What top tips help you find programmers for your startup?

When trying to find programmers for your startup, be sure you have a plan. This is challenging. Apart from programming skills, the team must possess strong soft skills to ensure smooth communication and project management. Consider the following tips:

Open, clear communication

You clarify your aims, priorities, requirements. They explain precisely how and when they will deliver your project. Nothing less. Nothing more. Clarity is key to success. Remember: if your requirements and requests are clear, there are no misunderstandings. Be clear. Be concise. Be comprehensive.

Cultural fit eliminates miscommunication

A team must correctly understand your goals, views, and values—both written and culturally understood. The team shares strong work ethics delivering its promises to clients. All clients are treated equally and receive the same top-level services.

Be on the same page regarding project plan and delivery

You have two approaches to product development.

Experienced teams avoid pitfalls

When a team has already launched startup projects, they:

• know where issues tend to occur
• find best solution for planned functionality
• offer a technological stack for lower maintenance costs
• save you time, money, and sleepless nights

Teamwork-first approach ensures sustainable progress

Software development for startups is a complex process. Use these tips to find programmers for startup and ensure workflow for a successful project launch.

How to find programmers in six simple steps:

Below is a six-step workflow to save you time and help you find programmers for your startup, from initial search to final selection of the team best suited for you:

• in-house vs. outsourcing software development.

• Make an action plan.

• Write a list of potential candidates.

• Look for the top ten for your list.

• Shortlist the final five.

• Look for your team/person.

Step 1. Look for the right option for you: in-house vs. outsourcing software development.

When looking for programmers, take your time. Ensure you choose the right development strategy. There are pros and cons with both options―in-house and outsourcing software development. To avoid this extra expense when outsourcing software development, ensure you choose a software development team with a competent and engaged project manager. Choose a team in a location with a suitable time zone where you can find programmers for start-ups. (Yes, this is when Eastern European companies provide a favorable balance between costs and quality.)

Step 2. Make an action plan.

For best results,

• Write down a list of your exact requirements.
• Prioritize your requirements putting the most important first.
• Based on your list—and your desired timeline—decide if you need a single developer or a team.
  • If you choose a single programmer, remember, a single developer cannot do everything: develop, test, submit it to an interactive environment (a mobile store if it is a mobile app; your hosting server if it is a web-based system). Too often, sole developers do not realize what they don’t know or cannot do well.
  • Herein lies the main advantage of choosing a team. A team follows a well-adjusted process from project start to launch.

Step 3. Write a list of potential candidates.

There are a few ways to find the programmer(s) you need. Ask your friends and colleagues. Find them on specialized platforms. Below we have collected several platforms where you can find programmers to hire:

• 
  LinkedIn

  an extensive professional network
• 
  Upwork

  a global online platform where businesses and startups can connect remotely. Upwork has an extensive blog with tips and tricks on how to find programmers and other freelance workers.
• 
  AngelList

  a platform for freelancers, start-ups, and investors
• 
  DesignRush.com

  a digital destination to inspire creative minds. The site features best designs by industry, spotlight interviews with top designers, trends, events & top lists of global and marketing agencies and technology companies.
• 
  Clutch

  the place to go if you are looking for a team. Clutch is a trusted resource for clients looking for a dependable, trustworthy team. Because Clutch has a dedicated manager for every company listed, everything is professionally tracked and verified. This is incredibly important for prospective clients. Before any testimonial—customer feedback—is posted on behalf of a service provider, Clutch contacts the customer and verifies the authenticity of the statement.

Step 4. Look for the top ten for your list.

Whether choosing a team or an individual programmer, the process is the same:

• Look through software developers’ websites.
• Explore their rates. You can also find this information on Clutch.
• Check out each team’s portfolio.
• Select 10 – the most experienced top 10.
  • Take serious note of the developing teams’ projects.
  • Ensure their projects are like yours.
• If you like what you see, ask them to send references.
  • Check out the clients who have already worked with them.
  • Read through the testimonials.

Step 5. SHORTLIST THE FINAL FIVE.

Selected your top five.

• Arrange a call with each of them.
• Prepare a list of questions: same questions for each team.
• Record the conversation—with their permission. Do not record if you haven’t asked or they said no.
• Ask the programmers about their experience specific to what you need for your project. Only developers with many years of experience can help you realize your goal with no time wasted.
• Ask each team what they would recommend moving forward. What is their proposed plan? If silence is their only answer, they lack experience. Cross them off your list. Move on to the next team.

Choose a team who:

• listens to what you say about your idea
• asks relevant questions
• tries to understand exactly what you want to present to the world
• the best team for your startup

Step 6. Look for your team/person.

Three criteria: trustworthy, capable, experienced. Add good communicators and listeners. They increase your chances for success. Find a professional team who knows how to write high-quality code and respects the importance of a good working relationship—a relationship based on trust. A word of caution: Avoid choosing the cheapest software outsourcing company. In your endeavor to save money, you might lose everything. Cultural differences and fly-by-night companies might turn your dream into a nightmare. Avoid some lower-price-range program developing teams, who might say “Yes, of course, we can do that!” just to get your business. And consider this: if a company gives you a low estimate, perhaps it considers your project a low priority. This means your project will not receive the needed attention to be on time and successful.

• Do you want a checklist for your action plan?
  Looking for programmers? Not sure how to find programmers? Here is a checklist to save your time. Check out our comprehensive checklist for the entire hiring process. It includes interview questions and pre-/post-interview activities to help you find programmers for your start-up. Get your templated checklist for hiring the right developers for you.

