company to help us build the project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

RedDuck has done everything related to development, including PHP, blockchain programming, and design. The project is built on Phantom. They’ve delivered the whole game, and everything is working. However, we have many new ideas that we want to add. 

We work with them through milestones, but they always deliver faster than they say they will. They also manage the programmers and website development.

What is the team composition?

We’ve met Mark (CTO) and worked with Stanislav (.NET Developer), the manager of our project. Then, we have two main developers who basically do everything and someone who does all the design changes.

How did you come to work with RedDuck?

We initially built the game with a Chinese company. We wanted to do an audit, but they didn’t want to give us the codes to do it, so we felt a bit strange. Later, we took the code, made the audit, and found out that they’d made some holes so the money would go to them. We directly killed that project, and I went to my business partners to tell them we needed a trustworthy team.

They introduced me to RedDuck; we had them on the phone, and things just clicked. Then, I looked at their background and previous work for other big companies. As soon as we started working together, I felt that they were the team we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $60,000–$80,000. Right now, we pay a bit over $10,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and our relationship is ongoing. We hope it won’t end.

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

We went to a professional audit company to check to code, and it looked very professional. If they tell me something will be ready in four weeks, they actually do it in 2–3 weeks, so we like their way of working. Also, they’re good at understanding; we write everything nicely and discuss it. The communication is excellent, and things go smoothly. We’re happier with RedDuck than with all the companies we’ve worked with in the past.

How did RedDuck perform from a project management standpoint?

We really like how they handle communication and deadlines. RedDuck works hard, and if they can’t get their stuff together, they work late in the night.

I’m bad at management, so we communicate via Telegram.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their way of thinking stands out. Today, it’s all about the market. RedDuck is interested in similar projects, and they’ve been hanging around in the market too. If we talk to them and come up with ideas, they bring in information out of another corner, which shows their knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I live in Thailand, so it’d be nice for me if they started working at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. I understand that it's too early for them, and they work late nights. However, it’d be a nice upgrade if they hired someone to pick up work in the morning.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should be excited about your own project. You need to believe in it to push that feeling over to their team. Then, they can have a goal, feel good about it, and be motivated to build it. Therefore, you need to hype your own product a bit.