One client shared serious concerns about SwingDev—a hippo company, citing broken promises, inadequate communication, and the necessity of legal action. This isolated incident signals possible dangers in project implementation. Despite this, SwingDev—a hippo company shows adaptability in working with clients with different levels of technical knowledge. They customize their offerings to fit each client's unique situation, which leads to successful results. Numerous clients have praised SwingDev—a hippo company for their proficient project management. They consistently complete projects on schedule and communicate effectively through platforms like Trello, Jira, and Slack, ensuring transparency and organization. Many clients believe that SwingDev—a hippo company provides solid value for the services rendered. While some have expressed concerns about higher fees, the quality of the work makes the investment worthwhile. SwingDev—a hippo company is acknowledged for its dedication to client success. They invest time in understanding clients' requirements and provide personalized solutions, even offering strategic guidance to enhance project results. Clients frequently commend the quality of SwingDev—a hippo company's coding and development output, highlighting their capability to produce robust and scalable solutions as a notable strength. **BACKGROUND** Please describe your company and your role. We are a mobile software company that markets and sells a mobile application. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What projects/services did your company hire SwingDev for? They won a competitive bid based on their abilities rather than pricing. They were engaged to develop our Talkaware mobile app. Budget was not a concern as we aimed for a premium product. What were your objectives for this project? Our goal was to create a top-tier product with a patented concept that would introduce a unique element to voice recognition, targeting a lucrative market and profitability. **SOLUTION** How did you select this vendor? After several unsuccessful attempts, we spent months looking for the right companies. SwingDev impressed us with their presentation and ambitious promises. Can you describe the project in detail? The project aimed to introduce a novel feature that would indicate when a user is employing voice recognition in messaging by appending a symbol before the text. Users would be able to inform their contacts about the symbol and allow them to download a simple version of the program for mutual benefit. What was the team structure? Hannah McKenzie served as the PM, and Igsaan Salie was the Head Designer, while Jo Overline acted as the owner and salesman. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you share any outcomes from the project that signify progress or success? Unfortunately, we were compelled to have our attorney send a letter requesting refunds for the payments made. Jo's response was dismissive. We ended up having to hire another firm to finalize the project. SwingDev relocated to Poland to escape lawsuits, yet Jo remains in California. -------------------------------------------- Hello Stephen, let me start by stating - we welcome this lawsuit, it’s quite humorous. James's requests, demands, and our deliverables have been meticulously documented since Day 1. We recognized early on what kind of individual we were dealing with. Anyone who works with James knows exactly what I mean. All deliverables were provided as promised and communicated properly to James's team, with everything recorded. He struggled to stay engaged for weeks at a time, and we noted each instance. Your letter indicates a misunderstanding of the situation. We did not unlawfully use source code from another company; James lacks basic knowledge of open-source software and its legal applications (which are standard in global software projects, entirely ethical and legitimate). I can assure you his "new" project likely uses it too. The legal debacle that would ensue from promoting claims against open-source would be utterly absurd in the software community. Furthermore, we utilize industry-standard coding repositories that document every line of code produced daily. We have a comprehensive history of all custom code developed for James, complete with timestamps and logs that precisely align with his specifications—it's indisputable. We are a highly respected company with a solid reputation, known for delivering various projects to James previously. It’s nonsensical to think we would attempt to defraud him on one project while fulfilling many others. Your accusations of fraud are flimsy and baseless. But I guess this is what happens when we step outside our typical high-technical clients and collaborate with someone inexperienced. If you want to discuss fraud, we could talk about how James secretly registered different sites and concealed them to deceive his insurance provider, or about his illicit imports of Kratom from South America, labeling it as Yerba Mate Tea while using dummy sites for authenticity in case border officials do a background check. I’m sure CBP would be interested in that. Yes, we have that in written form. In fact, we have it on video - we record all our meetings and disclose that at the start. This is the type of person we are dealing with, so don’t lecture me about fraud. We did everything possible to appease James and resolve this matter. I know him well enough to see through his antics; it's all documented by