Software Dev for Consultancy/Incubator

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a consultancy that supports companies around the world. There are two branches to our business: the first involves creating business architecture for our clients, and the second is about incubating early-stage ideas to bring to market. 

What challenge were you trying to address with INOXOFT?

I’ve worked with INOXOFT on several projects, creating software frameworks and providing full-stack development. They often act as software consultants for my deals with my clients, using React-based tech stacks.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

INOXOFT provides development services for my company as well as the multiple third-party clients that I consult for.

For one of my clients, INOXOFT built an elaborate registration system for horses. This included data on the horses, horse owners, and the whole ecosystem around them. On the frontend, they built interfaces for both mobile and desktop using React, and they created the database structure, too. 

You can think of the solution as an agnostic platform. Not only can you shift easily between the mobile and desktop versions, but it was also available outside of The App Store and Google Play. 

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked with about 20–25 different people depending on the project. Of course, there are UI/UX designers and program managers, but different projects require different expertise. 

For example, in another instance, I had a medical client who needed a system that could analyze blood smear images. It was a fairly technical project that required AI and machine learning components, so INOXOFT brought in AI resources as well as applied mathematicians.

How did you come to work with INOXOFT?

INOXOFT was a referral from a colleague of mine who worked at a hardware company based in Romania. Their name came up when I mentioned that I was looking for an outside developer. After some interviews, I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Between the money that my company spends with them directly and the companies that I consult for, they’ve earned $1.2 million–$ 1.25 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

They formally started working with me around November 2018, and the relationship is ongoing. We continuously start new projects as previous ones wrap up.

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

Despite the scope creep from my side, I ended up with a product that I was pretty pleased with. The solution earned reasonable reviews from our customer base, so I could see the success around it. 

How did INOXOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m quite happy with the services and work that they provide. One thing that I really like is that they follow standard software development protocols, just like most major companies. As a result, I’m familiar with the tools that they use like Figma, GitHub, and so forth.

It’s all very understandable and logical program management. They make sure that they’re aligned on specifications, and I have full access to their tools. Not to mention, their English level is strong, too. We don’t have any communication breakdown due to language barriers.

Because I have a technical background, I try my best to specify what I’m looking for during our conversations. They then provide program management (e.g., staying on budget and schedule) to make sure that we get things done within our time frames. If the team has to pull all-nighters to get things done, they will. 

However, they do try to work with me to arrive at a realistic budget and schedule. They let me know when I’m asking too much of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The projects that I typically work with can get very complicated in terms of logic and structure, and there are often multiple databases to deal with. That’s why I appreciate that their senior full-stack developers really take the time to nail down the architecture before moving forward.

INOXOFT’s team understands how to create modular code that’s independent of each other. That gives me a lot of flexibility because I can move the modules around as the development progresses. And, as much as I think I can create the specs for a project, things change as we go. Having a flexible code was a tremendous help.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It might be beneficial if they had a stronger presence in North America that could help them program manage the larger team in Eastern Europe. I live in Vancouver, Canada, so my 7 a.m. is their 5 p.m. Having someone who could manage the project in New York might help make sense of the time difference.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you’re looking for—think twice and give specifications once. Once they know exactly what you’re thinking about, they’ll develop that for you. Secondly, you should treat them as a partner rather than service provider.