The origins of the disciplined methodology used by CivilCode can be traced to the early careers of the company’s two co-founders: Nicholas Henry and Hugo Frappier. Both were independent contractors whose paths crossed on projects and at industry conferences, notably the annual Ruby on Rails Conference.

In addition to sharing the same opinion of how to use a disciplined approach to develop software, Nicholas and Hugo also discovered that they were both interested in increasing the complexity of the type of projects that they were working on independently.

When technology met opportunity

The future co-founders of CivilCode also agreed that they wanted to use Elixir as one of the key components in their technology stack. When Elixir became available, Nicholas and Hugo started to seriously investigate working together in a structured company to move beyond collaborating independently.

Another contributing factor to the creation of CivilCode was a market need to fill a gap that wasn’t being well served. Small and medium-sized businesses that outgrew their off-the-shelf software required more than an individual developer could provide but weren’t the right fit for a large software consultancy.

Through multiple discussions and their own discovery process, Nicholas and Hugo ironed out their niche: developing custom software to automate business workflows and solve clients’ process problems.

Where the name CivilCode came from

A major component of the work environment and company values that Nicholas and Hugo wanted to create is centred around using a disciplined or “civilized” approach to software development. From the start, CivilCode has implemented its methodology on all projects.

This methodology includes:

  • an in-depth discovery phase that uses story mapping and event storming to clarify user tasks and goals, and reveal the required business processes
  • iterative development for continuous delivery of incremental releases
  • pair programming for high-quality software
  • billing blocks of developer time instead of fixed-price project fees devoting one day per week to professional development, research, and contributions to open-source software development projects

How CivilCode is different from a digital design agency

By focusing on building the applications that run a business, CivilCode sets itself apart from digital design agencies that specialize in developing mobile apps and Software as a Service for startups.

When a small or medium-sized business is growing and struggling with off-the-shelf solutions, they require developers that have extensive business workflow expertise. With experience developing software for industries ranging from heavily regulated healthcare to creative digital music creation, the developers at CivilCode are uniquely positioned to solve business-specific workflow problems.

Who benefits most from working with CivilCode

Outgrowing an off-the-shelf software solution is a good problem to have. Established small and medium-size businesses that need custom software to streamline their internal processes are an ideal fit for CivilCode.

When manual processes, wrong tools, and inefficient procedures prevent a company from scaling as it should, custom software applications can open up growth opportunities without increasing administrative headcount. Having control over custom software development is also of great value to CivilCode clients.