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Offshore Software Development Center for Start-Ups

Offshore software development centers has become a popular option for startups and small businesses that need to cut costs without sacrificing quality. However, finding reliable and trustworthy offshore developers can be daunting. This article will help you simplify the hiring process, understand clearly the aspects of offshore development centers and make the best decisions for your business.

Why Should Startups Hire Offshore Developers?
There is no question that a startup faces numerous challenges, especially in the early stages of development. However, many startups overlook an essential resource that can help them overcome these challenges: Hire offshore developers. Here are five reasons why startups should consider hiring an offshore team.

Decrease on Cost
When it comes to offshore development cost, the primary benefit of hiring offshore developers is that you can get your product developed at a much lower cost than you otherwise could. By outsourcing to an offshoring company with experienced staff for hire, startups can avoid unnecessary overhead costs and focus on building out their products instead of building up internal expenses.

Reduce Time-to-Market
Startups also benefit from hiring offshore developers because they help accelerate time to market. This is mainly due to the fact that offshore development teams tend to be very efficient, productive, well-structured and rigorous in their processes, which helps startups get to market faster than they otherwise could have done without hiring offshore developers.


Global Talent Pool Diversity
When startups hire offshore developers, they have access to a more worldwide pool of global tech talent that is otherwise not available in most startup hubs. A dedicated offshore development team will help bring together the best offshore developers around the world. Moreover, these skilled developers tend to be more experienced and committed to working than local developers since remote teams typically place a heavy emphasis on work ethic, accountability, and long-term perspectives in their hiring process. For this reason, startups can also find the best tech talent when they hire an offshore development team. This helps startups build better products with higher quality, more features, and more significant innovation than their competitors.

Flexibility
It will be challenging to scale your in-house team or change the technology stack conforming to the project stage and scope. However, such changes are widespread for startup environments, so flexibility is crucial. The good news is that the outsourcing developers are flexible, and you can quickly move them between the projects, especially if you collaborate with them via a dev shop.

Fewer Conflicts
Startups typically result from personal relationships between the co-founders that eventually evolve into business relationships. Business interactions may differ from personal ones, so this can cause conflicts and misunderstandings. For example, a guy you have known for ages may show a dark side of their personality while in business. However, an offshore development team can help you avoid such conflicts at the MVP building stage.

Risk of hiring offshore development centers and how to avoid them
When it comes to outsourcing certain business functions, many startups view hiring offshore development centers as the way to go. After all, this option can be affordable and seems like a faster solution for completing project goals. However, there are several potential pitfalls that startup owners should avoid when working with offshore developers. By being mindful of these potential problems, businesses can mitigate risk and ensure the best possible outcome from any overseas development project. Some of the critical hazards to watch out for include communication breakdowns, cultural differences, and time-zone differences. It is viable to overcome these obstacles, but it takes awareness and strategy.


Communication Interruption
Oftentimes communication is the greatest challenge that startups must get over when they hire offshore developers. This is because it can be troublesome to relay specific, detailed information over a computer. Without the ability to convey the same amount of information as you would in person or on-site, misunderstandings and confusion are likely to occur.
To avoid this problem, startups should work with their in-house teams to determine what kinds of questions they may have and how those questions should be asked. This way, the development team can prepare their questions ahead of time and increase the likelihood that they will get a clear answer from the startup founder.

Cultural
There can also be a lot of of culture shock when startups work with offshore developers. For example, some teams tend to become frustrated or impatient if they are not kept in the loop of what is happening with their product. While this is something that can be difficult to avoid, founders should attempt to let their teams know that they are working on deadlines and that they will be checking in regularly. It also helps startup owners to remain receptive to feedback from the development team throughout the course of their work.

Time-zone Differences
Another potential pitfall that companies often face is the disparity in time-zone differences. This means that if the offshore team works on a different schedule than their client, it can result in low productivity and gaps in communication. To avoid this problem, startups should consider hiring teams who are located within one or two time zones of their company. This way, there is more possibilities that the team and the founders will fall within similar time zones and be able to effectively communicate about deadlines, progress, and other matters.

