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Mobile and Web App Experts

4.9
6 reviews

SwingDev provides expert-level web and mobile apps to the hottest startups. Based in San Francisco and Warsaw, SwingDev teams work closely with Bay-Area VC firms, startups, and Fortune 500 companies. The combination of local product managers and senior-level teams allows SwingDev to provide rapid high-quality results.

 
$5,000+
 
$50 - $99 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2013
Show all +
San Francisco, CA
headquarters
  • San Francisco, CA
    United States
other locations
  • Warsaw
    Poland
  • Cape Town
    South Africa

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Palantir, First Data, Lexus, Disney, ESPN, TicketFly, Mohr Davidow, Wildcat Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, IVP, Edupath, Globality, Option Driver, Louis CK, Sensory Inc

 

 

Option Driver Project Profile Image

Option Driver Project Profile

Option Driver

Option Driver Success Story Image

Option Driver Success Story

SwingDev design and development teams, led by a Product Manager and Senior Architect, worked closely with Advanced HR executives on iterating from designs to an MVP, and then to a fully-scalable product used by hundreds of companies and VC's. 

TicketFly Success Story Image

TicketFly Success Story

CHALLENGE

Build out a completely new product integrated with the current Ticketlfy backend infrastructure while undergoing a brand redesign

 

SOLUTION

The SwingDev Scala and Angular engineering teams, led by an experienced Product Manager, worked closely with Ticket y’s internal teams to architect and build a complex add-on to TicketFly’s existing

…
platform

 

TECHNOLOGIES

AngularJS, Scala, Play! Framework

    

Read more...
4ME Success Story Image

4ME Success Story

CHALLENGE

Diving deep into the 4ME codebase in a very short period time in order to deliver a working product to anxious clients that were ready to buy

 

SOLUTION

SwingDev assembled a team of senior developers, led by a seasoned Software Architect in order to work with maximum efficiency and resolve all issues in record time with high confidence

 

TECHNOLOGIES

Swift (iOS),

…
Node.js, ReactJS 
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Dachs Project Profile Image

Dachs Project Profile

Use Dachs to find licensed, professional dog walkers when you need them most. No planning required. 

Edupath Project Profile Image

Edupath Project Profile

Students, meet your future Dream School! EDUPATH is the only tool that makes it easy to find colleges, get world-class SAT prep and manage your college applications right from your iPhone or iPad 

Lexus Project Profile Image

Lexus Project Profile

The Lexus IS iPad app puts an interactive IS sport sedan at your fingertips in full retina resolution. 

PixelChat Project Profile Image

PixelChat Project Profile

PixelChat lets you create your own emojis, message them to your friends, and even stamp them on photos!

TicketFly Project Profile Image

TicketFly Project Profile

The world’s first end-to-end product for promoters that brings calendar management, offer creation, and settlement, together in one place. 

We the Economy Project Profile Image

We the Economy Project Profile

You’ve never seen the US economy in quite this way. Award-winning directors and leading economic experts team up for a MUST SEE, incredible short film series that tackles 20 essential questions about our economy through comedy, animation, music, and dance. 

We the Voters Project Profile Image

We the Voters Project Profile

Get a fresh perspective on democracy and governance ahead of the 2016 elections.

Is it the government’s job to keep us safe? Does one vote really make a difference? Does money influence elections? 

Option Driver by Advanced HR Image

Option Driver by Advanced HR

Option Driver is used by dozens of the leading VCs and startups that understand how a compensation plan can make or break a company. 

 

SwingDev, teamed with AdvancedHR ensures this experience is fluid, rewarding and evolves to suit their needs. 

Reviews

4.9
6 reviews
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Web Development for Language Learning App

“I’ll be a returning customer.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Apr. - Oct. 2017
Project summary: 

SwingDev built out a prototype to deliver a cross-platform and client-facing web app. They provided full stack development using Angular JS for the frontend and MongoDB for the backend.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Cincinnati, Ohio
Tsavo Knott
Founder, accent.ai
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SwingDev followed project specifications and delivered a high-quality product. The team is flexible to scope change and open to new ideas. They’re personable and proactively engage challenges to accomplish development goals. Their organization and communication skills yield excellent code.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a founder of accent.ai. It was a language learning platform that provided customized lessons to users. It was based on a methodology of teaching users the information they need to be successful in their specific situation. For example, if someone were to take a trip to Spain for work or leisure, they could input those scenarios into our system and it would generate a custom lesson. Instead of focusing on generic sentences, the platform taught users practical phrases like how to order food or say “Yes, please.” Information was taught in the form of question/answer pairs instead of individual word lists. The company is no longer operating in a business sense. It’s been open-sourced and we currently treat the platform as a project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev - (Swing Development Inc)?

