What StepTo engineers do on every engagement, in writing, and how you can check each one for yourself during the two-week paid trial.
StepTo applies the same eight engineering practices on every engagement, whether you add one engineer or a full team. Every change is reviewed by a second engineer, automated tests run on every pull request, the work happens in your repository from day one, and you see a demo or a written report every week.
We are not the cheapest option in Eastern Europe and do not try to be. The rate card is public, at $25-85 per hour by seniority, and what you pay for is the way the work is done. Each practice below comes with a way to check it yourself, because a claim you cannot verify is only marketing.
Every change is reviewed by a second engineer before it is merged.
Review is where defects, unclear naming and risky shortcuts are caught while they are still cheap to fix.
How you check it: Open any merged pull request in your repository. It should show an approving review from someone other than the author.
A CI pipeline runs automated tests on every pull request.
A change that breaks existing behaviour is stopped by the pipeline, not found by your users.
How you check it: Look at the checks on any pull request. The test run and its result are listed next to the review.
Engineers work in your repository and your tools from day one, and you own the code at all times.
There is no separate vendor copy of the code to hand over later, so leaving never depends on a negotiation.
How you check it: Every commit lands in the repository you control, under a named engineer's own account.
You get a demo or a written status report every week.
Progress is shown on working software or in writing, so a slipping plan is visible within days, not at the end of a quarter.
How you check it: Count them. Two weeks of trial means two demos or reports.
An NDA and an IP assignment are signed before any engineer starts, and all IP goes to you.
Ownership of the work is settled on paper before the first line of code, not argued after it.
How you check it: Both documents are in the contract pack you sign before the start date.
Engineers work on company-managed laptops with disk encryption and two-factor sign-in.
A lost or stolen device does not become a leak of your source code or credentials.
How you check it: Ask for the device policy on the discovery call, and require two-factor sign-in on the accounts you grant.
There is a written handover whenever an engineer is replaced or the engagement ends.
Knowledge stays with the project when a person leaves it.
How you check it: Ask to see the handover outline before you sign, and name where the document will live in your tools.
A senior StepTo engineer or lead follows each engagement.
When something technical goes wrong, you talk to an engineer who knows the work, not only to a sales contact.
How you check it: Ask for that person's name on the discovery call and invite them to the weekly demo.
The first two weeks of every StepTo engagement are a paid trial, and the practices above are built so that the trial is enough to test them. By day ten you can have read real pull requests in your own repository, seen the review and the test run on each one, sat in two demos, and met the senior engineer who follows the engagement.
Write your pass or fail criteria before the first call with the two-week trial plan, and put the same questions to every vendor you are comparing with the vendor scorecard. If a quick start makes you wonder what was skipped, read how to get a fast start without cutting quality.
Ask for them in writing. A practice on a web page is a promise; the same practice in a statement of work is an obligation. The clause below restates the eight practices in contract language for any vendor. Take it to your counsel, put it into the statement of work you are negotiating, and see how each vendor responds.
Engineering practices. For the duration of this Statement of Work, the Vendor shall ensure that:
It starts with a 15-minute intro call. If there is a fit, a 60-minute discovery call follows. To see a price band for the team you have in mind before either call, spec your team.
You do. StepTo engineers work in your repository and your tools from day one, and an IP assignment is signed before any engineer starts, so all IP goes to you.
Yes. On every StepTo engagement, every change is reviewed by a second engineer before it is merged, and a CI pipeline runs automated tests on every pull request.
Use the two-week paid trial. Because the work happens in your repository, you can open the merged pull requests and see the review and the test run on each one, and you should have received two weekly demos or reports by the end of the trial.
There is a written handover whenever an engineer is replaced or the engagement ends. Replacement is free within the first 30 days.
An NDA is signed before any engineer starts, and StepTo engineers work on company-managed laptops with disk encryption and two-factor sign-in.
It starts with a 15-minute intro call. If there is a fit, a 60-minute discovery call follows. Engineers can typically start within one to two weeks of first contact; a full team usually takes two to four weeks.
Work with accountable, English-fluent professionals who communicate clearly, protect quality, and deliver with a steady operating rhythm. Cost efficiency matters, but performance is why clients stay with us.
