About Dyme
Dyme is a financial planning app based in the Netherlands that helps users manage their finances by linking bank accounts to track spending, categorise expenses, and set saving goals.
It offers features like automatic contract management, subscription cancellation, and personalised money-saving advice.
With tens of thousands of downloads each month, Dyme is quickly becoming a popular tool for simplifying personal finance management.
The challenge
Dyme quickly gained popularity after the launch of their application, even securing a spot on Dragon's Den—a crucial PR opportunity. However, during this high-traffic period, their infrastructure couldn't handle the load, leading to multiple days of downtime and a significant negative impact on their growth.
As Dyme continued to scale, several critical challenges emerged:
- Developers needed greater visibility and control over production environments to ensure smooth, continuous deployments and reduce downtime.
- Business analysts required real-time access to system data for reporting and analysis, but querying the production system often led to performance bottlenecks.
- With an increasing number of employees working remotely, Dyme needed to secure internal resources by ensuring access was limited to authorised devices, maintaining a strong security posture while preventing unauthorised access.
The solution
We implemented a solution that not only provided Dyme with scalable infrastructure and data accessibility but also ensured secure access to internal resources for their remote workforce.
Utilising Kubernetes on Google Cloud with a GitOps approach, we provided developers with full control over their applications in production.
Automated CI/CD pipelines allowed for quick deployments and streamlined operations, while Kubernetes’ self-healing capabilities ensured high availability and resilience.
To address the need for real-time data access without impacting production, we integrated Google Cloud’s BigQuery.
This enabled business analysts to run complex queries on mirrored data, separating analytics from production workloads, which maintained system performance and provided deeper insights into customer behavior and financial trends.
We are now able to trust our application more and make necessary long-term choices.
Joran Iedema, CEO
To ensure secure remote working, we implemented a solution where internal resources were only accessible through devices that met strict security requirements.
Using tools such as Tailscale for secure VPN access combined with device management tools, we enforced strict access control policies.
Only devices that complied with security protocols (e.g., updated operating systems, encrypted drives, and active endpoint protection) were granted access to Dyme’s internal resources.
This protected sensitive financial data and ensured regulatory compliance.
Our impact
Initial Setup | With PolitePixels |
|---|---|
| Manual testing processes slowed down releases and increased risks. | Integrated automatic testing frameworks and 81% reduction in post-release bugs. |
| Business analysts relied on developers for data access, creating delays. | Business analysts gained direct secure access to system data, improving efficiency. |
| Complex infrastructure as code made changes risky and unreliable. | Simplified and reliable infrastructure changes using GitOps and Terraform. |
| Vulnerability reporting and patching were inconsistent, creating security gaps. | Enhanced security with automated vulnerability scanning and continuous monitoring. |
Key results
Developers gained full control over their production environments, leading to a 30% increase in deployment frequency and a significant reduction in incidents during deployments.
Offloading data queries to BigQuery eliminated performance bottlenecks, ensuring a seamless user experience even during high traffic periods.
Secure remote access policies ensured that internal systems were only accessible via trusted devices, improving security and compliance while supporting a distributed workforce.
The Kubernetes-based infrastructure enabled rapid scaling in response to increasing demand, with automated monitoring and alerting ensuring system health and uptime.
We've been working with PolitePixels for several years, and they have been flexible in adapting to our company's needs. They bring a wealth of experience and share their knowledge, involving our engineers in the thought process to develop effective solutions.
Wouter Florijn, CTO
