Introductions to Untold
Hello. We're the Untold team. It's nice to meet you. We're excited to get to know all about your project and career goals. So if we're nosey, that's why.
Consultative Method
<p>A prospective client or creative partner’s first contact with Untold is purely consultative. We’re far more concerned with people finding the right technology solution than we are selling people something.</p>
<h4>Initial Meeting</h4>
<p>Whether potential client or creative partner, Untold is deeply interested in discovering what they and their team are all about. Their project is important too, but Untold is committed to making great software for great people, so what they and their team stand for is of great importance to us. Initial meetings are therefore heavily weighted towards philosophy, both organizational and technical.</p>
<p>Questions should typically center around the 'why' and 'how' of partners and projects. If we can't get to a point where we understand (as much as possible -- we can't alchemically transmute ourselves into industry experts) the business case or contextual foothold of a given project, there's just no way we'll be able to add value. Great software requires so much more than just sharp programmers; it requires deep insight into real-world problems, and constant testing and reshaping of core insights. For this reason, we need to focus on our soft skills -- building rapport, relationships, and trust. All that starts at the first meeting.</p>
<h4>Getting to "No"</h4>
<p>Untold isn’t trying to sell our potential partners anything that we can’t confidently deliver on. Due to this, we’re focused on getting to a “no” from either side early in the process so neither side wastes valuable time and effort. But once we arrive at “yes” then our clients and partners can be assured we’re a great fit.</p>
<p>If we don't find a great fit, that doesn't mean we can't be helpful. We're privileged enough to have been able to meet many other companies and freelancers, both in Portland and across the country. It's absolutely critical to us that we're always able to offer guidance and referrals to anyone we speak with.</p>
<h4>Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs)</h4>
<p>At Untold, we keep secrets. Before we chat with anyone, we ask if they’ll be sharing any information with us they’d like to keep private. If so, we’ll send over a mutual NDA for both parties to sign before we chat.</p>
Non-disclosure Agreements (NDA)
<p>At Untold, we keep secrets. Before we chat with anyone, we ask if they’ll be sharing any information with us that they’d like to keep private. If so, we’ll send over a mutual NDA for both parties to sign before we chat.</p>
Initial Meeting
<p>Whether potential client or creative partner, Untold is deeply interested in discovering what they and their team are all about. Their project is important too, but Untold is committed to making great software for great people, so what they and their team stand for is of great importance to us.</p>
Scope, Timeline, & Budget
<p>The Iron Triangle of scope, timeline, and budget is at the core of technical project success.</p>
<p>During discovery, the Untold team does all we can to uncover all the details around scope, timeline, and budget. We consult all possible stakeholders – executives, management, admins, etc. – to make sure that we have a clear Iron Triangle in which to work. Without clarity, our estimates and statements of work will lack the accuracy that their teams deserve, setting everybody up for hardship down the line.</p>
<h4>Scope</h4>
<p>Even with the most exacting requirements documentation, a concrete scope before project kickoff is often improbable. Simple, short-term projects are the likeliest to have a thoroughly defined scope before development starts, but web and mobile projects with any complexity most often benefit from a mutual understanding that scope can expand and contract based on unforeseen or newly wanted features, timeline adjustments, and available budget.</p>
<p><a href="/agile">Agile Methodology at Untold</a> helps scope evolve. Many organizations we've helped weren't ready for a fully Agile approach at kickoff. As true partners, the Untold team can still excel within more rigid environments while parts of Agile are adopted. We understand that our clients and partners have restrictions that make ideal Agile relationships difficult, so we promise flexibility and transparency at all times.</p>
<h4>Timeline</h4>
<p>Timelines are often more inflexible than scope due to our clients' deadlines. That said, steadfastly meeting expectations for launch is a point of pride for the Untold team.</p>
<p>Untold has built functional prototypes from scratch in a few days and built enterprise applications across native mobile and web platforms in multi-year partnerships. Longer-term engagements leverage Agile Methodology that lets timeline be a single part – not the only determinant – of the multifactorial Iron Triangle. Timeline to launch flexes alongside scope and budget within regular, all-inclusive conversations.</p>
<h4>Budget</h4>
<p>Budget is likely the easiest variable to pin down, though it's often the most difficult conversation.</p>
<p>Untold's most successful partnerships are based on purely Agile agreements between both sides. Fixed bid estimates are an unfortunate reality in today's business world and we have exceeded expectations in many cases. Fixed bid projects often constrict all involved while spending sizable parts of the budget managing the scope, so they're certainly not our preference.</p>
<p>That said, the Untold team welcomes budget conversations of all shapes and sizes.</p>
Getting to "No"
<p>Our business development process is different than most agencies. Untold isn’t trying to sell our potential partners anything that we can’t confidently do. Due to this, we’re focused on getting to a “no” from either side early in the process so that neither sides wastes valuable time and effort. But once we arrive at “yes” then our clients and partners can be assured that we’re a great fit.</p>
Discovery Process
Untold wants to get to know you, your team, and your organizational goals. Please don't be shy, and feel free to ask us anything and everything you'd like. You'll get straightforward answers and earnest opinions.
