UshAR

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Krossing, Inc., a startup related to media marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with UshAR?

I needed a tech team to build a web application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I presented my vision to UshAR. They made wireframes and built a Cloud-based web app. It allows the user to hire people and see media marketing, ratings, and reviews.

They used Node.js in development.

What is the team composition?

Sayed (Co-Founder) was the lead. He worked with two developers and a designer. 

How much have you invested with them?

It was a little less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the project from June–December 2019.

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

The web app is very good. UshAR worked hard and delivered the product on time. I’m happy and will hire them again for some coding. 

How did UshAR perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good at communication, which is important. They gave updates and called when they had any issues. We communicated via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a young, energetic team that is willing to tackle any challenges they come up against. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make a timeline to follow. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an insurance marketplace company that helps users to understand, compare, and purchase five different types of insurance from top insurance companies in Pakistan.

What challenge were you trying to address with UshAR?

We needed someone to develop our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

UshAR developed our platform, starting at the ideation stage. I gave them my requirements, let them know what functionalities I wanted, and explained how I saw the platform operating. They came back with their solutions and optimized the user experience. 

We started with PHP and Laravel for the basic prototype of our web app, and we’re now migrating to Django and React. We’re focusing on building the product as a white-label solution for offline insurance companies. UshAR maintains the platform, making sure it doesn’t have bugs or go down.

What is the team composition?

We work with around four people at a time. If we want to accelerate a few things or bring on new features, I request more resources.

How did you come to work with UshAR?

I knew them from my university days. I reached out to 2–3 companies and checked out their profiles as well. Going with a bigger service provider would have put us on the back of the priority list rather than on top. UshAR is a medium-sized software house, and we felt they would prioritize our work. Haseeb (Co-Founder) is a really accomplished software engineer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017, and it’s ongoing.

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

Working with UshAR is like having a tech co-founder beside me. We’ve gotten good feedback about the user experience. We’ve come a long way from the way the web used to operate to where we are now.

Even though what we’re doing might sound old and basic, it’s totally new in the Pakistani healthcare industry. Pakistan has a $2 billion industry, with around 45 insurance companies, and yet all of the premium distributions have primarily been done through offline channels. Our biggest achievement so far has been bringing the product online and connecting it to APIs. 

How did UshAR perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been good. Whatever time they commit to, it takes them about three extra weeks before they deliver. We use Trello, Zoom, and in-person meetings to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

UshAR is willing to learn, and they take ownership of what they do. They deliver mostly on time and are open to receiving feedback. The team also troubleshoots.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your due diligence. If you feel that they have the expertise for the product you want built, you should definitely consider working with them.