News Archives

DevOps Trends for 2023

April 13, 2023

DevOps is a software development approach that emphasizes collaboration and communication between software developers and IT operations professionals. The goal of DevOps is to facilitate the rapid development and deployment of high-quality software through the use of automation, continuous integration, continuous delivery, and agile methodologies.

DevOps Trends for 2023

Orchestration via Kubernetes means managing containerized applications at scale, providing automated deployment, scaling, and managing the application containers across clusters of hosts. This can improve the reliability and scalability of software applications. Kubernetes is only one of the many tools that can be used; other tools that serve similar needs are Docker Swarm and AWS Fargate.

Serverless architecture means running applications without the need of managing the underlying infrastructure. This can simplify application development and deployment as developers can focus on writing code instead of managing servers. At the DevOps level, publishing can be an easy process when working with few features, but as the ecosystem grows, one can be faced with limitations from cloud providers as well as the complexity of publishing multiple serverless services. Serverless framework and its configuration files such as serverless-compose are tools that hello facilitate these complex processes.

Managing multiple projects is a critical aspect of DevOps, as organizations often have multiple software projects that need to be developed and deployed simultaneously. Effective project management tools and processes can help ensure that projects are delivered on time and meet the needs of stakeholders. Terraform is a tool for managing Infrastructure as Code, which allows developers to define infrastructure resources declaratively. This can help ensure that the infrastructure is consistent and reproducible across environments, improving the reliability of software deployments.

Multi-cloud support involves developing and deploying applications on multiple cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. This can provide greater flexibility and redundancy for software applications.

AI in the future of DevOps is likely to play an increasingly important role in automating and optimizing various aspects of the software development and deployment process. This could include the use of machine learning algorithms to identify and diagnose problems in software applications or to automate tasks such as testing and deployment. Ultimately, the goal of AI in DevOps is to improve the efficiency, reliability, and quality of software development and deployment, while reducing the time and effort required by developers and operations professionals.

Q&A from our Engineering Managers: Pablo Rodriguez and Johnn Castro

How do you think container management has evolved with tools such as Kubernetes and what has been its role in microservices orchestration?

How have you handled projects where complexity is growing?

What practices are essential to work with on projects where we have to have something in AWS and something in Google Cloud, and how do you handle it in a robust way?

Pablo: I think that Infrastructure as Code is a very important part of DevOps right now. I would say that a DevOps engineer needs to know at least one of the Infrastructure as Code technologies, be it Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, or any other.

Terraform has the main advantage in that it is agnostic of any platform; it can work with AWS as well as Azure, Google, or any other provider. And it is also a disadvantage because it is open source, so we have the limitation that if, for example, AWS releases a new service or it puts in a new configuration, it may not arrive at the same time in Terraform as in AWS. On the other hand, we have the great advantage that, by working with different providers, we can then combine the entire architecture of the application in a single technological system. Also, we can create code from scratch or also import code into Terraform, so you can basically put the entire architecture in one place regardless of the providers you have.

Focusing on the topic of DevOps, have you heard of the topic of predictive analysis?

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

February 17, 2023

A red circle with the number 82 on it. Representing First Factory's current Employee Net Promoter Score

First Factory has adopted the quarterly Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), a tool used by Human Resource departments to gain insights into employee satisfaction and loyalty. Taking its cue from the Net Promoter survey used for nearly two decades to measure customer sentiment, survey scores range from -100 to 100. Through our HR Info System provider, BambooHR, we have conducted these anonymous quarterly eNPS surveys starting in early 2022. Our current eNPS is 82 and we have yet to fall below 80, with upwards of 77% of our team responding.

Leading organizations deem that an eNPS score above zero is good or acceptable, while scores above fifty are considered excellent. In their 2022 blog post, “Employee Net Promoter Score: A Brief Guide” Vantage Circle indicates that, “a score of over 70 is deemed to be groundbreaking” and represents the top five percent of companies worldwide. We are incredibly proud of what our eNPS score of 82 represents and are fully committed to making First Factory one of the best places to work.

We recognize that the strength of our company lies in the dedication and generosity of our employees. As such, we provide open communication channels, incredible tools to perform their jobs, and managers that are very hands-on. We invest in employee development, including but not limited to: education reimbursement, English courses, monthly tech talks, whitepapers, training housed in our custom LMS, and more. We work hard to create and maintain a culture antithetical to the transactional hire/fire of so many software development vendors. Here at First Factory everyone is treated with respect, all input is welcome, and every employee has the opportunity to learn, share and advance along a career path they are excited about.