Uncovering Expectations
<h4>Communication style</h4>
<p>Setting expectations around communication is often the most important part of client and partner onboarding. Untold has worked in collaborative, embedded teams as well as in highly-isolated environments. Setting upfront expectations on communication frequency, channels, and level of detail has been vital to our great partnerships.</p>
<p>We're flexible, but we've found that the ability for real-time, any-time chat over Slack tends to serve our partners and projects best. We use Slack every day within our team for managing everything from our daily morning all-team scrums to rolling d20s for our DnD campaign. We're there every day, and we're all active, and we think projects benefit from this kind of frequency of conversation as well. It's absolutely invaluable to triage potential problems, or brainstorm new ideas, as they unfold with all stakeholders.</p>
<h4>Agile assumptions</h4>
<p>As <a href="/agile">Agile Methodology</a> can be configured in a number of ways, the Untold team strives to make it work optimally for our clients and partners.</p>
<p>Ideally Agile is practiced by the letter of the law, but Untold understands that other organizations may not yet be set up for a fully Agile approach. We welcome early conversations on how to best configure our Agile approach in order to thrive with our clients and partners.</p>
<h4>Bug fixes & iterative development</h4>
<p>Early distinctions between standard <a href="/handbook/iteration#chapter-child-81">bug fixes</a> and <a href="/handbook/iteration#chapter-child-82">iterative development</a> after launch are always valuable. The Untold team currently maintains dozens of mobile and web applications, and we have agreements with all our clients and partners for clear lines between basic bug corrections and new feature sets. Agreeing on the distinctions before launch is always preferable to disagreements down the road.</p>
<h4>Net payment terms</h4>
<p>Untold appreciates the upfront expectation setting from your organization’s accounting and digital teams on standard vendor payment schedules. Our expectations are net 30 terms, but we understand if your organization is too highly matrixed and complex to accommodate that. More than anything, we appreciate the conversation early on in the discovery process.</p>
Tools & Process Setup
<h4>Issue tracking (Jira)</h4>
<p>Though our preference for issue tracking is <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira" target="_blank">Atlassian’s Jira tool</a>, the Untold team has experience in other tools as well. We are happy to consult our clients and partners on which issue tracking solution might be the best fit for their organization.</p>
<h4>Code repository (GitHub)</h4>
<p><a href="https://github.com/" target="_blank">GitHub</a> is the industry standard for code repositories, but Untold is open to other solutions that accomplish the same aims. We are happy to consult our clients and partners on which code repository solution might be the best fit for their organization.</p>
<h4>Communication (Slack)</h4>
<p>The Untold team embeds itself in the <a href="https://slack.com/" target="_blank">Slack</a> organizations and channels of our clients and partners. Whether enterprise or entrepreneurial, we find Slack to be a suitable solution to all issues around communication and knowledge sharing. We are happy to consult with our clients and partners on which communication solution might be the best fit for them, their team, and their organization.</p>
Technical Architecture
<p>Technical architecture at Untold starts in the discovery process. As each development project has unique goals, Untold first consults with all internal stakeholders, subject matter experts, and admin specialists. Then the Untold team undertakes a thorough examination of existing application(s), codebase(s), admin requirements, and documentation desires.</p>
Design Phase Support
Though the Untold team are not design specialists, we appreciate being involved in all creative aspects of a project. We enjoy supporting the design phase with our technical expertise and our understanding of the software lifecycle.
