Blogs » How to Spot A Good Software Development Partner
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Imagine you’re on the brink of launching your software development project. You’ve brainstormed ideas, conducted in-depth research and feasibility studies, and meticulously set and prioritized your goals. Now, you’re at a critical juncture: execution. This is where the magic happens. The focus? Product development. It’s not just important — it’s essential. Whether you’re leveraging in-house capabilities or considering external capacity, your development approach needs to be tailored to your unique needs. But how do you navigate this complex phase?
Here are some of the possible approaches to consider when developing your new software product depending on the resources you have access to:
- Build in-house yourself if you have the necessary skills and resources for product development and programming
- Assemble your internal team if you have the time, capacity, and budget
Employ freelancers as long as you have the ability and bandwidth to effectively manage them - Outsource to an external company who are experts in software development
- You can use a combination of all of these (a hybrid approach) blending in-house efforts with outsourced expertise or external resources to complement your team’s strengths.
In this article, I am sharing some tips that may help you filter some bad outsourcing firms, if you are considering outsourcing or hiring a freelancer for your next project.
If you need to launch quickly because you want to shorten your time-to-market for competitive advantage, or for another reason, you may want to check out this blog article we recently wrote:
For organizations without tech experience or with limited resources, one of the most efficient routes is outsourcing. It’s especially useful if you don’t know much about developing software or if something is blocking you from starting your project. There are many ways to make your software ideas happen.
In one of my recent articles, I shared 6 Key Benefits of Outsourcing your Software Development. This article provides some insights and help if you are unsure if outsourcing is right for your project or not.
If you decide to outsource, it’s important to understand both the advantages and challenges involved. Finding a trustworthy software development partner to outsource to can be hard. Here are the common issues that we typically hear from people who have outsourced in the past or are currently outsourcing:
- Quality of deliverables
- Time commitment
- Hurdle in communication
- Project delays
- Consistency
Avoiding these issues is possible when you partner with a trustworthy and competent software development company that not only excels in their work but also follows a repeatable process to ensure the successful outcome of your project. While it may sound straightforward, selecting the right partner is a detailed and critical step. In my interview with DC Startup Week, I had the opportunity to talk about this subject and share a few tips for determining the right software development company for your next tech project, which I will further explore in this article.
In some ways, finding the right software development company to partner with is more challenging than ever. Before making a choice, you must consider several factors. The process is further complicated by the vast number of developers vying for your attention, each claiming to be the best fit for your project and superior to the others.
Naturally, you’ll want to steer clear of firms that excel at making a great first impression but ultimately fall short when it comes to delivering on their promises. So, before finalizing your list of potential software development partners, take a moment for a thorough review.
As you evaluate the list of companies you’ve discovered through various sources, here are some tips to help you scrutinize development firms and find the perfect match for your upcoming software project:
Look For More Than Just Coding Abilities – Seek Strong Product Management Skills
While programmers and software engineers are vital to any software project, their efforts can fall short without effective Product Management.
Product Management plays a critical role in guiding your product toward success. It involves setting priorities, defining components, and allocating tasks and objectives. A lack of strong Product Management is a leading cause of failure in many outsourced projects.
Make sure that the firm you are eyeing is not just filled with programming talent but also excels in Product Management. Even the best programmer can create a technically flawless product, but it’s futile if it doesn’t align with what your customers need or want. It’s crucial for the team to deliver outcomes that match the project’s priorities and objectives.
Ask specific questions about their product management process, and how they determine priority tasks, and request to see examples that demonstrate their approach in previous projects. A company with a clear and defined strategy can pave the way for your project, guiding you towards achieving your product goals.
Experience with Developing Scalable and Complex Applications
Scalable software typically refers to software applications that can accommodate an increasing amount of data or a growing number of users. Scalability will be necessary as your project grows and progresses. If the software firm fails to keep up with the project’s growth, you could lose efficiency in return. And the quality of your service and even products can suffer. With cloud services, scalability is much easier and cost-effective than it used to be. At Technology Rivers, scalability is an implicit requirement in every project. The majority of our applications are deployed on Amazon AWS or Google Cloud, and we ensure every application we create is scalable from day one.
What is the largest project they have completed? Have they successfully scaled an application from its inception to a substantial user base, and how did they manage the application’s scalability? What specific technologies, and cloud services did they use for that? Have they built any applications that can handle complexity?
In line with this, look for a company that has proven experience in various types of applications. There is a whole spectrum of developers with different specializations. For instance, mobile applications are separate from the web, and so are comprehensive workflow-based applications from the Content Management System (CMS). A WordPress developer can build CMS-based sites, but might not be the best choice for developing desktop or mobile apps. Finding a team with experience in a particular category of software products will come in handy when making strategic product decisions and giving reliable advice that you will need.
Aligning with Partners Who Know Your Scale and Sector
The selected partner must have significant experience working with companies of similar sizes and types. If you are a non-profit, or government organization, then any company that has prior experience with government or non-profit will understand the processes and will be able to deliver according to their experience and expertise in the same field.
Select a software development firm with experience in developing software products for companies about the same size as yours.
Startups are usually fast-paced with limited funding and resources. Any company that is used to working with the government or big corporations, will likely struggle to work with startups as processes are different. If you are a startup, you should collaborate with a vendor that has developed applications for companies of a similar size. Government or corporate experience may be useful, but this may not be suitable for startup software products. Resources can be limited, so you want to get it done the right way right at the onset.
