4 Reasons Your Early Stage Startup Should Hire a Freelance Developer

When it comes to Early Stage Startups one of the keys to success is getting your product out quickly and inexpensively. This allows a Startup to get feedback on their initial product and can help guide them in the direction that they should go. The initial feedback can tell a startup whether their product will be viable or that maybe there isn’t enough interest for the product. It is also key that early stage Startups get this feedback without spending an arm and a leg. That brings up the following question:

How do you get an initial software product out quickly without having to hire a team of full time developers?

One answer is to hire a Freelance Developer to build the initial product. Below are the key benefits for hiring a freelancer.

Full Time Developer w/ Benefits vs. Freelance Developer

1. Cost — With today’s competitive market for developers the cost of hiring a full time developer has gone up significantly. Startups and larger companies are trying to recruit developers by adding additional benefits on top of an already competitive salary. This would mean that it would be more expensive for an early stage startup to bring on a good full time developer. However, with a freelancer that Startup would not need to provide benefits and would only pay for the time that the Freelancer is needed. This would equate to much bigger savings in the short term when trying to get the initial software out to the public.
2. Specialization — Hiring a freelancer allows the Startup to choose the right expert for the software that they need to create. By finding a freelancer who specializes in initial software products, they will have the experience to not only help build the product but provide additional feedback on the steps to launching it.
3. Flexibility — This is definitely one of the most important benefits for hiring a freelancer. When hiring a freelancer the timeline and schedule is discussed up front and a freelancer expects that he/she will not be needed for more than the discussed time. This means that if the initial feedback is not good and the product will not be viable, the Startup doesn’t have to worry about letting employees go. So after a month or two when the product is launched the Startup and freelancer can part ways with no animosity.
4. Reliability and Timeline — A freelancer’s reputation is the key to their success. The fact that freelancers rely on their reputation to win additional projects is a huge benefit for Startups looking to get a good product out quickly. If a Startup does their research when looking for a freelancer, they can be rest assured that their product will turn out as intended in the discussed timeline.

With an increasingly competitive market for good developers, the freelance market may be the key to success for early stage Startups. Hiring a freelancer provides the opportunity to get a good initial product out quickly without breaking the bank. This allows early stage Startups to get the critical feedback that they need to succeed as well as saving the Startup both time and money.