When choosing a digital product studio for your business, it can be difficult to compare all the options and determine the best fit for your needs. But by taking a closer look at the values, approach and capabilities of a studio, you can make an informed decision that will set you on the path to success. Here are a few key pointers for you to look at when selecting the right studio for you:

• Capabilities: What specific services does each studio offer? Are they experienced in the type of project you need? Do they have a strong portfolio of similar work? Make sure to compare each studio's capabilities and expertise to ensure that they can meet your specific needs. 

To see a selection of recent work from the team at Remote, click here to view our case studies.

• Team: Who will be working on your project? What is their experience? Make sure to meet the team or at least have a good idea of who will be working on your project. 

At Remote, we have a methodology for ensuring a fit between our two companies. Our methodology begins with a Discovery Session where we discuss your idea in depth and ensure alignment between our companies. This is your chance to tell us about yourselves, your idea and what you hope to achieve with it. We then move on to a Clarity Workshop, which involves a thorough examination of your current processes, concepts, and objectives. During this workshop, we identify the software's most crucial features that will have the greatest impact on your business, minimising initial development costs and decreasing project risk. 

• Communication and collaboration: How will the studio communicate with you during the project? Will they provide regular updates and progress reports? Will they be available to discuss any issues or changes that may arise? Good communication and collaboration are key to the success of any project. 

Part of our methodology at Remote is a Kick-off meeting. We hold a Kick-off session whenever: A team is starting a new project or a significant module in a project, a significant number of team members are new and at least once a year. Anyone who is officially on the team participates. That includes all programmers, testers, designers, analysts, product owners, Scrum Master and stakeholders. 

Every kick-off session starts with brief introductions. This is a quick round - 30–60 seconds per person for a quick introduction and an overview of their core capabilities and special area of focus. We also cover the Collaboration & Communication Plan - who is responsible for communicating with which stakeholder and what is the regular iteration review schedule.

• Cost: Make sure to get a clear and detailed quote from each studio, and compare the costs of each option. What is the cost of each studio's services? Are there any hidden costs or additional fees? 

We run a tight ship and manage our project delivery carefully by using story points to measure the complexity of every task. Over time, we’ve ascertained our story point velocity per team member, per sprint. We offer two ways of costing your project - The more traditional approach, where we arrive at a fixed scope, plan your project and agree on payments at agreed milestones, and our unique Priority Subscription. A Priority Subscription is an alternative (and we think better for everyone!) method for running your project that’s in harmony with our studio approach to working together. 

With a Priority subscription, you reserve studio capacity in advance for your business, either on a 12, 24 or 36-month contract. We agree on the number of story points to reserve for your stream depending upon your per-sprint budget, and you are guaranteed that amount of work every sprint. 

• Timeline: When can each studio start your project? How long will it take to complete? Will they be able to meet your deadline? Make sure to compare the timelines of each studio and ensure that they will be able to meet your needs.

We organise work into carefully curated sprints - two-week cycles - and divide our sprints into streams with a UX/UI designer and front and back-end developers, reserving the resources you need for your stream every sprint. This process enables us to resource your project strategically.

Before we begin each sprint, we’ll review the backlog for the project, confirm the next most important features that will need to be included in the upcoming sprint with you, and do a deep dive into the features, making sure we all agree on the functionality. 

We’ve found that going into the finer detail of a feature a couple of weeks before we build it, rather than weeks or months before in the overview stage, leads to the most informed technical decisions, and enables us to learn from the development itself as it progresses.

• Reputation: What do other customers say about the studio? Look for reviews and testimonials online, or ask for references from the studio. 

At Remote, we actively encourage you to speak to our clients to find out their experience of working with us in their own words. We’ll seek their permission for you and let them know you’ll be getting in touch so they know why you’re reaching out and to expect your call. 

When it comes to selecting a digital product studio, you want to make sure that you're fully informed and have compared all of your options. By considering these points, you can ensure that you have correctly compared all of the options in front of you and are making an informed decision when choosing a digital product studio.

We understand that your success is our success. At our studio, we have a global outlook, and our clients can be found throughout Europe, North America, and Latin America. And, no matter the size of your ambition, you'll get the best of us. 

Our team has years of experience and know-how in strategy, design, and technology to create and scale digital products that will drive sales and improve your customers' experience. We work with funded start-ups, ambitious businesses looking to scale, and global brands, and we're always ready to partner with you to deliver game-changing solutions.

If you're ready to think big, we're here to make your ideas a reality. Let's work together to create something truly transformational for your business.