every member of our team, including confirmations from those on James's side admitting his confusion and acknowledging that the deliverables were functional, supported by demo videos. By the way, we haven’t operated out of California for a couple of years post-acquisition; my team and I are now based in Europe, with our corporate address being Swing Development, Nowy Swiat 35, lok 6a, Warsaw, Poland. You may send any official correspondence there. Good luck—you will need it. You're out of touch if you believe James can intimidate us. We possess ample evidence to support our claims. Should you wish to escalate matters, we are fully prepared to contest, and we would welcome the opportunity to publicly display James's incompetence. Thanks for the entertaining start to the week. Marzena, our lawyer, is cc'd. How effective was the collaboration between your team and theirs? It was poor; they repeatedly made promises but failed to deliver. What stood out to you about this company? Their initial sales pitch was very effective; Jo could promise anything. The issue was, he couldn't follow through on what he referred to as a simple project. Are there areas for improvement? They need to improve in every aspect. It's hard to quantify the cost and wasted time. We felt embarrassed by the situation, and Jo only responded with threats regarding their shortcomings. **BACKGROUND** Please describe your organization and your work there. I’m the founder of accent.ai, a language learning platform that offered tailored lessons. It was based on a teaching method that catered to users’ specific needs. For instance, someone traveling to Spain for business or leisure could input their scenarios into our system, which would generate a customized lesson. Instead of focusing on generic phrases, the platform taught practical expressions like ordering food or saying “yes, please.” The information was presented through question/answer pairs rather than individual vocabulary lists. The company is now defunct as a business; it has transitioned to an open-source project. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to solve with SwingDev? We had developed an in-house prototype with basic technologies, but realized we needed a professional development firm to scale our platform and expand its components. **SOLUTION** What was their role? SwingDev was involved in developing the client-facing application based on our minimum viable product (MVP). We aimed to create a cross-platform app with a single code base, avoiding the complications of native iOS and Android apps alongside a web platform. Initially, we collaborated with their chief architect to define the project and choose the appropriate technologies, ultimately deciding on AngularJS for the frontend and MongoDB for the backend. One of the first projects they completed was building a content portal that allowed our content aggregation team to create, edit, and upload lessons via the app’s backend. They implemented Google Firebase for authentication and password management, and the app was primarily developed using the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js). Due to some organizational issues on our side, we had to pause development. This marked the end of our collaboration, but we gained valuable insights from partnering with SwingDev. What was the team composition? Six members from SwingDev worked on our project, including a chief architect, two developers, a QA tester, a project manager, and an assistant. **How did you come to work with SwingDev?** Two years ago, we were a startup made up of mostly non-technical individuals. Our team consisted of linguists, business developers, and designers, making it challenging to find quality developers in web and mobile technology. After several rounds of seeking talent through Upwork and other freelance platforms for a production-ready version of our application, an investor recommended SwingDev, leading us to establish a partnership. **How much have you invested with them?** We invested nearly $100,000 in their services. **What is the status of this engagement?** We collaborated with SwingDev from April to October 2017. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you provide that illustrates the effectiveness of the collaboration? SwingDev is an excellent all-around team that delivered high-quality work, particularly in AngularJS. Their organization and efficiency in testing, fixing, and documenting bugs were especially commendable. **How did SwingDev perform from a project management perspective?** I held daily calls at 7 a.m. with them, and by the following day, we had a complete change log, allowing us to continue progressing. The project manager’s assistant provided weekly reports, and they did an outstanding job overall. **What impressed you most about them?** Everyone I interacted with from their team exhibited a fantastic attitude and personality. The team at SwingDev is passionate about creating quality products, which was apparent in their output. Their responsiveness to emails was impressive. The youthful nature of their staff fostered an openness to new ideas and flexibility often lacking in larger firms. I plan to return as a customer. **Are there areas for improvement?