How do startups increase their bottom line when they find programmers?

Specifically, an experienced team significantly decreases time to market. The sooner to market, the more quickly a startup starts earning money. An experienced development team frees you from all the hassles related to design, development, and launching software. Turn your back on worry and hassle. Focus on the business side of your startup. When hiring an experienced development team, you get the following benefits:

• Correct and direct laser focus

  An experienced development team handles the technical side of the project. You direct your efforts on marketing and promotional activities. You focus on understanding what your audience wants and get help with how it gets delivered. You keep pace with business development.

• No need for micromanagement. An experienced development team knows what to do and when.

  • Benefit from an established workflow when hiring a dedicated team.
  • Work with a project manager and a business development manager—your contact points between you and the engineers.
  • Waste no time clarifying minute details. They know more than you.
  • Stay current with project progress.
  • Focus on the bigger business picture.

• Decreased delivery timeline

  You benefit from harmonized collective effort: the development team works simultaneously on different parts of your software. This is possible using the Agile approach. Different automation techniques also apply, e.g., DevOps and test automation. The development team keeps pace with tight deadlines while delivering high-quality source code.

• Lower overall development and maintenance costs

  With reliable, experienced programmers, more becomes less. This is simple math: expert-level team has higher productivity which means less time spent to launch. Hence, the total cost of development is lower. A reliable team develops software for startups keeping possible future changes in mind. You get a solution that can be extended and/or scaled easily.

What makes IT Craft the right place for startup development?

IT Craft provides a wide range of technical services for startups needed to launch a product as soon as possible. This includes: …and more. IT Craft makes resource-saving development possible. How? Via top-level software development services. You benefit both directly and indirectly from:

• Experience

  IT Craft software developers have written the high-quality code for many successful startup launches. They know how to handle startup projects ensuring a balance between software development price, timeline, and quality of produced source code. The source code is maintainable and well-commented.

• Technical advice

  An experienced development team shares its in-depth experience with the product owner and gives sound advice on the best implementation path. They know possible pitfalls and do their best to avoid them ensuring startup project is safe. Moreover, developers constantly test new technologies broadening their knowledge. They know what suits best in a certain project situation. They will offer their expert advice to the product owner.

• Convenient communication

  Staying in touch is easy. The project manager and business development manager are always available during business hours. They quickly respond on any and all project-related questions. The team adjusts communication practices according the client’s convenience. Both weekly and daily meetings are possible. Any means of communication (messengers, project management software, email, etc.) can be incorporated.

• Stable team squads

  Many of IT Craft software developers have worked at the company for five+ years. This ensures stable workflow within the teams. Different practices help with constant knowledge transfer on a project. Any time the team needs different expertise on a project, they get immediate help from one of IT Craft’s many departments.

• Immediate start

  It is important for every startup to begin software development soon. With IT Craft, this is simple:

  • A potential client sends a project request.
  • IT Craft developers provide an estimate.
  • Both parties negotiate the details.
  • When parties agree, the contract is signed.
  • Development team starts working intensively to meet agreed deadline.
  • Launch product.

• Post-launch guarantee period

  Once startup software is launched, post-release guarantee period starts. Development team stays with the product owner ensuring software works and end users are happy about the technical quality of the solution. All bugs and flaws discovered in the source code are eliminated at no cost for the startup during the guarantee period. The team responds fast.

Therefore, if you need to know…

• how to build a development process
• what technology to use
• what solutions are optimal to ensure the best results…

Ask us

Here is a bonus for you: a checklist template to help you make an informed decision.

Why do you need this checklist? The checklist contains all steps from this post. Use it to interview developers, evaluate their response, and rank priorities based on their answers. You will quickly learn how to find programmers best suited to your project needs. Also, you can use this list as a backup plan if your top priority team got booked because you took too long to decide. Hire the next team on your list.

FAQs

• How do I find computer programmers?
  This depends on who you want to hire. For companies. Find a development company on Clutch, LinkedIn, Upwork, or using Google search. For single professionals. The most well-known freelance platforms include Toptal, Upwork, fiverr, and SimplyHired. For in-house employees. Look for in-house programmers on: Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and SimplyHired.
• When should I hire a programmer for my startup?
  This depends on how soon you want to launch. You do not need a programmer if you only want to sketch out your idea and see if there is anyone interested. However, if your goal is a prototype or an MVP, it makes sense to ask for professional help.
• How many developers does a startup need?
  A precise answer depends on exact project requirements. A startup development team at IT Craft tends to be comprised of 5 to 11 people. These include (some are part-time roles):

  • Project manager
  • Business analyst
  • UI/UX designer
  • Front-end developer (for Web)
  • Android developer
  • iOS developer
  • Back-end developer (for all types of app)
  • QA engineer
  • DevOps engineers

  Of course, some roles depend on project scope and might vary.
• How do I hire a programmer for my startup?
  To hire a programmer as easily as possible, follow these five steps:

  • Make a list of requirements
  • Search for the top developers listed on freelancing (Upwork, Toptal etc.) or company reviews platforms (Clutch, Goodfirms.) Filter results based on hourly rate, number of projects, or average rating, if necessary.
  • Show your requirements to several professionals (ca. five) asking them for estimates.
  • Choose the best estimate based on price, timeline, and rating.
  • Remember cultural differences matter!
  • Maintain regular communication with your contractor.

  However, if you have little to no experience managing software programmers, we highly recommend you find an outsourcing development company.