StartupSoft

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the VP Engineering of a credit solution company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a credit building solution that enables our members to turn their existing monthly bills into credit building payments using our card.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Software Development

SOLUTION

How did you find StartupSoft?

Referral

Why did you select StartupSoft over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from StartupSoft were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

StartupSoft has been a key part of our development team since we began development in 2022. The team has helped develop technical requirements for work, managed the development and delivery of key features, and participated in monitoring and analysis of our platform. They participate in planning meetings, retros, and are first-class members of our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the help of the StartupSoft team, we launched our initial project in 2022, raised a Series A round of fundraising in 2023, and have continued to grow within the market. We have seen a steady increase in membership, bill payments, collections, and above all else, have seen our members achieve their credit increase goals.

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

Our relationship with the StartupSoft team has been excellent. When we've needed new folks to join our team, they had folks available and were easy to schedule time to meet with candidates. In rare cases that we needed to wind down certain work, they were understanding and flexible with our needs. When they had outstanding team members made available, they were communicative in sharing those opportunities.

What was your primary form of communication with StartupSoft?

Email or Messaging App

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

I have been impressed more than anything with the quality of work each team member has been able to produce, and then commitment to our team they have embodied. That, plus their flexibility and understanding working with us as a growing startup, they've been phenomenal parters to us.

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

I haven't had any issues specifically with the StartupSoft team at all. There are, of course, challenges with staff augmentation- specifically around time zones and communication, but the StartupSoft team is flexibile and communicative about their time and we haven't had many issues there at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of a human resources company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make tax compliant employee benefits easy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop a new FinTech Product
• Increase the development capacity

SOLUTION

How did you find StartupSoft?

Referral

Why did you select StartupSoft over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from StartupSoft were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Developing a new FinTech product related to branded Prepaid Cards & custom payment authorization
• Frontend development to complete the rewrite of our apps

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increase in development velocity. 
• Delivering a new product in the planned scheduled timeframe.

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

Everything was perfect and we felt taken very seriously in our needs. Even though it was a small project, the founder and project manager put a lot of effort in finding the right candidates that both fit our budget, culture and required skillset. They even suggested ways of working together that were outside of their known business model.

What was your primary form of communication with StartupSoft?

Virtual Meeting

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

I think they really know their bussiness and really stand out by focusing on our needs and building a long term relationship. Even though our project was very small, we never felt like a small customer to them. Their flexibility in how things are handled even in difficult situations is remarkable and I would really reffer them to anyone looking for that kind of treatment.

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

Not from my experience so far

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Emlen GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Redefine your sales content distribution. No more juggling for your buyers between multiple e-mail threads, links, attachments & different tools. emlen redefines and streamlines your sales follow-up by providing a single branded digital sales room that hosts all of the sales collateral, the possibility to leave notes, collaborate in real time via chat or video and digitally sign your offer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Our primary challenge was the lack of tech experts for the emlen’s platform development, so we wanted to augment our in-house engineering team as we built a suite of digital products.

SOLUTION

How did you find StartupSoft?

Referral

Why did you select StartupSoft over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Tech expertise level

How many teammates from StartupSoft were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

I have been working with StartupSoft since 2020 on three different projects. They've been a fantastic partner in helping me find top-quality engineers for my projects. They're always ready to pitch in and help with whatever comes up, and I can't praise enough the quality of engineers who have joined my teams through their support. 

The StartupSoft team has been developing our platform making it 100% compliant with GDPR requirements, ensuring data protection and privacy compliance. They simplified the distribution of sales content, making it easier to manage and share relevant materials. And also, the team modified sales follow-ups for better customer retention and conversion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our collaboration led to such benefits for end users: 

• a 35% increase in faster deal cycles, indicating a more efficient sales process. 
• enhanced buyer engagement by 25%, showing improved interactions with potential users. 
• a 27% higher win rate, suggesting a more effective sales strategy and execution.

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

StartupSoft contributed to adoption of the Agile Scrum methodology, leveraging its flexibility and efficiency in handling changing requirements. They contributed to quarterly Product OKRs aligned with overall company goals. The team is always extremely eager to help in any way they can.

What was your primary form of communication with StartupSoft?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a very people-centric approach to the way they do business.

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

Most of the things I've found challenging around StartupSoft are truly more about the challenges around offshoring engineering talent. At the end of the day, if you are interested in pursuing this avenue of staff augmentation, they are as good as it gets.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Software Development of a smart gym manufacturer.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufactures all-in-one smart gym with next-generation analytics. User friendly and measures all aspects of personal workout.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• For quick hiring
• For developing targeted projects in time
• For Robust software development team

SOLUTION

How did you find StartupSoft?

