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Verified Profile
We are innovation-minded software development and design team with offices in London, UK and in Tallinn, Estonia. We are developing beautiful and user-friendly web and mobile solutions that make work easier. Our main technology stack is: Python, Django, React.js, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, iOS & Android.
Locations
Estonia
Mäealuse 2/1,
Tallinn,
Harju
12618
+37258081132
United Kingdom
4-5 Bonhill Street,
London,
London
EC2A 4BX
+44 20 3475 3261
Norway
Gaustadalleen 21,
Oslo,
Oslo
N-0349
+47 219 88847
Focus Areas
Service Focus
- Software Development
- Mobile App Development
- App Designing (UI/UX)
- Web Designing (UI/UX)
- E-commerce Development
Client Focus
- Small Business
- Medium Business
Industry Focus
- Manufacturing
- Transportation & Logistics
- Business Services
Thorgate Executive Interview
Raido Pikkar
CEO & Chairman of the Board
Please introduce your company and give a brief about your role within the company?
Nine years, more than 20 awards and +150 projects under our belt, Thorgate is now
one of the leading Python development companies in Scandinavia. We help our
clients to automate processes, minimize costs, boost sales and customer engagement through digital products.
one of the leading Python development companies in Scandinavia. We help our
clients to automate processes, minimize costs, boost sales and customer engagement through digital products.
I am the founder and CEO of the company and while I take pride in the products we have delivered in the past, I attribute most of that success to the team and the great culture at Thorgate. Since the birth of Thorgate, we have been very focused on creating a culture where we think of people, not products. We have engineered our processes and culture based on our values of trustworthiness, resourcefulness, and open-mindedness. The happiness of our team, as well as our partners, has helped us grow in every way.
What was the idea behind starting this organization?
Other than product development, we have always made it a point to help our clients with their business strategies, change management as well as product design. We help our partners achieve their goals by truly increasing efficiency. In fact, in today’s fast-paced world, it becomes more expensive to work with someone who only does the coding and doesn’t see the big picture.
What is your company’s business model–in house team or third party vendors/ outsourcing?
We have a very strong in-house team and we usually don’t need additional help.
However, we have the process and trusted partners in place should we need it.
However, we have the process and trusted partners in place should we need it.
What industries do you generally cater to? Are your customers repetitive?
We mainly focus on projects in the following industries: Healthcare, Industry 4.0,
Logistics and Fintech. As clients, I would like to highlight Krah Pipes, CleanCapital
and HealX. However, we have also developed projects for e-Commerce, SaaS as well as some innovative smart city projects. Our partners include the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Aleap in Norway.
Logistics and Fintech. As clients, I would like to highlight Krah Pipes, CleanCapital
and HealX. However, we have also developed projects for e-Commerce, SaaS as well as some innovative smart city projects. Our partners include the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Aleap in Norway.
Mention the objectives or the parameters critical in determining the time frame of developing software.
We build products in three stages – the first stage is product analysis (usually in the
form of an MVP workshop, Minimum Viable Product), then product design, and after that, development. Designing the product helps us to think everything through, get the same understanding with the customer and it also allows to test the product on actual users before the development. We use Sketch for designing the UI, Basecamp as a communication channel during the design phase and Invision app to allow us to review, test and comment during the design process. Only after the design is fully confirmed and tested, we start the development phase.
form of an MVP workshop, Minimum Viable Product), then product design, and after that, development. Designing the product helps us to think everything through, get the same understanding with the customer and it also allows to test the product on actual users before the development. We use Sketch for designing the UI, Basecamp as a communication channel during the design phase and Invision app to allow us to review, test and comment during the design process. Only after the design is fully confirmed and tested, we start the development phase.
How much effort in terms of time goes into developing the front end and back end of software?
Software development includes back-end and front-end where for us the latter is split into two: logical front-end (Javascript or ReactJS in our case) and markup (visual user interface and styles). Since we are developing more complicated web applications and APIs rather than fancy simple lead generation pages, most of the effort goes into back-end development. Back-end 60%, front-end 25% and markup 15%.
What are the key parameters to be considered before selecting the right framework for developing software?
Popularity of the programming language, size of the (currently active) community
behind the framework, features that you get out of the box when setting up the project, as well as the availability of useful third-party packages that help developers get features done in a fast and secure manner removing the need to reinvent the wheel.
behind the framework, features that you get out of the box when setting up the project, as well as the availability of useful third-party packages that help developers get features done in a fast and secure manner removing the need to reinvent the wheel.
Which languages & frameworks do you prefer to use in development of software?
All our developers are full-stack Python developers and we do not develop any other back-end programming language in-house. We use Django as a framework and PostgreSQL as a database. For the front-end, we are using React.js. We build mobile apps using React Native.
What are the key factors that you consider before deciding the cost of software?
In short, we take into account these four elements:
- The size and complexity of the features (scope)
- Uncertainty of what needs to be developed and how
- Technology stack required by the client
- Integrations that need to be made with other applications
What kind of payment structure do you follow to bill your clients? Is it Pay per Feature, Fixed Cost, Pay per Milestone (could be in phases, months, versions etc.)
We bill our clients monthly based on the value that we have created. During our
meetings the development teams give story points to each development task that take into account various factors (like the effort it takes to complete the task, complexity of the task, and risk/unknown) which all result in the value that is created for the client with this specific task. We then use each team’s average velocity to convert all completed story points to hours and then to the final amount on the monthly invoice.
meetings the development teams give story points to each development task that take into account various factors (like the effort it takes to complete the task, complexity of the task, and risk/unknown) which all result in the value that is created for the client with this specific task. We then use each team’s average velocity to convert all completed story points to hours and then to the final amount on the monthly invoice.
Do you take in projects which meet your basic budget requirement? If yes, what is the minimum requirement? If no, on what minimum budget have you worked for?
We do not have a specific minimum requirement rather, we have a specific ratio of
projects in our teams depending on their size. ⅓ of projects should be long term and occupy 2-3 developers, ⅓ of projects should have a length of 6-12 months and ⅓ can be shorter projects.
Besides the length and budget of a project, we also take into account an
internal KPI that measures the fit among other projects. It takes into account
technology stack, alignment with our strategic areas, and price per story point.
projects in our teams depending on their size. ⅓ of projects should be long term and occupy 2-3 developers, ⅓ of projects should have a length of 6-12 months and ⅓ can be shorter projects.
Besides the length and budget of a project, we also take into account an
internal KPI that measures the fit among other projects. It takes into account
technology stack, alignment with our strategic areas, and price per story point.
What is the price range (min and max) of the projects that you catered to in 2018?
Overall budget of our projects at Thorgate has been in the range of 20 000 EUR to
300 000 EUR.
300 000 EUR.
Thorgate Reviews
3 Reviews
- All Services
- Mobile App Development
- Relevance
- Most Recent
- Rating: high to low
- Rating: low to high
Marc Garrett, Co-Founder and CTO at CleanCapital
Posted on Dec 02, 2018
Quality Python engineering team
Review Summary
Thorgate is a quality engineering team that helped us quickly stand up our MVP. The platform is now in use by the largest asset management firm in the world. Thorgate engineers always ask the right questions (why does the business process work this way) in order to build the best solution.
What service was provided as part of the project?
Software Development
Kalev Klaase, Founder & CEO at Like A Local Guide
Posted on Apr 17, 2018
A great python developing agency
Review Summary
Thorgate helped my startup to integrate a new design to our database and we also designed and developed our iOS app with them. I would recommend Thorgate as a development partner.
What service was provided as part of the project?
Mobile App Development, Web Development, App Designing (UI/UX)