SayOne Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a startup working in the professional social networking space. I'm the founder and chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SayOne Technologies?

We needed to develop a web-based app related to the social networking aspects of our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SayOne Technologies developed our solution using Python and Django. We had a very high-level concept, and SayOne Technologies helped in terms of look-and-feel, by making mock-ups. Since we were not very clear initially on how the site should look, SayOne Technologies was willing to go over a few iterations. 

Our website was deployed by SayOne Technologies, and it's being hosted on Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services.

Initially, SayOne Technologies assigned 2 frontend developers and 1 backend. Later, we had 1 frontend and 1 backend resource, as well as a project manager. We communicated with the technical engineers quite a bit. Since SayOne Technologies is offshore, and we employ an Agile methodology. We dialed in on daily meetings and had at least one weekly call with the entire team.

How did you come to work with SayOne Technologies?

We had a concept, but not the technical expertise for developing it. We did know that we wanted to use Python for development, so searched Google for offshore teams. The cost would be lower, but it would also be easier for us to communicate with the team after-hours since we all had other full-time jobs. We talked to a couple of groups, spoke to references, and felt like SayOne Technologies had a good understanding of Python and Django, as well as being reasonably priced.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SayOne Technologies in April 2016 and had a 6-month development run, which was a bit on the higher end of our estimates. The initial build has been completed, but we're working on some second-phase enhancements for the website using SayOne Technologies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We are now in the beta phase, so we only have 15 or so users so far. Regarding general experience, SayOne Technologies was very easy to work with and quick on their feet. There were times when we needed to perform data extraction and had a choice of different technologies which SayOne Technologies' team themselves didn't know. They learned quickly, made an assessment for us, and came back with what would be best for our needs, and implemented everything quickly.

How did SayOne Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira for project management and Taiga for bug tracking. We also had daily calls with SayOne Technologies, going over the work. It was a smooth communication process, and SayOne Technologies was always available for us.

What did you find most impressive about SayOne Technologies?

SayOne Technologies is a smaller company, so they're very accessible. Whenever a developer working on our project didn't know how to handle a particular issue, we could bring in someone with more experience easily. SayOne Technologies made another resource available on the next call, helping us along the way. Not only were the developers themselves willing to collaborate, but SayOne Technologies as a whole provided an agile environment.

Are there any areas SayOne Technologies could improve?

Time estimates were a bit overly optimistic. This had to do with the fact that we were also a little weak initially regarding requirements. SayOne Technologies could improve on this front, but we've had an overall positive experience. I have never worked with offshore teams; even though some portions were a little vague, SayOne Technologies was good in working with us and finished the work within our budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a California-based LLC which has developed a platform for assessing sensory sensibilities. We ask users what they love, hate, and want. Based on the answers, we can find out preferences for spicy foods, restaurants, or soft towels, for example. We are able to assess what we call a person's Vinotype and tell them things about themselves, like the fact that they cut tags out of their clothes, their mother had morning sickness, and they love Pinot Grigio.

Our platform is a sort of Instagram for wine. It separates users into 4 typologies, including a hypersensitive category, and prioritizes posts based on their relevance. Seeing a 2-star review for a Mexican restaurant on Yelp won't offer any insight into who the reviewer was. We show reviews for places which people similar to the user have liked the most.

I am a co-founder and managing partner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SayOne Technologies?

We needed help building our initial platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SayOne Technologies developed our platform, initially as an iframe part of a WordPress site, and then in the form of a full Python-based Django site. We offer integrations through an open API. We've taken our survey platform and also built a mobile app out of it, which is now nearing completion.

SayOne Technologies has built almost everything related to our platform. I act as project manager and have provided the general concept and direction. SayOne Technologies has worked with me through the entire process of integrating functionalities for camera filters, review sharing, and so on. SayOne Technologies also handled the frontend design work, almost in its entirety.

How did you come to work with SayOne Technologies?