We had built an in-house prototype using easy and less-scalable technologies. However, we realized a professional development firm was needed to further scale the platform and build out additional components.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Development of the client-facing application was based-on our minimum viable product (MVP). We wanted to build a cross-platform application using one code base. We didn’t want to deal with the hassles of native iOS and Android apps along with a web platform. Initially, we worked with their chief architect who scoped out the project and determined what technologies we should use. The decision was to use AngularJS on the frontend, and MongoDB on the backend.

One of the first things SwingDev did was build us a content portal. This enabled our content aggregation team to create, edit, and upload lessons through the app’s backend. They used Google Firebase to handle our authentication protocols and password management. The app was primarily built on a MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js).

We had some organizational troubles on our end and had to put a halt on development. That was essentially the last phase of our collaboration, but we’ve gained a lot from working with SwingDev.

What is the team composition?

Six people from SwingDev’s team worked on our project. They allocated a chief architect, two developers, a QA tester, a project manager, and the project manager’s assistant.

How did you come to work with SwingDev - (Swing Development Inc)?

Two years ago, we were a startup of relatively nontechnical people. We had linguists, business developers, and designers, but it’s hard to find quality developers in the web and mobile tech space. We went through a few rounds of working with Upwork and other freelancing platforms to build a production version of the application. SwingDev was referred to us by an investor who had worked with them on previous projects. We got connected and started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested almost $100,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with SwingDev between April–October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SwingDev is a fantastic all-around team. They produced very high-quality work and are particularly skilled in AngularJS. They’re well-organized and efficient when testing, fixing, and documenting bugs.

How did SwingDev - (Swing Development Inc) perform from a project management standpoint?

I had calls with them at 7 a.m. every day. The next day, the entire change log would be complete and we’d continue to make progress. The project manager’s assistant produced weekly reports. They did a great job with everything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Every person I’ve worked with from their team has a fantastic attitude and personality. The people at SwingDev are there because they’re passionate about making good products and that’s evident in their work. They were quick to respond to my emails. Having a younger staff yields an openness to new ideas and flexibility not often found in larger firms. I’ll be a returning customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a young entrepreneur, I might not have understood all the particulars of a technology-based project. SwingDev could focus on the difference between building a production application and an MVP that could be expanded. MVP’s require fewer hours, less technological overhead, and a lower budget. A full commitment to a production version requires details that can affect scalability and deployment. SwingDev offering an MVP package of sorts for startup companies or less-experienced individuals could allow them to deliver an experience tailored to their customer. Breaking the work down into smaller stages would be more efficient for scoping. They’re relatively on par with other development operations in that regard.

5.0
Overall Score SwingDev was flexible even when the budget got a bit tighter. The experience was fantastic.
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They’re in a different time zone, which could’ve been a challenge. However, everything was completed within our deadline.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Their price is on par with other development firms I’ve worked within the U.S.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They delivered everything we asked them to do. There’s nothing to complain about.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I’ve had a great experience. They write organized code, and they do a good job.

SaaS commerce platform

"Tomek (CTO, Swing Dev) built our cloud infrastructure himself and made the time to discuss a variety of issues with me personally."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Jan. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Swing Dev developed cloud architecture on Amazon Web Services, rebuilt an iOS app, programmed a Node API to integrate with legacy enterprise resource planning, and created a web app using React JS. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
USA
CEO, Operational Software Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The CTO of Swing Dev personally took it upon himself to communicate technical issues and create the cloud architecture. The team was consultative and offered useful and detailed advice to improve the projects. The final projects tripled product offerings.  

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a company that provides sales and operations software for manufacturers, distributors, retailers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SwingDev - (Swing Development Inc)?

Our iOS app was a mess and we wanted a reliable outsourced development partner who could deliver a solid product. We wanted to recreate our web app and required an expert in React. We also required a DevoOs pipeline designed and implemented, and our network architecture to be built for scale. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to develop a functioning iOS application, rebuild the web UI, create a robust network infrastructure, automate DevOps, and to create a functional inventory/order management API.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to us by a friend of mine.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Their team designed, developed, and implemented a robust cloud architecture on Amazon Web Services (AWS) including container management; created a continuous integration solution to deploy software; rebuilt the iOS application from scratch; refactored, completed, and deployed web frontend code using React JS; developed Node API from scratch to integrate with the legacy third-party enterprise resource planning (ERP); and developed inventory and order management API based off of a collective collaboration.

What was the team composition?

