Modsen .NET
Development:
A look From
the Inside

.NET software development platform has been on the ear since its very launch and, according to the stats, it keeps climbing up the ratings. The framework is loved by businesses of all sizes and industry backgrounds for its ability to create highly robust apps that level up revenues and streamline performance figures.

Why do millions of companies go for .NET? How is it different from an array of alternative software development frameworks? And is there anything to be concerned about? We’ve directed these questions to Eugene Kalugin, the Head of .NET at Modsen, who has built several strong .NET teams, worked with Microsoft, and successfully launched dozens of complex large-scale projects across a variety of industries. In this interview, Eugene shares his viewpoint on .Net perspectives, debunks widespread myths, and gives us a glimpse into Modsen software development workshop. Enjoy the read!

Interviewer: Hi, Eugene! How’s it going? Thank you for carving out time for the talk about .NET.

Eugene: Hi! It’s going quite fine, thanks. Aw, that’s my pleasure really, I’m ready to talk about .NET for hours.

I: Great! So let’s get straight to it. For starters, I’d like to ask your opinion about the reasons for .NET ever-growing popularity. What makes it stand out among dozens of other frameworks and induces businesses to build apps in it?

E: That’s a reasonable question. First of all, .NET allows to create both enterprise-size and small projects, ready to be easily scaled if needed. Secondly, the framework can boast its relevance in terms of following trends as it is developed by Microsoft, which is always on alert to watch the success of its rivals and integrate innovative digital solutions. Apart from that, in a world full of security concerns, the .NET platform safety model shows great results in protecting the code and app data against their improper use and damage by imposing code access restrictions. Besides, the framework can be used to develop both the front and backend of web, mobile, and desktop applications. And last but not least, .NET is convenient for engineers, as it is integral, well-documented, and features cool development environment.

I: Well, I must say that’s an impressive list of benefits. Judging by the statistics, .NET has firmly established itself among the top-10 web app development frameworks. So my next question is what’s your “local” Modsen rating of most used frameworks? How often do businesses turn to you specifically for .NET project development?

E: We work with rather large-scale customers, and .NET always proves itself great. Thus the framework is frequently employed as one of the main platforms for enterprise-scale development. Considering that C# is Microsoft-supported, it has credibility, and most of our clients go for it when developing their applications. I must add that .NET is not only a platform; it is a whole realm of technologies that work together incredibly and allows us to develop large-size projects rather quickly without compromising their quality.

I: Preparing for the interview, I’ve come across a couple of myths surrounding .NET, such as the fact that .NET apps can only run on Windows, that they are expensive, and solely aimed at delivering enterprise-scale solutions. Are these statements well-founded?

E: They are most certainly not relevant. For sure, each platform and programming language has its own personality and .NET is more often used for larger systems than simple business card websites, though such tasks can also be easily performed within the framework. Earlier, .NET apps used to be launched and deployed only with Windows OS, but it’s not like this anymore. As I’ve mentioned before, Microsoft follows the trends, and today there are no obstacles to the deployment of .NET apps on Linux and other operating systems. Moreover, thanks to .NET MAUI, you can develop develop apps that can run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows using one common code base.

I: Thank you for such an exhaustive answer. So we’ve already discussed .NET benefits and debunked some of the widespread misconceptions around it. Now it’s time for us to move to the key subject of our interview - Modsen expertise in building quality .NET development processes. As Head of .NET, tell us, how many projects are under your team’s belt?

E: Let me think… We’ve launched over 70 .NET projects, all of which were successful. But what’s even more important is that most customers come back to us with new ideas for their businesses, and we implement them with great pleasure and dedication.

I: That’s a remarkable figure especially if to remember the 100% customer retention rate. Your team shows exceptional results. Is there a secret behind it? Maybe it’s all about some special tasty cookies in your office kitchen?

E: Ah if only it was because of the treats! In fact, the secret is made up of well-known components, but you should be really skillful to implement them. We are extremely scrupulous when it comes to building development and testing teams, shaping groups of managers and analytics, who should enjoy extensive experience not only in project implementation but also in the target industry area. Besides, our team uses advanced development approaches to enhance the final product quality and minimize risks. I can also add that at Modsen we have established the training process for our employees from juniors to experts and boost our expertise during weekly TechTalks where we discuss current industry issues and their solutions.

I: I knew it was all about the people. Can you go into more detail about the team selection process? After all, you work with more than 25 business industries, and each of them has its own specifics, which must be considered when developing a product.

E: In our .NET team we have dedicated project Tech Leads, who enjoy in-depth experience in various business spheres. We also have BAs, who focus and grow in specific domains and become the core of project teams. When elaborating projects, we are closely interconnected with representatives of a particular business to achieve full understanding of the industry requirements and specifics. In certain cases, we employ narrow-field experts for consultations.

I: And what about the selection of engineers within the process of in-house team augmentation? Is this process somewhat different from assembling a team for project development inside Modsen?

E: I wouldn’t say we do something differently when it comes to staff-augmentation service. In both cases, we thoroughly study the project and candidate requirements including their senior status, area of expertise, domain experience, etc. Based on these factors, we choose the best fit for a particular task and project.

I: I’m sure, you know that the quality of a project team, especially if to consider in-house team strengthening, is a delicate issue for any customer. How can one determine the quality of outstaff specialists at the initial stage, so as to “sleep tight” throughout the rest of the product development period?

E: One thing I’m totally certain about is that gut feeling should not be the only ground to base your choice on. The professionalism of programmers has to be confirmed by numerous certificates and ratings. For instance, our .NET team has got Microsoft, Amazon, MongoDB, and other certificates. Modsen customers are also welcome to meet our candidates, communicate with them, conduct interviews and tests.

I: Another important question I’d like to ask you is about the level of transparency of the .NET development process and customers’ ability to introduce changes to the product quickly and easily. How does Modsen ensure the transparency of the process?

E: The key to transparency lies in basing the development process on agile approaches to project management. They imply that our top priority is to meet customers’ needs and arrange the monitoring process accordingly. As for the introduction of changes, we welcome adjustments in requirements even at the latest stages of product building as they add to the project’s competitiveness.

I: And if to speak of the staff-augmentation service, how can customers track your project team performance and be sure that KPIs and deadlines will be met?

E: What concerns SCRUM teams, we apply such a parameter as Velocity. It indicates the amount of work done by the team (or an individual programmer) in a single iteration. This measure is visualized, making it easy both for customers and team members to see the progress. This parameter also helps to estimate KPIs and deadline compliance.

I: Moving towards the end of our conversation, I would like to ask about your plans for the future. I know that Modsen .NET team has been included in such prominent ratings as TopDevelopers, ITRate, and Goodfirms. What’s next? What goals will you set for the rapidly approaching 2023?

E: Whatever the year, we will continue to grow professionally and personally. Our team is motivated to come up with new effective approaches and successfully implement them in project development to bring value to our customers. I’m sure our efforts won’t go unnoticed, and we will conquer new heights and top ratings.

I: Eugene, thank you so much for the talk! And I wish you and your team every success in the upcoming year!

E: Thank you, the pleasure is mine!