We will not stop listening to our employee’s feedback and working to improve the quality of our work environment and the opportunities they have as software creators, all while ensuring that this translates to client satisfaction and business impact.

First Factory Makes the Inc. 5000 List for the Third Consecutive Year

August 26, 2022

Growth, Diversity, and Recognition

For the third year in a row, First Factory has been inducted into the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. This honor and achievement is wholly the result of a dynamic and passionate team that works in unison to deliver outstanding results to our growing clientele. From every level of the organization, each team member proves how skilled and trustworthy they are and never loses focus on the business goals of our customers. Together we are stronger because we support each other, we challenge each other, and we elevate each other.

We are proud not only of our growth but also other metrics that highlight how every team member continues to make First Factory a great place to work. Despite growing from thirty employees to two-hundred and seventy plus in the last five years, our employee turnover rate has stayed the same and is half that of the industry average. The results of our first Employee Net Promoter Score, of 80%, with more than two-thirds of our employees responding, put us among the top five percent of companies.

The key is not about how much we can grow or how quickly; it is about how we can diversify and provide new developmental opportunities for our employees while remaining flexible in responding to an ever-changing landscape. Growth spurts are relatively easy to achieve. Sustained growth and maintaining high standards for service and employee satisfaction are hard — very hard. It is this pursuit that makes us roll up our sleeves every day and work a little harder.

We have had great opportunities this year to work with new clients in the machine learning space, from clients that focus entirely on providing better tools for those with hearing and visual impairments to clients that are building a suite of offerings to capture entire verticals in their industry. While these times may be unpredictable, the innovation and ambition of our customers are inspiring, and the work to achieve those ambitious goals is tough but highly rewarding.

In thanking all of our customers for their business and their confidence, we celebrate our team for the commitment to excellence and for understanding the value of building lasting relationships. Both customers and employees have put their trust in us, and we will do everything in our power to never cause that trust to wane.

First Factory Academy – Update

May 19, 2022

Back in February, we shared some exciting news about our intensive, bootcamp-style training program which we call the Academy. Today, we would like to share an update on the first cohort of graduates.

As a recap, we selected six applicants for our three-month Academy program starting in February and six more for the second class starting in March. Candidates went through a fairly rigorous application process, submitting videos to questions spanning personal development, technical knowledge, and decision making. The six Academy members in each group were hired as full-time employees, not interns or temporary hires. When we hire, we make the decision on candidates that we believe will not only be successful in the Academy but anywhere in the First Factory organization.

The Academy members were challenged throughout the program, learning and refreshing knowledge in both Java and React, BackEnd learning modules covered Object-Oriented Programming, Java concepts, Spring Framework and PostgreSQL, while the FrontEnd curriculum focused on JavaScript, React, and TypeScript. As this program was in partnership with one of our clients, during the second month Academy members began integrating with the client development team. This included setting up environments, attending Daily Stand-Ups, and shadowing engineers working in the codebase. The exercises and tickets assigned during this time provided them with ample opportunity to investigate and review the code’s mechanisms and architecture as well as experience many of the most common problems encountered by team members. As you might imagine, the integration with the client deepened in month three. Overall, everyone felt challenged and well supported, found the curriculum and instruction to be comprehensive yet concise, and learned the necessity of demonstrating both technical knowledge and teamwork in order to be successful working on a project. Subsequently, all six graduates of our first cohort were hired by the client. A job well done by all involved.

What’s next for the First Factory Academy? As the second cohort enters its third and final month, we are incorporating participant feedback into the curriculum, training additional instructors, and mapping out the curriculum for other technologies, such as NodeJS. We expect to start another Academy class in a couple of months, so stay tuned for updates.

It is an exciting time to be in software development as the demand for engineers continues to increase, the technologies are evolving rapidly, and most importantly, so many passionate and talented people are starting their careers in the space. We are grateful to those Academy members that made the decision to join our team, put their trust in us, and worked diligently to make the most of the opportunity.

Maybe you or someone you know will join us in the next class.

First Factory Academy – The Next Generation

February 11, 2022

The First Factory Academy is an internal boot camp for developers who are beginning their careers. Chinese philosopher Confucius is credited with the statement, “What I hear I forget. What I see I remember. What I do I understand.” It is this attention to hands-on learning, or building skills as they code that makes our training programs so effective. Our previous Academy “graduates” have successfully navigated growing careers and have worked on dozens of projects, adapting to challenges and newer technology more quickly than their contemporaries.