Referral

Why did you select StartupSoft over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from StartupSoft were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The project aims to develop a robust API backend that interacts with MongoDB for managing resources. The primary operations include: 

• retrieving resource data through GET requests
• creating new resources with POST requests
• updating existing resources using PUT requests

Technologies: 

• Backend Framework: ASP.net 
• Database: MongoDB as the primary data store. 
• API Documentation: Swagger 

Timeline and Milestones: 

• Week 1-2: Project Setup and Planning 
  • Define the project requirements and scope. 
  • Set up the development environment. 
  • Plan the database schema. 
• Week 3-5: Implementation 
  • Develop the API endpoints. 
  • Integrate with MongoDB for data storage. 
  • Implement error handling and validation. 
• Week 6-7: Testing 
  • Create and execute unit tests. 
  • Perform integration testing. 
  • Address and fix any identified issues. 
• Week 8: Documentation and Security 
  • Generate API documentation. 
  • Implement security measures. 
  • Conduct a security audit. 
• Week 9: Deployment 
  • Deploy the API to a production environment. 
  • Configure monitoring and logging. 
• Week 10: Final Review 
  • Conduct a final review of the project. 
  • Address any last-minute issues. 
  • Ensure documentation is up to date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Response Time: 
  • KPI: Achieve a specific response time for API requests. 
  • Success Criteria: Ensure that 95% of API requests are processed within a defined time threshold (e.g., 300 milliseconds). 
• Error Rate: 
  • KPI: Maintain a low error rate in API responses. 
  • Success Criteria: Keep the error rate below a certain percentage (e.g., 1%) for successful API interactions. 
• Scalability: 
  • KPI: Assess the system's ability to scale with increased load. 
  • Success Criteria: Demonstrate that the API can handle a predefined number of concurrent users or requests without significant degradation in performance. 
• Test Coverage: 
  • KPI: Achieve a high percentage of test coverage. 
  • Success Criteria: Ensure that unit tests cover at least 90% of the codebase, and integration tests provide comprehensive coverage for critical workflows. 
• Documentation Quality: 
  • KPI: Create comprehensive and user-friendly API documentation. 
  • Success Criteria: Achieve a high score in user satisfaction through feedback on documentation clarity and completeness.

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

Everything was on time, specially contractors hiring do report to us, hence we manage their progress and daily schedule.

What was your primary form of communication with StartupSoft?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with their communication.

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

Better/Lower developers' cost since everyone is remote and all they need is a laptop and internet connection.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Director of Software Engineering of NoiseAware, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sensing technology for the short-term rental and hospitality industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Source quality software engineers

SOLUTION

How did you find StartupSoft?

Referral

Why did you select StartupSoft over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from StartupSoft were assigned to this project?

10+

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

I have been working with StartupSoft for the last 3.5 years through many different projects. They have been an amazing partner in helping me find quality engineers to work on my projects. They are always eager to jump in and help with anything that comes up and I can't say enough good things about the quality of the engineers that have joined my various teams that came through them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a very low amount of turnover from hires made through StartupSoft. While hiring and retaining engineers is always challenging, the vast majority of the time we have extremely content with our hires; and this is by design, as they want to make sure candidates are a good fit before placing them with your company.

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

I have approached StartupSoft more than once needing to fill a vacancy immediately and they have absolutely done everything they can to do so each time. They are always extremely eager to help in any way they can.

What was your primary form of communication with StartupSoft?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a very people-centric approach to the way they do business.

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

Most of the things I've found challenging around StartupSoft are truly more about the challenges around offshoring engineering talent. At the end of the day, if you are interested in pursuing this avenue of staff augmentation, they are as good as it gets.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

B-Stock Solutions is a secondary market for excess inventory in the B2B space. Out platform creates a marketplace for Buyers and Sellers to transact on inventory by bulk. I am the VP of Engineering, heading all software development efforts and IT operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

There is significant new work (ie, new code) needed for the new Platform that required help from Backend, Frontend, UI/UX, devOps experts. We needed talented technical resources to allow us to build High Quality Enterprise Scale solutions with the latest software stack and Architecture. Our goal is to enable a next generation B2B solution for our existing and growing customer base.

