Why the Keyko Burger methodology works.
Potential clients always ask us about our track record. Rightly so, as we operate in an industry where hiring an engineering partner is a stab in the dark. But after we’ve mentioned our longterm relationship with Filecoin, our innovation track with E.On or the input we had in enabling Masa to win the Binance Labs incubator program, the next question is always: ‘So how do you achieve this’?
The answer is simple.
We don’t deliver software.
We help deliver products.
And this requires a different mindset and approach. We don’t just write code, but interact with and understand the client.
We even have a name for that: The Keyko Burger Methodology.
Sounds yummy?
Let’s unwrap this analogy to show you how we think, how we work and how we create value for our clients.
The Keyko Burger has 5 parts, so let’s start at the bottom.
1- Vision, Strategy & Goals
A good burger needs a solid base, not a soggy, underwhelming piece of bread.
Same with a good product: it requires a solid foundation that underpins all the work required.
This is the client’s vision, strategy & goals.
In the past, there have been occasions where we helped organizations develop strategic plans. But overall, companies have this sorted out by the time they reach out to us.
The real Keyko strength then lies in the fact that we go beyond engineering. We have the maturity and depth as a firm to understand and speak the business language. Our CEO, Paul Mason, for instance, has a background in corporate environments and 3 decades of experience in product delivery.
We know you are building a product with business consequences, not just code.
2- The Process
This is the actual burger, the patty. Always there.
Sure, you can go veggie or chicken or beef or fish. But it’s the core element of a burger.
This is the Keyko process. It can be tweaked to fit your tools or your needs, but it’s a solid, proven delivery process, crucial to success.
The three key elements of our approach are:
- Focus on Product Management
When you hire Keyko, we bring people that create the bridge between business & engineering.
One example to illustrate our product management mindset: we have designed a bespoke scoring system to structure and prioritize business requirements and turn them into product capabilities. - Engineering management
We build to user stories that are agreed upon with all stakeholders. Once we start developing, we have a strong focus on working collectively on a Front-to-Back solution, with testing baked into every level of delivery. - Attention on Post-delivery
We’re positively afraid of ‘tech debt’. We’ve been there, we’ve seen the potential mess this can create. We know very well that a short term gain in coding time can have a lasting negative impact on the product and the business.
So we actively allow for moments to grease the code and future-proof the solution. Retros are a crucial part of the Keyko process: not just for engineering, but also for product and business teams.
3- Engineering
These are the vegetables of our burger. Again, always there.
But we have many toppings and combinations, to make everyone happy.
Some burgers don’t need lettuce.
And we’re not fans of having beetroot in a fish burger. Who is?
What we mean is: this is where we pick the right tech for the right solutions so we can help you go to market fast.
The product’s requirement definition will shape the architecture and the stack. Over the years, we have built up a wealth of experience that enables us to choose proven technologies and libraries for quality and fast full stack development. No need to re-invent lettuce.
Having said that, if you require some homegrown pickles, we are more than capable of building bespoke solutions. For instance, for Masa, we engineered the Zero-knowledge soulbound token standard, from scratch.
4- The Keyko People & Culture
We don’t do standard mayo, I’m afraid. This is our very special Keyko homemade sauce.
A crucial part of working with Keyko is that you hire a bunch of driven, flexible and nice people.
When we build our team, we don’t just look for good coders. Everyone in our team also needs:
- Empathy
Keyko people look beyond their silo. They need to be aware of the impact they have on the product and on other members of the team. When we see people struggle, we’ll offer help where we can. - Responsibility
Keyko people don’t shy away from identifying problems and offering solutions. If we know things won’t work in the end, we’ll say so. As our CEO often says: “Write your code and imagine that the guy from support is a psycho”. - Communication
Keyko people are trained to speak up. Over-communication helps us minimize ‘key man risk’ and avoid fundamental product pitfalls.
Without our people and our culture, the burger wouldn’t taste so good.
5- Customer & Market Intelligence
Finally, this is the top part of the sturdy, crunchy, tasty bun. This is what keeps everything together. Without this piece, a burger would just be a wobbly bit of ‘stuff’.
What we mean by this is that successful products always keep the customer in mind. No company ever got successful by just delivering elegant code. We’re happy to provide the filling in your burger, but we’re also acutely aware that the real objective is building relevant products with relevant features.
So, at Keyko we can look at things from a commercial lens. We don’t freak out when the product team starts showing us user data. To the contrary, we’ll happily ask questions like ‘Why are we building this?’
That’s it.
This is our vision on building relevant products. This Burger Methodology is what has helped us deliver successful products and why clients like Filecoin and Masa have entered into a long-term relationship with us. And us with them.
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