Issues in finding dev help...
Hello everyone,
I am seeking some guidance. My team and I are trying to build a web portal... nothing technologically novel, but not something so simple that I could do it on Wordpress.
So, we need to hire internally, partner, or hire externally.
Hiring Externally:
The issue we have found with hiring externally, as in hiring a dev firm, is that the prices vary wildly... from $15k to 250k. And usually price doesn't seem to correspond with quality. Some of these firms are proposing crummy solutions, like PWAs when we know PWAs are not a solution for a large web portal / marketplace, but they are easy to build... so... therein we find the issue. The dev firms we've spoken with are like McDonalds. Take the order, cook the burger, and forget about it. We don't want to bother dropping 30k on something like that, or 100k+ on something only marginally better. We want the right solutions. My team and I are IT recruiters; so, while we are not technical, we are not oblivious.
Hiring internally:
I recruit technical people all day. i could find them. The only issue is, I recruiter them... I know how it goes. Unless we have a big name, like FB, Google, etc., it will be hard to keep a talented person in house. Maybe I'm wrong, but our team tends to focus on infrastructure recruiting more than software recruiting for this reason. Talented software devs are hard to keep. Sure, that's not true across the board, but I don't want to risk hiring one internally, paying 100k, then they leave, and a new person has to spend months learning about the systems the other person built before it can be finished and launched.
Partnering:
Partnering, or co-founding, has similar challenges as does hiring internally, with some addition challenges on top. Not all dev experts are entrepreneurs. My worries are greatest with this option, but my instinct tells me it's the only way to get it done.
Any guidance on this topic would be appreciated. Any company referrals, etc, all appreciated. Thank you.
Hi mc miller,
Some more considerations that might help with your decision.
External
I agree, there's little correlation between cost and quality. The biggest disadvantage here if you're building brand new is that very valuable knowledge about how your web portal works exists outside your company. Those best placed to maintain and modify your solution are then resources controlled by another company. This company has its own concerns in terms of resource allocation which you must fit around. Moving development in house then becomes an issue, just as you've highlighted with internal staff turnover.
Internal
I think you could be missing a key advantage here. Not all good developers want to work for Google (or similar). The opportunity to be involved in all aspects of a project from day one is more appealing to some. If you're honest about the opportunity you are offering and can highlight what makes it different, then I think you stand a good change of finding a long term hire.
Developers leaving is a key risk of this approach. There are steps you can take to mitigate this. A good developer would, I hope, understand your concerns here. Perhaps you could e.g. agree a greater investment in documentation. Maybe a longer than average notice period for a smoother handover.
Honesty at the interview stage is my best advice here. For some developers your project will be most appealing during its early phases. The passion they bring to your project will be inspired by creating something new. Someone like this could be exactly what you need when you start. From here, you will likely transition to a new phase at which point you might need more, or just different developers. Rather than trying to avoid or delay this transition, perhaps you can plan for it and discuss it openly with any potential hire.
Partner
This sounds like the internal option, only with a greater incentive for the developer to stay. If this is the only reason to offer someone a partner position then it might cause more problems in future. You're also adding to the list of desirable skills for the candidate which makes for a tougher search. I'd keep this in reserve, perhaps if you find an exceptional candidate during your hiring process who is both interested and capable.
On a side note, your comment on PWAs is interesting. Obviously you have all the specifics of what you are trying to achieve but it doesn't sound like a terrible choice for a web portal.