Below you’ll find a few common questions that 10x often hears. We’re happy to go over any questions or concerns you may have that are not addressed here. Please feel free to contact us here or call +1 (212) 501-0748.
General Questions
What is 10x Management?
10x is a tech talent agency. We have a roster of freelance developers, coders, data scientists, cyber security experts, designers, and others (whom we may refer to here as tech talent, client, 10xer or freelancer) that we exclusively represent whom we quickly match to solve tech problems that companies of all sizes encounter. See a complete list of our skills here but please feel free to ask if you don’t see what you need.
What makes 10x better?
Curation is what separates what we’re doing at 10x Management from most of the other resources currently available. We extensively vet all of our tech talent, and we spend time with our customers to understand all the elements that make their projects unique. Our 10x agents know our talent roster backward and forward, and they’re able to match contractors to projects so efficiently that 95% of customers end up contracting with the first client we propose. In sum, 10x is your personal shopper. We find out what you need and present a pre-vetted, exceptional candidate option to you, drastically reducing the time to product development and relieving our customers of having to do the heavy lifting themselves.
How long has 10x been in business?
Since 2012.
What is the benefit of working with 10x as opposed to finding a freelancer on my own?
Great question! 10x interviews and thoroughly vets all of our talent, ensuring that you have access to the top 1% of tech talent in the world. We have a waiting list of thousands of top quality freelancers hoping to join our exclusive roster. We save you time and money in your search and ensure that you’re hiring the best freelancer(s) for the project. With thousands of engagements under our belts, we know our process works, but we work tirelessly to earn your trust and business everyday. We also know our talent, so we can match you with the right person right away (often within 24-48hrs). 95% of our engagements occur with the first person we’ve recommended to a company.
Am I paying extra to work with 10x?
There is no extra fee to your company for working with us. We are paid by our tech talent – we get a percentage of whatever our talent earns.
How do you vet your talent?
We have a thorough interview process which includes technical and personality interviews, reference checks, and cyber stalking. We place equal value on technical capabilities as we do on professionalism and interpersonal skills. Often new talent is referred to us by current 10xers or past customers – so by the time they get to us, we have a good sense of who they are and where they’ve been. The difference between our talent and what you might find using a lesser “platform” solution is vast. Our people are, simply put, the best of the best.
What does your normal customer look like? Do you work with startups or more established companies?
At 10x, we work with big and small companies alike. We have a long history of helping startups flourish and keeping bigger companies, like Verizon, Ebay, and others ahead of the game.
Do you have a minimum or maximum amount of hours required for a project?
No. We’ve had engagements that required one day of work and we’ve had engagements that have lasted two or more years. It completely depends upon the scope of the project, and the needs of our customers.
Are your 10xers offshore?
Most 10xers live in the United States or Canada. We have a small group of talented 10xers that live outside North America (many of whom are US citizens but are either traveling or spending an extended period abroad), but rest assured, they are all experts at working remotely. We do not consider ourselves an “offshore” solution.
Are you able to work with people/companies who don’t have a technical background?
Of course! It is our job to ensure that your project is attended to with the utmost of care. Our 10xer(s) will be with you every step of the way to explain the work. Part of our vetting process includes ensuring our talent can function as the CTO for whatever project they’re working on. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!
Would a 10xer be open to working full time at my company?
Our 10xers are freelancers by choice. However, if there is a good fit and you and our 10xer agree, we won’t stand in the way of such an arrangement. In such instances, 10x receives a recruiter fee. While W-2 placements are not what we do, it does happen several times per year and we have no issues when it does.
Working With 10x
How quickly can you find someone that would be right for my project? How long will it take for them to get started?
We work at whatever pace you need, and are comfortable with. We have pitched candidates within 24 hours of receiving an inquiry, and closed contracts within 48 hours. But if your question is, can you move quickly to help me solve my problem, the answer is an emphatic yes! Under normal circumstances you will know within 24-48hrs if we have a resource that could work.
If we don’t have someone on our roster who is right, we can always access our extensive waiting list to see if we have the right resource. This process takes a bit longer as we still do a ramped up vetting of the potential candidate. To be clear, the waiting list does not contain people who were rejected or deferred. They are just candidates we have not yet had an opportunity to evaluate.
Do I get to choose from a list of candidates?
Based upon the needs of the project, our matching specialists will select the best fit for the engagement from our roster. If the person/team we suggest isn’t right, we will then go back and search for someone else. However, 95% of the time, the first suggestion we make is the one that the customer hires. So, we feel pretty good about that!
How do you decide who is the best fit?
Our 10x matching specialists are experts at determining which of our clients will be best for a project based on all the parameters about that project we have obtained from you. We examine the needs of the project and align those needs with the skills of our 10xers. When possible, we also factor in the interests of our 10x client, so we can find someone who is not only qualified to work on your project but also interested in your field of business.
What if I’m not happy with the person I’ve chosen?
In the rare instance that this happens, we will work with you to find a replacement with minimal disruption.
What information do you need from my company?
Once you reach out to us, our matching specialists will ask you a series of questions to learn as much as they can about the project, the timeline, etc. in order to find the perfect match for you.
