From PhD to Boutique Software Developer: An Interview with Solwey’s Andrew Drach

Entrepreneurial Ventures and Expertise: An Interview with Andrew Drach

Software consultant Andrew Drach’s companies, Callentis and Solwey, exemplify his entrepreneurial drive. However, his clients also highly regard his academic credentials, as highlighted in a TechCrunch survey identifying top software consultants for startups.

Client Testimonial: The Value of Analytical Background

eDiscovery Assistant’s Kelly Twigger explained why her company selected Solwey, emphasizing “Andrew’s Ph.D. and analytical background concerning data,” alongside the startup consulting expertise he delivers.

Implementation is Key

Twigger also noted that expertise is only valuable when put into practice. Solwey excels in this area, avoiding simply assigning tasks. Instead, they engage in discussions about goals, optimal achievement strategies, and cost/benefit analyses. This sentiment was echoed by other survey participants, prompting TechCrunch to interview Drach and his team.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Background and Current Companies

Can you share details about your recent experience and your current businesses?

Andrew Drach: My involvement in engineering and software consulting has been ongoing, in various capacities, since I began coding. After several years in academia, I determined that a tenure-track faculty position wasn’t my desired path.

I communicated to my wife, Monika Jociunaite, that while I remained passionate about science, I intended to transition freelance consulting into a full-fledged agency, and invited her to join me.

A Complementary Partnership

Monika proved to be an ideal co-founder, possessing complementary skills and experience. Her background includes master’s degrees in international business and marketing, coupled with over five years in large international corporations. She was eager to explore the creative aspects of marketing, particularly UX/UI design, recognizing that excellent code is ineffective without a positive user experience.

In December 2016, Monika and I founded two interconnected companies: Solwey Consulting, specializing in technology strategy, execution, UX/UI design, and business intelligence; and Callentis Consulting Group, a research and development firm focused on translating academic research into practical industry applications.

Solwey’s Service Offerings

Specifically, Solwey offers consulting services throughout the entire software design and development lifecycle. This includes architecture and infrastructure design, UX/UI optimization, front-end and back-end development for web and mobile platforms, and data analytics to facilitate rapid growth for our clients.

The Boutique Consultancy Model

What led you to choose a boutique consultancy approach?

Both Monika and I had negative experiences with larger agencies and staffing firms, feeling overlooked and lacking the full attention of management. We also witnessed the detrimental effects of rigid waterfall methodologies and flawed agile implementations on project progress.

Consequently, we intentionally designed Solwey and Callentis to be small-scale agencies. We maintain direct engagement with our clients, and Monika and I personally oversee all deliverables from our team.

Team Structure and Growth

How is your team organized?

We prioritized a virtual-first, remote-first structure from the outset. While unconventional before the pandemic, this allowed us to remain lean while expanding our talent pool. We’ve been fortunate to attract exceptional individuals, with several employees celebrating their fourth anniversary with our five-year-old agency.

Currently, our team comprises eight full-time developers, a DevOps manager, and our Chief Operating Officer, Nima Kargah-Ostadi, who holds a Ph.D. in engineering, has a decade of experience leading engineering and research teams, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Client Acquisition Strategies

How do you acquire new clients?

Initially, I searched for remote contract platforms for software developers and registered on several. Within days, we secured a project, sparking our interest in freelancing platforms. Upwork was a primary source of projects due to its speed. However, as we grew and increased our rates, Upwork became less suitable.

Today, we receive referrals from past clients, repeat business, inquiries from organic and paid search, and listings on B2B platforms like Clutch.

Diversifying Lead Sources

In 2021, my focus shifted to diversifying our lead sources. We’ve experimented with various approaches, with limited success from hiring business development representatives and cold outreach (emails and LinkedIn). However, partnerships with VC funds and marketing agencies have proven highly effective. Social media, paid advertising, and content marketing have also yielded promising results.

Help TechCrunch identify the top software consultants for startups.

Submit a recommendation in this brief survey, and we will share the findings with everyone.