We hire software engineering enthusiasts who have exhibited a strong command of programming fundamentals and demonstrate solid problem-solving skills with an unbridled passion for learning. Our first fully remote boot camp will focus on Full Stack development, specifically Java and React. The application process was fairly intense and six applicants were selected for the first cohort. The program runs for 3 months, with a brand new cohort starting each month. All Academy members are full-time First Factory employees, not interns or temporary hires.

Our customized training program reinforces foundational knowledge of object-oriented programming and test-driven development and refines soft skills needed for successful client relations. The Academy members will spend 90 days in the program with the first month dedicated to foundational learning, clean coding principles, design patterns and practical application of the technologies referenced. In month two, Academy participants will begin pairing with engineers on one of our clients, familiarizing themselves with the environment, business logic, coding standards and performing light pair programming.

Month three intensifies as developers will be coding more with a larger First Factory team for the same client and refining skills further. They will spend time pair programming on complex tasks, working on smaller tickets independently and attending Agile ceremonies with the client such as daily stand-ups, sprint planning and more. At the end of the 90 days, some Academy developers will be placed with a co-sponsored partner client, and others will be assigned to an internal product team or on an alternate client project.

Engineering Managers lead our Academy with Full Stack technologies and project management expertise. After completing the Academy, developers are ready to add value to clients on day one, often exceeding the performance of developers with more experience at other workplaces. Our investment in these employees doesn’t end on “graduation day.” Developers are subsequently assigned mentors (senior developers with an average of 5 years experience) who provide ongoing coaching, review code and help identify options for impediment resolution. All employees receive feedback and additional coaching, with all junior developers being formally evaluated every six months for their first two years, and are provided constructive feedback from clients.

The First Factory Academy takes the brightest and most passionate from the next crop of developers. It provides them with the guidance and support they need to have a long and distinguished career in software development.

Our initial application process takes between two and four hours to complete, ensuring the ideal candidates are being advanced. Once we’ve received an initial application, we send candidates an email with a document that will outline the remainder of the process to complete their application formally. This full-time role includes a comprehensive benefits package, and we are looking forward to continuing this program for future hiring needs. The First Factory Academy provides the focus, challenge and mentored guidance that will accelerate the advancement of developer readiness for international clients.

Software Development Trends Beyond the Pandemic

February 7, 2022

Bob Dylan poignantly wrote, “Times, they are-a-changin’.” In a world upended by a global pandemic and the business, supply chain and consumer behaviors that followed, this statement seems to ring truer than ever. An evergreen anthem to the varying societal and economic turbulence we face has proven this song’s impact through varying obstacles. We’re becoming more familiar with cryptocurrency and staying in awe of the self-driving cars we’ve been anticipating for years, all while hosting virtual meetings wearing AI headsets and, perhaps, pajama pants. Yet, business owners and consumers alike wonder how the world can adjust to this sudden shift to a “new normal” and how we can continue to gain momentum when much of what we knew has slowed to a halt. Even though the Jetsons made it seem like we’d be flying our automobiles by now, the point is that technology has continued to be the critical component in allowing us to meet the new challenges we face head-on with speed and agility.

Accepting the Demand for Software Developers in a Remote Workforce

While the global pandemic has changed so much of what we can safely do and how we implement it, the need for technology services and filling new roles proves to be an exception. Shelter-in-place and flattening curves aside, the demand for software development has risen to an all-time high. An employment estimate calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be more than a 22% increase in the number of software developers in the US by 2030, compared to the overall employment rise of 7.7% across all job sectors.

Brick and mortar business may have taken some hits with less in-house traffic, which meant online sales had to step up their game. The tech stack for these services varies, but user expectations insist that web pages load quickly and front end JavaScript frameworks dominate the landscape, led by React, Angular and VueJS. Tried and true backend programming languages for eCommerce success are still Java, PHP, Python and Ruby on Rails. Programmers with knowledge of these languages could implement or build upon platforms to increase online purchases. E-commerce sales rocketed in 2020, up 33.6%, with a New York Times article attributing a remarkable 220% growth rate to Amazon during the height of the pandemic. Other industries that utilized software development to connect with customers virtually were medical practices, hospital systems, educational institutions, grocery delivery services – the list goes on.

During the worldwide shift and surge in technology needs, development teams had to adapt to remote workforces for the foreseeable future, which proved longer-lasting than anticipated. Many companies have gone back to an in-office or hybrid work option, but the software engineering community started pushing back – with good reason. As cloud-first infrastructure trends upward in popularity, the remote workforce sees the advantage of taking things virtually. Why require five-day in-office work weeks for jobs that have proven to be successful remotely, when the competition for key talent continues to climb? Software engineering professionals have a wide variety of opportunities in this climate, which means remote is not just an option anymore – it has become a requirement to acquire and retain key talent.

