In our new Building MarsBased, Álex Rodríguez Bacardit, CEO and founder of MarsBased, explains the foundational debate regarding whether to position a software agency as a generalist or a niche specialist. While most agencies in Spain are generalists that offer a wide range of services and programming languages, MarsBased was founded in 2014 with a focus on specialization and quality over quantity. By choosing a specific tech stack centered on Ruby on Rails and JavaScript, the company established itself as a master of its trade rather than a jack of all trades. This approach allowed them to focalize on a target audience and justify higher rates through accumulated expertise.

A pivotal moment in the company's history involved turning down a mobile development project for Rakuten because it fell outside their core expertise at the time. Instead of accepting the risk and delivering subpar work, they referred the client to a specialized partner. This honesty built a lasting reputation, leading the CTO of Rakuten to hire them for five different companies over the following twelve years. Alex emphasizes that walking the walk and staying true to core values is essential for building long-term authority in the industry.

When MarsBased did expand its technology stack to include mobile, Node.js, or Python, it did so strategically by working with existing, trusted clients where risks could be shared. This niche approach has provided significant advantages in recruitment and retention, allowing the company to maintain high employee loyalty for over a decade. From a business perspective, being a boutique agency leads to higher conversion rates and a better valuation for potential acquisition, as a specialized team of experts is much more valuable than a generic consultancy.