When a startup is looking to build a long-term partnership when building a product, it’s a daunting task because going with the right outsourcing partner can play a massive role in its success. For any startup or a well-established organization, time and financial investment are crucial. There is a delicate balance between a project completed within the project delivery estimation while maintaining the quality and cost.
Most startups can’t overlook all those crucial factors when choosing the right agency. There are a few key factors one should look for when selecting the right technical partner.
Extensive portfolio and good existing clients
Any agency that can provide good projects they successfully delivered will more likely have future projects. Look for completed projects which are live with demo / like URL. A lot of agencies will offer excellent project pricing, but often they don’t have the expertise or never successfully deliver a project for their clients. This is especially common when outsourcing projects overseas. Startups often don’t have the necessary budget, so the deciding factor comes down to cost, which may cost you more in the long run because the project won’t get completed, but you may end up starting over again is both time and money.
Business Drivers
This section of the SRS defines the client’s needs and why they require the use of the system. This information guides the decisions of the system developers and architects and business analysts.
Good reviews and happy customers
This is especially important; having happy customers is a goal for any excellent agency in the long run. When choosing an outsourcing partner, be sure to ask for references from existing customers who can vouch for the agency if you are in doubt. Also, it’s imperative to ask for previous projects/products that use the same tech stack as what you will go with. If you aren’t sure about the particular tech stack, it’s good to ask about similar products the firm may have delivered.
It’s an established brand
Try to avoid brand new agencies or overseas individuals who have no presence or portfolio. This is especially common when looking for a development team on a budget. Startups often mistake hiring individuals or agencies without a proper brand, company policies, etc. if a company doesn’t’ have its brand or isn’t highly established in the field, the project is also less likely to be managed professionally.
Bad reviews
If an agency has many bad or negative reviews, definitely avoid working with them. This indicates that your project will also most likely suffer the same faith.
It’s too good to be true
This is often related to the hourly rates or project estimates that are just too good to be true. Hiring an iOS developer for 10$.hour is just not possible. Even if the team is located in a remote South Asian country, keep in mind the age of the distributed workforce. Anyone with the skills and talent can make close to the market price for high-demand tech stacks. Anyone with the skillsets and expertise can find the right remote job, regardless of their region. Yes, we offer lower rates than agencies located here in Dallas, but it’s not 80% cheaper like some agencies who might offer you. Sometimes these rates are offered, but in reality, the project will take more than what it should, and you will end up paying similar hourly rates if the project was done on time.
In conclusion, I would urge all startups or established organizations to do the due diligence to ensure the agency that will be doing the development has the knowledge, skillsets, and expertise to get the project completed on time without sacrificing code quality. I often come across projects that are halfway done, using outdated tech stack where the client has spent a significant amount of resources to be in a position where the project can’t be finished. To learn more about our software development and staff augmentation services, please feel free to email me directly at shah@heavytask.com
I look forward to serving you soon!
Shah Tashfiq
Founder / CEO @ HeavyTask