Managing Rising Salaries and Increased Employee Demands

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, 2021 saw a turnover rate for software developers at 57.3%, as well as increased confidence in the job market across most industries. Web developers saw the most significant pay increase, shooting up 21.3%, more than a fifth of their previous salaries. A Senior Director at LinkedIn was quoted via InfoWorld saying technology roles have proven to remain pandemic-proof. She noted that roles like backend developers and software engineering roles, in particular, have significantly increased in demand. The 2022 Tech Salary Report by jobs marketplace Dice found that the average salary for technologists rose by nearly 7% between 2020 and 2021, reaching $104,566. Dice reported that this marked the highest salary recorded in the 17 years it conducted the survey. Now seven plus percent seems reasonable considering inflation and the pandemic-related forces, but this is an industry average and pales in comparison to the 21.3% increase in pay for web developers mentioned previously. In a similar report by Dice, salary increases were well above averages for security and cloud developers: 16.6% for cybersecurity and 12.2% for DevOps roles. And if that wasn’t bad enough for budgets and turnover rates, 47.8% of tech workers surveyed still feel underpaid.

One software development job market study found close to half a million software industry jobs on the market in 2019, with a similar amount of people leaving the field for retirement in the next several years. Another report estimated that the US could be at risk of losing billions of dollars and eventually having a shortage of over 80 million software developers by 2030. The increase in talent demand paired with a significant shortage could mean – you guessed it – even higher salaries for software developers persisting for years to come.

The need for software engineering professionals exists and continues to grow while the world adjusts and prepares for a post-pandemic economic climate. While this predicament feels sudden, the data shows that this is not going away anytime soon. What does that mean for software development agencies or companies hoping to fill new technology roles? In order to retain talent, businesses must adjust to the new needs of engineering professionals and continue to scale teams using team extension solutions like nearshore software providers. A survey by Statista showed that 64% of technology outsourcing was dedicated to software application development, allowing teams the opportunity to scale faster and provide cost savings for the rising US-based engineering salaries.

Even with the state-of-the-art office your company may be providing, the fact remains; other companies will continue to provide fully remote positions that will be filled by developers not wanting to return to in-person workspaces. The companies staying ahead of, and potentially offering more than, industry standards for salaries will also attract and retain that talent. As the times are changing, so is the software development industry. Whether you choose a staff augmentation partner or plan to navigate this on your own, be sure to stay ahead of the hiring trends, build a solid foundation and keep focused on the technologies your business needs right now. Make sure to remain on the course of your technology roadmap as well. While this may seem like uncharted territory, it doesn’t have to be.

The Factory Wall: News and Updates from First Factory

December 3, 2021

Welcome to another installment of “The Factory Wall,” where we share news and updates about company growth, employee strengths, our technologies and other news.

As we continued to see increased digital adoption and even more demand for software engineers, our team was able to stay almost fully remote during the entirety of the year while still providing high-quality results for our clients. Our office in Costa Rica was available for limited-capacity workspaces for employees to work outside of the home, and for our human resources, operations and recruitment teams to utilize, as needed. With a growing recruitment team and through ongoing virtual interviewing and networking efforts, First Factory officially reached over 200 employees. This was an especially rewarding milestone as we, like everyone else, had to navigate pandemic uncertainty. Our leadership team remained open-minded and flexible, putting the health, safety and comfort of our employees at the heart of all decisions.

The tremendous growth that we experienced led to multiple new positions and promotions within the company including a Director of Client Experience, Director of Engineering, Associate Director of Talent Acquisition & Development, People Operations Manager and several new Engineering Manager roles. Each newly created role and promotion within the company provided our employees with even more resources for mentorship, leadership and career coaching. We were also able to consistently provide internal and public First Factory “Tech Talks,” which allowed employees to educate each other on emerging technologies, career best practices, challenges and lessons and more.

Several changes and implementations helped us have another incredible year, and we’d like to share a breakdown of the current software engineering roles and specialties at First Factory.

12 Month First Factory Employee Growth

Summary of our Employees’ Skill Sets

Our Employees’ Current Specialities

First Factory Employee Experience Levels

We are excited for more opportunities to provide continuing quality craftsmanship from our talented software engineers and support team members. If there is an upcoming software project or staff augmentation need, please contact us today.

