Based in Boulder, Colorado, Gorilla Logic provides software development and consulting services through high-performance and distributed agile teams both onshore in the U.S. and from its development center in Costa Rica. Stu Stern, a lifelong musician and coder, launched the software company — which specializes in building software applications and providing consulting services for other organizations — in 2002 with co-founder Ed Schwarz.
Over the last 15 years, Stern and Schwarz have grown the company from a small startup to a tech firm that’s become the go-to software development partner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Companies that engage with nearshore partners, like Gorilla Logic, found it easier to work with their remote teams since they are highly trained, share the same language and cultural affinity, and operate within similar hours in the work day. Though what made Gorilla Logic such a lucrative choice was the way it prioritized quality customization and customer experiences with Behavior Driven Development (BDD).
According to a blog post by Gorilla Logic Agile Practice Lead, Pedro Araya, development teams use BDD to create simple scenarios that describe how an application should behave from the end user’s perspective. BDD encourages collaboration between the technical and business stakeholders, ensuring everyone has a clear, shared understanding of the intended user experience in the final product.
The pandemic encouraged a renewed focus on excellent digital customer experiences informed by BDD. BDD also ostensibly improves team collaboration, visibility, reduced costs, and increased adaptability. Companies that think about the consumer first and use BDD are more profitable, and this is why companies were partnering with the Denver-based provider over other companies.
As the pandemic forced more people to stay at home than ever before, it also created an environment where consumers had more time to vet products and brands based on reviews, making customer experiences that much more valuable.
“We treat every prospect with the same high level of curiosity and respect. It’s not a “trick," just good manners and part of the integrity we are known for,” said Chris Johnson, VP of Client Success at Gorilla Logic. “Consistent outreach is also good for my team's morale and it prevents saggy attitudes. Even when info on a contact us form doesn't look promising, a positive approach can lead to a good conversation and an unexpected opportunity.”
Gorilla Logic’s success should signal to other businesses to not put 2020 behind them so hastily. There are great lessons to be learned from the work required to navigate such an unprecedented year. Nearshoring and BDD are great solutions that garnered even greater results that we might just be seeing more of in 2021 and beyond.
