How to find the Right Outsource Developer(s) for your project
Entering the digital space opens the talent of the world to you. Figuring out where you’d like to hire that talent from isn’t always easy. Three things come to mind when deciding where to hire for your software/ web project; Price, Communication, and Reliability.
Why should you listen to me? My Partner Nate and I have spent over $70,000 on freelancer platforms like UpWork hiring talent from all over the world.
At the end of the article, I’ll provide an index of some great places you can find talent for your web/software project.
Along the way we’ve made some costly mistakes, hopefully, this guide can help make the right choice.
TL; DR. Developer(s) in Latin America or Eastern Europe has yielded me the best results. Good communication and honesty are important. I built a team of LatAm devs because of culture, timezone, and competence. You choose what's best for you!
Outline Your Project(s) Every Detail
This is the most important part of finding the right developer(s) for your project. Nothing should be left unsaid or it will be looked over when you get to the development phase.
A good developer(s) can help you work this part out. That's a very telling sign for me; if your developer is “yes’ing” you to death, he or she only cares about the money not the success of the project.
An engaged developer is going to ask you questions about design, user interfaces, short term, and long term goals.
Here is a quick list of things you should have when speaking to a candidate to develop your project.
- Design / Wireframe. How will it look and feel? On Desktop, Tablet, Mobile? Don’t want to make that commitment? Then have a direction or similar site/ theme you want to mimic
- User Interfaces. Administrator, Customer, Wholesaler; what will they experience when they use/access your product.
- Must haves and Nice to Have Features. Knowing this part will help bring your dream back down to earth. How do we break down the project into measurable components that fit into your budget?
What Region of the World has the Best Developers?
A simple google search will give you vague data on countries that produce the “best developers” and although some of this content contains some truth; that does not mean those are the best developers for YOUR project.
Some Regions I’ve hired from and my experience of the Talent:
1.India
India by far has the strongest presence online of outsourced developers. They offer very cheap labor and at the beginning of my career were my first choice because they never said no and didn’t ask any questions. This became a problem; their code often came very buggy, they always over promised and under delivered, and treated every project as a transaction instead of a relationship. This is not to say your experience will be the same, but be careful in hiring based on just price. This will cost you more in the long run.
2. Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Serbia, Russia)
Eastern European talent has always delivered great work. They are fair priced and honest in their skills and abilities. I’ve had nothing but great experiences working with teams from that region. The downside was the language barrier and lack of cultural understanding when explaining our products/projects.
3. Latin America ( Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela )
LatAm became my sweet spot. They are highly motivated, fair priced, and culturally a fit with myself and other U.S Clients. In LatAm student learn English from elementary school all through college. Being so close to the U.S (same timezone) and consuming U.S Media they are culturally a good fit for my U.S Based team and U.S based clients.
Communication, Communication, Communication
It all comes down in the end to communication.
The 3 factors that affect communication:
- Language
Can you effectively communicate your idea? Can the developer(s) effectively ask questions to affirm or challenge your idea?
2. Time Zone
What hours will you be working on this project? 2–3 am calls can be difficult, waiting a full day to give feedback or receive feedback; can affect feedback loops and delay projects.
3. Availability
Is this developer working on 10 projects? Are you a priority to them or just an afterthought? Is he/she willing to hop on a call to iron out a kink or give you an update on progress?
Where Can I hire Freelancers or Development Firms?
- UpWork — UpWork was where I found most of my talent before I built my team.
- Workana — Great LatAm freelancers
- Guru — I haven’t had much luck here
- Clutch.co — Each Review is vetted and reviewed by the Clutch.co team. If your looking for a firm this is the best place.
Where you can find me and my LatAm team of kick-ass Developers?
