Techugo

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a European-based startup creating a set of tools in the form of mobile applications, aimed at helping citizens access governments. A user could apply for social benefits like housing assistance using our app. We offer governments a way of becoming mobile through the help of the private sector. We are within the research and development phase, with two fulltime members working on the concept in Luxemburg. We are also still raising funds.

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We needed development resources for our concept.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techugo stood out though their involvement in the beginning stages of development. I've had a long experience in application design and have worked closely with Techugo. They understood complicated concepts quickly and were able to give me additional insights. We started designing the iOS and Android apps, as well as our PHP backend platform.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

During my involvement with another startup five years ago, I had worked with another Indian application developer and was able to make some friends within the software industry there. At that time, there were fewer information resources like clutch.co available. I conducted my own research and found five candidates. I also reached out to some friends who told me that Techugo was a good choice. I ended up choosing them, mostly because of their understanding of the presales phase of a project.

How much have you invested with Techugo?

The total development cost with Techugo was between $25,000 and $30,000, including change requests.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first got in touch with Techugo in December 2015. The work started in January 2016. We are not finished yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our apps are still being tested by private groups and have not been released to the app stores. Around 200 people are using our applications, filling out test forms. From a quality matrix point of view, we've found very few bugs.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Techugo was very good in terms of delivery timelines. The project was one week over-schedule, which is on time compared to other offshore developers.

What did you find most impressive about Techugo?

Techugo has a very good Chief Technology Officer. She is extremely experienced in new technologies and media. I consider her to be a full-stack technologist; she is one of the main reasons for Techugo's success. Techugo's management treats developers well and thus attracts good quality people.

Are there any areas Techugo could improve?

Techugo could improve their project management communication procedures a little bit. Doing Agile development remotely is always quite difficult. This isn't a very big weakness though, and it didn't have a big impact on the quality of the product or the delivery time. Techugo is also slightly less skilled in developing for iOS than for Android, but they have good competency in both areas, as well as PHP backend development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We have developed a supply management application that can be used for keeping track of client information.

What is your position?

I am a project manager for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We had a general vision for our application but didn't have any specific features listed. We wanted to create an application that would help our clients manage their client database, acting as a direct platform between users and clients. We needed a developer for our project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo provided us with a framework built from scratch, creating all the features that we wanted to implement. We simply told Techugo that we wanted to create a solution for managing customer databases. Techugo developed our platform as an iOS application.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

We considered a few companies, including Techugo. They provided estimated budgets and frameworks, having a transparent and flexible approach even before starting the project, which is why we selected Techugo.

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

The total development cost with Techugo was around $67,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first got in touch with Techugo in November 2015. The work was started in January 2016 and the first phase was rolled out in April. We're now working on the second phase and hope to finish the project by August.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We haven't had any problems throughout the six-to-seven months during which we've worked with Techugo.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been completely clear and transparent. Techugo has always been available to us and worked overtime. It has been one of our most successful projects so far.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Techugo has always listened to our feedback, but they also added their own input. We didn't simply give them a list of features for the application. Because we're not technical people, we've appreciated Techugo's great ideas.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

It may be a bit early to say, given that we're only on the second phase of the project, but we've had no issues with Techugo so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is developing a GPS tracking device which we distribute to car manufacturers.

What is your position?

I am the head of product development for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We wanted to develop an app for our company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo developed our app for iOS and Android. We plan on expanding our reach to Windows and tablets if we are successful.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

I interviewed around 12 companies that I found on a web portal; Techugo was one. We had a meeting with their sales team and discussed our project. We slowly moved ahead to the design phase and continued to work with Techugo.

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

The initial development cost of the project with Techugo was between $30,000 and $40,000. We subsequently started talking to investors and came up with new ideas for the app. The total cost came to $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working with Techugo in January 2016. The development time was 24-28 weeks. The first version of the app is going to be launched in June or July.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We had discussions with numerous companies in the beginning and assigned tasks to a number of them. Techugo stood out in terms of design, analysis, and development. I plan on assigning the second development phase to Techugo exclusively.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Techugo stands out through their design capabilities. Also, since starting our collaboration four months ago, I've come to know each and every person from Techugo, including their Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer. They never denied us anything and understood our project.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

No. Techugo has a long way to go, but they should continue to do what they're doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company, Hair Crayze, is developing an app for the Android and iOS markets.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

I wanted to work with a company that would see my vision and understand what our app is about.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo ran with my ideas and came up with a platform for the app. We worked on multiple stages in order to finalize the work. Techugo is currently working on the e-commerce components of our application.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

I found them online through a portal for idea submissions. Different developers gave me feedback for my concept, which was the way in which I first came into contact with Techugo. We got in touch with their Chief Financial Officer, who walked me through the process. He was completely on top of what I wanted and maintained constant contact with me, which happens to this day. I could approve and give feedback on what was being done, as well as request changes.

