Somco Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a software development manager at a company that develops medical devices. We're working on a medical analyzer for medical samples.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Scythe Studio?

We needed to develop a feasibility prototype for a medical samples analyzer, so we needed help with custom Linux software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Scythe Studio provides us with a small development team that's helping us develop our feasibility prototype. Their team provides us with custom Linux software development, Linux services, and high-level software development using Qt libraries and C++ technology. The project is focused on verifying the feasibility of some concepts before we start developing a production-ready solution.

What is the team composition?

We're working with 3–5 developers from Scythe Studio.

How did you come to work with Scythe Studio?

I found them on Google. They had good reviews and were from the same city as us, which was good because I was trying to find someone local.

How much have you invested with them?

The entire project has a cost of over $10 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Scythe Studio has an exceptional approach, focusing on the details. Moreover, their skills in using languages and technologies like C++ and Qt libraries are very good. The team can solve a lot of challenges, even low-level bugs. They know very well the Qt environment, community, and support, so they can solve very complex and deeply problematic issues. Their skills have been the main advantage we've got from working with Scythe Studio.

How did Scythe Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We're working in an Agile environment, so we have weekly sprints. Scythe Studio communicates what they're doing very well. They write clean code and participate in the documentation review of the software specifications that we're working on. We have weekly meetings and contact them every 1–2 days if we need something. Moreover, they use the Atlassian environment, specifically Jira and Confluence.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

When we started working together, we noticed that Bartosz was exceptionally good at Linux development and solving problems. He has solved some of our technical problems.

We've also worked with a technical director, who is an experienced, principal-level developer. He has been a very high-quality developer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even when we're working with three developers from Scythe Studio, we have access to a bigger group, so they can work on bigger problems together. If necessary, we can scale up very fast to a bigger number of developers specializing in different topics.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing Scythe Studio could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Present the full scope of the project to them very clearly from the very beginning. Even if you start collaborating with a small number of developers, it's good to present them with the full scope of the project. They should know the scope and the problems from the start.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a partner at a startup company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Scythe Studio?

After drafting our startup idea, we needed help to figure out some technical issues and create some mock-ups for our product, which would be a mobile app. We also needed guidance to define the phases to take this startup from an idea to reality. Hence, we've collaborated with Scythe Studio to bring our startup to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had an informal meeting with Lukas (CEO) to see if they were a good fit for our project and assess our expectations. After that, we had several calls during which Lukas listened to our ideas, offered us a technical analysis, and created a mock-up for our mobile app. He also offered us other types of guidance as well.

Since then, we've had regular meetings during which Scythe Studio has helped us improve our ideas and implement them into what they're doing for us. The team asks for feedback about the mock-up and talks about the technical part of the project. During these meetings, we've had the chance to discuss whether their work matches our idea or it needs some changes.

The technical part of this project has been integrating an existing sensor into the app. Therefore, Scythe Studio has been drafting this app and doing an analysis of the technical possibilities for this feature to work. We haven't gotten to the actual product development part yet.

What is the team composition?

As mentioned, we've worked with Lukas, who has been our main point of contact. We've also worked with Adam (CTO), who has guided us through the technical part of this project.

How did you come to work with Scythe Studio?

I met Lukas on a train in Germany. We talked and shared LinkedIn contacts. When I started the startup, I remembered him and asked him if he knew someone who could help us. He said he could help us. Lukas' personality made me hire him. He seemed like a very reliable person.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent less than €10,000 (approximately $11,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently, we're preparing a pitch. Based on the response to this pitch, we could measure the success of our project. Our current success metric is that we now have a very concrete plan for what needs to be done next and what the actual benefit of this startup would be. We've seen a lot of benefits at this point after just starting our project three months ago.

How did Scythe Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The meetings we've had with Scythe Studio are video calls once or twice a week. These meetings have always been with Lukas, who is highly professional and always comes well-prepared, offering a lot of input and guidance.

Scythe Studio has also provided us with cost estimations for the next phases of this project. They not only have a lot of experience in the UX and technical sides but also on the financial side.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We've been incredibly impressed by how both Lukas and Adam are capable of going to a very concrete level based on our rough ideas. We've had a great benefit from their experience and from how well they've listened to our story.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Scythe Studio's drive is outstanding. They're very driven, focused, ambitious, and willing to work hard, which is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything Scythe Studio could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them because they have a lot of experience and can give you very good input. Even if you have a concrete idea in mind, they can help you improve it because they have knowledge you might not have.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company develops, updates, and hosts online video games (MMORPGs). I am the CEO and lead developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to make our game launcher more comparable with the various launchers used by other leading online game developers while at the same time providing our customers with a more robust and functional way to play our games.

SOLUTION

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

We found them on a website called Upwork. They were able to provide us with a detailed summary of their quotes, timelines, and were very communicative throughout both the development and quoting process.

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

They were tasked with developing a multi-game launcher that connected to a remote server for information & communication with other users. This launcher included self-updating, logging in, launcher settings, game settings, game updating, game launching, news, etc.

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

There were, I believe, 4-5 people throughout all the milestones working on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launcher they developed met and exceeded all of our expectations. Anytime we encountered an issue, they were more than willing to resolve it and provide feedback on changes (for example if something didn't make sense).

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

They regularly met deadlines, were amazing with communication, allowed for an open line of communication with various developers and project leads.

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

Having direct access to the developers, providing easily trackable progress through source sharing and documentation, the overall development process was 10/10.

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

I can't stress this enough, they are an amazing team of developers. They are professional, knowledgeable, and their work speaks for itself. The only issue I've ever had with them was that the pricing near the end seemed to get much larger than I expected and I didn't feel it exactly match up with the described work... But even in situations like this they were more than willing to negotiate, provide explanations for the quotes, and even throw in various "free" tasks to compensate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Delivering digital interactive solutions to boost sales and strengthen brand

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Scythe Studio to accomplish?

• Discovery phase for an app

SOLUTION

How did you find Scythe Studio?

Online Search

Why did you select Scythe Studio over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from Scythe Studio were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• delivering the application development plan
• working out key features and user goals
• answering technical questions regarding application development process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The list of key features to be developed as the first part of the application development.

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

The whole project communication has been managed by a dedicated person. The workshop went smoothly and according to the date specified.

What was your primary form of communication with Scythe Studio?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their communication stood out.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a PM and Technical Leader in Hardware R&D Department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Scythe Studio?

We've hired Scythe for the implementation the UX&UI design of dashboard in QT environment for building ShowCar of our Electric Vehicle.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We made a review of the market, selected the best potential partners, sent the RFQ, and collect the offers. From received offers and performed calls we select the best partner.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project assumed the following stages:

• implementation of the UX/UI design for the dashboard based on delivered documentation and work charts
• Final implementation of design and implementation communication with the EV Main controlled through (ADS server)

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

From our point of view, two persons were involved; Łukasz Kosiński (CEO) and software developer Mateusz Fejcher.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We performed internal tests on the developed platform and all functionalities were implemented and work correct.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication with Scythe Studio was excellent. They were open for discussion and solving problems or challenges, even in situation that it was on our side. They were very coolaborative.

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

Involvement in the project.

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

There wasn't anything they needed to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of Software Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

UI Implementation in Qt Quick, Highly customized UIs

SOLUTION

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

Recommendation by Qt company

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

Iterations on Requirements and Design... Implementation and Testing

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

5 (CEO, Developers)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

High quality user interface applications

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

agile, very flexible for customer inquiries

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

Their friendliness, customer orientation, quality of work, and flexibility were impressive.

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

just to hire more people so we can increase the collaboration