Our Process - How we work
We like to keep things clear and simple. Therefore this is how we choose to operate our projects. This is what to expect when you work with us:
Initial Touchpoint
Before we begin any in-depth discovery processes, we like to have a quick phone-call or email exchange to get a very high-level understanding of the type of problem / domain we might be solving.
Whilst this may seem counter-intuitive, it actually helps us ensure we can do some background research and invite the right technical support even prior to our very first formal discovery call.
Discovery Phase
Once we've had a chance to wrap our head around the initial task, we'll reach out to schedule a discovery call with your team. This will help us gather key insights and provide a chance to ask some important questions. Most often, this phase might also require a few rounds of background research, email exchanges etc - but this is mostly done asynchronously.
Depending on size and scope of the project, we'll provide you with the following:
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A) . A formal proposal, including Scope of Works, next steps, delivery timelines, acceptance criteria and payment gates.
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B) . A request for a paid Discovery Phase. This is usually a few days to a few weeks, depending on the problem complexity, the levels of research, number of stakeholders and if we need to bring in additional domain specific experts etc.
Build / Implementation
Assuming we go ahead with the project we will then provide detailed timelines, costs and delivery plans (as well as mutual definition of what "success" means). We believe clarity on expectations, deliverables and outcomes is absolutely key to a long-term, cohesive working relationship.
Depending on the type of project, you can expect the following:
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Software Development / Technical Build: We will usually connect with your development team and get on-boarded with their existing tooling & infrastructure. Or in the case of a new startup, we can provide that development infrastructure for you.
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Consultancy or ongoing Advisory work: Whilst we prefer to work remotely with your team, in select-cases, we are also happy to physically work within your organisation during the discovery and delivery phases of the project, if the project requires it.
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Research / Innovation project: By nature, the delivery methods and time-frames of research & innovation projects are quite unique. If we have the domain expertise in-house, we will usually work remotely and provide periodic updates to your team. However, if we need to work with external entities (such as university campuses or researchers), we often work with them in the ways & time-zones that are most conducive to their individual processes for innovation. We believe true innovation cannot be rushed or forced; it requires a distinctly different tempo and communication style to that of the corporate/enterprise world. We do not expect our researchers to operate like a business.
Delivery Phase
Once we have successfully delivered your project and confirmed all the various success milestones & gates, we will usually hold another all-hands retrospective meeting with your team.
This helps us gain valuable feedback on the project as a whole, but also provides your staff with another important touch-point to discuss next steps; Whether it be to coordinate further team training, initiate a formal support handover or to simply find out any potential gaps in the team's understanding, prior to go-live.
We believe that helping your team to adopt, own the outcome and win, is just as important as successfully building the solution in the first place.
Empowerment & Support
A key differentiation between Dydx and other consultancy firms is that we design and build things with both the end user AND technical support staff in mind. All too often we see bad technical solutions being rolled out, which end up creating support nightmares for your team.
Fundamentally we want to empower people to be self governing, without dependence on third-party providers. Therefore we believe a key metric of our success is that your staff can confidently operate the solution without us.
Therefore, we will do our utmost to empower your team to be self-sufficient - be it via creating dedicated support documentation, training, demonstration videos and other reference material & tooling.
That said, in some situations (such as new startups), we are open to partner with you as a kind-of "fractional CTO" or technical advisory service. We're happy to discuss an ongoing support agreement to help you fill in any technical gaps.
Tell us about your project...
We're based in Brisbane, Australia
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Email
hello@dydx.software -
Phone
+61 468 03 DYDX