Working with External Design Teams
<p>Untold prefers active participation in supporting all phases of the design process in lieu of the passive relationships that development partners have traditionally taken.</p>
<p>We inform our design partners as they create, helping to reduce revisions and wasted effort on their part, and ensuring feasible technological solutions on our end.</p>
<p>Symbiotically, we've also found that the earlier we're involved in the design process, the better we understand the designs, both from a visual and a functional perspective. In the same way that <a href="/agile">agile software development</a> can refine, shift course, and refocus, great design must necessarily go through many iterations to reach the best possible outcome. The more context we have about the history and philosophy behind those iterations, the better suited we are to implement the spirit of a great design.</p>
The Power of Sketch
<p>Sketch is a “design toolkit built to help you create your best work” and a powerful new tool in web and mobile development. As opposed to traditional .ai and .eps files, Sketch accelerates front-end development through clickable code snippets and intelligible layout formats.</p>
Blended Sprints
<p>Though all projects present unique timelines, the Untold team prefers to development alongside the design phase.</p>
<p>Early design sprints are often accompanied by parallel development to get the initial architecture up and then move to implementing approved designs step by step. Ideally, final design handoff takes place within a web or mobile ecosystem that is nearly complete to ensure that the final review process is most efficient.</p>
Wireframing
<p>In today’s web and mobile development world, assisting the design phase of any project requires a nimble wireframing partner. Helping our design partners get their designs quickly and easily approved accelerates project velocity and Untold takes pride in collaborative approach to either enabling quick wireframing for our partners or knocking the wireframes out ourselves.</p>
Accessibility & Usability Testing
<p>Untold’s development practices reflect the latest <a href="/accessibility-web-mobile-ada-wcag-compliance">accessibility</a> and usability concerns. Auditing and user interface (UI) tuning required to build truly accessible sites is a key step for us. Both <a href="https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm" target="_blank">ADA compliance</a> and <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/" target="_blank">WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines</a> are taken into account for all web and mobile properties that serve cross sections of the general public.</p>
Design Systems
<p>Component libraries (or style guides or pattern libraries) offer an organized approach to standardize and quickly adjust web and mobile design assets. Untold is comfortable implementing component libraries across multiple platforms and use cases.</p>
<p>We are happy to act as a technical consultant in terms of selecting, architecting, and build out your component library, as well as implementing solutions based on and using component libraries.</p>
<h4>Wireframing and Proofs of Concept</h4>
<p>In today’s web and mobile development world, assisting the design phase of any project requires a nimble wireframing partner. Helping our design partners get their designs quickly and easily approved accelerates project velocity. Untold takes pride in collaborative approach to either enabling quick wireframing for our partners or knocking out the wireframes ourselves.</p>
<p>Sometimes wireframes aren't quite enough to effectively communicate an idea or set of features or animations. Prototyping and building proofs of concept, no matter how small, are selfishly some of our favorite things to work on. We've built prototypes for everything from augmented reality applications to interactive comic book readers, and believe strongly that rapid prototyping and proofing is one of the best and most cost-effective ways of testing wild ideas.</p>
<h4>Design System Install</h4>
<p>Untold takes great care to implement brand elements to perfection. Our creative partners invest immense time and skill in creating a unified visual language, and our efforts should reflect theirs. Whether using component libraries, pattern libraries, or static style guides, the Untold team makes sure that all visual design elements are elegantly executed across web and mobile.</p>
Development Process
Untold uses advanced software solutions to solve complex technological problems. Solutions are our outputs, not lines of code. We carry ideas through strategy, project planning, development, quality assurance, deployment, and iterative development upon launch.