** As a young entrepreneur, I may not have grasped all the intricacies of a technology-based project. SwingDev could benefit from emphasizing the difference between creating a production application and an MVP, which entails fewer hours, lower technological overhead, and reduced costs. A full commitment to a production version necessitates details that can impact scalability and deployment. Offering an MVP package for startup companies or less-experienced individuals could lead to a more tailored experience for their customers. Breaking the work down into smaller phases would also enhance efficiency in scoping. They are generally comparable to other development operations in this regard. **BACKGROUND** Please describe your company and your role. I am the CEO of a company that provides sales and operations software for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What projects/services did your company hire SwingDev for? Our iOS app was poorly functioning, and we needed a reliable outsourced development partner to deliver a quality product. We aimed to recreate our web app and needed expertise in React, alongside designing and implementing a DevOps pipeline, and constructing our network architecture for scalability. **What were your project goals?** Our objectives included developing a functional iOS application, rebuilding the web UI, creating robust network infrastructure, automating DevOps, and establishing a functional inventory/order management API. **SOLUTION** How did you select this vendor? They were recommended by a friend. **Can you elaborate on the services they provided and the project scope?** Their team designed, developed, and implemented a robust cloud architecture on Amazon Web Services (AWS), including container management; created a continuous integration solution for software deployment; rebuilt the iOS application from scratch; refactored, completed, and deployed web frontend code using React JS; and developed a Node API from scratch to integrate with an existing third-party enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, also creating an inventory and order management API in collaboration. **What was the team composition?** The team consisted of 1-2 experts for each specialization, often involving the CTO as well. Overall, we collaborated with a team of 8-10 experts. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you share information demonstrating the impact of this project on your business? Their contributions helped triple our product offerings, enhancing value for our customers. **How was project management organized and how effective was it?** Swing managed the project exceptionally well. We utilized Trello, Jira, GitHub, and Slack for communication, and they successfully adapted to our different time zones. **What impressed you about this company?** Tomek (CTO at SwingDev) personally built our cloud infrastructure and took the time to discuss various issues with me. Their developers were all highly accessible, with Anatoli (a developer at SwingDev) standing out as exceptional, significantly boosting our team's skill set. **Are there areas where they can improve?** There were no identifiable areas for improvement. **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and your role. We are developing a two-sided marketplace for real estate professionals, and I am the founder. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you addressing with SwingDev? We needed a partner to create a consumer-facing frontend atop the backend our internal team had developed. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? SwingDev handled frontend development utilizing our APIs. Our backend system is the core of our product, and their team created the consumer-facing portal for account management actions like signing up and editing profiles, employing React.js and Redux for the frontend. **What is the team composition?** They allocated two developers and one designer to our project. **How did you come to work with SwingDev?** They were referred to us by someone who had previously worked with their team. We considered several other companies, but SwingDev's quick response and positive reference stood out. **What is the status of this engagement?** Our collaboration with SwingDev began in December 2017 and is ongoing. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of this engagement? The product has not yet been launched externally, but we are generally satisfied with the quality of SwingDev’s code and design. **How did SwingDev perform from a project management perspective?** We have found their project management capabilities to be quite commendable. They adeptly manage internal processes, engage with our team effectively, and adapt to our project management style. **What impressed you about them?** They exhibit a solid balance between technical skills and business insight. Unlike experiences with other firms, I did not need to detail every flow to SwingDev; they grasped the overarching flow of what we aimed to build and filled in typical user expectations autonomously. For example, when requesting a signup flow, they could develop a modern solution without excessive need for clarification. **Are there areas they could improve?** While they are on the pricier side, the quality delivered warrants the investment. **BACKGROUND** Please describe your organization. Dachs, LLC operates a software application for iOS and Android that connects dog owners in need of dog walking services with available walkers. **What is your position?** I am a co-founder of the company. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What business challenge were you attempting to address with SwingDev? My partner and I have backgrounds in business management and sales; however, we lacked the technical know-how to build a mobile application. We evaluated various resource options, from high-end firms in San Francisco to lower-cost providers overseas. Ultimately, we deemed SwingDev the best choice. **SOLUTION** Could you provide more detail on their involvement? The application is complex, comprising a frontend, backend, and payment processor. One side caters to dog owners requesting walks, requiring an intuitive design for setting up payment information. The other side is for dog walkers to manage their profiles, availability, and payment setup. We utilized Braintree as a secure payment platform for transactions. **How did you establish a partnership with SwingDev?** My partner and I assessed different providers based on how closely their standards aligned with ours. We prioritized a modern, sleek, and user-friendly application, which led us to eliminate any options that couldn't meet that standard. SwingDev dedicated time to building a relationship with us, and their costs were highly competitive. **Can you provide an estimate of the project's financial scale?** The development and associated support tools, including Amazon Web Services, have totaled approximately $100,000 over the last two years. SwingDev charges around $85 per hour, covering scope definition, application development, and support. In terms of scope and the quality of work compared to similar services in San Francisco, SwingDev's pricing is incredibly reasonable. **What is the current status of this engagement?** We have collaborated with SwingDev since June 2015, and the work is ongoing. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Could you share any metrics or statistics from this collaboration? Most of our statistics are related to soft metrics, as SwingDev has not assisted us with sales or marketing strategies to grow our user base. Their ability to deliver an attractive, user-friendly, and intuitive application has simplified our job significantly. **How did SwingDev perform from a project management perspective?** We can assess SwingDev's performance primarily through the cost and timeline metrics, both of which they superseded by delivering an initial product version early and under budget. **What differentiates SwingDev from other service providers?** SwingDev adeptly transformed our vague description of what we needed into a frontend product that surpassed our expectations. While we had conceptual users' interactions drawn from other apps we admired, we struggled to articulate these ideas for our project. We spent considerable time outlining our likes and dislikes regarding various apps, sharing with SwingDev the design elements that resonated with us. They assimilated this input effectively, resulting in an impressive final product—arguably their greatest asset. **Are there areas SwingDev could improve or modify?** SwingDev employs highly creative staff based in Warsaw, which helps manage costs. However, the time zone difference with the US—particularly San Francisco—occasionally complicates synchronous communication. It would be beneficial for SwingDev to enhance how clients like myself can access those resources. **Recommendations for others considering SwingDev?** I’ve conducted several reference calls for SwingDev, highlighting not just cost and quality but also their relationship-building skills. They foster a comfortable partnership atmosphere, resulting in clients viewing them as business allies rather than mere consultants. SwingDev’s principal serves as a liaison across all parts of the organization, ensuring clients have everything they need and a comprehensive understanding of the process before making any decisions. **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and your role. We develop applications that support students through the college preparation process, helping them create college lists, share recommendations, prepare for standardized tests like the SATs and SETs, and ultimately manage the entire journey. I am the Founder and CEO of the company. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you trying to address with SwingDev? We had launched an iPhone app and aimed to scale our existing development resources to quickly release an iPad version. **SOLUTION** What was the scope of their involvement? SwingDev was initially contracted to build an iPad version of our iPhone app, which was SAT-centric, while the new app needed to accommodate other standardized tests like the SET and LSAT. **How did you come to work with SwingDev?** We were in search of iOS developers capable of tackling Windows software development as well. An investor connected us with a recruiter who had a good relationship with SwingDev and recommended them. **How much have you invested with SwingDev?** Our investment in their services has ranged from $50,000 to $200,000. **What is the status of this engagement?** We began collaborating with SwingDev in mid to late 2013, and the partnership is still ongoing, as we continually generate new projects with them. Recently, we launched a Chinese version of our US app and implemented updates for the new SAT introduced this past year, alongside delving into white-labeling options. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you provide any evidence that illustrates your productivity, work quality, or the impact of the partnership? We successfully released an iPad app that features ACT testing functions and launched a Chinese version of our app. Credit to SwingDev’s partnership, they have been fantastic thought partners in our infrastructure development. Whenever we laid out specific functionalities for the app, SwingDev quickly responded with clear feedback regarding feasibility, potential issues, and associated costs, along with alternative solutions to meet our needs. Their foresight in determining long-term strategies is a distinctive quality for an outsourcing firm. **How did SwingDev manage project oversight?** SwingDev provided fast, precise communication with consistently accurate estimates. In larger projects, whenever they gave a four-month timeline, they consistently delivered work in three and a half months. Their team managed itself effectively, unlike other developers who required daily oversight. **What impressed you most about SwingDev?** When we posed questions about optimal approaches, SwingDev engaged in in-depth research and returned with comprehensive pros and cons analyses. **Are there areas for improvement at SwingDev?** No, our experience with SwingDev has been exemplary. **What tips or recommendations could enhance your success with SwingDev?** SwingDev has a process where the client’s work scope is evaluated over a week to create a foundational working document, including all technical specifications, unresolved questions, design requirements, and timelines. This roadmap is highly beneficial and should be prioritized. **BACKGROUND** Introduce your business and your role. I am the CEO of Advanced-HR, Inc., a San Francisco-based SaaS company offering compensation planning data and services to private companies and their investors. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What challenge were you aiming to address with SwingDev? As a small business, we depend on SwingDev to serve as our development arm, engaging them to architect and launch a novel compensation planning approach for private firms. Our platform aids private companies in understanding market data, constructing competitive cash and equity compensation plans for employees and hiring initiatives, thereby drastically cutting planning costs by removing the need for a compensation consultant. **SOLUTION** What was their scope of involvement? SwingDev contributed to every facet of the project, from origination to the ongoing feature development. We relied on them for the complete design and implementation of our new compensation planning platform, launched in Q4 2015. They were integral at every stage—from grasping our conceptual needs to architecting and constructing the system. **How did you establish a partnership with SwingDev?** An investor from one of our venture firm customers recommended SwingDev. We were particularly drawn to their flexibility and ability to work within our small organizational culture. Their enthusiasm during the proposal process was evident as they sought external assistance from the University of Warsaw to better understand private company financial models. **How much have you invested with SwingDev?** The cash component for development doesn’t capture the full value of services provided, as payment has paired both cash and equity, making SwingDev a stakeholder in Advanced-HR, Inc. **What is the engagement status?** We began working together in November 2014 and launched our beta in August 2015. Our release strategy involves iterative updates; every 2-4 weeks, new features or changes based on customer feedback are rolled out. Our primary data product is currently supported by another contracting firm, which we’ll also transition to SwingDev. They are truly part of our team, and our current success is largely due to their contributions. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** Can you share examples that demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or engagement impact? The product was delivered on schedule, with all sprints successfully executed. Notable contributions from SwingDev ensuring platform success include 1) the elimination of customer reliance on understanding job codes through the creation of a drag-and-drop company review interface, and 2) the development of algorithms to mitigate skewed market data, generating usable pay and equity range outputs. **How did SwingDev perform in terms of project management?** Excellent; though we decided to manage sprints ourselves, thereby eliminating the need for their scrum master. SwingDev was accommodating of our preferred managing style, utilizing JIRA for stories, sprints, quality assurance, and release management. Working with a team in Poland proved seamless, as they effectively adjusted to the time difference. They often communicated during our workday and their off-hours, particularly during urgent matters. **What impressed you most about SwingDev?** SwingDev’s commitment to fully understanding our product and user interface needs before the design phase was notable. They put forth significant effort to ensure project quality and willingly incorporated changes based on constructive feedback. **Are there areas for improvement at SwingDev?** Some design aspects posed challenges in the initial six months, but once issues were highlighted, SwingDev included external design expertise to address them. **Any tips for maximizing success with SwingDev?** The team at SwingDev thrives on creative projects that allow them to showcase advanced skills. Engaging them in product creation led to solutions that weren't initially obvious, ultimately improving the user experience.