Secret Source Technology SL

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of technical delivery at ODIN, a professional services consultancy specializing in data engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source Technology SL?

We needed help in building a single customer view data platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Secret Source Technology SL to augment our internal development capabilities and help us build a single customer view data platform from scratch. This involved taking data from many sources and loading it into the platform, which then fed into our various business and analysis tools.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £250,000 (Approximately $320,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2019–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Secret Source Technology SL delivered the solution on time and within budget. Additionally, the pipelines that were created were successful and helped us process huge amounts of data for up to four million users.

How did Secret Source Technology SL perform from a project management standpoint?

Secret Source Technology SL performed efficiently throughout. They were also present in all of our sprint ceremonies and workshops despite working remotely.

We primarily communicated through video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Secret Source Technology SL provided us with technically competent and highly experienced resources who had a broad view of technology as well as a keen understanding of the particular specializations we required. They were also quick to understand our work style and development process.

I also appreciated how incredibly flexible they were. They were able to quickly scale resources up and down depending on our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints. They gave us great resources at a great price, and it all worked very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to be fully transparent and to treat them as collaborators rather than suppliers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of BuildBuddy Construction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source Technology SL?

We hired them to build us our MVP platform. It is a platform for homeowners that are going through a house extension process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Secret Source Technology SL did custom software development for us. Richard (Founder) was very helpful in terms of helping me to understand the process and nature of the engagement. There was quite a lot of discussion around how everything was working, the team requirements, and all of that other stuff. I got a detailed scope of work, discussed it, and came to a service agreement.

The product that we were building was created to help homeowners manage a tender process with builders. When someone is going through a house extension, they will go to three or five different builders to get quotes, so we were building a platform to help them manage that whole process.

Their team helped us build a WordPress website, which we are still using and testing with. Then, there was a web app that was developed and built with PHP and React-based frontend. We integrated it with AWS. They also provided us with UI/UX design services.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Richard, who mainly handled our engagement. We also worked with the COO and a dedicated project manager.

How did you come to work with Secret Source Technology SL?

It was through a referral.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–July 2021. We haven’t yet re-engaged with them yet because we are still in the discovery phase, and we aren’t ready to do more development.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We found that we haven’t yet acquired customers that are at that stage in the process of the journey. We wanted to target people that are at an earlier stage and get earlier engagement, and then convert them into that whole experience. We haven’t done anything on the product side and have just focused on the proposition and customer development and discovery. We are still in that phase, and that has been mainly working with the website and targeting acquisition with different propositions to see what is converting and what is performing.

However, we’ve made some good progress, and we know what our metrics are as far as clickthrough rates and bounce rates, where we’ve had some good performance. We just need to continue the journey with the user to get them to a point where it is relevant for them to engage with the product.

How did Secret Source Technology SL perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was very good — they were well-organized, and everything worked the way it needed to work with very minimal bugs. We used Jira and Figma for design. We typically communicated through Slack, Google Meet, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were a good team, and we actually felt like they were our own development team. They understood our business, so they were able to show us how to go through a development sprint — there was really good communication during that process. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what your requirements and objectives are and be very clear on what the success will be. Also, make sure to communicate these clearly so that everyone is on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager at TIQ, a company that writes software for law firms to help with automated time tracking. We also have a web application, software integration APIs, and reporting APIs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source Technology SL?

We’d been doing mobile development in-house and were looking to outsource that so we could focus on our web app and our APIs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Secret Source developed our mobile application. We had an existing React Native app, and we provided that source code. However, we wanted to get a fresh start with the most up-to-date technology, so the Secret Source team started the new development from scratch using the old code as a reference. Additionally, they used our mobile API to get data from our systems. 

The mobile app functions as an extension of our web app, which fetches data from lawyers’ systems, presents an overview of their day’s work, and they have to confirm their activities. Secret Source developed the mobile app for more on-the-go scenarios. The team added functionalities that allow the users to see the overview and swipe right to confirm or left to decline. Users can also edit the details if needed. 

Secret Source built the app for both iOS and Android. They currently handle change requests and new releases on the app. 

What is the team composition?

I interacted with 3–4 people from Secret Source, including the former CEO. 

How did you come to work with Secret Source Technology SL?

I found them through a Google search.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2021, and it ends at the end of March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Secret Source has delivered the desired functionality within our target range. The goal of the project was to make sure we had more regular releases within the mobile app. Previously, we had an average of three releases per year, and now we have a release every two months. When things need to be changed, our response times have been shorter with Secret Source.

There are systems set up to detect crashes, and those are immediately available for Secret Source developers. Any remarks from a customer enter through our customer success manager and are then passed on to me. I share the comments with Secret Source’s developer, we create a ticket, and they pick it up as soon as possible.

How did Secret Source Technology SL perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of our communication is through Slack via direct messaging, though we also use email. We use Jira as a ticketing system for software development to define the work that we pick up together. 

The project has been well managed. We work with Secret Source in development sprints, and we know what we can achieve because we have a monthly budget set up. It took a few sprints before we found our productivity set-up, and since then, everything’s been very predictable. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Secret Source is outstanding in their communication. I’ve been in touch with developers and the project manager on their end, and they’re very responsive and communicative. Throughout the project, it’s always been very clear who’s waiting for who; we haven’t lost a lot of time with miscommunication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve availability. I would love to continue the project after this month, but unfortunately, they don’t have a developer available on the level that we require. This is due to the current market situation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend them. However, not having a developer at this moment is a bit of a risk for us. So, I would advise you to get in touch and ask if they have a standby developer if you decide to work with Secret Source.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Technical Director of Source-Pilot (previously known as S4RB). We help brand owners work with their suppliers to achieve their sustainability goals. We solve the problem of aligning hundreds of your suppliers around your goals whilst they produce and develop hundreds of your products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Secret Source Technology SL, and what were your goals?

We have a legacy MEAN stack product that is highly customized per customer and contains a large amount of technical debt. The technology required specific outdated knowledge e.g. Angular.js. We partnered with Secret Source so they could continue to deliver custom requirements whilst moving the platform to EOL. Secret Source, under the direction of our internal tech leadership, then created our new SERN based platform.

SOLUTION

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

We met multiple vendors face to face across Europe but picked Secret Source because they offered a personal service and were happy to act as an extension of our development team. They understood the challenges of recruitment in the UK and took away the problem of managing and retaining key talent. UK timeszone helps being part of an extended team and we felt they were similar to us in company size, goals and culture.

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

Year 1 was to support and deliver on a MEAN tech stack platform. We work in a lean kanban methodology so their was a constant stream of development. The goal was to allow us to keep delivering for our customers as we planned for a longer term future with new technology. This was an extremely challenging project due to the amount of technical debt and the complex structure of the code.

Year 2, the goal was to deliver the new SERN based platform on Azure. A true multi tenant application using key tools/services to reduce the amount of new code e.g. Using Auth0 for authentication. Secret Source shared responsibility for the architecture and were entirely responsible for the delivery of the project.

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

Over the course of the 2 years we have worked with 9 developers, 1 UX designer and 1 data analyst. The current development team consists of 6 developers who are a mixture of Junior, Mid and Senior developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team are responsible for delivering out vision so can only be measured against the roadmap which is successfully being followed without created unsupportable technical debt.

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

They are flexible and can provide project managers. For our project we provide the project management skills. We have daily stand-ups and work in a lean kanban approach. We are continuously working on a "project" or two whilst also planning the upcoming one. We have a Work in progress limit of 2 projects whilst also allowing each project to flex in size to accommodate unknowns and refactoring required to build a new platform.

Beyond the stand-ups I speak nearly daily to a senior member of the team so we can adjust timelines and prioritize the work as we learn new information. As with any development team, you need very strong stakeholder involvement to help them make the best decisions that impact your business.

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

 I like how they picked up our legacy platform and delivered a solution while understanding the business challenges. It would have been too easy to walk away or to try and grow the project on their terms to rebuild before we were ready.

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

One of their pro's is how they create a Secret Source culture to recruit, retain and develop their development team. However, this does clash if you want to work with them as part of an extended development team.

When their are dependencies between your staff and theirs and they work so close together, it can sometimes be a problem when the team feel pulled in 2 directions. E.g. they want to meet the development commitments they set but they also want to be part of the secret source culture/team.

It's not really a big problem because we are measuring our outcomes which are great, it is just the only source of tension. I suspect it would be less of a problem if you handed 100% of the development of a project to them including BA, PM, UX etc so they could make their own decisions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Director and part owner of Automatrics Limited, we supply asset tracking and theft finding and recovery services using GNSS GSM and RF technology

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Secret Source Technology SL, and what were your goals?

We wanted to launch a new website to coincide with the release of our new Automatrics MTrack Advanced products. We don't follow the pack so we needed cool content with lots of interest, our site to be different yet also be familiar especially in terms of navigation.

SOLUTION

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

We were recommended to look at Secret Source Technology SL, we checked out some of their work but more importantly were management and technical discussions making sure all our needs could be implemented including structured data.

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

We needed a bunch of mini one page websites all contained within the main site , tht approach would help with SEO for our product. Secret Source Technology SL provided the full build including the rebrand . Lots of video on our site with real life recovery operations linked to our successful YT channel

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

We worked with a team of three, Todd overseeing things he has great experience and this was used to kerb designs that just would not gel. Charlotte was quick to recognise our branding requirements and got that right straight off which was super cool. Then Juan continues to put the whole site together and ensure compatibility. Nothing is too much trouble for any of the team and they provide a flexible approach to working needs. SO there is some give and take

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date we have been totally impressed with the build , there will be some additional content and we know we will have a website suitable for our best in class approach.

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

Great communications as and when needed.

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

The team effort most players were involved. We also appreciate the ideas they suggested throughout.

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

I think we should possibly have given a little bit more thought to desktop responsive design , although we wanted mobile first and the output for mobile was done pretty quickly the desktop still needs to sing , and it can be difficult to change standard mobile first layouts . So yes mobile design leads but desktop examples could come a lot earlier on in the process. That would save time later. But this is not a major concern we understand the site build will grow from initial concept.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at Morgan Innovation and Technology. We develop and manufacture products that have a positive impact on society, specifically in the medical, defense, and commercial spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source?

Secret Source provides ongoing support for our website, ranging from transitioning to a new platform to redesigning the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, Secret Source transitioned our site and all of our pages to our own platform. Originally, our site was based on SharpSpring, but their team put us on a WordPress site. Once this was complete, they began working on redesigning our site.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with around four members of the Secret Source team.

How did you come to work with Secret Source?

Our CEO knows the owner of Secret Source, so they were recommended. Their team is also up to date on technology and a good cultural fit for us, as we’re both very family-oriented businesses.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £1,500 (approximately $1,900 USD) for the transitioning of all our pages and £4,500 (approximately $5,700 USD) is our budget for the new site.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the first project, everything was carried out extremely efficiently and quickly. We didn’t need to make any changes to the final product because the work was perfect.

We’re delighted with the work they’ve done so far on the site design portion of the project. Their expertise makes us feel confident in the final product we’ll receive.  

How did Secret Source perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We communicate through email, which is my preferred way. Skype and Google have also been convenient, primarily to ensure everything is updated in real time. As a team, they’re very open, friendly, and willing to establish a good relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Working with Secret Source feels like having an extension of my own team—they’re great. Their style of communication fits perfectly with us and makes us confident in their capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’ve come across that they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the product owner at an innovation and venture development company. We manage innovation pipelines and build disruptive new businesses through experimentation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Secret Source Technology SL?

My company hired Secret Source Technology SL to build and perform smoke testing. We needed to test business ideas and functionalities for a finance company.

What were your goals for this project?

Utilizing custom-built websites, we wanted to rapidly test various business ideas and get real user feedback to validate our hypotheses. Each site needed to be easily amendable for A/B testing. The sites also had to be delivered in less than a week and heavily integrated with Google Ads and Google Analytics. We hoped to use these results to determine which ideas should advance to the next stage.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had previously worked with Secret Source Technology SL on several projects. They are a reliable tech partner who we trust to deliver quality sites on time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Secret Source Technology SL built eight smoke tests to assess new business ideas and functionalities, like custom forms and payment gateways. Built in WordPress, the sites were linked to Google Ads and integrated with Google Analytics to test user interaction. The sites were mobile-responsive and optimized to load quickly.

What was the team composition?

The team included one part-time scrum master, a UX/UI designer, and a WordPress developer. When necessary, we worked with a Google Ads and Google Analytics expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One smoke-tested idea has advanced to the next stage, and we are in the initial fundraising stage to build an MVP. Secret Source Technology SL delivered valuable feedback for each site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Our assigned scrum master gave daily updates and ensured timely project delivery. User acceptance testing (UAT) necessitated only minor changes, which the team implemented quickly. We communicated via Hangouts/Jira and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When we began working together, Secret Source Technology SL emphasized that the key to project success is creating an enjoyable and collaborative partnership. I have found that this approach makes a genuine difference and leads to the highest-quality work.

We continue to do all of our development work with Secret Source Technology SL. They are Agile and MVP development experts.

Are there any areas for improvement?

When we occasionally needed work done on short notice, Secret Source Technology SL was not always able to provide developers. It would be great if they could be more readily available in such instances.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a creative consultant at Maximus Maximise, a large outdoor advertising agency focusing on premium billboard campaigns. I designed their new website and assisted with their rebranding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Secret Source Technology SL?

Maximus Maximise has recently undergone a large rebranding project and a new website was an important part of this work. We hired Secret Source to work with our design team to build the new website. It had to be quick to load and visually engaging, with large high-resolution graphics and videos right at the front.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to see our new branding reflected in the design and implementation of the website while maintaining our SEO ranking.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We decided to work with Secret Source because I've worked with them on multiple occasions in the past. I always trust them to deliver on time and within budget. It's always a pleasure to work with Richard (CEO, Secret Source), Rachel (COO, Secret Source), and their team. It was a no-brainer that we chose to hire them for the Maximus website.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We worked closely with Secret Source throughout the entirety of the project. While we did all of the design internally, they helped in many design decisions and provided input on how the website interactions would work. They chose to build the site on WordPress so we could update the content easily. They also built a custom theme which would allow fast loading while allowing us to use high-resolution images and video. They delivered the site on schedule, and we spent a few days doing user acceptance testing (UAT). While we didn't find any errors on the site, there were a few tweaks we wanted to make once we saw it online, and they happily made all of the changes for us.

What was the team composition?

We contracted one part-time Scrum master, a frontend developer, and a WordPress backend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are really happy with the website. It fits in perfectly with our brand and works great. Although we weren't using site usage as a key performance indicator (KPI), we've seen a steady increase in visitors and a significant increase in time spent on the site.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As always, Secret Source was really easy to work with. They took our designs and requirements and created a detailed statement of work (SoW), so we were all on the same page. Every week, their Scrum master updated us with progress and communicated any questions the team had for us. They used Slack for chatting, Google Hangouts for video meetings, and Jira to manage the workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I always enjoy working with Secret Source. They are delightfully friendly and really try to make the whole process as easy and fun as possible. They're very customer-oriented. While things don't always go perfectly, for example, if we fall behind schedule, they make sure we know well in advance, and they always offer practical solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I genuinely love working with everyone at Secret Source. The only frustrating thing is that sometimes they don't have developers available on really short notice, and I often have to wait a week or two.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a small innovation consultancy. We help brands of all sizes innovate in different areas of their business. We work with very large businesses, like Barclays, Experian and other large tech brands. We also make investments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source?

A lot of the work that Secret Source helps us with is sparse, turnaround, quick experiments. We do lots of very small builds, essentially float tests for different markets and propositions.

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with Secret Source?

We work with lots of different freelancers, and I have been working with Secret Source for a long time. At first we worked with them because of their very low price. Our first project with them was building interstitials for Barclays, where we were running an innovation. Although they remain reasonably priced our relationship is now really about efficiency and quality.

Could you provide a sense of the size of your work with Secret Source in financial terms?

In terms of price, most of our projects are very small—between £500 and £1,000 [approx. US$730 and $1,500]. They just built a website for an agency that I consult for, which was a £12,000 project [$17,500], a really big one. So there’s a very large range in costs, but for us, as a small business, the cost is reasonably minimal. That doesn’t mean that Secret Source is not important. Once a site is validated, we’ll spend a lot. We spun out an experiment website last year about test-driving cars that was relatively small, but now we’re getting investors for that business, who will spend a lot of money on the site.

What is the status of your work with Secret Source?

The Barclays project started in 2011, so we started working with them around that time. The relationship is ongoing. Secret Source is very much a trusted partner, someone that we will always go to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or other feedback about their work?

One of our major metrics is time. For example, we just finished a little website called tryamiele.com. We got that assignment at four o’clock on a Friday afternoon, and the site was live the next day. That’s what we rely on Secret Source for, to be very quick in getting experiments up and running.

How did Secret Source perform from a project management standpoint?

The Secret Source team is excellent. One specific thing is the way in which their work is very process-driven. My planning process is very robust, and I think they do the same. Knowing that your partner works in the same way as you do makes everything easier.

What distinguishes Secret Source from other providers?

They take ownership of the projects. This level of commitment actually doesn’t make business sense unless you’re prepared to invest in the long term. Even if there’s a problem that will cost a lot of money to fix, they’ll fix it, because they know that means everything in business.

This is what it’s like in the world: if you meet someone you trust, it’s pretty hard to tear yourself away. This is the kind of longevity that Secret Source is looking for. Once they land a client, they are not going to lose them.

Is there anything Secret Source could have improved or done differently?

There are capabilities that I would have valued in them, which they don’t have. For example, we’ve been asked about virtual reality. We built a cutting edge app on the iPad about learning taekwondo. We took Europe’s leading taekwondo expert, and put him through motion capture, a very big bit of technology, which Secret Source could not handle. What they do is the very practical side of technology.

Regardless, I think as different platforms and technologies come out, they will develop those capabilities. But because of the nature of what we do, we tend to get asked to do the more cutting-edge things, for which Secret Source doesn’t always have the capability.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We've been in business for about 80 years. Most of our clients are non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, or international organizations, like the World Bank or the United Nations. Those are the types of clients that we work for. We are a minor service provider. We also offer consulting in different areas of IT. Everything that is IT-related: email, networking, monitoring of services, databases, web hosting, etc. People know us because we've been around for this long.

What is your position?

I'm Ricardo Uribe and I'm the Chief Technology Officer of CGNet Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source?

We needed some support with a number of our clients.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They work with our clients directly. For a recent project, one of our client’s websites had problems with its search engine integration and Smartphone loading. Secret Source was able to prepare a work plan, which included SEO to solve the issues.

Secret Source has strong knowledge of Drupal and WordPress, the main content management systems used these days. This makes them an ideal option for our clients.

How did you come to work with Secret Source?

I have known Ted Strauss for around seven years. We've been working with them, on and off, for different web-related tasks.

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

That is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We still work with them. The good thing, from my point of view, is that since I trust Secret Source so much, I know how they will handle a client’s issues. I'm not a web person, so I need to trust them to work with a client and come to an agreement. I can easily ask them to contact a company and see what we can do for them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Secret Source perform from a project management standpoint?

The clients are really happy with Secret Source and the speed at which they complete projects. They're able to deliver.

What distinguishes Secret Source from other providers?

The fact that I can trust them distinguishes them from others.

Is there anything Secret Source could have improved or done differently?

I don't know. I like that they are in a time zone that works for me. We have a lot of clients in the European-African area. They're very flexible in regards to time zones.