Quality Code Philosophy
<p>Quality code starts with quality software engineers. The Untold team writes code with high personal standards and, though process lends a hand, the Untold development philosophy starts and ends with great people.</p>
<h4>No Offshoring</h4>
<p>All Untold developers are full-time employees based in the United States. We don't offshore any parts of our clients' web or mobile projects. If our clients and partners are working with offshore development teams, then the Untold team will happily integrate with them in order to exceed expectations. Though offshoring will likely never be a part of our business model, we understand its value in certain situations and are happy to work alongside teams from any part of the globe.</p>
<h4>No Contractors</h4>
<p>All Untold developers are full-time employees and part of our family. We don't contract out any parts of a project to anyone we don't want to have onboard full-time. Due to this, our clients and partners experience an abnormal amount of stability from Untold.</p>
<h4>Direct Communication</h4>
<p>Our clients and partners are not gated from Untold's development team. We encourage direct-to-dev communication to expedite problem solving and facilitate cross-team knowledge transfer. Our engineers are all actual real human beings, and they all care deeply about the work they do and the people they support. We believe wholeheartedly that this practice is one the biggest contributions to our high code quality.</p>
Agile at Kickoff
<p>Ideally, all agreements on Agile Methodology have been determined during the discovery phase. Agile at development kickoff is focused on the details of time and length of daily scrum, sprint windows, sprint planning, and sprint retrospectives. <a href="/agile">Learn more about Agile at Untold</a> now.</p>
Design System Install
<p>Untold takes great care to implement brand elements to perfection. Our creative partners invest immense time and skill in creating visual style, and our efforts should reflect theirs. Whether using component libraries, pattern libraries, or static style guides, the Untold team makes sure that all visual design elements are expertly executed across web and mobile.<br />
</p>
Integrations
<p>Integrating web and mobile systems brings value, efficiency, and transparency across any organization. The Untold team has integrated the newest software frameworks with archaic platforms and databases. It’s rarely simple, but ensuring that organizational technology is interconnected is at the heart of value that Untold brings.</p>
<p>Some integrations are tried and true and others requires hunting and some headphones-on-heads-down detective work. Some of the more common integrations in our world have been for <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/api-gateway/" target="_blank">AWS</a>, <a href="https://developer.apple.com/documentation/spritekit" target="_blank">SpriteKit</a>, <a href="https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/" target="_blank">ARKit</a>, and <a href="https://developer.paypal.com/docs/archive/checkout/integrate/" target="_blank">PayPal</a>.</p>
API Development
<p>Application programming interface (API) development is part of nearly every mobile and web project at Untold. Custom scripting across a wide variety of languages is what we do. We look forward to helping our clients automate and unite previously scattered workflows, inefficient processes, and manual operations.</p>
<p>We've ingested well-known APIs as well as custom backend APIs with our clients. In the latter, we've often found ways to provide feedback for the best utilization. Just to name a few, we've used <a href="https://www.runscope.com/" target="_blank">Runscope</a>, <a href="https://www.getpostman.com/" target="_blank">Postman</a>, <a href="https://paw.cloud/" target="_blank">Paw</a>, and custom-written integration tests to ensure we're consistently getting what we expect.</p>
<p>In APIs that the Untold team has built ourselves, we take pride in future-proofing features such as versioning, helpful fallbacks, and useful error messaging. When a custom API needs significant scalability, we'll utilize facets of <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">AWS</a> to make that happen.</p>
SDK Development
<p>Developing a software development kit (SDK) with the Untold team ensures that internal teams have the proper set of tools, libraries, code samples, processes, and documentation to create applications for iOS, Android, and the web. Every solution is unique to our clients and partners specific needs. We work closely with teams to make sure all stakeholders feel confident with their SDK.<br />
</p>
Migrations
<p>No two code or content migrations are the same. All web and mobile ecosystems are unique, with their own set of complexities. Untold understands the need to ensure legacy functionality and historical content are replatformed smoothly and efficiently.</p>