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

The total development cost has been under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together mid-March 2016. We are currently finalizing the first development phase of the project and are making plans for the second phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any feedback from this engagement?

Techugo has done a superb job of putting together a team and writing a plan for the project. They know their stuff and were a blessing to have. I have been in communication with them constantly, whether by email, Facebook, or other means. This has been critical, especially since we're based in different countries. I can get a hold of anyone from Techugo at any time if I have a question.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Communication has been the determining quality of Techugo. I don't know much about the app business, so the fact that Techugo is very detailed in terms of the work and which platforms should be used, explaining everything to me and making it come to life, has been great. Techugo has done an awesome job.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything. Techugo has been on-point and I have no complaints in terms of quality or response time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We provide solutions for monitoring mobile and fixed-line operator networks. Our solution is software- and hardware-based. We are a global vendor operating in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

Being a high-tech company, we have an internal research and development team, but we have a large need for performance monitoring applications. In many cases, an expertise or unique specialty in different domains is needed, which we don't always have in-house.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo provided mobile application development for us, for both Android and iOS.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

In addition to my work as CEO, I am always looking for ways of enhancing our R&D proficiency outside of the organic in-house department. I search for new technologies that can address special needs, while also bringing in competition to our internal team in order to improve its performance. As part of this, I evaluate between six and 12 different outsourcing companies. Most of those are first-time projects on the basis of which I decide whether to continue the collaboration or not. In some cases, it results in long-term relationships.

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

The total cost of their services has been between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working for a few months. We have finished some projects, while some are in progress or in the pipelines.

Following our first development project, we have identified Techugo as a software house with which we would like to build a relationship. The amount of R&D which we perform both in-house and externally is substantial, so in some cases, we will work on a project basis. This is the current situation with Techugo.

We've established an arrangement by which we've worked with other companies for a certain amount of work per month, for longer periods. We plan to use Techugo in this manner as well. So far, they seem to have been qualified to be a long-term developer for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The applications developed by Techugo are meant for our internal use, not the open public. As part of our core team, we have professional services and engineering teams using a set of tools, among which is the application built by Techugo.

We provide our telecom operator customers with information about the quality and stability of their networks. One of the most important things for us is to be very accurate. As such, the quality of our own products needs to be high. A quality experience starts with us, so we have a very strong quality assurance department which tests applications.

With our first project, we've had a technical challenge which may not have been possible to overcome. In parallel to working with Techugo, we assigned this project to another vendor that failed to provide a solution. Our second challenge involved quality and understanding our need. One thing which was very impressive was Techugo's willingness to both understand our need and to suggest better approaches than those we proposed in the specification phase. They were also flexible with making the changes requested by us.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management and status reports are very professional, as much as can be expected from any software house.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

They have a good technical team and a good understanding of how things should be. They listen very carefully, which is an area in which many other developers have failed. Techugo understood what we needed, not only what we asked. They were thus able to propose other improvements to our software.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

My impression is that they aim to be a big company and are in the process of expanding. As such, there are aspects which come out as not fully-tailored. There are loose ends such as the lack of a ticketing system. They don't have a formalized way of making release notes either. There are other aspects in which Techugo has come a long way, such as the detailed and professional way in which they make scopes. Even though they are still growing, they are going in a very good direction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am a sole proprietor in California and I provide transaction coordinator services for real estate agents.

What is your position?

I am the owner of my practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

I wanted to increase my productivity in my local market, take on more clients, and stay organized while doing so. The goal is to double my volume. I had a clear idea of how to keep myself organized with 30+ pending transactions, but I had no idea how to code it, which is why I hired Techugo.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo was responsible for coding the application for me.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

It took me over a month to choose a company. I used two different work-for-hire platforms. Altogether, I received 60 applicants willing to take on my project. After narrowing it down to a small group of 10 applicants I interviewed two companies. I ultimately chose Techugo because of their professionalism and courtesy. They were warm and friendly, not pushy and cold. Most importantly, they were open to my ideas.

