The Starcart Story – Uniting teams for e-commerce innovation

Back in 2021, Pasi Ilola and Lauri Piispanen founded Starcart, a Helsinki-based ambitious startup aiming to revolutionize the e-commerce industry. They were on a mission to build the “one store to rule them all” – a completely unique service where consumers can buy from any e-commerce in the world.

Starcart’s winning move: choosing the ideal tech partner

The complexity of this unique concept meant that more than off-the-shelf systems would be required, and Starcart had to build most of the systems themselves. To turn their innovative vision into a reality, they needed the expertise and workforce of additional software developers.

Pasi and Lauri understood that finding the right development partner was crucial for the success of their ambitious project. After conducting thorough research and considering various vendors, Starcart chose to collaborate with Software Sauna. The decision was based not only on positive feedback and recommendations but also on Sauna’s demonstrated flexibility, ability to accommodate Starcart’s specific needs and track record of offering innovative solutions.

Collaborative efforts and technical excellence

With a comprehensive scope of work, Software Sauna’s team, consisting of 3 developers at the beginning, joined forces with Starcart’s existing development team. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as Typescript, Next.js, and AWS, they built a robust platform with a GraphQL API.

The collaboration between the teams was seamless, with Software Sauna’s developers taking on full responsibility for designing and implementing features. They actively engaged in code reviews, providing valuable feedback and incorporating suggestions from Starcart’s team members.

Exceeding milestones: accelerated MVP launch

Lauri highlights that the results of their joint team were remarkable. Starcart was able to accelerate their MVP launch schedule by several months, allowing them to enter the market swiftly. Everything built by Software Sauna proved to be highly maintainable, eliminating the need for rework. It provided a solid foundation for Starcart to rapidly iterate and adapt to evolving customer needs, and build new features on top of what Sauna implemented.

Throughout the project, communication was easy and effective, also thanks to tools like Slack, Google Meet, and Linear that ensured seamless coordination and timely updates.

Share the vision, share the passion

What stood out the most to the Starcart team was the sense of unity fostered by Software Sauna. The developers seamlessly integrated into the internal team, demonstrating dedication, flexibility, and a shared passion for Starcart’s mission. They were not just external contractors; they were an indispensable part of the Starcart team, working closely together to achieve common goals.

Technologies used with Starcart

• AWS
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• GraphQL
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• Next.js
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• TypeScript