Focus on Startups and Their Needs

Are startups your primary clients, and what are their typical requirements?

Between 60% and 70% of our clients are startups or small businesses at various stages. We’ve assisted pre-seed startups in creating prototypes and guiding their technology development plans. At the seed stage, we help them develop their minimum viable product (MVP), and in later stages, we support their new initiatives.

Some clients approach us before forming a technology team, while others are building their development team, and some have fully staffed teams that are overloaded with existing work.

We consistently aim to assist startups in building and completing their technology teams, particularly when their ideas are technology-driven. I have even served as an interim chief technology officer (CTO) for three startups.

The Importance of Architectural Design

Why do you consider architectural design advice to be crucial?

Early-stage clients are often focused on their MVP and launch timelines. We frequently navigate the challenge of helping them move quickly to gain a competitive edge and impress investors, while simultaneously preventing architectural or strategic decisions that could create problems when enhancing features, adding functionality, iterating, or scaling.

We strive to provide guidance, prevent common issues, and explain how early investments in architecture or operational processes will be beneficial in the near future.

Balancing Speed and Sustainability

We typically focus our recommendations on a timeframe of six to twelve months to avoid premature optimization. A well-designed architecture enables a more efficient development process, rapid iteration, and a robust, scalable software solution with fewer complications.

Billing Model and Transparency

What is your billing structure?

Monika and I believe that transparent and straightforward billing fosters trust and strong client relationships. We utilize a project-based billing model with a flat hourly rate.

During initial consultations, we assess client priorities and define a reasonable project scope divided into phases. Nima and I then create a Gantt chart to visualize a realistic schedule, estimate the required hours for design, development, testing, and deployment, and calculate the total budget by multiplying the estimated hours by our flat hourly rate, which covers all overhead costs.

Project Timelines

What is a typical project timeline?

For a typical startup developing an initial MVP, we recommend two weeks for discovery and requirements gathering, four weeks for UX/UI and infrastructure/architecture design, eight weeks for agile development and continuous testing, and two weeks for MVP deployment and final adjustments.

We collaborate with clients to postpone non-critical tasks to maintain a lean MVP for a successful launch within this timeframe. In our experience, four months is sufficient for most MVP development and allows for rapid launch and valuable user and investor feedback.

Addressing Past Negative Experiences

Two of your clients mentioned previous unsatisfactory experiences with other firms. Can you elaborate on this? And what advice do you have for startups seeking to avoid similar issues?

I often tell clients that sometimes projects don’t succeed, but a negative experience doesn’t mean working with external teams will always fail or that their previous partner was unqualified. I sometimes joke that we’re “iteration #3.” Most projects we take over have already gone through two iterations: one with an agency outside the United States due to lower costs, and another with a junior or mid-level freelancer.

While these approaches are valid, founders often underestimate the level of coordination required for successful project completion.

Advice for Avoiding Issues

My advice is to establish clear expectations and maintain open communication. Whether working with a staff-augmentation agency, a temporary hire, a freelancer, or an agency like ours, clear task delineation and frequent check-ins are essential for identifying and addressing potential issues quickly.

Agile Methodologies: Real vs. Fake

What are your thoughts on the distinction between “fake” and “real” agile? And why do you advocate for the latter?

The term “agile” is often applied loosely to various project management approaches, making a discussion of “fake” versus “real” agile challenging without specific context. We’ve encountered situations where agile processes were inefficient due to misapplication. Sometimes, managers focused on ceremonies designed for large, distributed teams with only two developers in the same room. Other times, the process was overly fluid, with shifting priorities. And occasionally, teams defined sprints but adhered to a rigid quarterly plan resembling a waterfall approach.

Our process may not strictly adhere to agile definitions, as we adapt it to client preferences to minimize friction. We have key requirements, including daily check-ins, weekly sprints, regular releases, continuous integration, and prioritizing design assets. However, we strive to accommodate and provide recommendations based on the client’s team size and structure.