When building your startup, finding a technical co-founder is the best approach if you consider software a key differentiator for your company. This maximizes their commitment to the project and Skin in the game. However, if this is not possible, hiring developers is an option. The right fit for your startup depends on its stage and your goals.
If you aim to build a prototype for validation quickly, you may consider using low-code solutions or hiring low-cost offshore developers. You might be able to source them yourself, but it is important to note that taking this route comes with risks. The codebase may have low internal quality and may need to be rewritten. To mitigate this risk, providing a very detailed specification can help reduce ambiguity.
If you have a tight deadline, hiring an agency with an established team that has experience building similar products can be a good fit. However, it is crucial to be cautious as there are many low-quality agencies in the market. Additionally, this option minimizes your ownership mindset, as you aren’t even signing the paychecks of developers working on your code.
If your startup has successfully validated its concept and is looking to build for the long term, hiring onshore or nearshore developers, especially full-time employees, can be advantageous despite the higher cost. Experience and ownership mindset are essential factors to consider in this case. If you are non-technical, you should seek the help of a technical person you trust or consider hiring a fractional CTO. This person can assist in recruiting and hiring decisions, supervise development, and review code for quality.
Services like Toptal.com may not yield the best experience. Negative feedback for developers with mediocre performance can go unreported, and significant fees are associated with hiring developers as employees later after contracting them. Taking the time to do the hiring yourself, with the assistance of a technical partner, can be beneficial in the long run. Platforms like Wellfound.com (formerly known as AngelList Talent) may provide a good stream of applicants despite their clunky user interface.