<p>It's rare that a legacy site got the architecture or content model right on the first try. Frequently, a migration will entail a deep dive into all the pieces, how they're used, and how they could be streamlined. It pays dividends to set the architecture straight, and we enjoy solving that puzzle whenever we're brought into help with a migration project.</p>
<p>Most of our experience has been in <a href="https://www.drupal.org/" target="_blank">Drupal</a> migrations, and we're impressed with the <a href="https://www.drupal.org/8" target="_blank">Drupal 8</a> migration pathway. We also love to see clients benefit from a more stable release and all the performance benefits that come with it.</p>
Code Review
<p>At Untold, all major code work is subject to two levels of Code Review using <a href="https://github.com/untoldhq" target="_blank">GitHub</a> Pull Requests. Code is reviewed as it is produced for testing by a senior member of the Untold team and any stakeholders who wish to be included.</p>
<p>Additionally, as a new feature is being developed, a targeted and contextual quality assurance review by a producer/strategist/project manager ensures all code is of the highest possible quality.</p>
<p>It's safe to say we're picky. It's common to have multiple constructive and laudatory comments per pull request. We hold ourselves to a high bar, and framework and language coding standards matter.</p>
Package Managers
<p>On <a href="https://developer.apple.com/ios/" target="_blank">iOS</a>, deciding on a package manager requires nuance. Th Untold team has used both <a href="https://github.com/Carthage/Carthage" target="_blank">Carthage</a> and <a href="https://cocoapods.org" target="_blank">CocoaPods</a> and, while we’re comfortable with both, we typically opt for CocoaPods as it requires less manual setup to integrate with projects. We’re also keeping a close eye on <a href="https://swift.org/package-manager/" target="_blank">Swift Package Manager</a>. While it doesn’t quite feel ready at this moment, we’re confident it will soon be the best way to manage third9party code inside an iOS app.</p>
<p>For Android, we use <a href="https://gradle.org" target="_blank">Gradle</a> for dependency management. It's straightforward, and very well integrated with <a href="https://developer.android.com/studio" target="_blank">Android Studio</a>.</p>
Mobile Continuous Integration
<p>Untold mobile apps let <a href="https://fastlane.tools" target="_blank">fastlane</a> handle the majority of the heavy lifting in terms of continuous integration (CI).</p>
<p>As such, we tend to be agnostic when it comes to traditional CI tools. We keep a <a href="https://jenkins.io" target="_blank">Jenkins</a> server running as a default option, but we’re also happy to work with <a href="https://travis-ci.org" target="_blank">Travis CI</a>, <a href="https://circleci.com" target="_blank">CircleCI</a>, or whatever internal tool our clients and partners prefer.</p>
Optimizing For First-Party Code
<p>By computer programming standards, mobile development is still relatively new. As an industry, we’ve had a couple decades to stabilize the platforms and tooling around web development (particularly on the backend), but <a href="https://developer.apple.com/swift/" target="_blank">Swift</a> and <a href="https://kotlinlang.org/" target="_blank">Kotlin</a> are both still in their infancy (as are iOS and Android as platforms, to a lesser extent).</p>
<p>As such, the Untold team encourages caution before adding third-party dependancies to mobile projects. That's not to say we won't take on a dependency if we find the right fit, but relying as much as possible on our code and the first-party code from Apple and Google is a surefire way to keep our clients' and partners' software reliable and maintainable.</p>
Training Documentation
<p>Well before launch, the Untold team assembles the requirements for all necessary documentation. Whether the format is a README file, technical data sheets, or line-by-line instruction files, the Untold team delivers documentation in the way that most benefits our clients’ internal development staff moving forward.</p>
<p>In cases where there's a content team that needs user-interface guidance, the Untold team often creates step-by-step guides to empower their admin experience; and when a new feature is implemented, we hop to training these content teams up as soon as it's ready for launch.</p>
Deploy & Launch Process
The Untold team has deployed a wide variety of web and mobile projects into unique devops, sysops, and hosting environments. When external development teams launch our solutions, we enjoy consulting with them to ensure they have access to all possibilities and perspectives.
