Worst professional engagement we have…
Worst professional engagement we have experienced; not only in software development, but across project management, communication, governance, and ethics.
This engagement dragged on for years, marked by continuous delays, broken promises, shifting processes, and repeated breaches of signed agreements, despite all milestones being paid in advance in good faith.
Communication was consistently unprofessional and misleading. Timelines were promised and missed repeatedly. Assurances were given without substance. Issues raised by us were minimized, reinterpreted, or deferred, while new payment requests were introduced instead of accountability.
There was zero effective QA. Features that were previously demonstrated later appeared broken or missing. The delivered code was outdated, poorly structured, and dependent on hard-coded credentials and environments, making independent operation impossible without major rework.
From a product and creativity perspective, there was no innovation, no ownership, and no strategic thinking. The approach was purely mechanical. Any correction, improvement, or even basic professional standard was treated as an opportunity to request additional money, even when it related to already paid scope.
The most concerning aspect was the misuse and withholding of IP and access, despite signed IP and NDA agreements. Attempts were made to introduce new “sign-off” documents that contradicted existing contracts and sought to override prior rights and obligations. This was unacceptable and led to the termination of the working relationship.
Management responsibility cannot be ignored. Decisions appeared driven by materialistic motives rather than professional delivery, with repeated promises made and not honored. Internal reporting was inaccurate, and escalation did not lead to resolution.
The company operates and markets itself under different names, including ValueCoders and Vinove, but the practices and outcomes remain the same.
Due to the accumulation of breaches, delays, IP issues, and failed delivery, we have ended the engagement. Formal legal processes with strong evidence are now underway across jurisdictions.
This vendor may only be suitable for very small, simple tasks, but they should be avoided by all means for serious projects, IP-sensitive platforms, or long-term engagements.
We strongly advise others to learn from our experience and proceed with extreme caution.
