SINAPTIA

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product development for a recreational boating marketplace. We advertise the boats for sale and put the sellers in contact with potential buyers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

We needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work with SINAPTIA’s development team to build the product. The programming language is Ruby on Rails, and we use a Scrum methodology to do sprints and plan the series of deadlines.

Additionally, SINAPTIA recommended a web design company to redesign the site. They participated in selecting the vendor.

What is the team composition?

We have three full stack developers, a backend developer, a QA specialist, and a product management person. Fernando (Co-Founder & Lead Developer) oversees the whole project.

How did you come to work with SINAPTIA?

Someone within the company had an acquaintance working with SINAPIA.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $25,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them since December 2022. The collaboration is still alive, and we aim to have them at least for the medium term. The long-term is difficult to predict because it depends on the startup's performance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, the quality of development is excellent. We ask for a certain level of productivity; we call them story points in technical language. Another thing we’ve focused on with SINAPTIA is the site’s performance. For example, the loading speed has greatly improved; we’re currently at 1.46 seconds.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been outstanding. Fernando and the team are very professional and responsible. We haven’t had complaints; they’ve never missed a deadline or stopped doing something they’d committed to. Overall, the level of project delivery is high.

Communication is fluid; we have half-hour daily meetings through Google Meet. Since we’re in Spain and they’re in Argentina, we use the same language. Additionally, our main communication tools are Slack and Jira.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Fernando is the owner and senior developer with many years of experience. He often helps find technical solutions or initiatives to our problems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of their most positive traits is their flexibility; SINAPTIA adapts well. For example, one of the crucial features of our marketplace is the technology that allows users to look for a boat to buy through different filters. We initially thought SINAPTIA had a Solr system, but we decided to migrate to Elasticsearch. SINAPTIA had never used Elasticsearch, but they were still able to quickly research how it worked and implement it successfully in the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

SINAPTIA has worked in development for a long time, but there’s always something to improve. We continually do retrospectives to analyze everything we’re doing and identify improvement points. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’ve worked for a long time in web development, which helps you to speak the same language. Moreover, I believe the success of this collaboration is due to the shared language and culture. Argentina and Spain both use Spanish, which helps the partnership. Finally, building a relationship of trust is essential for the success of any engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of a cybersecurity automation platform 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cybersecurity automation platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SINAPTIA to accomplish?

• Build minimal viable product
• Provide support for early beta customers
• Iterate on and validate product functionality based on early customer feedback

SOLUTION

How did you find SINAPTIA?

Online Search

Why did you select SINAPTIA over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SINAPTIA were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Ours is a SaaS application focused on intuitive automation for cybersecurity. At its core, the app combines knowledge graph data objects with API calls to 3rd party tools. Core deliverables: 

• Ability to retrieve data objects from the graph backend in a purpose-built UI. 
• Ability to interact with 3rd party APIs based on preconfigured integrations. 
• Ability to process JSON output into graph database based on predefined templates. 
• Ability to launch 3rd party API calls based on configurable rules.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful launch of the product prototype, which enabled early customer pilots.

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

The customer organization managed the roadmap and prioritized deliverables.

What was your primary form of communication with SINAPTIA?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were a super helpful team eager to learn and not afraid of challenging objectives or previously unfamiliar technologies.

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

• Continue learning the latest best practices and framework-driven approaches. 
• Unit testing and QA automation earlier in the development lifecycle. 
• Prioritize reusable code.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Product Team Lead of a Tech for Good startup whose focus is enabling people to make change at work through a product at app.organise.network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SINAPTIA, and what were your goals?

We hired Sinaptia to provide React and Ruby engineering to help us accelerate the development of our product. 

SOLUTION

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

I have worked with Snaptia at 2 different compaines and they are always wonderful to work with. Their engineers are professional, skilled and personable, and slot into the team really well. The quality of the work is always high and I've found them to be very adaptable and prodcutive.

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

2 Sinaptia engineers joined our team to work on our product, which has a React client and a Ruby on Rails API. They worked on various features, including a large migration to use Next.js in the frontend app.

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

2 - a Ruby/Full Stack Engineer and a JavaScript Engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was fast and of a high standard and it helped us accelerate growth to support us going out to a Series A investement round.