Web App Deployment
<p>The Untold team has worked with many different backend stacks. As we have done for years, we intend to continue to use the best tool for the job; and therefore, we don't have a one-size-fits all deployment pipeline.</p>
<p>We've had success using <a href="https://capistranorb.com/" target="_blank">Capistrano</a> for <a href="https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/" target="_blank">Ruby</a> and miscellaneous filesystem deployments, and <a href="https://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.11/index.html" target="_blank">Fabric</a> for basic <a href="https://www.djangoproject.com/" target="_blank">Django</a> and <a href="https://www.python.org/" target="_blank">Python</a> deployments. For PHP applications, we're big fans of the <a href="https://laravel.com/" target="_blank">Laravel</a> ecosystem of tools, and tend to launch all our development, and a good number of our production, sites, and applications using <a href="https://forge.laravel.com" target="_blank">Laravel Forge</a>.</p>
<p>For more complicated deployments, and for projects requiring more sophisticated CI/CD pipelines, we've historically looked to <a href="https://jenkins.io/" target="_blank">Jenkins</a> to handle automation. Philosophically, we believe in testing every single pull request against both development (for finding collisions with other in-progress features) and current production instances of all our apps.</p>
<p>For Drupal, it can often make sense to lean on larger platform-as-a-service companies with great tooling and support. Our favorites are <a href="https://pantheon.io/" target="_blank">Pantheon</a> and <a href="https://www.amazee.io/" target="_blank">Amazee.io</a>, though we have a ton of experience building, maintaining, and launching both on <a href="https://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud" target="_blank">Acquia's cloud</a>, and on our own custom <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">AWS</a> instances, containers, and systems.</p>
<p>Regardless of final destination, it almost always (except when organizations come with their own processes and environments) makes sense to spin up development and staging/QA servers and services on AWS. This makes active development dramatically more efficient, and helps developers acclimate to and understand the nuances of actually running a given application in a live-like environment.</p>
<p>Web developers can't simply be programmers any more. It's absolutely critical to understand the specific contexts in which your code will run.</p>
iOS App Deployment
<p><a href="https://developer.apple.com/ios/" target="_blank">iOS</a> apps fall in to two major categories when it comes to deployment – <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/app-store/" target="_blank">App Store</a> and enterprise distribution.</p>
<p>For App Store distributions, we guide our clients and partners through Apple’s somewhat strict set of rules and criteria, and manage releases via our <a href="https://fastlane.tools" target="_blank">fastlane</a>-based set of continuous integration tools.</p>
<p>For enterprise distribution there is no review requirement, but the audience is restricted to an organization’s employees. We use a nearly identical fastlane pipeline for deploying enterprise builds — with the only difference is the final destination. Currently, this destination is <a href="https://hockeyapp.net" target="_blank">Hockey</a>, but will transition to <a href="https://appcenter.ms" target="_blank">App Center</a> in the near future.</p>
Android App Deployment
<p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://developers.google.com/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> platform allows for a lot of flexibility when it’s time to deploy and distribute Android apps — but we have our preferences. </p>
<p dir="ltr">For most apps, we bundle, manage dependencies, and prepare our Android SDKs (software development kits) for release using <a href="https://gradle.org/" target="_blank">Gradle</a>, before leveraging the continuous integration (CI) tool <a href="https://fastlane.tools/" target="_blank">fastlane</a> to manage app releases. Now it’s time to distribute.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For public <a href="https://play.google.com/store?hl=en_US" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> distributions, we guide our clients and partners through Google’s deployment process, ensuring all rules and criteria are met.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For internal enterprise distributions, we have more destination flexibility, and less requirements. Our current medium for such releases is the <a href="https://hockeyapp.net/" target="_blank">HockeyApp</a>, but will use the <a href="https://appcenter.ms/" target="_blank">App Center</a> in the near future.</p>
SSL Certificates
<p>Untold is committed to securing user data within every web application we build. The required data our clients want to encrypt during transmission varies from project to project. The HTTPS-Only Standard is a common way to enhance user data security, and happens to be super easy to set up and maintain, so all web projects and web APIs we build <em>only</em> serve content over HTTPS.</p>
Iterative Development
The Untold team won't abandon our solutions once they're deployed. We value continued relationships and working new features and increased value into products within our many close partnerships.