First Factory Makes the Inc. 5000 List for the Second Consecutive Year

September 9, 2021

First Factory has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing private companies in America for 2021. This is our second year in a row of making the list, and we have risen in ranking to 1,740 overall. This incredible achievement is due to our clients’ ongoing trust in our abilities to assist them in capitalizing on opportunities and overcoming challenges. It has been an unpredictable few years and our team’s compassion, dedication and flexibility have allowed us to thrive, realizing 263 percent employment and total revenue growth over the last three years.

Since 2000, First Factory has grown our nearshore software development team from a small shop in Costa Rica to building a multinational team of almost 200, with the core of development operations-driven from our Heredia, Costa Rica office. We also employ a remote team of US-based employees who manage client relations, human resources, sales, marketing and other business operations.

“Placing everyone’s best interest at the forefront of our decisions has led us here,” Jason Roff, CEO, said. “We adjust according to our clients’ needs, listen to what our employees provide as feedback and build trust through the quality of work we provide,” he added.

While 2020 was a challenging year in many industries, our team adapted to each new trial. We continue to help clients in the healthcare space provide more seamless online experiences for doctors and patients, and manage inventory procurement and tracking for instruments such as ventilators across hospitals. Digital trends accelerated in the real estate sector, and we were privileged enough to work with companies building platforms that streamline the purchasing of property, allowing nearly all transactions to be executed in one unified online experience. The stock market continued to reach new records and we worked with numerous clients to bring more educational resources, real-time reporting and intuitive tools to investors. As all of our employees have been supplied with work-from-home equipment for years, working remotely continued to be a seamless and productive experience for all involved. We further leveraged online platforms to enrich the interview experience and provide tech education seminars and workshops to the broader development community.

“I continue to be amazed at what an impact our nearshore development team has made, and I’m excited to see what the future has for First Factory,” Roff said.

Our 2020 Inc. 5000 placement was the first time First Factory was honored to be on the list. The 2021 ranking, higher in both the overall and industry ranking, at 1,740 and 241 respectively, is a humbling accomplishment. Our continued mission of achieving the professional success of our partners and team members remains. As nearshore software development continues to be a key component of meeting the accelerated digital needs for North American companies and their customers, we are confident in our ability to scale in stride with the rising demand.

The Factory Wall: Company Growth and Developer Skills

November 5, 2020

We’d like to introduce you to our ongoing series, “The Factory Wall,” where we will share First Factory updates and news. In case you haven’t read about our company history, the First Factory name came from Andy Warhol’s famous creative space, “The Factory,” in NYC – a place where artists gathered to cultivate new ideas, art and innovation. Hence, our company update series and its fitting new title.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of First Factory, which led us to some obstacles we hadn’t anticipated. Thanks to our incredible employees and operations staff, we were able to shift to a fully-remote workforce with ease. Our tech stack evolves and the number of software developers increases with our clients’ needs, which is why we have continued to experience consistent growth throughout this year. We do our best to showcase our current numbers to prospective clients to understand our available services. However, we do continue to fill different job openings based on any upcoming needs. Along with other exciting news that we’ve previously shared on our blog, here is a look at our developer roles breakdown as we enter into the end of the year:

12 Month First Factory Employee Growth

Summary of our Employees’ Skillsets

Our Employees’ Current Specialities

If your team is in need of talented software developers who can help you reach your company goals or product development timelines, or if you’re wanting to establish a relationship with a trusted software development firm for upcoming project needs, check out what our clients are saying, then reach out to us for more information on how we can partner with you.

First Factory Makes the Inc. 5000 List

August 18, 2020

We are happy to announce that our growing company has been placed on the Inc. 5000 list, a prestigious placement of the fastest-growing private companies in America. A company that started with a New York City-based CEO and four software developers (plus one office manager) in Costa Rica has evolved into over 135 full-time employees at First Factory. Since 2000, we have been providing staff augmentation and project-based custom software development services to dozens of US businesses in a variety of industries.

CEO Jason T. Roff started First Factory after working as a software developer, managing numerous development teams and even writing several books on different technologies. He has been a key player in the nearshore development model thriving in Costa Rica and has continued to employ top-notch multi-national talent.

“First Factory’s growth has been fueled by the collective honesty, integrity and quality of all of our employees,” Roff said. “Our clients recognize the value of our engineers. Our employees recognize the value of our company culture.”

Inclusion on this list meant that all revenue and company growth information from the last three years was compared to that of other companies across the country. First Factory saw a 170% growth during that time period and ranked 2,425 out of 5,000 companies featured and number 307 on the industry-specific software category list.

As our team continues to grow, we are specializing in React, Angular, .NET, Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, React Native, Xamarin, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. We champion the use of functional and automated testing as well as continuous integration, build and deployment. We have clients in the finance, commerce, education, healthcare and other industries, and have worked to expand our growing portfolio each year.