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

The project costs amounted to $2,700 and was estimated to be completed in five weeks.

What is the status of this engagement?

The team was hired on or around February 17th (initial payment was issued) and I was notified of the completion on March 28th.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any feedback from this engagement?

I couldn't be more pleased with the results of the project. The app is functioning just as I wished it would. The Techugo team was very communicative throughout the process and was quick to answer to any of my concerns with possible solutions. I will use them again in the future and look forward to it.

What advice would you give to future clients?

My advice to future clients of Techugo would be to be clear and concise in what you want. They are there to bring your ideas to life. If you communicate fully, I think you will be pleased with the results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a startup providing an e-commerce platform.

What is your position?

I am a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We needed a team to develop our platform from scratch, based on our concept. We had a list of functionalities that our website and mobile platform needed to feature. Our products are free, but they require playing a game in order to buy items.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our platform features e-commerce and gaming capabilities on both its app and web versions. Techugo developed both iOS and Android applications for our company. They set up our backend server on AWS and will be providing ongoing support.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

We had worked with one of their developers a couple of years ago, before that person moved to Techugo. I contacted him, among other people, when we needed to develop this project. Since we had a prior relationship, I decided to use his new company, Techugo.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Techugo a year ago. The timeline for the project expanded due to additional features we added. We're currently within our revised deadline in terms of the product launch expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Their work has been pretty good. We have had some problems with our gaming capabilities, but they've been resolved. We haven't had a chance to see how the platform holds up to high traffic in a real world environment yet, but testing has gone well.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Techugo is very responsive. I can reach anyone I want at any time.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

They ask a lot of questions, which is a very good thing. I've worked with a lot of other developers in India and Pakistan over the years. Most of the time, they never inquired about details when I'd describe what I wanted. This can lead to them developing features that are totally opposite to what I requested. The fact that Techugo asks the right questions is reassuring and time-saving. It's why I've most enjoyed working with Techugo.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

Everyone can improve, but I can't think of any glaring problems I've had with Techugo.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

Stylematch is a digital startup business redefining how consumers shop and engage fashion. Stylematch is an interactive fashion marketplace empowering people with a new way to search, try on and buy fashion using innovative mobile solutions.

What is your position?

I am the founder and chief executive officer of the startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We needed help with developing our Stylematch iOS application. We needed an app that was fully operational, stable and optimized in a timely and cost-effective manner.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Techugo developed the Stylematch app Version 2. We had version one of the App developed via another organization, however we were not satisfied with the quality of the app coding and timing, so we went to Techugo to re-develop the app for version II. The second generation was a major overhaul in terms of functionality, features, supported iOS, and user interface design.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

We researched companies within India that we had heard good things about, as well as companies that had offices in multiple locations, and worked on complex projects that were commercial and consumer focused. After reviewing a handful of businesses, we reviewed various blogs and forums to find out what others were saying about their quality of work and ability to deliver. Finally, we also knew the chief technology officer of Techugo, whom I had worked with before and had a good rapport with.

We provided a brief for what was required. Techugo responded with a capabilities document. We then had many chats over skype & email with the CTO and lead software engineer to talk through the brief and how the work would be completed. This was the final process before engaging with Techugo for the work.

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

We have spent around $200,000. The project took three months from start to finish.

When was the project completed?

Three months after the development brief was finalized and submitted.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The iOS app was developed on time and within budget. Techugo resolved all issues in a timely manner and we collaboratively worked on all matters as they arose.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Techugo performed very well. Their quality of work was far superior to the previous development company. The app is performing better than the previous build, and there have been zero bugs since launching. Techugo was very knowledgeable about the coding requirements for iOS and with coming up with good solutions when required.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Their quality of coding, problem solving skills and ability to recommend a solution when an issue arose, and their open and transparent communication.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

No. We’re very happy.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

Develop a good brief that includes features, functionality and designs. Make sure you send them workshop features within the functionality to better display the end outcome (simulations/story-board). Also, do a user test at key development milestones/deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a marketing company that specializes in building online apps and marketing products for third parties.

What is your position?

I'm the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

We needed development work for an app. We were looking for a company with the necessary skills for developing it. Ultimately, we wanted a long-term collaboration for other future projects.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They worked on the entire development process. We gave Techugo an outline of our design, and had them use their skills to assess development opportunities and bring any other insight they might have.