Team composition was 1-to-2 experts per subject, and often times CTO would get involved. We worked with a team of 8-to-10 of experts in total. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their projects helped us triple our product offerings, which brought more value to customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Swing managed the project very effectively. We communicated using Trello, Jira, GitHub, Slack, and they set up a team channel where we could all interact. They accommodated extremely well to our different time zones.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Tomek (CTO, Swing Dev) built our cloud infrastructure himself and made the time to discuss a variety of issues with me personally. All of their developers are very accessible and Anatoli (Developer, Swing Dev) stood out as exceptional by improving our team's skill set. 

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There are no areas where they can improve. 

5.0
Overall Score They are the best at what they do.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I have already referred the team.

Two-Sided Marketplace Dev for Real Estate Professionals

“We’ve been pleased overall with the quality of SwingDev’s code and design.”

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4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Dec. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Using React.js and Redux, SwingDev developed a consumer-facing frontend on top of the existing backend. The portal allows users to perform account management actions such as signing up and editing profiles.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
San Francisco, California
Founder, Two-Sided Marketplace
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Although the product hasn’t launched yet, SwingDev’s highly capable team is delivering solid results. Their expertise, intuition, and autonomous work style are appreciated, and their project management is strong with great organization and communication.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re building a two-sided marketplace targeted at real estate professionals. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev?

We needed a partner to build a consumer-facing frontend on top of the backend built by our internal team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SwingDev provided frontend development on top of our APIs. The backend system we’ve developed is the core of the product. Their team built the consumer-facing portal that allows people to perform account management actions such as signing up and editing profiles. They built the frontend using React.js and Redux.

What is the team composition?

They assigned two developers and one designer to our project.

How did you come to work with SwingDev?

They came as a recommendation from someone who’d used their team previously. We looked at a few other companies, but SwingDev moved quickly and had a positive reference.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SwingDev in December 2017 and have an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product hasn’t been launched to external users yet, but we’ve been pleased overall with the quality of SwingDev’s code and design.

How did SwingDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been happy with the competency of their project management. They’re good at managing their internal processes, interacting with our team, and adapting to our project management style.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a good combination of technical competencies and business understanding. Unlike with other firms I’ve used in the past, I didn’t have to spell out every single flow to SwingDev. They were able to comprehend the general flow of what we were trying to build and fill in the items a typical user would expect. After asking them for a signup flow, they can build a modern solution without the need for too many clarifications.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are expensive, but it’s a reasonable trade for the quality delivered.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    SwingDev is receptive to prioritizing important deadlines.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They’re a bit on the expensive side, but they are good.
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They are technically strong and work hard to hit deadlines.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

App Development for Dog-Walking Tool

"SwingDev's ability to deliver a very good-looking, user-friendly, and intuitive application has made our job easier when actually driving our numbers."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
June 2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SwingDev developed a sleek mobile app (iOS/Android) with complex frontend, backend, and payment-processing components and offers ongoing support.

The Reviewer
 
2-10 Employees
 
San Francisco, California
Brad Dickinson
Co-Founder, Dachs
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Turning a rough brief into a smooth final design, SwingDev’s personable team offered clear project scopes, exact cost estimates, and great responsiveness. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Dachs, LLC provides a software application for iOS and Android which acts as a middleman between people who need their dogs walked and people looking to service that need.

What is your position?

I am a co-founder of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev?

My partner and I have backgrounds in business management and sales, but we had a lack of technical expertise for building a mobile application. We went out into the field looking at resources we could hire, but also at higher-end firms in San Francisco and $5-per-hour ones in India and other places overseas. We settled on SwingDev as the best option. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

The application is fairly complex, consisting of a frontend, a backend, and a payment processor in the middle. One side of the app is intended for dog-owners who request walks. It needed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for them to setup payment information with bank accounts. The other side is intended for dog-walkers, who need to setup their information for accepting payments, make themselves available, and update their information. In the middle, we use Braintree as a payment platform, which makes transactions securely.

How did you come to work with SwingDev?

My partner and I went out and got a sense of different providers—namely, how much their work coincided with our standards. We wanted a modern-looking, sleek, and user-friendly application and felt that the first thing to do was to eliminate anyone who couldn't deliver on that standard. We also wanted a responsive and personable company. SwingDev put in the time and energy to build that relationship. Cost was a consideration as well, and SwingDev was unparalleled in all respects.