“When you think Nearshore, we want First Factory to be top of mind. Our clients stay with us for years because they appreciate our engagement model and we don’t stop delivering,” Roff added.

Our commitment to quality and excellence in all that we do has been an integral part of our company’s growth, and the inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list has been a timely celebration during our 20th year in business.

First Factory Software Testing Procedures

August 1, 2019

All clients have unique development needs and different budgets. Given the best-case scenario and a client who understands the need for thorough testing, the following describes our software testing procedures:

Automated Deployments

By automatically deploying software builds across different stages of system environments (Development, QA, Staging, Production), we perform System testing. This ensures that the software works within different environments and that the deployment has everything it needs to function properly in the final stage, production. Let's break it down by individual stages to give you a better sense of what this all means.

Development is where the developers do their work and their independent testing
QA is where a dedicated QA resource will test the build
Staging is where we do a smoke test, you do your beta testing and acceptance testing
Production is where the live product resides

Developer Environment

In the development environment, the developer does their individual unit testing, the team does code review and automated process run regression tests.

Unit testing is the process of testing each component, and a group of components, independently to ensure they behave as expected. For a given set of inputs, the component(s) should return the same results. This can be done with code and the results can be evaluated automatically with a push of a button. This allows us to do automated regression testing.

We strive for 80-90% code coverage, meaning that 80-90% of the code that we write can be automatically tested to make sure that it continues to behave as expected with each new piece of code that we introduce.

Code review means that every line of code that is delivered to the build is reviewed by a peer on the team. This second set of eyes validates that the code is written well, is clear and does what the requirements specify. Doing a code review in this fashion helps find bugs early in the process and produces more quality code.

After code review, comments are logged in the source control system and the developer makes the appropriate adjustments. Then we come to continuous integration.

Continuous integration is the process of automatically testing and building the software with every push of the code to source control. Doing this ensures that the regression testing created by the automated use cases is run frequently. Bugs created by new software are identified immediately.

Quality Assurance Environment

Using an Agile Scrum methodology, we strive to deliver workable software with each two-week Sprint. This workable software can now be tested as a whole (Integration Testing) and tested to ensure that it meets the original requirements (Functional Testing).

A dedicated QA resource (not a software developer) works with the requirements to write a verbose test plan for every feature of a project. As these features are delivered, the QA resource can manually test each plan by following its steps.

It is possible to automate a lot of the functional and integration testing, but some level of manual testing is always required.

The QA resource then either passes the delivery or opens tickets with detailed failures for the developers to fix before the build is passed. If the build passes functional and integration testing, the build is moved to staging where it is prepped for delivery.

Staging Environment

This is a shared environment where we give the product one last look over before handing it off to the client for beta and user acceptance testing. Before making any delivery to our clients, the quality assurance individual

will do a manual smoke test to ensure major functionality is still working in the new environment that the software has been pushed to.

Early on with any project delivery, as an extra precaution, either the COO or the CEO will perform a smoke test to make sure that the project can be delivered to the client.

Once delivered to staging, it is the client’s responsibility to perform beta testing with a subset of their users, and ultimately user acceptance testing to sign off that the build is a success, and should be pushed to production where it will be used.

As the project becomes more mature, the frequency of deployments should be very regular and quick. Automated testing in prior stages should give us increased confidence that working functionality is not broken with each subsequent deployment.

Other Special Case Testing

In some cases, depending on the project, additional specific testing needs to be done.

Usability Testing: This is when we make sure that the product being developed is intuitive to the user. If it is not, we can make adjustments to the user interface so that the application is more usable. Early on, usability testing can be done from paper, clickable mockups or a shell of the application. As the project progresses, usability comments should always be addressed in each revision of the software.
Vulnerability Testing: All public-facing applications will be tested for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and other hacks that can potentially allow the attacker access to data or the ability to corrupt data. Vulnerability testing can be done through automated test cases and by exploratory testing.
Stress & Performance Testing: For applications that can be used by large numbers of people over a short amount of time, we can automate stress and performance testing. This ensures the project can handle larger than expected amounts of usage.

Education in Costa Rica

November 29, 2018

After a civil war in Costa Rica, the army was abolished in 1948. This event became one of the foundations of Costa Rican culture. A year later, work began for the establishment of a new model of State, including social and labor guarantees, solidarity health plans coverage, human rights and education.