At Technology Rivers, most of our work is with startups and enterprises to help them create innovative digital solutions. Our technical and management teams have prior startup experiences, we understand the environment, culture, and hype cycle of startups. This experience has helped us come up with the process and approach, to provide lean and efficient solutions to our startup clients.
Identify Genuine and Sponsored Reviews
While there’s nothing inherently wrong or illegal about sponsoring content on popular rating sites, it’s crucial to recognize and evaluate these sponsored reviews accurately. Often, service providers appear on “top” firm lists not because of their excellence but because they’ve paid for a spot. When searching for “top mobile app development firm” or “top web development firm” on Google, the first page will likely display listicles that include these sponsored companies.
Once you short-list, dig deep into their references and extract relevant and genuine feedback. Talk to their past clients, and focus on specific inquiries beyond mere positive or negative comments, to gauge the true compatibility. Keep in mind, the references shared will likely be biased towards positive feedback. It’s your responsibility to uncover more nuanced insights from these favorable endorsements.
When asking about a firm’s work style and processes, focus on asking detailed questions that require more than a yes/no response. For example:
- How effectively did the firm adhere to its deadlines? This will give you insights allowing you to form your own judgments.
- How long did it take for them to establish plans or goals? Instead of simply asking, “Did they provide a plan?”
- Did they frequently charge extra for minor adjustments or exceed the initial quote? Inquire about any additional hours or costs beyond the original estimate.
- How did they manage and overcome obstacles?
- How did they communicate about any issues or delays?
- Ask about their code storage practices and whether they provided access to the source code.
These questions aim to give you a deeper understanding of their operational nuances.
Watch Out For Hidden Fees
Another important factor to consider early on is identifying any hidden fees before committing. Some companies charge flat fees, some charge subscription fees, and others charge projects based on the scope of work.
We’ve looked at many service proposals over time and noticed that many offer “fixed-price” projects based on estimated hours. But, these aren’t truly fixed prices because if the work takes longer, you’ll end up paying more. When checking references, ask if the company charges extra for any small changes to the project plan.
I am sure you’ve probably seen proposals like this in your own business. Sometimes they’re needed if a project’s details aren’t clear yet. However, it’s important to recognize these situations and plan your agreements accordingly.
At Technology Rivers, our fixed-price projects are genuinely fixed-price, not dependent on the number of hours worked. In order to achieve this, we have to make sure we scope the application really well.
Check out this tesimonial by Neha Patel, talking about our emphasis on detailed requirements for scoping.
IP, Data & Account Access – Plan for Transition Right from the Start
Your software and service accounts are crucial assets that need protection. Once you hire a firm, make sure you own and control all the software and accounts so you are not locked-in. This prevents the risk of being locked in or held hostage by the service provider later on. It also ensures that the transition is easy once you decide to bring development in-house or change the development firm.
At Technology Rivers, we always consider the ease of transition and prefer using customer-owned accounts whenever possible. This may include DNS settings, cloud hosting accounts, code repositories, project management software, etc.
As part of our work, we have rescued numerous customers during their transition-out phase. In many instances, these clients faced challenges because their former software development vendors either wouldn’t give them access to their own code and servers or made it very hard to do so after the project was completed or the partnership ended.
Before engaging with a software development company, make sure that all the necessary data, software products, and accounts are registered in your name. If you’re not tech-savvy and unsure about how to handle this, consider hiring a consultant to oversee and manage this aspect for you.
True Collaboration is a Partnership – Learn & Grow From Your Chosen Partner
Some software firms only focus on making your product. A real partner, though, helps you grow by guiding you through the development process and offering advice on expanding your business.
They can help you in several ways, like:
- Sharing growth strategies,
- Offering guidance on effective approaches,
- Connecting you with potential clients, partners, or investors.
Steer clear of companies that treat your project as just another transaction. At Technology Rivers, we dedicate time to thoroughly understand your business. This ensures that we can help you create a product that matches your vision. Providing introductions and assisting with growth strategies are ways we support our clients, benefiting both parties in the long term. To see the impact of our approach, take a look at testimonials from two of our clients, who discuss how our connections with partners and investors helped them.
“You don’t just get a development resource. You don’t just get a developer to develop what you have envisioned for your product. You also get business development aspect of it, which–quite honestly–when I signed up with them, I wasn’t expecting that. But they are so invested in your personal success that they want to do everything they can. Whether it’s a part of the contract or the expectation or not.
So I have made many connections through Technology Rivers with other entrepreneurs or other startups that have helped me get where I needed to go and meet other people.” –Neha Patel, EdTech Entrepreneur
“There are all these other things that came along with our relationship through Technology Rivers that were completely unexpected from our part. You know a couple those are things like hey, Technology Rivers has got this great network of venture capitalists that they work with, and so some really great introductions were made there that allow us to help build out our first round of funding.” –Patrick Mish, CEO of Silverstay
In short, while there are many software development companies out there, choosing the right one for your specific needs is key. Your search shouldn’t stop at a Google search or recommendations from friends and business networks, although these are good places to start. Remember, a company that worked well for someone else might not be the best fit for you. Every project is unique, and factors like the project’s nature, your budget, how your organization operates, the development partner’s growth phase, and the team working on your project all play a role in the outcome. That’s why it’s essential to carefully research and evaluate potential companies, keeping in mind the advice offered in this article.
Finding the right development partner can be tricky because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What matters most is choosing someone you trust and can work well with. A good relationship with your software development partner is crucial for success, so aim for a partnership that goes beyond a typical client-vendor setup.
Remember the tips we’ve shared to help you make the best choice!
What do you think about outsourcing software development? If you have any experiences with it, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to send us a message or reach out. We’d love to discuss!
