Handydev

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Big Tech Inc. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Handydev?

We hired them to develop an iOS and Android mobile application that allows salespeople and manufacturers to network.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with the wireframe to get started and then they did the frontend programming for the app which included setting up a member roster. They also helped us with deployment.

What is the team composition?

We work with Mikhail (Owner, Handydev) and Stanislav (Team Leader, Handydev).

How did you come to work with Handydev?

We found them through Upwork. We then had a conversation with them and we knew right away that they were competent.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested around $25,000 but that number will double in the next year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve given us everything we’ve asked of them. Even when there have been tricky issues with the interface, they've always been able to fix them. The app is rock solid. Any issues we’re having are on our end, not theirs.

How did Handydev perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly work in GitHub. They also used Crashlytics for a while and it seemed to work well. We were working with another developer but we had communication issues. Since we started working with Handydev, we haven’t had any of those problems. They’ve been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They made the animations work smoothly on the app interface.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re great overall. My only comment is that it would be good if they could review their work thoroughly before giving it to us. They tend to use us as the tester but it would be more helpful if they tested the work before submitting it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you tell them to test the work before delivering builds to you. Other than that, they’re trustworthy. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a startup mobile service that allows consumers to instantly connect with a professional product expert over the phone, via voice call or video.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Handydev?

We were looking for a good mobile developer to help us with both iOS and Android development to conduct major changes and improvements to our first version.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided complete native development across both platforms. I provided wireframes and designs, but I constantly worked with them to make sure that it was built by spec and to help them to find bugs. They redesigned some of our initial proposition, which included everything integrating different software development kits (SDK) and services to enable video and voice calls, to creating a functional UI, pages, and buttons. It was a mix of integrating existing service API’s and building basic functionalities from scratch like UI and UX.

What is the team composition?

There were two or three people: one for iOS, one for Android, and one that provided guidance and project management, overseeing the developers and making sure that they worked according to the spec.

How did you come to work with Handydev?

We were working with a local engineer on the first version, but, after he left the area, we had to find someone else. We were introduced to Handydev by one of their U.S.-based contractors, who wasn’t available to take the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5000—$6,000 every month, so we spent around $100,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2016 until May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We provide help at a time when users are stranded and kind of overwhelmed, so they obviously love the service; we’re in a great position to please. Having said that, we have bugs from time to time, like other native apps. The VOIP technology has hiccups sometimes that happen either because the protocols aren’t as mature and solid as traditional phone lines and cellular grids, or because of the integrations. It’s been positive for the most part, but, at times, there are issues and bugs that are agnostic of the engineer’s work.

How did Handydev perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided a great, effective, and responsive project management. Even though they’re offshore and in a completely different time zone, they were extremely attentive to any issues we sent their way. We communicated via phone and email and messenger, and held anything from weekly or bi-weekly calls to daily emails and Skype chats

Sometimes they underestimated the scope of the project in terms of length and duration and complexity. When you work with someone, you expect them to be responsive and to let you know exactly where things are, and what their challenges are, and they always did that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Based on our experience, they've been great as an auxiliary, offshore development team Because they're remote and in a different market, I don't think they're always in a position to be the primary developer or one that's supposed to serve dynamic production. But, as an auxiliary, they've been very effective and responsive. I definitely recommend them for other companies looking to augment their teams.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes they were a bit unrealistic as to how much time it would take to complete the projects, so they took a bit longer than expected. However, not everything was in their control. They had to liaise and integrate with backend engineers and APIs, so some of the delays were completely not their fault. They do need the maturity and experience to oversee the big picture and assess everything, though.

They also struggled with providing service in production environments, where they service lots of users. There are always challenges working with remote folks in different time zones; not every remote developer is up for the challenge of working in a demanding environment where everything has to be done with zero errors in real time. They should consider improving these areas if they want to undertake bigger, more complex, and more challenging projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and chief developer of Hobbyist Software. We develop mobile apps and often build components for web apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Handydev?

I initially hired them to build a Windows app for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Handydev for 10 years and have assigned them countless projects. They’ve become an integral part of my company as they handle all of our Android and Windows development work. Most projects start with me providing them wireframes or technical documents so they can grasp the necessary APIs and functionalities that need to be built. A recent project they worked on consisted of developing an Android version of an existing iOS skydiving app. I sent them the iOS code and asked them to replicate it on Android. It was a straightforward project and required little oversight from my end. They delivered the app as expected.

Going back a few years, they developed an innovative video app that uses HLS livestreaming. At the time, HLS livestreaming was an Apple protocol that wasn’t properly adapted for Android. It was a technical challenge to figure out the edge cases and how to properly sort our library into the livestream display. However, Handydev found a solution and ultimately delivered the product we needed.

What is the team composition?

Their owner is our primary point of contact. We usually met with him and he parcels out the work to his team. I’ve interacted with a few other resources there, but only on occasion.

How did you come to work with Handydev?

They were referred to us by an experienced colleague.

How much have you invested with them?

We probably spent around $40,000, but that’s a rough estimate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired them in 2008 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps they’ve developed for us have turned out nicely. We recently subcontracted a rhythm app to Handydev and the client is happy with what they delivered. The animations look great and lend to an excellent overall presentation. There's a huge difference between an app that meets the functional requirements and one that feels alive and polished. Those qualities are present in all of Handydev’s deliverables.

How did Handydev perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been working together a long time have developed a mutual trust. I give the owner an assignment and tells me when it will be done. I can rely on them to deliver on schedule or at least let me know ahead of time if that’s no longer possible. I mostly leave them to the work and field questions when necessary. We primarily communicate via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s just been a delightfully painless relationship over all these years. I’ve never had to fight them over billing practices our outstanding bugs. They organize everything effectively, so I never have complaints or issues. Handydev is an important part of my company and they often feel like an extension of it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only issue so far is trying to get them to work on even more projects for us. Sometimes they aren’t available and that’s fair enough.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep open channels of communication and you’ll be happy with the experience.