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

The 2 Sinaptia engineers together with Patricio and Fernando (who run the business) joined Slack and were available for daily standups. They were always punctual and quick to respond to messages and requests. It was a joy having them as part of the team.

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

The blend of technical ability and how much fun they are to have around.

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

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of inmind software, a company specializing in blockchain and mobile development founded in 2008.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

We were working on custom development for a customer, and we needed to increase our team with expertise in Ruby on Rails.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SINAPTIA supported us in custom software development. They helped us maintain and improve our customer’s platform using Ruby on Rails. Their work often involved understanding the impact of changes to the platform and prioritizing business and customer needs.

What is the team composition?

Two people from SINAPTIA  worked with us on the coding side. We worked mainly with one person, and he brought in additional support when he needed more production.

How did you come to work with SINAPTIA?

I found them on Clutch; we're also registered, and it’s a very good guide to checking companies and their reviews and expertise. We made a list of companies based in Argentina that had Ruby on Rails as their primary expertise, and we interviewed a number of them. We contacted SINAPTIA, had a meeting with them, and they won the project because they were a good fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SINAPTIA’s work quality and technology management were good, and their technical expertise was perfect. We had a happy customer, and the team met all their deadlines, which was very important to us. Additionally, their pricing was under what we thought, so we had no concerns in that regard.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was generally good, though there was room for improvement. Since they weren’t working for us full time, sometimes we'd look for the developer, and they weren't available, which was also due to working remotely. We worked with the agile methodology; we defined tasks with our analyst and project manager, and the SINAPTIA team had some communication with the end customer. 

Overall, SINAPTIA’s planning, interaction, project management, and reaction to the management were generally good. We used Jira to manage tasks and Zoom, Google Meet, and Slack for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SINAPTIA was an expert in their field. Many people say they’re experts when their knowledge isn’t deep enough. In SINAPTIA’s case, they knew the technology and the impact of any change to the platform. Since we needed to be very careful with modifications, the team’s expertise was a highlight of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing significant they needed to change on the development side; I was very happy with the results. On the business side, they could improve their timing in defining the steps to avoid being too ahead of time. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have a clearly defined scope and need and set the right purpose and objectives. I’d expect this from any customer; as providers, we need to understand what we need to do to provide our best work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a soccer apparel e-commerce marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

We had a strong infrastructure on our e-commerce platform, but there were several loose ends that we wanted to handle before our beta launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SINAPTIA is helping us with the last 20% needed for taking our business to the market. As soon as we started working together, iI realized that we needed help with more things than expected. In terms of deliverables, they’ve been developing our e-commerce site using Ruby on Rails.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Patricio (Co-Founder) and Ramiro (Developer).

How did you come to work with SINAPTIA?

We chose them because they focus on Ruby on Rails, and our infrastructure is based on that. In addition to that, they’re easy to work with regarding price and flexibility with their involvement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been able to help us with the last few steps of our business quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, which is phenomenal — we’ll continue working with them. In terms of the deliverables, the product itself is elegant, and they’re taking it up another notch.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team never wastes time; we’re always moving shipping products, making progress, and solving the minor bugs that may arise. They’re also diligent about documentation, communication, and ensuring that we have everything needed for the project and that there are no assumptions on either end — it’s a transparent process. 

They’re also flexible when it comes to project management tools; we use GitHub and Slack. Overall, we have complete trust in their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re detailed-oriented, communicative, and care about their craftsmanship — they feel like a solid part of my team. Other providers usually go above and beyond in the first part of the project and then let the foot off the pedal. Still, SINAPTIA’s team is consistent, and they’re just phenomenal people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they exceed my expectations.

Any advice for potential customers?

You’ll get as much out of working with them as you try to communicate clearly with them. It’s not trying to micromanage them; it’s just giving them an insight into your business and what you want so they can have the freedom to make good decisions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of @FreeTheFreela, an online marketplace for freelance services focused on Latin American talents. We have developed a business model that offers social benefits to the freelancers in our community in order to promote a fair labor market while helping businesses to grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SINAPTIA, and what were your goals?

We collaborated with SINAPTIA to help mature the product structure and develop our MVP. Our goal was to have a solid product to enter the market and receive quick feedback from our target, to optimize and scale as fast as possible.