SOLUTION

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

StartupSoft was a recommended vendor from the previous technical leaders who have worked with them before. The areas StartupSoft excels at are getting qualified candidates that work hard, delivers quality and is fairly compensated via market rates as well as caring treatment from the Vendor.

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

We are using Typescript for all Backend Microservices, React for Front End, MongoDB and Rabbit MQ. The scope of work includes delivering End to End experiences for our Registration Flow, Auction Flow and Post Order Flow. They will use the entirety of our Tech Stack. Each Flow, or experience will be integrated with our existing Platform one module at a time.

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

There are 2 DevOps Engineers, 2 Designers, 4 Front End Engineers and 6 Back End Engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch our Registration Flow experience successfully and is already realizing gains in conversions and stickiness of our new users. We expect this trend to continue as we roll out the other part so the platform in the coming months.

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

The vendor is very open to new ideas and highly adaptable to our needs in both managing expectations, resolving concerns and keeping the employees engaged and happy. We used Slack, Email and Google Meet as our primary communication tools.

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

The leaders of StartupSoft truly care about their employees' safety, wellbeing and state of mind. Also, they are very flexible in growing the team according to our needs.

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

We are currently working on better ways to streamline bi-annual reviews so they can be coordinated with our internal bi-annual reviews.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at a company that focuses on high-growth component spaces. We gather and collect information about those components and compile it on a platform, allowing our clients to analyze them to understand space and development management better.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with StartupSoft?

We were exploring alternative ways to escalate our hiring.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

StartupSoft helps us with hiring and sourcing candidates, and they provide the HR side. They’re embedded in our team, and they generally work on improving the platform and building features with our internal employees. We currently have three developers working from Ukraine, and they work on development and DevOps.

They provide developers, and we manage them. We don’t hand over a project, so we have much more control over the people that work for us. It’s like having permanent staff members in Ukraine, and we can just focus on development work. We primarily use Python, Django, Vue.js, and AWS.

Our platform’s core features are its advanced search and the ability to analyze the entire ecosystem of high-growth companies, but there’s more to it. We’re fleshing out the way we display information about companies and different tools to analyze that — whether it’s by exploring geographic areas or comparing sectors, it’s a data analysis platform in a broad sense. On the other hand, we have internal tools that our people use to curate the data and make sure that the quality is right for the platform.

What is the team composition?

We work with three people. Two of them are full-stack developers, and one is a DevOps engineer.

How did you come to work with StartupSoft?

We looked at a bunch of staff augmentation companies. One of the main reasons we chose StartupSoft was because they explicitly focused on that specific service model, while other vendors had a mix of services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to hire more people than we would’ve done by ourselves, so we’ve been able to develop faster. We don’t have any measure to quantify how much work has been done.

How did StartupSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage the developers directly. We had an account manager assigned initially, and we still have regular sessions and check-ins with each other. We primarily use Slack, Zoom, and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make hiring much easier because they do a lot of filtering by themselves, so by the time we had to choose a candidate, they were all very sensible options. Also, it’s very easy to work with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven’t had any significant problems, so nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good understanding of how you want StartupSoft’s developers to interact and engage with your company and what role they’ll play. Once you start, it’s your responsibility to keep them occupied and embedded within your organization, so it’s good to do some of that groundwork before fully engaging because the hiring process can be swift.

Also, be mindful of cultural differences because they can come into play, especially for companies in different countries.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of product design for an entertainment company. We create digital interactive comic books across all platforms, mobile web, desktop, VR, and AR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with StartupSoft?

We needed to build a team quickly and efficiently, so we hired StartupSoft to help us find developers in Ukraine.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

StartupSoft basically recruits development resources to work on our products, so we can focus on marketing, development, design, and so on. They also provide some HR functions.

Our platform takes comic books into our system, and we turn them into interactive comics. We then list them on our storefront apps where users can buy comics. Our app is on various platforms, not just solely mobile or web apps. We have backend services, Apple TV and Android TV apps, and then we also have our VR apps on Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Quest, and Oculus Go. 

To accomplish this, we needed a lot of developers and all kinds of engineers. Once we identify the position and what a potential candidate looks like, we would contact StartupSoft directly and ask them to fill the position. 

Initially, we give them a list of potential job openings, and their recruiters would then search for potential candidates. The team is in charge of the vetting process, which they do through technical assessments. They would then recommend a few candidates for various positions. 

The following steps are on our end. After the team connects us with the candidates, we schedule interviews with them. Aside from the interview, we also give personality assessments to assess if they’re the right fit. 