In 1957, these efforts proved to be extremely effective through the issuance of the Fundamental Law of Education. The idea was to build a new “army” of Costa Rica, made up of teachers, armed with books and blackboards. The most important goal was to make Costa Rican society the Central American example of solidarity, education and welfare. Through universal and required primary education, Costa Rican society has been able to achieve this goal.

Costa Rican leaders understood that education was the first step in the advancement of society and that the improved education model needed to be extended to higher education. Advances in the creation, consolidation and diversification of state higher education in the 1960s and 1970s were accompanied by the expansion of private universities in the 1990s. This expansion provided a wide range of opportunities for the development of different academic profiles, economic and social research and more development of the country.

As of 2018, advances in the quality of education allowed Costa Rica to have two state universities and one private university considered among the best universities in Central America and Mexico. Many other Costa Rican universities, both state and private, hold privileged places within the world rankings.

The Premier Nearshore Destination

On top of the stable political and economic environment, a central location and an oasis of natural beauty, Costa Rica also has incredible human talent to offer.

With an annual 4,000 new graduates going on to engineering and technology careers, Costa Rica is beginning to position itself as an attractive technological development destination for clients from around the world.

A Leader in Technology and Science

How can Costa Rica, a country of only 5 million inhabitants, be able to produce so many world-renowned professionals in the areas of technology, medicine and science? The education in Costa Rica explains it:

The promotion of free and universal education and the commitment to create training and education programs have allowed Costa Ricans to develop their full potential in these areas. Quality standards have been established to accredit graduates of state and private universities, ensuring a comprehensive professional profile, which is both attractive and competitive in the current global market. The commitment to education has paid off through the attraction of medical and technological companies looking to Costa Rica as a destination with a skilled and eager talent selection.

Another essential characteristic of Costa Rican education is the study of several languages. Bilingual, trilingual and technical studies programs have been implemented since the 1990s that give added value to the Costa Rican workforce.

Universities play a central role in the development of the country. Out of 141 higher education centers that exist in the country, more than half are located outside of the Central region, which guarantees all Costa Ricans access to quality education programs.

The following is an overview of the main universities in Costa Rica, listed in order, according to international quality rankings:

Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) Public University

National Ranking: 1
Latin American Ranking: 18
Global Ranking: 411

Universidad Nacional (UNA) Public University

National Ranking: 2
Latin American Ranking: 50
Global Ranking: 801

Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) Public University

National Ranking: 3

Universidad Latina de Costa Rica (ULatina) Private University

National Ranking: 6
Latin American Ranking: 201

Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología (ULACIT) Private University

National Ranking: 8
Latin American Ranking:122

Centro de Formación en Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (Cenfotec) Private University

National Ranking: 23

Costa Rican Higher Education in numbers

The five state universities enroll more than 102,000 students annually, while the 54 private universities in the country absorb 105,000 students per year.
More than 15,000 new professionals graduate from state universities each year and enter the labor market.
Private universities graduate around 45,000 people per year. This difference is due to the length of state university programs being longer than the private institutions.
94% of the graduates of state universities manage to place themselves in jobs related to their profession.
Every year in Costa Rica, about 4,000 people from the universities graduate from an engineering program.
The lowest percentage of unemployment in graduates is presented in the areas of Engineering and Health Sciences.
This year Texas Tech University will be open in Costa Rica, expanding the academic offerings of the country.

University overall stats

Gender distribution: 55% of university students are women and they graduate relatively more often than men. Nonetheless only 7% of women choose a career path related to Engineering and Technology. Historically, most women chose Education, Social Sciences or Business Administration as majors. 22% of the total of graduates in technology and engineering are women.
Age distribution: Most students enroll at age 18 in public universities and graduate between ages 23-26, while 42% of private university students are 25 years or older. By 2017 48.5% of Costa Ricans between ages 18 and 25 were enrolled in Higher Education Program. Overall 25% of the adult population in Costa Rica has a University degree.
Enrollment rates: Most public universities offer financial aid, scholarships and lower enrollment fees. A year in a public university will cost, at the most, $600. Private universities have higher enrollment fees and fewer financial aid or scholarship options. The tuition of a year of private education can cost up to $2,000.
Academic Offer: By 2017 the estimated amount of careers offered was 1300, mostly in Education, Social Sciences and Economic Sciences. 19% of the academic offer is focused in Technology related areas (Software engineering and the like). 94% of postgraduate programs for Technology fields are offered in public institutions.
Demographics: 75% of university students come from urban areas.