SOLUTION

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

When we first started looking for a tech partner, we considered SINAPTIA along with 7 other teams. When you are evaluating high-level professionals, the decision comes to the details. So we choose SINAPTIA because they were the most prepared to build a project from scratch using dynamic and agile systems and also connected with our purpose and idea, making a huge effort to meet our needs and challenges and helping us mature the product. For us, it was fundamental to have a partner with a collaborative mindset that understood our vision and had the know-how to guide us throughout the development process, and SINAPTIA's team sure meet the criteria.

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

They designed and developed our online marketplace for freelance services using Ruby On Rails and React technologies. We first started with a discovery workshop based on our first scope of the web app. After mature and optimize the core functions of the product they gave us the mock-ups to be approved. Then we started developing the features and testing the product in 2-week sprints (Later on, it became a 1-week sprint).

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

There were 4 people in the core team, including a project manager, 2 developers, and a UX designer. Other resources would come and go as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is still ongoing, but we have been able to mature and optimize the product based on the collaborative view of the team. So far, the work has been cohesive and effective.

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

The project management is great. The team is synchronized and very accessible. Communication is open and fast. We talk through Slack, e-mail, and Google Meet and use Jira to track the product development.

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

The most impressive thing about this team is their collaborative spirit. Everyone is open to discussion and does 110% to guarantee that our product is in its best version. They have proved that we can trust anyone involved to make the best decision for our business in a way that's scalable.

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

As a suggestion, I believe we could have started to use Jira earlier in the development process. The tool really helped us to keep on track and optimize the work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of Dunu506, on online e-commerce platform for the advertisement of used vehicles. Users can either Buy or Sell their vehicles within the platform. Commercial sellers can promote their businesses within the platform as well as having the ability to create their own website through us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SINAPTIA, and what were your goals?

SINAPTIA was hired to develop an e-commerce platform from scratch. I was looking for a company with strengths and experience in web development, UI/UX design and e-commerce. My goals were to look for a company that could deliver a high-end product in a short period of time (3-6 months) and within my budget range.

SOLUTION

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

We searched within Clutch for a company that: a) accepts working with start-ups and small business b) was within my budget range c) had expertise in web development, UI/UX design and e-commerce. d) had a small team (maximum 50 employees). We shortlisted 5 for interviews, feel for customer care, quotes and estimate of delivery. We chose SINAPTIA because (based on our internal evaluations) they scored the highest on all criteria.

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

After kick-off meetings where we agreed on the business concepts, recommended technology to use for the project, features for MVP and other details we started (as per my choosing) the project using AGILE method. We held meetings everyday to check on timeline, upcoming steps, progress and deliverables.

We started with wireframes and general design of the platform and then transitioned to development and testing over time. We needed a platform that could be mobile friendly as a priority. The technology used was Ruby on Rails. The entirety of the project (MVP) was developed in 4 months time, start to finish.

Some of the features included: Login (standard, FB and Google), setup of notifications, user dashboards to manage their ads, powerful search engine with different criteria for the 6 different vehicle types we created, upsales for ads and tiered subscriptions for Custom Shops, whatsapp integration for contacting sellers, Custom Shops for Commercial Sellers (ie. our internal "make your own website" offering), Payment via PayPal for both one-time payments and subscriptions, back-end for management (approval, rejection, request changes) of ads posted by users.

A significant undertaking for the development time agreed upon.

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

I worked with a Project Manager, Lead Developer who was my main point of contact thru the entire development process, Senior Developer and a UI/UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This review is specifically about the development of the platform. Overall, I could not be happier with the outcome. The final deliverable was a high-end, polished e-commerce platform which we will soon launch to market and have big plans for. The end result was above my expectations in many ways and I'm positive SINAPTIA was the right pick for this project. I would hire them for other similar projects without hesitation.

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

We used AGILE and SCRUM methodologies. Daily Stand-ups (as per my choosing) with core development team via Google Meets. Slack for on-demand messaging with any of the members who usually responded same day despite time-zone differences of 3-4 hours. JIRA for project tracking, suggestions, troubleshooting, etc.

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

My background is business management and finance. I would usually have many questions regarding technology and developer terminology that I was unfamiliar with. The team would always answer my questions in a calm and friendly manner. Their customer service/treatment was 5/5.

Additionally, I was looking for a Team that felt like an extension of ours and not necessarily a "Company to just develop my need". SINAPTIA was the Team I was hoping for. During our daily Stand-ups we collaborated, shared ideas and suggestions with each other and it truly felt like they were an extension of my team. Incredible experience.