They also built a small website that showcased the app.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

We found them on a freelancing website. Their response to our posting was timely and well-constructed.

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

The total cost of the project was between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Techugo since October 2015. The work is ongoing and within schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The app hasn't been launched yet, so we have no empirical data to support it.

In the development process, Techugo has met deadlines and has been technically competent. They listened to our requirements and brought a technical approach to resolving them. We have no metrics at this moment, but we're comfortable with their work. They use an Agile approach and, as a result, they respond quickly to requests for changes.

How did Techugo perform from a project management standpoint?

Techugo gave us a timeline and milestones. They're one of the few software developers we've worked with that have stuck to their milestones consistently.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Developers can be on time and yet provide buggy products which would take forever to fix. Techugo is timely and, more importantly, they make the effort to understand the requirements clearly. When they deliver the work, it is up to our requirements.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

I don't have anything to say. We're very pleased. Techugo has been our first outsourced software company in a long time that has been able to deliver what we wanted. We intend to use them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is a promotion platform internet business for the music industry where artists and fans can connect. Artists can manage and monetize their content and fans can get access to their favorite artists, music and other content, all in one destination.

What is your position?

I am the president and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Techugo?

I knew what I wanted to accomplish with this platform because I had spent a number of years managing my son’s musical career, including negotiating his record label deal, artist management, and booking agent deals. In that process, I realized that there wasn't a good digital platform that artists and their business people could use to digitally manage their business.

Taking the concepts that I knew we needed to have, I went to Techugo asking them for a proposal. This included a mobile app that fans download to access the content and the band. There’s also an administrator panel used to manage the content that’s available through the app, as well as to aggregate user data tracking and segment fans into individual promotions that can be created and made directly to each fan. That’s what Techugo built for me.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They were responsible for frontend and backend development. The work included handling all the data architecture as well as the management of content and the collection and use of the user tracking data.

The application is for iOS only first, because I want to finish the feature set and confirm that we’ve got a market with what we’ve done before I have them do Android.

How did you come to work with Techugo?

We started working together about this time last year [mid-January 2015]. Prior to that, I was using Guru.com to post my project and solicit bids from developers worldwide. In that process, I had previous work done on a prototype platform by another company. They did a certain amount of work that I was not fully satisfied with. This was in 2014. We discovered Techugo's team and they made a proposal to complete the platform. That’s how I learned about them and that’s why I agreed to let them do the work.

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

We are continuing to do work on the platform although the overall platform is built. I’m going to say that including those things, it’s in the $50,000 to $200,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

One of the problems I had prior to Techugo was that the delivery commitments on the project estimates from the development people were never achieved. They were missed by as much as 200 - 300%, in terms of the number of extra days it took to do work. That was one of the things that I was most focused on when I began talking to Techugo. I needed the confidence that whatever their delivery commitment was, they would be able to honor that commitment.

What Techugo did, that no other team had been able to do before, was to set reasonable delivery dates for phases of the implementation. They had a cost that was consistent with what other developers were charging for this kind of work, but they were actually delivering on time. All products go through debugging and sometimes you get feedback from a user that says you need to make some kind of modification. Their responsiveness with that kind of thing has been excellent and it’s another thing that I really appreciate. They did some extra work for me too. They got everything loaded up onto the cloud servers so I didn’t have to hire an IT person to get all that setup. They navigated the Apple review process for me as well.

What distinguishes Techugo from other providers?

Delivering on time. With the way I work, when I ask somebody to do work and ask them for a timeframe, I let them figure out what that timeframe is. If I can live with it then that’s what we go with. I don’t try to push them into something they can’t do. But once they set it, I expect them to deliver it. Techugo is the only development team that’s been able to actually deliver what they said they would do on time.

Is there anything Techugo could have improved or done differently?

They’re so far above any other development team I’ve worked with. I’m getting great value for what I’m paying and I’m able to execute my business strategy because they’re executing their piece for me. On an absolute basis maybe they could bring more design capability into it. I have a designer that does the design work for the mobile app. It works fine. Techugo has some design resources but I don’t think they’re able to conceptualize designs. I think they’re able to execute designs. If I were them I would be moving more into the conceptualization of design work. That’s just icing on the cake though, it’s not really a deficiency.