The goal is a new kind of service platform for apartment or real estate owners

A few years ago, the Finnish startup company MyHID Oy started developing the idea of a digital service for individuals to manage the apartments and real estate. The founders of the company had decades of IT industry experience in the construction and real estate industry as well as in the development of similar services for businesses.

"The whole world makes programs for professionals, but at the same time the end user is pretty much the lightest snack on the go", describes the demand for the service, product manager of MyHID Oy, Jari Ahde.

"Nowadays you can't even buy a car without a service book, so why would you buy a house without it? Our aim was to create a product that is the digital twin of every home and living space. Its life cycle can start at any time, from the beginning of living or in the middle of the journey," continues Ahde.

Only in Finland there are more than three million potential users - as many as there are apartments.

"However, the solution also works on an international level. From our discussions with stakeholders over the years, we have learned that the everyday needs of an individual person are almost standard in all countries," says Ahde.

With Skillwell, chemistry met and development began

MyHID Oy started implementing the application by first applying for a technical platform for their product. Then it's time to decide who can implement the solution.

“We interviewed half a dozen companies to find the right partner for our situation and resources. There was an immediate chemistry with Skillwell: the company was the right size and the communication worked right from the start,” says Ahde.

Cooperation has now been carried out closely for about a year on a daily basis. In the deepest part of the project, Santtu Sarlin has been responsible for development from Skillwell's side.

“We started by creating the first concept type prototype, with which we tested that the idea was feasible. The next prototype was already more developed, and with it we began a more thorough development. The first development package was still planned in the so-called, in an old-fashioned way, but little by little we moved in a more flexible direction in the development model,” says Sarlin about the stages of the project.

In the spring of 2022, the first releasable version (MVP or Minimum Viable Product) of the MyHomesID application was launched. However, it does not mean that the product is ready, but as is typical for SaaS applications, the development is continuous. Customer testing is used to map in which direction the application needs to be developed.

Agile development is the only way to success

Agile development methods are often used in software development and IT projects to make processes run smoothly. The most important principle is to meet customer needs by delivering software releases as early and regularly as possible. Thus, the customer has excellent opportunities to influence at every stage of the project.

In the case of MyHomesID, agile development meant that the collaboration was daily, and every two weeks the progress of the project was reviewed in a meeting. Jari Ahde, as the contact person, played a key role in the development of the application.

“When a product is created on our initiative, we must be responsible for its development. The best results are achieved with the direct participation of the customer in the development. Even though we are officially a start-up company, our team has 40 years of experience in this field,” explains Ahde.

"The initial impetus for development measures often comes from us. After that, the topic requires priming so that Skillwell can be put into action. After the action, the situation is reviewed and tested. In agile development, there are countless stages already within a two-week sprint."

Ahde sees that the agile development model is the only possible option for implementing an application like MyHomesID.

"We wouldn't get results like this without this model. You just have to dare to throw yourself into it. Agile development is eternal learning and development: there is constant discussion and the search for the most effective cooperation model. However, certain basic principles must be adhered to in order to produce results."

“Agile development requires participation from both sides of the table. It connects both companies not only with the process, but also with each other. The parties are getting to know each other.”

Collaboration emphasizes flexibility and co-development

Regarding cooperation with Skillwell, Ahde especially highlights the flexibility and courage to make development proposals.

"It is extremely flexible and easy to work with them, and they reliably do their part. They also dare to speak their mind, which is really important. For example, in our project, Santtu dares to take a strong role in development discussions and suggests how we could move things forward. He has the necessary resilience."

"The best thing about Skillwell's service is the people. Dialogue with them is smooth and communication is really easy. They know how to position themselves on the same income angle with the customer and have a conversation."

Ahde also appreciates the fact that Skillwell is committed to working together and pursuing the best interests of clients in ways other than the project in question.

"We are constantly searching together for the optimal model for cooperation and thinking about how things could be done even better. At Skillwell, we know how to look far enough and think things ahead from our point of view as well. We give development suggestions to each other on both sides - and we may also talk about our own development more generally."

"We have a very strong commitment to Skillwell and the desire to continue to cooperate", Ahde concludes.

Skillwell relies on the services of AWS in the development of SaaS services. Read more about our SaaS service development