ParkMyCloud
After writing the specs, ProductSavvy helped develop an automated cloud management system using Python, Angular, and JavaScript technologies. The team also spoke with testers to gather feedback.
THE REVIEWER
CEO & Founder, ParkMyCloud
Name: Jay Chapel
THE PROJECT
Platform Development for Cloud Services Company
Custom Software Development
THE REVIEW
“They truly take responsibility for their work.”
Project summary:
After writing the specs, ProductSavvy helped develop an automated cloud management system using Python, Angular, and JavaScript technologies. The team also spoke with testers to gather feedback.
Feedback summary:
As an integral partner from the start, ProductSavvy helped develop a product that is used by 600 customers across 25 different countries. Users praise the product’s performance and report minimal issues. Their consistent communication and efficient collaborative skills make them a trusted partner.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO and founder of ParkMyCloud. We help people automatically manage their clouds in AWS, Azure, or Google by turning things off when they’re not being used and optimizing their size based on workload.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with ProductSavvy?
As a company founder with a background in sales marketing, I’m not very technically experienced. We needed a partner to help get our platform off the ground.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
After hearing our vision for the platform, the team wrote a set of specs that met all of our requirements. They supplied resources to augment our internal team and they continue to manage the development process. They help us write the frontend and backend code using Python and they develop the user interface with Angular and JavaScript. Additionally, they interview our alpha and beta testers to understand what is working and what needs to be improved in the systems next iteration.
What is the team composition?
I mainly work with the founder for engineering purposes and the partner handled project management. They also provided about four developers and two UI specialists. We had a full team of developers for the bulk of the project, but we’ve scaled back while we gather customer feedback.
How did you come to work with ProductSavvy?
We talked to several different firms. In that process, I ran into ProductSavvy’s partner at an event and following some friendly conversations about soccer, I felt comfortable with their team. After reviewing their references and previous work, I decided they were a good fit.
How much have you invested with them?
In total, we’ve spent over $1 million. We pay between $300,000–$400,000 each year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in July 2015, when our company first started, and the project is ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
From the start, ProductSavvy has been an integral piece of our business. In just three years, we’ve received two rounds of funding and acquired over 600 customers stretched across 25 countries. Our rate of customer satisfaction is very high. We haven’t even staffed a customer support person because we haven’t yet run into that need. They’ve done a great job of integrating their resources into our team and helping us manage our workload with reliable, high-quality and timely deliveries. I’ve worked with other firms in the past, and I’m most pleased with ProductSavvy.
How did ProductSavvy perform from a project management standpoint?
Their team is very organized in their communication style. We initially tracked the project using Jira, but we switched to Version 1. All other interactions are generally through Slack and Skype and we share documentation on GitHub. We can count on them to deliver quality products by the deadline. They are very accurate in sizing, scoping, and managing our expectations and their resources.
What did you find most impressive about them?
There’s a strong sense of trust between our teams. Without micromanaging, I know that they’ll do what’s best for my company. We’re local, so their team spends time in our office, they’re on our mailing list, and they feel like a part of our company. We let them speak directly with our customers to get accurate feedback to better inform their development process.
Are there any areas they could improve?
If there’s ever a problem, we resolve it quickly through open discussions. They truly take responsibility for their work. For example, a member of their team started to slack off and we terminated that relationship quickly. The rest of the team worked harder to make up for that cost.
Any advice for potential customers?
I recommend clients treat them as part of their internal team. Allow them to be as involved as possible because your success is going to be based on their success.