Among the clients we have had over the years have been several start-ups. From all these projects we have learned to create an efficient way of working regardless of the size and specificity of the project. In this article, you can find out how we work with start-ups in general, but we have also given an example of a project we have been with from the very beginning.

First, we try to get a clear understanding of what features the client wants for the project so that we can create a list of user stories. Based on this list, we decide which technologies we will use and what the proposed solution architecture will look like. Then, we decide what resources are needed for the project, taking into account the timeline.

For us, this data analysis usually takes three days.

Usually, because many start-ups are funded by VCs, they have tight deadlines, and what helps us a lot in this process is when the client’s team prepares a very well-written documentation of the entire solution that is needed. This helps us understand very well what they really need. Sometimes there are clients who just come with a few ideas of what they would like to have – which is a warning sign for us -, but there are also a lot of projects that have very well organised teams and they come with very clear lists of what they want.

A lot of start-ups are coming to us to create marketplaces, SaaS (software as a service) solutions, or back-office software for their internal business management (logistics, ERP, dashboard, reporting).

What we believe is very important for a start-up, especially for its success, is to do very good research before the launch.

So this is how we work with start-ups, something that’s actually applicable to working with any company, no matter its size.

Now let’s see an example of a collaboration we had.

One of the longest collaborations we’ve had with a start-up (which has since become a leader in its category) is with Fotografi-Cameramani.ro, the largest and most notorious catalog of wedding photographers and videographers in Romania. The platform is one of our clients from the beginning and now is the leading marketing service for the wedding industry

Fotografi-Cameramani.ro was launched with the aim to solve the couples’ need to find the right offer in a very diversified market, but also to offer exposure to photographers and videographers.

So, we had to take over the marketplace development services and add new features after release based on market feedback. We have spent more than 13,000 hours since 2010 and we have created a custom marketplace based on particular functionalities for this domain, with a user-friendly interface and a well-optimized structure for search engines.

“Control F5 helped our company from the very beginning when we discussed our business requirements. We have received top-notch advice and have perceived Control F5 more like an invested partner in our business, rather than a simple provider of services. Their software development process is well organized and can be adapted per the customers’ needs”

Florin Vlad, Product Owner Fotografi-Cameramani