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

The cost of our application and support tools like Amazon Web Services have come to approximately $100,000 over the last 2 years. SwingDev's hourly wage is around $85, which includes building product scopes, developing our application, and providing support. Considering the scope and quality of the work, compared to San Francisco firms providing similar services, SwingDev's price is fantastic.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SwingDev in June 2015. The work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are mostly talking about soft tangibles since we haven't used SwingDev for help on sales and marketing or on how we could increase our monthly users. Those are all elements which reflect our business activities as an organization. SwingDev's ability to deliver a very good-looking, user-friendly, and intuitive application has made our job easier when actually driving our numbers.

How did SwingDev perform from a project management standpoint?

The firm numbers that we can look at are the costs and timelines projected by SwingDev. On both counts, they surpassed expectations, delivering a first version of the product early and under the allotted cost scoped out by us.

What distinguishes SwingDev from other providers?

SwingDev had the ability to take my partner’s and my weak description of what we were looking for in an application and deliver a frontend product which exceeded our expectations. We had an idea of how users should interact with our application based on other ones we liked like Instacart, but we didn't know how to articulate that for our own project. We spent a lot of time explaining what we did and didn't like about certain apps, pointing out to SwingDev everything that mattered to us in terms of design, including our favorite cars and clothing. All of those things gave SwingDev bits of information about what we thought looked and felt good, so they consumed that information, turning it into something awesome. That was by far their greatest value to us.

Is there anything SwingDev could have improved or done differently?

SwingDev uses very creative people in Warsaw, which keeps costs down. The time difference between that location and the US, particularly San Francisco, has made it tricky at times to sync up with people and have live conversations. SwingDev should find a way to improve the ability of clients like myself to access those resources.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with SwingDev?

I have done a couple of reference calls for SwingDev, and something that I've pointed out (besides cost and quality of work) is the fact that they can build a relationship, which makes the client comfortable in accessing SwingDev as a business partner rather than as a consultant. SwingDev's principal acts as a liaison for all aspects of the organization, whether it's related to the US or to the Polish team. SwingDev has a great way of making sure that the client has what they need and that they understand the process from start to finish before they make any decisions. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    The overall cost may be higher or lower than that of other companies, but SwingDev's ability to stay within what they promised us deserves a maximum score.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

App Development for Education Startup

"SwingDev provided alternatives for our needs and was great in determining a long-term vision."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
2013 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SwingDev built an iPad version and Chinese language version of the client's iPhone app, expanding test prep coverage from the SAT to the SET, ACT, and LSAT too.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 employees
 
San Francisco Bay Area
Michael Weiler
Founder, Edupath
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SwingDev helped the client launch its updated app versions quickly and successfully, and they were also credited with being important long-term thought partners for the client. SwingDev was praised for their research and strong pros/cons analyses.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We develop apps helping students navigate the process of going to college. We help them make college lists, recommend schools to each other, prep for SATs and SETs, and ultimately help project manage the process.   I am the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev?

We had launched an iPhone app and wanted to scale our existing development resources, getting onto the iPad as quickly as possible.
SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SwingDev was initially brought in for building an iPad version of our iPhone app. The phone version was SAT-focused, and we wanted the new app to work with other standardized tests like the SET and LSAT.

How did you come to work with SwingDev?

We were looking for iOS developers as well as ones who could work on Windows software. We were referred to a recruiter through one of our investors. That person had a good relationship with SwingDev and recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with SwingDev?

The cost of SwingDev's services has been between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SwingDev in mid-to-late 2013. Our work is ongoing; we keep coming up with new projects for SwingDev, and they've been a great partner for the company. We most recently launched a Chinese version of our US app, with updates for the new SAT launched this past year. We are also working with SwingDev on white-labeling opportunities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch an iPad app with ACT testing functionalities, as well as launch a Chinese version of our app. The component I'd attribute to SwingDev is that they're fantastic thought partners in determining how we develop our infrastructure. If we scoped out an app with specific functionalities, SwingDev returned quick and clear feedback on how that could be done, what issues it could create, and how much it would cost. SwingDev provided alternatives for our needs and was great in determining a long-term vision. This is a unique facet for an outsourced company.

How did SwingDev perform from a project management standpoint?

SwingDev provided fast, clear and specific communication, as well as consistently accurate estimates. We have involved SwingDev in some larger projects. Whenever they gave a four-month estimate, the work was delivered in three and a half. SwingDev's team managed themselves as opposed to other developers we used, which needed active project management, even on a day-to-day basis. SwingDev participated in whatever level of reporting we required, from daily scrums to weekly updates.

What did you find most impressive about SwingDev?

If we came with a question of how best to approach something or had a general idea, SwingDev did a lot of research and became engaged in our conversation, coming back with a strong pros-and-cons analysis.

