This is it! You are starting on an exciting journey towards success!
You have already put in mountains of time and energy into your start-up.
Now it’s time to find someone who can convert your dream into reality.
Where and how to find a programmer for your
startup?
Do you have four minutes? Read successful startups tips on how to find
programmers.
This will help you arrive at your best decision.
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.
Fixed
-
Once you and the team arrive at an
agreement for price
and delivery based on your requirements, budget, and timeline,
nothing changes—neither your requirements nor the price.
-
Launch on time and on budget.
Flexible
-
Freedom and flexibility to change your mind and
pivot throughout
project. You will need an Agile team able to pivot and adjust to
a
changing software development plan.
-
Every time you pivot, the project plan, budget, and
timeline shift
into the future.
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.
On your side
-
If you do not have the time, assign a dedicate
project manager to oversee the project; someone on your side to
manage the project.
-
Your PM’s timely response and decisions are crucial
for successful project delivery.
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.
In-house development
- No delays in updates. When a programmer sits next to you, you discuss
the
issues face-to-face. You update your project immediately. No delays.
- The price. The cost of hiring an on-site programmer
is
high. Plus, you must
pay insurance and social taxes. No small change. Without funding from an
incubator, money might quickly be in short supply—perhaps even before
you
release an MVP.
Outsourcing software development
- Cost-saving hourly rates, pay neither taxes nor insurance.
- You spend more time on clearly communicating your
desired outcome.
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.
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:
IT Craft provides
- technical consulting
- MVP development
- project rescue
- team augmentation
- rapid prototyping
- full-cycle, full-fledged app development
- technology migration
- product pivot
…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.
Greetings,
Nice reading, thanks. Just to note, when you are a startup right in the beginning, technological stack might be not as crucial as time to market. You need a team ready to build an MVP fast. You need to make sure your team understands this and they establish internal processes Agile, Scrum, whatever to deliver as fast as they promise. Also, when you are want with a remote team, take your time to visit their office and talk to everyone in person. This saves you from long Skype calls.
Agreed with above speaker. From my experience, I love working with a remote team but you need to be aware of specifics.
When you are dealing with an offshore outsourcing team, you will be working from different time zones. You should seriously consider time lag so that urgent tasks won’t be possible unless they promise you 24/7 support. On the other hand, this can used as a benefit when you assign tasks to your team in the end of your working day and discuss the result when your next working day starts.
Here is my thoughts on the topic.
It happens sometimes that your team stops performing. Take time talk to the team seriously and find out the reasons. Assigned tasks might reveal more complex problems and in this case, deadlines can be extended in order to pursue the global result rather than just close current sprint.
Unfortunately, this can be also a sign of team’s internal problems. When the situation does not improve search for another team.
The post is fine but it might need to make a difference between startups.
Here is the point: do you – as a startup – have a specification or just some general vision of what you want and that will changes as soon as you validate your idea? Both approaches are possible but they might require different managerial and/or programming skills that fit in with startups’ needs. Discuss this issue with your prospective team before you start cooperation in order to exclude frustration as not all engineers are happy about constant pivots. This is favorable when the team has a BA then, you a have a person with who you can estimate and plan more accurately.
Thanks for the post.
Agreed on importance of references: if you do not feel confident you are talking to professionals, just ask them for a reference from a happy client.
However, when you are a non-tech person and you struggle to evaluate technical skills, think about inviting a tech partner who will be a CTO in your startup and bear responsibility on the technical part.