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

I honestly wish I had constructive criticism for them, but I don't at this time. Very happy working with them and will continue to do so as we develop more features over time and gather user feedback on the platform.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a technology company that helps small e-commerce businesses with their marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

We needed to develop and launch an MVP without investing too many resources into it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the front- and backend coding for the MVP. We have a lot of APIs that needed to be connected to third-parties. They did a lot of work with Facebook, Google, and Shopify. We wanted to provide a super intuitive and easy-to-use platform, so we focused on creating a smooth UX.

Since they completed the MVP, SINAPTIA has helped with maintenance. We plan to continue working with them to add new features based on user feedback.

What is the team composition?

There’s one senior developer and one junior developer.

How did you come to work with SINAPTIA?

We reached out to several companies with the same requirements. We chose SINAPTIA because they shared our vision of what an MVP should be about. They’re also only about 3–4 hours away.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000­–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been onboarding users for the past 10 days and it has gone smoothly so far. They check in daily to see if everything is going well. They didn’t just deliver a product — they’ve ensured that everything will smoothly for users as well.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve managed the project and we've worked together as a team. We use Jira to organize week-long sprints, which has also ensured great communication. On Mondays, we plan the week, and on Fridays, we hold a sprint retrospective. We always do a demo to check that all the features were developed well. Then, over the weekend, we do more testing and share our results with them.

There has been a lot of back and forth to make sure our vision was properly delivered. We also used Slack, which was very efficient.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re super transparent. We own everything, which is great because we know we can resolve any issues if they come up.  They’ve also shared their expertise with us so there’s no gap between the technical and business marketing side of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Now that we’re getting into a new phase, it’s a new way of organizing our collaboration and new challenges. Maybe I’ll have more feedback on this new phase but for the MVP it really matched what we had in mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at a manufacturer of a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

I started at the company about a year ago, and SINAPTIA was already here. My understanding is that they came on because they knew our CMS which manages our website and e-commerce platform.

We were working with a version that was more legacy than current iterations that were out there. On the CMS side, it was very customized when it was originally built out, so SINAPTIA was hired to take over the development duties.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SINAPTIA didn’t develop the CMS or the e-commerce platform; they only took over the web development. 

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with one of the heads of the company, and I’ve also interacted with another teammate.

How much have you invested with them?

Depending on the need, we spend anywhere between $2,000–$10,000 per calendar year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They started before I began at the company, so I don’t know the exact date. We’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They inherited a system that had a lot of flaws in it, and they’ve done a good, consistent job of making sure that things run, despite how high-maintenance those efforts can be. I have no complaints about them.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

SINAPTIA is very responsive despite the time difference. We use Slack as our primary communication channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s impressive that the team is able to manage our archaic system while keeping our backend moving forward. That has been a huge benefit to us as we get ourselves ready to evolve in that sphere.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an eyewear company that sells prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses direct to our consumers online. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SINAPTIA?

We initially hired SINAPTIA for the ongoing maintenance of our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

While our engagement started with maintenance support and upgrades, their role shifted to feature development on our Ruby on Rails platform. They currently handle all of our digital web development, including new features and maintenance. We have a few other services, including AWS, integrated within our site, and they help to maintain those as well.

What is the team composition?

Regularly, we’ve worked with three members of their team. Sometimes, there have been around four or five that help out.

How much have you invested with them?

We have an agreement with them for ongoing services with an hourly rate. Overall, we’ve invested between $50,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with SINAPTIA started in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we have projects that began and end with them, we’re consistently collaborating. Their team is frequently developing and deploying features for our website. Since they provide continuous development and maintenance support, they’ve become part of our team.

How did SINAPTIA perform from a project management standpoint?

We track our progress using Trello or Pivotal Tracker, depending on the project. The team at SINAPTIA is excellent at meeting deadlines, relying on the communication amongst our teams for the specific goal. If a deadline isn’t met, it’s because of the tools not being used properly or the project not being well-defined.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is very reactive, even with our four-hour time difference. If an issue pops up during off-hours, they still make sure to jump on it. They work as if they’re in the same room as us. That responsiveness has built trust between us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area I could think of would be their knowledge of UX and design. While that may not be their core business, I would take advantage of that service if they offered it.