We are based in the Bay Area, where we posted an ad on Craigslist for local developers who had an interest in wine and would be willing to help us build an initial version of the platform. We found a local person who had worked with SayOne Technologies in the past, and made the introduction. He turned out to be quite flaky and didn't deliver, so we ended up going to SayOne Technologies directly.

How much have you invested with SayOne Technologies?

Each project we've had with SayOne Technologies has had a cost between $25,000 and $50,000, depending on the scope.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SayOne Technologies 7 years ago, and have an ongoing relationship. The 2 mobile apps aren't yet available in the stores. We're finishing the submission and approval process.

I've actually helped them build their own business by introducing SayOne Technologies to other contacts. I work with a non-profit organization in Napa Valley, for which SayOne Technologies has built websites and mobile apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

SayOne Technologies has a good, talented team which works hard, and they've always been willing to dedicate resources to us. If we don't have enough people for getting a job done, SayOne Technologies will assign 2-3 additional developers in order to make sure that we hit a timeline.

In the first 3 years, we profiled 25,000 people through our platform, but this was mainly a function of marketing and distribution, and may not speak directly to SayOne Technologies' technical prowess.

How did SayOne Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

SayOne Technologies has been very organized in terms of project management, using different tools in order to wireframe approvals and make sure that we gather project requirements. We have weekly calls, making sure that we're on the same page, and SayOne Technologies has remained committed to getting the work done in a timely manner. I've usually had to use separate design and development teams in the past, but SayOne Technologies has in-house resources for both.

What did you find most impressive about SayOne Technologies?

We've been very pleased overall. I've worked with other developers in the past and found that asking them to create a cool, clean product didn't always translate. SayOne Technologies has been good at understanding requirements and putting together a finished product which didn't need a lot of revising.

Are there any areas SayOne Technologies could improve?

The time distance is my only complaint. I've spent a few late nights working with SayOne Technologies' developers in India. If they could start sleeping during the day, it would be great.

There will always be technical issues surrounding communication, and it can be difficult to understand accents, but this is the norm for working overseas and I don't find it to be a downfall of SayOne Technologies.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with SayOne Technologies?

Clients should set their expectations and be flexible. Projects always change, even in terms of timelines and pricing. One thing that I've liked about SayOne Technologies is their ability to be flexible, revising proposals and timelines, but the same mindset is required on both sides.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a Cambridge-based startup working within the mobile messaging industry for the last three years. Our product is focused on emerging markets, which is why we've used offshore companies to test and validate many of our hypotheses.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SayOne Technologies?

We wanted to outsource the testing build out for our platform. We have a continuous integration solution that requires tests for every line of code built. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

SayOne Technologies is focused exclusively on our quality assurance process. They don't provide any manual tests. The whole process is automated. SayOne Technologies has built the whole testing cycle for our platform, including the back-end infrastructure. We have moved toward testing automation for mobile clients.

We started working with one part-time resource from SayOne Technologies and have moved up to a full-time person. We are also working with a project manager who provides reports to us.

How did you come to work with SayOne Technologies?

I found SayOne Technologies through a referral. Someone from our team had previously worked with their principal. We gave a trial project with SayOne Technologies, which worked out well. We have been working with them ever since.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We spent around $24,000 per year on SayOne Technologies's services. We have been working with a fulltime resource for a year and a half.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship with SayOne Technologies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are very happy with the results so far. SayOne Technologies' team has been very committed. The person from our company who manages the relationship with SayOne Technologies has had no complaints. They show progress week after week.

How did SayOne Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily check-ins, paying attention to their activity. The only metric that we track is development time through a time-tracking tool.

What distinguishes SayOne Technologies from other providers?

We haven't had extensive experiences with foreign companies, but everything has worked well so far. The resource working with us has the ability to learn very fast, which is important for our activity. We need young people who can learn specific technologies very fast, which is something that SayOne Technologies has been able to provide.

