Some products just make sense. Monkee is one of them.

It’s a personal finance app built to help people save money the same way modern tech companies help them spend it: easily, with nudges, and zero friction. The app uses behavioral design, gamification, and AI to encourage users to hit real savings goals—on their own or with others. It’s part digital coach, part social piggy bank, part financial assistant. It’s smart, well-designed, and genuinely helpful.

That’s why it hit over hundreds thousands users. But getting there wasn’t easy.

How To Grow

Monkee’s founders had backgrounds in consumer goods. They understood habits, spending, and incentives. What they didn’t have was a local tech team that could build fast enough to keep up with their vision.

Austria’s tech hiring market is tight. Especially if you need developers with React Native or Node.js experience and a solid grasp of financial UX. They weren’t trying to build just another app—they were trying to change user behavior. That takes quality, not just quantity.

By the time they met us at the Pioneers tech conference in Vienna, they’d been trying to hire for months. It wasn’t working.

How Code & Pepper Got Involved

At Code & Pepper, we help FinTech and HealthTech startups solve product and team challenges like this every day. We’re a software outsourcing company, but more than that, we’re a long-term product partner.

We offer end-to-end development services, but in Monkee’s case, they didn’t need to rebuild their team. They needed to extend it. That’s where IT staff augmentation came in.

The process started fast. Monkee shared their requirements. We proposed a team augmentation plan: flexible, transparent, focused on real outcomes. We sourced engineers from our pre-vetted talent network. Every candidate went through hands-on technical screening and culture-fit checks.

Why Staff Augmentation Worked So Well

Many startups hear “outsourcing” and think of miscommunication, timezone issues, or long ramp-up times. This wasn’t that. The developers we brought in became a real part of Monkee’s team from day one.

They joined the standups. Reviewed code. Asked smart product questions. Took ownership. And when Monkee needed more backend power later on, we extended the team again, with the same speed and focus.

This is how staff augmentation services should work:

  • No recruiters who disappear after the contract is signed
  • No junior devs you didn’t ask for
  • No re-explaining the product every week
  • No team churn
  • Just real delivery, week after week

Tech Stack We Delivered With

We built on Monkee’s existing product infrastructure. Our developers worked with:

  • React Native for the cross-platform mobile app
  • Node.js for backend services
  • TypeScript for consistency, clarity, and scale

We also helped improve documentation, suggested small performance tweaks, and contributed to better code health. These small improvements added up over time—and supported Monkee’s rapid user growth without technical debt.

So, What’s the Outcome?

Today, Monkee is one of the most recognizable FinTech apps in Austria. The company has raised millions in funding, integrated with 60+ cashback partners, and helps people open a savings account in just 3 minutes.

The product is stable, tested, and scaling.

And the team? Still lean. Still focused. Still moving fast.

Here’s what Christian Schneider, Monkee’s co-founder, had to say about working with us:

“The team at Code & Pepper has been very responsive to our business needs since the beginning. When new requirements emerged, they were always fast and diligent to provide candidates who fully met our expectations. Having a competent partner by your side is a great help to move quickly as a startup.”

Why This Matters for Other Startups

Monkee’s story is not unique. We see this every week.

Founders want to build. But hiring is slow. Budget is limited. And product deadlines don’t wait for perfect conditions.

That’s where a trusted partner matters.

At Code & Pepper, we help startups:

  • Launch MVPs fast
  • Add AI or cloud expertise without a full rebuild
  • Avoid bad hires that delay product launches
  • Augment teams without blowing up the budget
  • Keep focus on outcomes, not overhead

Thinking of Outsourcing Software Development? Here’s What Works

If you’re looking at outsourcing software development or trying to understand staff augmentation meaning for your own roadmap, here’s the bottom line:

  • You don’t need a huge team. You need a focused one.
  • You don’t need to spend 3 months hiring. You can get someone in 7 days.
  • You don’t need a vendor. You need a partner who thinks like a product team.

That’s how we work.

About Code & Pepper

We build software for FinTech and HealthTech startups. For almost 20 years, we’ve helped founders and product teams ship complex applications—without hiring headaches. From staff augmentation to full-cycle product development, we connect companies with senior developers, designers, and product thinkers who get things done.

We’ve worked with VC-backed startups, scaleups, and regulated businesses in the UK, US, and DACH region. And we’re just getting started.

Need Help with Your FinTech Product?

Let’s talk. Whether you need one senior React Native developer or a full team to build your app—we can help you move faster.