By Sam Zeisler, 10x Management
The vast majority of startups begin with a small team, sometimes only one person, working day and night to build a competitive product. At a certain point, you may reach the level where you need to bring on an employee or two. As you and your team get into a groove and learn the ins and outs of the marketplace and the business, you may develop a certain sense of euphoria over how efficiently you are operating. You might even find yourself thinking, “This is easy! How am I the first person to figure out efficiency in the marketplace?”
This is a really wonderful place to be. But unfortunately, it is likely not sustainable. If you’re successful and your company is profitable, you will find that your operation is likely not scalable. Success means that other people or businesses will be interested in your services. More demand equals more time. But a small, dedicated team can only take on so many tasks before being rendered ineffective.
How do you scale your services? You need to invest in your business and its efficiencies. When demand surges, you need to be able to meet that demand. For the long-term health of your business, your workforce should be scalable too.
I’ve found that the fastest way to scale your business and workforce is through freelance tech talent. But with so many options out there to find freelance technologists, people often get lost and forget the importance of quality. When you look for a lawyer, it is likely that you do not trust random websites with recommendations. But with tech talent, it can be easy to say, “I’m going to hire my second or third choice because he’s six times cheaper than the coder I really want.”
Here’s why that’s a mistake: in today’s tech-competitive environment, the very well-being of your business could depend on your technology. Knowing this, are you really prepared to “take a chance” on your second or third choice? What about when your competitor hires its first choice and you begin to lose the tech war in your industry? This is unacceptable. Your technology needs are too important to entrust to anyone but the best.
Let’s not forget, hiring a mediocre programmer for $50/hour that takes 5 hours to complete a task is the same as hiring an incredible programmer for $250/hour that takes 1 hour to complete a task. Only now you’ve saved yourself four hours of waiting and frustration.
Tech freelancers are here to stay because they make scaling so easy for so many companies. If you want to scale, then finding and vetting the best tech freelancers in the world is an important part of success.
It’s the quality of the people that you bring onboard that will really make the difference for your company. Hiring an expert with the skills and pedigree to deliver fantastic work is invaluable to your goals.
If you like this article, you might enjoy reading How the Fast Pace of Technology Can Be an Advantage For You