What is the team composition?

We regularly work with 12 teammates. One is the project manager, one handles QA, and the 10 developers they acquired for us. We also interacted with Alex (CEO) at the start of the engagement to discuss our needs.

How did you come to work with StartupSoft?

I was not involved when we started the engagement, so I honestly don't know how we initially contacted them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in June 2018, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

StartupSoft’s performance exceeds our expectations. They do everything we need them to do and deliver highly qualified developers. The product turned out to be a bigger project than expected, so the developers are working on it, and they’re doing a great job. 

How did StartupSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated with the project manager over email and WhatsApp. For the developers, our company created Slack channels where we could interface with them. We also exchange emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the best things about them is they do most of the vetting beforehand, which has saved us a lot of time. The time I spent with recruitment went from 2–3 days a week to 1–2 hours a week, which is a huge boom. I’d rather be developing than recruiting, so they’re doing great. They're really easy to work with and personable. I’ve had zero problems with them. We’ve known each other for quite some time, and we trust them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I don't see much that they need to improve. Everything's worked out great for us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The best advice is to talk to Alex personally — he'll do his best to work out whatever your needs are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product at Timeslot, a social diary app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with StartupSoft?

We went to them to develop our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

StartupSoft is developing our app for iOS and Android. We plan to build a web version in the future.

It’s a digital calendar and social platform. Users can post text, photos, and videos that they can share publicly or within closed circles. The main functionality is creating time slots and sharing them in the future.

What is the team composition?

They’re providing developers, QA testers, a designer, and a project manager. I also have regular calls with their CEO.

How did you come to work with StartupSoft?

They were recommended to us by someone who’d worked with them. Our CEO went to Ukraine to meet with their team and make a deal. They came on board at the same time as I did.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is between €700,000–€800,000 (approximately $851,000–$973,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with StartupSoft in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with everything StartupSoft has done so far. There’s nothing to complain about.

We’re preparing the beta version of the app right now, and we’re waiting for an investment in order to have a big launch in the US. We’ll grow our team after that, and we plan to continue working with StartupSoft.

How did StartupSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re fully satisfied with them. The team is constantly in touch with me. The CEO regularly inquires about our satisfaction with the product team and the work.

They act immediately if there’s a problem with a team member, they take care of the recruiting when we need something new, and they always update us on the progress.

We’re using Slack and Jira for communication project tracking.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The collaboration with their team is perfect. StartupSoft has very qualified people working for them. Their project manager is the best one I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I would change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend StartupSoft to anyone looking to have a successful collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sole owner and CEO of a small startup in the mortgage industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with StartupSoft?

I wanted to develop an iOS mobile app, specifically for the mortgage industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them a small prototype demo that I had put together in InVision and sent that to them for background purposes so that they understood the overall look and functionality of it. I then walked StartupSoft through the functionality that I wanted and we put together a plan to execute. 

They developed the app, which turns applying for a mortgage into a simple and scalable process. Instead of inputting data or emailing and faxing all of the information in, it's all picture-based. They built it in Xamarin. They also assisted with an interface for the lender.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Andrew (Founder & VP), a project manager, and a coder.

How did you come to work with StartupSoft?

We connected on CoFounderlabs. I saw their services and we ended up having a conversation. We kept touch for probably a year before we embarked on anything, and we met in person a few times and hit it off.

I had looked at other development companies, but StartupSoft was going to be more hands-on with me, which is what I needed. I’m a non-tech founder, so I needed a lot more discussion. I was also able to have longer conversations with them about why I wanted to build for iOS specifically. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We talked for the first time about three years ago, but we began working with them in late 2017. The project was completed about 6–8 weeks after that, in early 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, the quality was good. At that time, I wanted to use specific services that they weren’t familiar with so they pushed back. For this reason, I would say that they were good but not great because I needed to use certain services. Everything went relatively well.

How did StartupSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed on budget, which was really good. The timelines were slightly extended, but it was very minor. All projects go over time and budget generally. Everything was in the parameters that I expected, and I was happy with the results. We used Slack, and a couple of times a week we had Skype calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

StartupSoft didn’t try to change things or question my business model. They took my specs, ran with what I wanted, and got it done in a reasonable amount of time. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything went relatively well. The only thing I would’ve improved on was the UX because it was functional and plain. I mentioned that at the time, and it’s something they could work on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get to know the founders as best you can. Be clear with your expectations and parameters, keep the lines of communication open, and let them do their thing.