Other critical information to choose an ODC
Reference price of Offshore Software Development all around the world
For a startup company, software development services in the United States and Europe are prohibitively expensive. To establish a new IT firm, you must recruit specialists who are less expensive while maintaining the same levels of efficiency. Hiring these specialists from Asia would significantly decrease operational costs. Countries with outstanding software development capabilities in Asia include Vietnam, Singapore, China, and India… But nations such as Ukraine in Eastern Europe or Brazil, Argentina in South America… are similarly affordable and trustworthy.
In addition, depending on market growth, professional expertise, and geographical position, hourly prices may be classified into four prominent outsourcing regions: Asia ($18- $42), Eastern Europe ($30-$70), Latin America ($35-$70), and the United States ($70- $300).

Several staff roles commonly found in an ODC
The following important functions should be included in a typical ODC (Offshore Development Center):
· Account Manager: This role is in charge of engaging with and nurturing customer relationships.
· Project Manager: This staff takes charge of the whole project, from planning to people management, tracking work progress, and directing and assisting subordinates.
· Developers: These core members are in charge of creating, installing, and supporting software.
· Testing Engineer: A person whose duty is to check the quality of the product as a testing engineer.
· Graphic designer: An important one to create visual concepts and graphics to highlight your product's distinctiveness.
· Material writer: This person takes care of content overall, creating and revising software instructions.

Tips to Hire Offshore Developers
Are we clear enough about why startups should not look away from offshoring. Now, let’s go through some best practices startups need to go through in order to hire offshore developers individually or as a development team.

Define Your Goal
First of all, you should identify the problem you plan to solve with your initial MVP, as you will have to explain this problem when outsourcing developers. Next, determine the prioritized goal of your product that should be fulfilled, break it down into smaller, measurable milestones, and set approximate deadlines for those milestones.

Evaluate the skillset
First, identify the technology stack(s), expertise, and skills you need for your project. Next, define which roles you need for the project. For example, do you need only the developers, PMs, QAs, or business analysts?

Budget Plan
Budget is often a pitfall for any startup, so you must plan it until the very last penny. Define the size of your initial capital and the areas where you can save money, leaving only the most important ones. Find the investors whom you are going to show your MVP beforehand.

Interview the candidates
Once you have selected the individuals that match your requirements, it is critical to do a background check on them before moving on with them. Ask for references and call their previous employers. Interview them via Skype or FaceTime; this way, you will be able to evaluate their English comprehension skills and cultural fit. Make sure that they are comfortable with the payment process. The last thing is to hire someone that wants to be paid in cash only. Use PayPal, bank transfers, or any other reliable source of money transfer when it comes to dealing with offshore developers. It’s also essential that they are not just well-skilled professionals but that they are proactive, communicative and enthusiastic employees.

Technical Skills
After you have narrowed down the shortlisted candidates, the next step is to test their technical skills. You can ask them to take one or two programming tests that are online or write a small part of your application by themselves. Again, the more specific you are about what you need, the more accurate data will be gathered on them. It’s not just about their programming skills but also about their attention to detail.

Maintain a Strong Relationship
Lastly, maintain a strong relationship with your offshore developers. It is vital that they feel comfortable reporting issues or problems right away instead of delaying them for several weeks. Communicate clear milestone deadlines and make sure you update them on any changes to the project requirements when needed.

Conclusion
Hiring offshore developers can be a great choice if you are looking for highly qualified individuals at an affordable price. However, it does come with both benefits and some challenges. By being well aware of them all, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls and acquire the best tech talents for your business. In addition, we expect that the best practices and tips on how to hire an ODC covered in this article will be beneficial for all start-up founders and business owners looking to hire offshore software developers

Offshore Software Development Center for Start-Ups
Published:

Offshore Software Development Center for Start-Ups

Published: