Sileria

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
For the Android app, we’ve nearly doubled our customer base in the last year; we now have thousands of people using the app. Before, we couldn’t even get it to run or stream music over a long period of time, but now we haven’t received any complaints or cancellations from our end users in the areas that Sileria worked on since they were updated, which is a marked improvement.

How did Sileria perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually have short meetings every day to make sure everything is going well. The Android project is relatively straight-forward, but the Sonos development work required project management skills from the developer. She would proactively walk us through the architecture, steps, tests and reviews progress with our internal team on a regular basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with lots of agencies before, and Sileria has some of the best craftmanship and employees. They know what they’re doing or find people who do. The team is honest and makes sure the products are both high-quality and stable.

Are there any areas they could improve?
No. I plan to work with them on future projects. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Don’t just try to build a prototype-level product if it is going to have legs; use your partnership to deliver a high-quality, commercial-grade product with a codebase that is simple to maintain in the future. 

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

A lot of people were with thrilled the results. The app scored well based on the average Google Play rating. We consistently had a 4 or 4.5 rating. People love the video editing, being able to message other users, and being able to post content. Those features got a lot of interaction and admiration from the user base.

How did Sileria perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely professional and were absolutely reliable. They did quick, high quality work all the time. When they brought in new people, they brought them up to speed really quickly. Within 2–3 days they were acclimated and completing work.

Sometimes they would come on site for a few days if we were at the beginning of a big iteration. We’d go over project planning and work out feature sets or any unknowns of that part of the Agile process. Usually, they were offsite, but we would meet every day for standup and other meetings as necessary. We used Hangouts so we’d see them face-to-face virtually.

They were available daily and picked up and were part of the sprint cycle for all ongoing tasks. They would get assigned like anybody else; sometimes based on their specific experience where they could be more effective than anybody in-house.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Beyond good work, professionalism, and their ability to help on any level, they were also fun to work with. They’re really good engineers and very personable. The communication was excellent. Sometimes a team may be talented, but the human element isn’t necessarily there. It’s not a deal breaker, but something you miss when it’s not there.

They’ve been doing Android for a long time so I’d pick their brains and ask them to break things down for me. They were happy to help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a fantastic job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to engage them fully. They’re very responsive and are happy to pivot. Tell them what you need. Sometimes people hold back or they’re too proud and they feel like they’re losing control if they ask for too much help. They’re a full-service shop. If you’re having trouble with design or with how to align your product goals, just ask.

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

We’re always in close communication with customer service, so if there were any issues, they would’ve been addressed. However, Sileria always understood what we were doing, and they eventually became the entire lead of the project and only partner for the Android app, which should show how much we trusted them and valued their work.

How did Sileria perform from a project management standpoint?

We implemented Scrum and used Tom Bot, which improved our deliverables and increased our velocity in which we were able to deploy. The multi-lane strategy and Kanban methodology facilitated a quick and effective project management. We mainly communicated in person and via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their follow through was super effective. Even towards the end, they made sure the projects were completed and nothing was left unfinished.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have hired more people to help spread the workload.

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

Ahmed is a good guy to work with. He always tried to do his absolute best and he was easy to work with. That's really important for anybody who's going to be working as a consultant: that they're easy to work with and they get the job done.

How did Sileria perform from a project management standpoint?

We had in-person meetings but mostly communicated through phone and email. He was flexible and very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've seen some of his other projects over the years (e.g., websites and apps) and they always look really good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was so long ago, I just can't remember.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sileria goes out of the way to get things done. If you’re having issues, they’re  flexible and willing to make changes when changes are needed.