Are there any areas SwingDev could improve?

No. We've had a great experience with SwingDev.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with SEO Brand SwingDev?

SwingDev has a process by which the client's scope of work is interpreted over the course of a week, to come up with a rough working document. It includes all technical requirements, questions which may not have been addressed, what design work will be needed, what the timeline will be, and so on. SwingDev can deliver a very useful roadmap, and I think it's worth it.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    SwingDev is not an inexpensive provider. It all depends on what the client's requirements are.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Enterprise Development for Compensation Planning Provider

"We found SwingDev’s commitment to understanding our product and user interface needs prior to the design phase to be unique."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Nov. 2014 - Aug. 2015
Project summary: 

SwingDev functions as the development arm for the client, who is building a new platform that helps companies better plan and executes their compensation management needs. Work began in November 2014. The beta was launched the following August, and new features are continuously rolled out.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 employees
 
San Francisco, California
Dee DiPietro
Founder/CEO, Advanced-HR
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The client is extremely pleased with the work done by SwingDev, which has taken the time to learn the client's product needs as well as architect the platform successfully. The client particularly praised SwingDev's commitment to quality, creativity, and ability to take constructive feedback.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Advanced-HR, Inc., a San Francisco-based SaaS [Software-as-a-Service] company that provides compensation planning data and services to private companies and their venture investors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev?

As a small company, we rely on SwingDev as our development arm and engaged them to architect and launch a new approach to compensation planning for private companies. Our platform helps private companies understand market data, build competitive cash and equity plan costs over their employees/hiring project, and then budget out to employees. It has changed the way in which companies access market data and drastically reduced planning costs by eliminating a compensation consultant.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were involved in everything from envisioning the initial architecture to developing ongoing features. We used SwingDev for complete design and development of our new compensation planning platform that was launched in Q4 2015. SwingDev was involved in every step – from understanding the needs from a conceptual standpoint to architecting and building the system.

How did you come to work with SwingDev?

SwingDev was recommended by one of our venture firm customers. One of the primary selection criteria was their flexibility and ability to work with our small company culture. They demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm during the proposal process by bringing in outside assistance from the University of Warsaw to aid in their understanding of private company financial models.

How much have you invested with SwingDev?

Our cash component of the development budget does not reflect the services provided, as full payment has been a combination of both cash and equity such that SwingDev is currently an investor in Advanced-HR, Inc.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in November 2014, and we launched our beta in August 2015. We use iterative release; each 2-4 weeks, new features or changes are launched based on customer feedback.

Our flagship data product is currently supported by another contracting firm, and we will be transitioning it over to SwingDev as well. The group at SwingDev is really part of our staff, and we would not enjoy our current success without them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product launched in a timely manner, and all sprints are launched on schedule. Key contributions by SwingDev that have helped ensure platform success include 1) eliminating the need for customers to understand job codes by creating a drag-and-drop company review interface, and 2) creating algorithms to smooth out (sometimes massive) skews in market data that help create usable pay and equity ranges.

How did SwingDev perform in terms of project management specifically?

Good, but our situation is a bit different, as we eliminated their scrum master and manage sprints ourselves. SwingDev was willing to work with us in the way we wanted to work with their team. We use JIRA project management software to manage stories, sprints, quality assurance, and releases.

Working with a group in Poland has proven to be easy, and the team accommodates the time difference with ease. We often get emails from them during our work day and their off-hours, especially in times of urgent needs.

What did you find most impressive about SwingDev?

We found SwingDev’s commitment to understanding our product and user interface needs prior to the design phase to be unique. They have put in tremendous effort to ensure quality throughout the project and are very willing to implement changes to address constructive feedback.

Are there any areas SwingDev could improve?

Some of the design aspects of the product were a challenge during the first six months. However, when brought to the SwingDev team’s attention, they brought on outside design skills to help in needed areas.

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

The SwingDev staff is highly motivated by creative projects that enable them to demonstrate leading edge skills. Involvement in the creation of the product led to solutions that were not apparent to us but provided a better user experience.

5.0
Overall Score As mentioned before, SwingDev is our development team, and we mesh from a cultural perspective.
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Partially my fault: As a small company, we are not always available and sometimes hold up the project. SwingDev has had similar challenges during its growth over the past 2 years.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    Nothing unexpected in the budget has occurred, and we have launched a great product.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Great collaboration with the SwingDev team was the foundation of building a product that our venture firm and private company customers endorse. Errors and bugs are minimal, with hot fixes being deployed in a timely manner.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Can I do 10? SwingDev has gone above and beyond in learning the content nuances that enabled building a really great product.