Application Support
<p>Once our web and/or mobile applications are live, Untold ensures our clients and partners feel safe moving forward. We take pride in the technology we build and are always willing to support it after launch.</p>
Mobile Version Support
<p>On <a href="https://developer.apple.com/ios/" target="_blank">iOS</a>, we typically recommend that new projects only support the current major version of iOS unless the expected release date falls in early autumn (when Apple typically releases new version). Apple’s customers tend to adopt new OS versions quickly, so it’s generally safe to drop support for older versions.</p>
<p><a href="https://developers.google.com/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> is by its nature a little more difficult. Since Google has to rely on third party hardware manufacturers, rollout for new operating systems tends to be quite a bit slower. As such, we generally recommend new Android apps support three versions back. As of this writing that means supporting <a href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/lollipop" target="_blank">Android Lollipop</a> (API Level 21) and newer.</p>
The Next Phase of Agile
<p>After project launch, Untold flexes the development process to focus on any lingering bug fixes, as well as plans for the next stages of iterative improvement. Sprint planning adjusts slightly, but the basic day-to-day development and communication remains largely the same. <a href="/agile">Learn more about Agile at Untold now.</a></p>
Minor Bug Fixes
<p>Even the Untold team’s world-class software builds result in minor bugs. We are experienced in bug fixes at all levels of complexity across web and mobile, and we are not satisfied until our software is fully performant. Bugs happen. Untold fixes them.</p>
New Feature Sets
<p>Adding new features to existing software platforms is something we enjoy. It is very common for a project’s development phase to uncover opportunities for new functionality that adds value. This becomes more more common the more invested developers are in the software they're building. We feel that we are exceptionally good at finding opportunities for project improvement, both because we tend to care a <em>ton</em> about the work we're doing, and because we share our work constantly with all members of our team, through scrum updates, demos, pair programming, and code review. Actively thinking about ways to improve our work leads to a much better final product, whether new feature ideas end up being validated, approved, and prioritized by client stakeholders or not.</p>
Planning for the Software Lifecycle
<p>The full lifecycle of any piece of software depends on its use case, its code quality, and the platform on which it is built. Untold consults with and supports our partners throughout the full lifecycle of software development to make sure that we are building applications that are highly performant for the longest possible duration. That said, all applications eventually need to be retooled, and we are here to help guide that as well.</p>
Partnership Moving Forward
The Untold team takes pride in helping great teams and organizations solve their most difficult technological problems. Our reviews and testimonials make us blush, so thank you in advance. We're proud to work alongside the great people we do.
How Untold Helps You
<h4>Technical Support</h4>
<p>We know how stressful technology problems at work can be. Untold is always here for our clients and partners – whether it’s an application we built or not. There’s no need for a monthly retainer, and there are no formal channels they need to go through to talk to us. They’re free to talk to us. We listen.</p>
<h4>Consulting at the Ready</h4>
<p>When consulting with the Untold team, our clients and partners can expect a timely and straightforward approach. Whether they might have a merger, acquisition, or reorg on the horizon or just need help with their existing web and mobile ecosystem, we are happy to audit all existing vendors and/or codebases to spot new opportunities on their behalf. We’re here to help our clients and partners, and we encourage them to reach out if something technical has got them stumped. </p>
<h4>Scoping New Projects</h4>
<p>We want all of our clients’ and partners’ wild and crazy ideas. Having the Untold team alongside you when scoping new projects offers perspective into the full opportunities of web and mobile solutions across their respective organizations. Their digital project roadmap is often their most valuable planning asset, and we’re happy to collaborate and scope any idea alongside them – large or small, sane or crazy.</p>
How You Help Untold
<h4>Referrals</h4>
<p>Referrals are our primary way of acquiring work. We don’t advertise (and likely never will), so our clients and partners being a champion for Untold out there on the streets is a big deal to us. Whether it’s just a short phone call or undertaking a multi-year engagement, we want our clients and partners to take comfort in knowing that whoever is sent our way will be in the same great hands that they have been. </p>
<h4>Reviews</h4>
<p>The Untold team works hard to make sure our clients and partners are on solid technological footing. If they feel we’ve earned it, posting an online review or two goes a long way in letting the world know what we’re all about. Posting on <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=untold+studio&oq=untold+studio&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3j69i65l2.6343j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x54950a06441f165b:0x3ac977fae28040c6,3,,,">Google</a> is pretty straightforward (especially when logged into your Chrome browser), but reviewing us on <a href="https://clutch.co/review">Clutch</a> is a little more involved. It may even require a short phone conversation about their experience with the Untold team, and all of their support and feedback is wildly appreciated.<br />
</p>
A Look Inside the Untold Team
We've worked hard to make Untold a transparent and empowering place. For any prospective or current team members, here's a look into what you can expect from the Untold team.