Once I’ve hired a 10xer, what is the ongoing role of 10x? What happens if things go wrong?
10x is always here to ensure your satisfaction. We provide extra support with a dedicated 10x rep available to you to answer any questions, and help resolve any issues or concerns you may have throughout your entire project. We will proactively be checking in with you and your 10xer on a regular basis to make sure we are meeting or exceeding expectations.
I am concerned about Intellectual Property (IP). What do I own at the end of the project if I am contracting a 10xer to build something for me?
Everything you pay for, you own. Sometimes, extra terms are put into contracts that define IP transfer in greater detail at the request of our customers but simply put, if you pay for the work, the work is yours. All of our engagements are work for hire and all of this is clearly stated in our simple engagement agreements.
Can you put together a team?
Yes. We represent a few existing teams, and can also assemble bespoke teams as needed.
Do you represent fractional CTOs?
Yes. We have a variety of people who focus on leading companies who can’t afford, or don’t have the need for full time CTOs.
Are your clients willing to travel for meetings or to work with our team at times?
Yes.
I have a project that needs to be reviewed by a professional, do you do code reviews?
Yes.
Pricing
What are your rates?
Pricing is really done on a scope by scope basis. One scope may require a 10xer to wear many hats, another just one hat. All of these elements have an impact on pricing. All that said, typically our prices start around $200/hr and go up based on a wide variety of factors (scope of work, length of engagement, onsite vs remote, etc). There are some exceptions where hourly rates may be lower as well (see the “Do you ever provide discounts?” below).
Why should I hire a 10xer when I can find an offshore, or cheaper option?
An educated consumer is our best customer. The differences between our clients and an offshore solution are so vast and the benefits so plentiful it’s not really feasible to answer that question in this format. We are actually writing an article on this very topic now and we’ll link to it once it’s posted. To provide an analogy, consider the difference between the New York Yankees (10x) and a college baseball team (offshore). Which is better?
Do 10xers work for equity?
Rarely, and frankly we advise our clients against it, however, under certain circumstances this may be feasible – see the answer directly above.
Do you ever provide discounts?
Our clients will sometimes discount their pricing for the following reasons:
– They love the problem that needs solving, and find it a good challenge. They value challenges enormously.
– A large volume of work (long or large contracts – think bulk discount).
– Supporting a cause they value.
– They want to increase their expertise in a language that is not their top skill (we would of course disclose this before you even looked at their 10x profile).
– For consideration of other forms of compensation (deferred comp or equity) for a company/idea they believe in and with founders they/we trust.
10xers On Site vs Remote
Will you provide people on-site?
If this is a requirement for you, we will do everything in our power to provide a 10xer on-site. However, our #1 goal is to provide amazing value for a company in need. One of the best ways we achieve that is by giving you access to talent beyond your local environment. We want you to have the BEST person for the job rather than the best person that is in close proximity to your office. There is a big difference.
If you do require onsite, we can often fill the role but it may take longer. and it may require us dipping into the waiting list (for more detail on this, see the 1st question in the Working With 10x section above). That said, approximately 20% of all our engagements have some form of on-site requirement.
What’s the benefit to me for working with a 10xer that is not on-site?
Being open to remote work allows us to look at our entire roster and find the perfect fit for your project regardless of location. The reason we can be so selective with our vetting process is because location-based talent isn’t a top priority for most of our customers. Many of the innovative companies we work with continuously reaffirm the point that having the right, highly-skilled talent working on their project is far more important than having somebody who might be less qualified but available to work in-house. In short, the benefit to you is that you get a higher caliber of talent working to solve your problems. And that is our #1 goal…to provide you with the best.
My company has proprietary information that needs to stay in-house, if we work with 10x talent from a remote location, how will we know our information will be secure?
Rest assured all of our talent will sign NDA’s when engaged. 10xers are very aware of our customer’s need for confidentiality and treat data or proprietary information with the utmost security and care. We have worked within many high risk and regulated industries (such as banking, healthcare, government and the military) and all have been willing to have our clients work remotely…and the projects went off without a hitch, and to great success.
I’m on a deadline and having someone in-house will expedite communication. I need to ensure the project meets crucial timelines, how will it work if my tech talent works off-site?
Our freelance talent understands the importance of communication, especially with time-sensitive projects. There are many ways to communicate with 10xers including instant messaging, video chat, phone, email, etc. We encourage our customers and talent to use communication tools that work best for their needs. Most likely, you and your 10xer will pre-arrange a process that meets your level of communication needs. Additionally, tech talent are often most productive during non-work hours when they can be left alone, with few distractions to focus on development. Being on site often achieves the opposite of what a company hopes for…having the ability to interrupt a developer, pull them into meetings and force productivity during work hours can slow things down significantly.
It’s too difficult to manage someone who’s not local or within our time zone of doing business. How can you ensure a 10xer will be available during our business hours?
Prior to the start of any engagement with your 10xer, we take time to thoroughly understand your project needs. If this is an important requirement for your project, we’ll be sure to match you with a 10xer that can be available when you need them. All of our tech clients know the importance of working during the timeframe and in the manner that a customer requests of them.