Software Development Talent Pool of Costa Rica

October 15, 2018

First Factory is uniquely designed to foster a culture of continuous learning with its talented developers in Costa Rica. The market may not be as tough as Silicon Valley in San Francisco or Silicon Alley in New York, but it is competitive, nonetheless. There are dozens of outsourcing software development companies with bases in Costa Rica, and many major companies have large footprints here.

So, why is Costa Rica such a hub for software development?

A Bit of History

Good education, stable government and a great trade partner. In 1948, Costa Rica disbanded their military and redirected its funds toward education. With an education-first philosophy, the younger generation of Costa Rica began learning English very early on and have been using it for most of their lives.

Costa Rica has enjoyed strong and stable economic growth. Costa Rica and The United States have a long, formal diplomatic relationship, and trade between both countries is strong. High-quality agriculture exports such as coffee, bananas and sugar make Costa Rica a strong trading partner, and the country’s political stability and relatively high education levels make foreign investment in Costa Rica very attractive. Costa Rica secures one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America.

The combination of outside investment, strong education systems, and high levels of English proficiency yields an environment that produces a talented workforce and provides an excellent source of recent graduates that are looking for work.

Recruitment

First Factory is well connected in the development community and is able to attract and retain great talent. In addition to targeted recruitment ads on job sites, we leverage a growing social and professional network of over 20 thousand people. This community follows our team through our Facebook posts, and other channels, celebrating our culture and highlighting our developers. We work directly with developers and recruiters on a regular basis to identify candidates with whom we can directly communicate when the right role becomes available, thus reducing the time to hire. Once our network is energized about our open positions, we begin a thorough screening process to ensure that only the best candidates make it through.

Hiring Process

After an initial resume screening, applicants must pass a recorded spoken English assessment that places them at or above a professionally-acceptable level of proficiency. The second assessment is a coding challenge on the HackerRank platform which times, records and assesses basic conceptual understanding and working skills specific to the role and language for which we are hiring. Everything about their assessment is evaluated and the entire session can be played back to review even the smallest details, including the edits the applicant made to their own code. Candidates that successfully pass the English and Skills-based screening process are invited to a technical assessment video call with two of our senior developers. Only those candidates who show strong skills or great promise (depending on the level we are hiring for) are invited to an in-person interview which seeks to further evaluate technical skill (sometimes including a paired programming session), evaluate a cultural fit, and establish expectations for internal and client relations. It is a tough process, but a necessary one. Only those with the right chemistry and the unique combination of skill, will, and a strong desire for self-improvement will make the team.

Onboarding

Our efforts to provide our clients with the best developers don’t stop at the point of hire. We actively coach and support our developers through their entire careers at First Factory. Perhaps this is why we have significantly lower turnover rates than others in the industry. We are hands-on with each developer and establish training programs for each based on their current skill level, from entry-level to senior developer.

Entry-Level Developers are placed into a customized training program to reinforce foundational knowledge of object-oriented programming, test-driven development, and to refine soft skills needed for successful client relations. Training programs last up to six months, with the first half of our Academy focused on technical skill building and the soft skills required to effectively communicate with our clients and within the team. The second half of our Academy is spent building actual internal products using the latest technologies and design patterns.

Junior Developers are indoctrinated to the common Agile practices, internal standards, and tasks geared toward exceeding client expectations. Junior Developers are assigned mentors (senior developers with an average of 5 years experience) who provide ongoing coaching, review code and help identify options for impediment resolution. Junior Developers are never on a client solo, as a senior developer is assigned a few hours per week to help with code reviews, architectural decisions, impediments, and communication, if necessary.

Feedback and Coaching

All employees receive feedback and additional coaching. All Entry Level and Junior Developers are formally evaluated every six months for their first two years where we provide 360-degree feedback, including input from clients. Mid and Senior Level Developers are reviewed annually with the same 360-degree feedback. All Senior Developers meet weekly in one-on-one sessions with the COO to discuss team performance, client satisfaction, professional development and more. Our Senior Developers and our in-house computer science professor conduct workshops for the company during lunch and learn sessions and are available to all for problem-solving and guidance. We have open office space and rotate seats regularly to foster communication, ensure that growing teams stay together and that Senior Developers are embedded throughout.

We keep all developers active, whether working for clients or skill-building. Developers that are not assigned to clients, as part of a staff augmentation model, lead our project-based work. When developers are between clients or client-based projects, they balance their time between learning new technologies and supporting internally developed products, thus always refining their skills. There is never downtime that leaves developers idle or without direction.

First Factory is known in Costa Rica as a great place to work. It is known that to be hired here, you must be very good at what you do. We hold ourselves to high standards so that we exceed our clients’ expectations and preserve a truly unique and remarkable culture.