Is there anything SayOne Technologies could have improved or done differently?

It would be good if we could have a quarterly check in with the head of SayOne Technologies [CEO and cofounder Real Prad] to assess how things are going and see if there is something that either us or their team could do to improve the relationship. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a pet retail store chain located throughout Southern California.

What is your position?

I am the chief operating officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SayOne Technologies?

We have an online presence through which customers can shop and pick up items at specific facility or receive direct home deliveries. The tricky part about this system is that, because we don't have a centralized warehouse, the website needs to evaluate each store's differing inventory for a given user request. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

SayOne Technologies built our website using the Django platform. It was custom integrated and configured with our point-of-sales system, Lightspeed Cloud. We use it to manage our product inventories and display that information on the website built by their team. We initially worked with a third party and inherited the Django platform we're currently using.

The size of the team assigned to us varies depending on the workload. At peak times, there could be four developers working for us. Currently, we have one full-time and one part-time developer for our platform. We interact with them directly, using JIRA. The tool was selected by us, and it has been working very well. I write out requests for features and bug fixes during the day. It allows me to upload pictures and add as many comments as I need. SayOne Technologies then work durings the night and, when I wake up in the morning, I can review the results.

How did you come to work with SayOne Technologies?

A friend of mine recommended SayOne Technologies. They'd worked on a casino app and a couple of wine websites for him.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost so far has been around $30,000 to $40,000. The initial build was a fixed price psoject. We now keep SayOne Technologies on a service retainer. We have a full-time developer working for us and, from time to time, employ a part-time one, too.

What is the status of this engagement?

The e-commerce part of our site went live on December 31, 2015. SayOne Technologies continues to build more add-on features. We built an ambassador program, order processing, and search functionalities as well as other improvements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The work has been great. SayOne Technologies accomplished something, which was very tricky: allowing customers to walk around the store physically and have their own cash register in their cellphones. When shopping online with us, people access the direct inventory of particular locations. The majority of retail businesses have warehouses through which they fill requests. Our method is closer to ordering a pizza. It was a tricky situation, but SayOne Technologies built a solution that worked. They're very straightforward in fixing bugs and issues. It's always clear how a situation will be remedied or what workaround will be found for it.

Cost-wise, it has also worked well for us to have an on-call person that we can contact when something isn't working or when we want to add something new.

How did SayOne Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Like everything, there will be hiccups in our relationship, but I've found these issues to be quite reasonable. Any delays were due to the large scope of work. In the regular course of business, SayOne Technologies is good at estimating when they can finish a certain item.

What distinguishes SayOne Technologies from other providers?

I've come to know how long a particular item will take, and I have the advantage that they're flexible in terms of priority changes that I request. If, for example, they'd been working on a five-day project and something else broke and needed fixing immediately, SayOne Technologies would stop the other work right away. We are in the front lines, dealing with customers, so I appreciate that their team is able to shift priorities as needed. They're extremely flexible from a project management standpoint and that's really important to our unique business environment. 

Is there anything SayOne Technologies could have improved or done differently?

I would like to have a phone number for daytime emergencies. There were urgent situations in which we had to wait until 9 p.m. before addressing a matter. It wouldn't be something that we'd abuse, but it would be important to have.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company. 

We’re a local nonprofit organization in the Napa Valley. We do a number of things to promote and protect the legacy of Napa Valley. Our primary objective, at the moment, is to construct a 47-mile hike and bike trail up and down Napa Valley that people can use as an alternative form of transportation that’s both healthy and safe.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the marketing chair.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with SayOne Technologies?

I needed them to develop a new website that’s tightly integrated with a constituent management platform. It ties an API [application programming interface] from our front-end user experience to the back-end, which makes donation management, e-commerce, volunteer management, and things of that nature a lot easier.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

SayOne essentially wrote the code to create a front end on the Django platform and then tied it into the API on the back-end, which is on the Neon platform. Separate of that, we’ve contracted with SayOne to build a mobile app, which will be on iOS as well and Android and will bring the experience of our asphalt trail to life. 

