Team as a service
When we first started working with Telenor Norway seven years ago, we thought we were just building an app. You know, the usual: code goes in, customer service magic comes out, everyone’s happy. What we didn’t expect was to end up in what can only be described as the most committed professional relationship of our lives.
Picture this: an app so integral to Telenor’s business that it comes pre-installed on every single device. No pressure, right? It’s like being asked to design someone’s front door when you know literally everyone in Norway is going to walk through it. No big deal. Just casual everyday software that millions of people rely on for customer service.
But here’s where it gets interesting (and slightly ridiculous).
When the Student Becomes the Teacher (And Vice Versa!)
Somewhere around year three, we realized something beautiful was happening. We weren’t just building their app anymore – we were accidentally building each other up. The tables turned in the most unexpected way when we found ourselves flying the entire Telenor team out to our office for agile training.
Think about that for a second. We went from “Hi, we’ll build your app” to “Pack your bags, we’re teaching you how to revolutionize your entire workflow.” It was like starting as someone’s contractor and ending up as their life coach. Except instead of telling them to drink more water and practice gratitude, we were teaching them about sprint planning and retrospectives.
Watching their faces light up during those training sessions was something else. You could practically see the lightbulbs going off: “Wait, we can actually work this way?” It was like introducing someone to a really good coffee shop – once they taste it, there’s no going back to instant.
More Than Just an App (Obviously)
Sure, we built them a killer customer service application. It works, it scales, it makes people’s lives easier – all the technical stuff you’d expect. But let’s be honest, anyone can write code. What we really built was trust, understanding, and a partnership that lasted seven years.
We became the kind of development partner who doesn’t just deliver features and disappear into the digital sunset. We stuck around. We cared. We showed up when things got complicated (and in software, things always get complicated). We were the friends who helped you move, except instead of carrying couches, we were carrying technical debt.
The Real Legacy
Here’s the thing about working with someone for seven years – you leave marks on each other. Not just in the codebase (though there are definitely some elegant solutions we’re still proud of), but in how teams think, how they approach problems, how they see what’s possible.
When we finally wrapped up the project, Telenor wasn’t just getting a great app. They were getting a team transformed, processes refined, and a whole new way of thinking about development. They were getting our best work, but also our best practices, our problem-solving approaches, and honestly, probably some of our dad jokes too.
We didn’t just go the extra mile – we basically moved to the extra mile, set up camp, and decided to live there permanently. Because that’s what you do when you genuinely care about the outcome, not just the output.
The Takeaway (Besides “We’re Pretty Great”)
Seven years taught us that the best client relationships aren’t transactions – they’re transformations. Both ways. We changed how they work, they changed how we think about partnership. We taught them agile, they taught us patience (lots and lots of patience).
In the end, the app was just the excuse to build something much more valuable: a relationship that made everyone involved better at what they do.
And yes, the app is pretty great too. But you probably already knew that – it’s sitting right there on every Norwegian phone, working away quietly, like all the best relationships do.
Ready to build more than just software? We’re always up for another seven-year adventure.