Why We Exist
<p>Untold makes great software for great people. In doing this, we build environments and relationships that transcend the transactional nature of work. We are a family, and our partners are welcome to join. Our “why” is simple, and we aim to keep it that way.</p>
How We Came to Be
<p>Untold Studio is a product of chance. The founders met at a Portland development shop in 2014 and, after some unfulfilled promises, decided they wanted to build a business that stood for something more than simply making money. As partnerships began to build, Untold stayed focused building great software for great people. This ethos is our past, present, and future.</p>
What We Stand for
<p>We stand for a few simple principles. Untold makes great software for great people. Our commitment to world-class technology products requires diligence, attention to detail, and vigilance around staying up-to-date on all the best emerging tools and processes. Our business reflects who we are as individuals. We have fun as we work and we collaborate – both internally and externally – every hour of every day. These principles are unwavering and we believe they will scale and remain with us in perpetuity.</p>
Who We Are
<p>The team is what makes Untold a world-class organization. No amount of process can ever make up for a bad team, or create an exceptional team. As such, everyone tasked with doing a job at Untold is granted assumed approval of the result of that job. We implicitly trust exceptional individuals to perform their jobs exceptionally and we expect them to have fun doing it.</p>
When You Should Call Us
<h4>Potential Client</h4>
<p>Potential clients should call Untold when you have a technological idea that benefits their organization. Whether you have internal buy-in or not, consulting with Untold will help clear a path forward and remove any doubts or anxiety around your technological project roadmap.</p>
<h4>Potential Partner</h4>
<p>Potential creative partners should call Untold when you or your clients have a technological problem that requires collaboration and technological know-how. We enjoy consulting on theoretical, pie-in-the-sky projects, and we’re happy to step in if your team is in need of some technological help mid-project. Let us know how we can help and we’ll jump right in.</p>
<h4>Potential Team Member</h4>
<p>Potential team members should call Untold when you’re ready to explore a new way to work. Working within a highly collaborative development environment isn’t for everyone. It requires communication, transparency, and vulnerability. Friendship is encouraged, and after hours get togethers are commonplace. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, and are excited about working on a world-class team delivering for great people, then we’d love to talk.</p>
Our Tech Stack
<p>Our stack will never be defined. No one tool will be the correct tool for every job. Because Untold intends to excel at every job, we must be prepared to evaluate every tool and evolve as technology evolves. As long as a team delivers a world-class solution, the tools used should be up to the discretion of the team. And, if we don’t have the requisite expertise in the optimal tool for the job, we’ll tell our prospective clients and partners. Scout’s Honor.</p>
Your Onboarding
<h4>Day #1</h4>
<p>When you show up for your first day of work at Untold, you can expect a welcoming atmosphere, a team that’s excited to see you, and a desk full of all the fun tools and toys you need to succeed. Scrum starts at 9:15 and you’ll get to meet the entire team (if you haven’t already met them in the interview process). Feel free to start setting up all the environments you’ll need, and we’re all game to help you get your questions answered. You tell us when and where for lunch and the whole team will tag along, and the rest of your afternoon is up to you.</p>
<h4>Week #1</h4>
<p>After your first week, you can expect to know the entire team, be fully integrated with all our tools, be introduced with your client(s) and partner(s), and have a good grasp on all the good lunch spots in the neighborhood. You’ll have seen all projects in front of you and understand the roles of all the people involved. And maybe best of all is that the wrinkles in your commute are probably ironed out. Whew. </p>
<h4>Month #1</h4>
<p>At the end of your first month at Untold, you can expect to be in full swing. Regardless of your role, you will have everything you need to help us keep making great software for great people. You’ll have a firm grasp on the cadence of our scrums and everybody’s media preferences (i.e. Sam loves <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_T0jzThMcw">Babe: Pig in the City</a>). We’re very happy you’re here with us!</p>
<h4>Year #1</h4>
<p>By the end of your first year, you’ve got this thing down pat. Communication is easy, work is going at your pace, and you’re firmly in control of your daily lunch destiny. Your clients appreciate you and your team misses you when you’re on vacation. Things are good. You’re good. Thanks for being here.<br />
</p>
Your Benefits
<p>There are many benefits to working at Untold, but the ones that don’t sound super cheesy putting on a webpage are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO)</li>
<li>Working Remotely at Your Preference</li>
<li>Annual TriMet Pass</li>
<li>Fully Paid Premiums for Health & Dental Insurance</li>
<li>Conferences & Continuing Education</li>
<li>Paid Gym Membership</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
Your Paycheck
<p>Untold issues payroll twice a month, and you can expect all expense reimbursements shortly after you submit your receipts.</p>
Blogging & Playbook
<p>You are encouraged to create content at any opportunity you’d like. It’ll fit somewhere – whether on our blog or in this playbook – and be much appreciated. There are no Content Directors that guide an Untold content roadmap. Our content is driven by people that want to share their experiences in technology or at Untold with all the world. So write. We dare you.</p>
