How to select the right technological partner for your business

Easier said than done, of course, but I do believe that as a rather seasoned Tech consultant, currently CTO, and oft-times agony uncle to many friends and business associates who reach out asking what they should expect from the techie firms they engage (sometimes even after they’ve signed them on), I think my two cents’ worth might be useful to share here.

Choosing a technical partner for your project is undoubtedly an important decision to make. In fact, it’s a critical one because if you make the wrong choice, I guarantee that you’ll be perpetually stressed out, and accelerate any hints of grey in your hair faster than you can imagine.

I’ve audited numerous software applications and have come to realise that the quality of development varies not just significantly but at times, shockingly. It ranges from the clunky app that resulted from some rushed decisions to abysmally dysfunctional processes. While this may sound discouraging, I assure you that not all apps suck. I often audit them only because someone had a gut feeling that something was wrong. So isn’t it better to avoid being in this situation altogether?

Nevertheless, for those who have that funny sensation in the pit of their tummies, just know that an audit can help confirm that your boat is sinking and will certainly identify what can be done and could be salvaged.

So, how does one choose a technical partner to develop an application while minimising the risk of embarking on a journey to hell?

It all begins with communication. A successful partnership requires a good fit in terms of collaboration and teamwork. The communication should be fluid yet challenging. You need an interlocutor who can clearly understand your requirements, almost as though they were developing their own product. In short, they should own it.

Don’t get caught up by the very latest, trending IT language or framework that is hurled at you. Opt for simplicity and robustness. Perhaps you remembered the Bug of Year 2000. The software industry had to find ways to convince entrepreneurs that software could be future-proof. However, the truth is that there’s no such assurances. What might appear great and trendy today could become obsolete tomorrow. Just look at how Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods were hailed as the next world-changing disruption. We all know how things are playing out and it’s not pretty. In my opinion, the fake meats of today have names like OOP, Scrum and Javascript.

While future-proofing is a bit of a placebo, scalability is a crucial consideration. It may be prudent to explore this with a potential technological partner and look at it as an investment now, rather than later, to enjoy long-term savings. Rushing development just so you can push your product out to market quickly is a surefire way to failure. You’ll be putting out something that actually works but crumbles under pressure, offering a sluggish experience when the initial hundred users suddenly spikes to 10 000. You’ll lose the confidence of your potential users before they’ve even had a chance to take it for a proper test-drive. And we all know how difficult it is to win back anyone’s confidence. Please forget about future-proofing, focus instead on success-proofing!

At this juncture, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the elephant in the room. Cost is probably one of the first factors you’ll consider. Higher quality often comes with a higher price tag, given a fixed project scope. How can you attain quality and pay less? The solution is obvious: optimise the scope. As human beings, we evolved from a tradition of hunting and gathering and are wired to think in terms of addition but you’d be pleasantly surprised to learn that subtractive changes often yield better results. Would an application be just as user-friendly if it keeps adding new features, resulting in a cluttered user interface? How often would you really use all the features you wish to have?

In any case, I can’t reiterate enough how much effective communication is key. If something is unclear, address it right away. If your prospective partner can’t provide clarity on a discussion point, it will likely become a pain point later on. It truly never is too late to find another partner for the sake of a healthier relationship.

At the end of the day, selecting a technical partner for your project is like choosing a life partner. Prioritise effective communication and steer clear of fancy and trendy tools. Opt for propositions that embrace solid, robust, and scalable frameworks. Forget about future-proofing and do it the right way by prioritising quality even if it means making strategic trade-offs to align with your budget.

If there’s one thing you can’t get back, it’s time. Time in the instance of a software application represents opportunities. And just as your technical partnership is like a marriage, you’ll end up living by your choices and if you make the wrong ones, you’ll miss opportunities, waste a whole lot of time and your partnership would probably end up in a nasty divorce.