What was your process for selecting SayOne Technologies with which to work?

I had a local developer here in San Francisco who was using them and, to be honest, he was getting in the way. I ended up firing him and going straight to the folks at SayOne. I worked with them on multiple projects, from Web and mobile development to reporting analytics.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

My projects are typically in the $5,000 to $25,000 range.

When did the relationship with SayOne Technologies begin?

We started working together around August 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you talk about the results of the project and how you feel they performed in terms of the quality of their work?

The two core platforms we built on have been Django, so I feel like they have a good understanding of the core architecture there and the available plug-ins, including Python [programming language]. 

They’re very innovative and progressive in terms of being on the front end of what’s next and not using old technologies, which is one of the reasons I feel very comfortable using them no matter what the project is. They’re constantly learning and looking around the corner for what’s next.  

The team they have is also very legitimate and professional in the way they approach a project. They’ll put together a term sheet with deliverables, and we’ll agree on benchmarks upfront. They’re very fair in terms of payment, and will literally wait until they’re done with the job before sending an invoice. Sometimes, I have to beg them for an invoice.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I feel like they’ve been very responsive. I’ve worked with a lot of overseas developers before, and there’s been an issue with accountability. I’ll send out a request, and I won’t hear from them for a week. SayOne has been great to work with because they’re responsive. They’ve got a legitimate team of developers who are service oriented and responsive.

Also, sometimes there’s a real language barrier when working with people overseas. With SayOne, I know that English isn’t their first language, but when I need to hop on a Skype call, we can talk and there’s no language barrier. I can communicate with them easily. They have a good Western sensibility to them, so they’re in touch with design elements and styles. It doesn’t take as much work with them as it could with other developers.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

We sometimes had issues with the time difference. There’s always a lapse whenever I want to reach out to them.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I run a media company that works in the digital space, offering technology solutions to businesses and other organizations.

What is your position?

I’m the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached SayOne Technologies?

I’ve used a number of different developers and agencies for various projects. At the time I hired them, I needed an agency that was experienced in Django and the corresponding technologies. We didn’t have as much experience with Python and Django, so we knew we wanted a company that could offer a more nuanced and experienced eye.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

We have projects involving Bootstrap, iOS, Android, Django, server-related stuff, Java, API [application programming interface] development, and some more basic things. I’ve given them a range of tasks in this space, and they turned out to be great in Django and some other lightweight back-end stuff. They’re pretty brilliant in that area, and that’s where I concentrate their resources.

How did you come to choose SayOne Technologies as your partner?

I generally find my developers through freelance platforms like Elance or oDesk. We started with a freelance project, which turned out to be great. I then added more responsibilities on another project and gave it to them. They performed very well, so I decided to keep them as our development partner

Could you provide a general cost estimate for this particular engagement?

It was between $30,000 and $40,000.

Do you maintain an ongoing relationship with them?

Yes. We are now working on a contract basis, and we have several upcoming projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

We have a different kind of process. It’s not standard where we just get the scope and they develop and deliver, and then the job is done. I deliberately made the decision that we’re not building this business on one goal. We’re basically building individual components that can be put together and become a bigger unit. With that perspective, I think the biggest measurement is that everything works and everything scales, and that’s good news. If something doesn’t work, I can reach those guys throughout the day, and we can troubleshoot. I’ve never had an issue with poor quality in any of their deliverables, which is great.

When working with SayOne Technologies, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

I’ve tried several different developers before, and it’s very common for an offer developer to want a specific scope to work on, then they deliver to those specifications. With SayOne, we’ve created almost an in-house environment, where we work together on various components or prototypes. If they run into a roadblock, they have no problem letting me know that they don’t know how to do something. That’s very unusual, though, and it takes considerable courage. In my book, that’s worth the money. In today’s world, technologies change so fast, and we need to figure out how to work with them. They are open, and they have good communication in this area. These guys can execute. They can probably build anything.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

In general, regardless of the developer, there’s a lack of translation and communication. With SayOne or anyone you work with, if you can’t manage the project yourself, it can usually end up badly. I always wish these developers had it in them to stay on point for the duration of an engagement, but that doesn’t seem to be how many of them operate.  

What advice, if any, would you give a future client before approaching SayOne Technologies with a new project?

Outside of what I mentioned before about project management, I would say that if you have an open mind, you can basically do anything with these guys. They’re very competent and professional.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your organization?

I run a consulting firm, which gets various IT [information technology] and other digital contracts, and I get that work done using SayOne Technologies as my dedicated development partner.

What is your position?

I’m a senior iOS engineer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached SayOne Technologies?

I had tried using other companies based in India before, and that didn’t pan out too well. After switching to these guys, they have been consistent in what they deliver, and they keep up with the deadlines that I set. Whenever I give them a time constraint, they follow that in the sense that they would put hours in on the weekend just to get my things done. That’s why they’ve remained my development partner. I needed someone with great technical competence and true reliability.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

I’ve been using them to do all of my hardcore custom programming. Most of it has been mobile- and Web-based. I also got them to do some serious native development on iOS for me, and that worked out very well. I handle the design, testing, and quality assurance on my own.

How did you come to choose SayOne Technologies as your partner?

I had done some fairly extensive research on outsourcing companies. Like I said, I’ve worked with two other companies previously that didn’t work out too well. I wanted to do my best to avoid a similar experience. I reached out and talked to these guys, and they seemed to be pretty confident in what they’re doing. I gave them a few trial projects to start with – nothing major – and that worked out. It’s been an ongoing thing ever since, so I’ve been using them for more than a year now.

Could you provide a general cost estimate for this particular engagement?

It was from $50,000 to $60,000.

When is this engagement scheduled for completion?

It’s actually an ongoing thing, so my project does not end. It’s a very long-term engagement. I have several other development projects in my pipeline that I’ll need their support with, so I don’t foresee ending the relationship anytime soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you please share any statistics, metrics, and user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

I’ve had my ace engineers out here who work heavily with Python but, obviously, the cost is very different. They have reviewed the code delivered by SayOne, and they don’t have any complaints or anything about it, so that’s good enough for me. I’m satisfied with them from a project management perspective, too. It’s pretty much hands-off for me. I send them an email with instructions, and they send daily progress reports on what they’re doing and when it’s expected to be finished. If I have questions or feedback on anything that they send to me, I can reach out to them and they’re pretty responsive. I’ve had no real issues with them.

When working with SayOne Technologies, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

Those guys are very entrepreneurial, so they’re always trying to do things better or look at things differently. That’s what I like most about them. Instead of being blindfolded on certain technologies, they’re open to learning new ideas or new technologies. They’ve been very flexible in that respect.

What advice, if any, would you give to a future client of theirs before approaching SayOne Technologies with a project?

I think they should define what they want to do in very concrete terms. An open-ended project is hard to define and even harder to manage because there are no real parameters to remain within. I’ve had that issue before, but not with them. Your requirements should be fully fleshed out. You should know exactly what you want to get out of them, and then they can deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CTO of an arts, entertainment & music company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cloud Kitchen

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SayOne Technologies to accomplish?

• Develp an app

SOLUTION

How did you find SayOne Technologies?

Referral

Why did you select SayOne Technologies over others?

Close to my geographic location

How many teammates from SayOne Technologies were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Develop a cloud kitchen app

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

A functioning cloud kitchen app

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They didn't deliver anything. I just wasted $5000 advancement for nothing.

What was your primary form of communication with SayOne Technologies?

In-Person Meeting

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

Nothing

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

The whole thing.