Help Moving Forward Hiring App/Saas Developers?

[Kyujin]

TLDR: I could use some advice about how to proceed with hiring out developers to build Software for my SAAS business.



Hello there! I have been working on building out some software to help solve a key problem for real estate agents, and have reached a bit of a roadblock.

I have 0 experience with coding and have savings to hire out the development, and very significant Domain Experience in the field for what we are building. So far, I have a UI/UX mockup in Figma, and a detailed “spiderweb” of all the core features of what the MVP would entail. We only have some of the app coded in ReactNative so far. I hired a friend to work on the MVP but he now has a full time job that leaves him with no time to build out & finish what we were wanting for our app.

My main problem is that I don’t know how to move forward in getting a true Minimum Viable Product birthed into the world.

I don’t know how to code so my issue is I just don’t know if it’s worthwhile to spend easily over a year, maybe multiple years learning to code to get this off the ground. I understand it will be invaluable in the long term to learn coding so that if this idea doesn’t take off, I can move on to the next idea with a lot more knowledge to make it even better. But I'm pretty impatient! I have a burning desire to get something out there, start getting “market echoes” and to act, assess & adjust. I want to solve this problem but not knowing how to code makes it hard to put the software side of this together.

I have read that a potential to getting an MVP out sooner would be to build a lighter version of the app in something along the lines of Bubble.io and then with validation (and money coming in) I can charge forward with having a robust, complete app developed.

The alternative to building myself would be hiring it out. I am leaning much more toward this. I have funds I can use to hire a developer/team to get this off the ground, but am worried that without coding and development knowledge, hiring will be a difficult endeavor. I am up for the challenge but don’t want to just waste money & time hiring the wrong person or get scammed by someone taking advantage of my inexperience. Reading posts here people have said to spend a significant amount of time interviewing & communicating exactly what the software will do.


I am, truthfully, not worried about building without hard validation because I have been in the industry for years and have proof that what we are pursuing is needed, and by researching our competitors there are ways we can value skew to be an extremely valuable asset to our customers. I have also talked to a significant number of potential clients and know what we are building is wanted.


Any advice from those more knowledgeable about web/app/saas development (or anyone who has gone through hiring developers) would be greatly appreciated!

 

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[Jobless]

I hired an acquaintance as a software developer last year and it exceeded my expectations.

He reached out to me as I had not announced the need for any developer, but I did have tasks/projects that suited his area of expertise. Different loose ends, some of which he could solve. Since you are doing it the other way around (matching people to a single project) it will be harder, and you have to be discerning. I had the advantage of knowing this person through my network, and whilst we were not friends, I knew that he had a good integrity, seen his previous work, his education etc., and as he reached out to me, he showed good initiative and willingness to help me.

The interview in this case consisted of some abstract technical questions and negotiating the terms of the contract. You need to do more research on candidates.

If you don't know enough to be able to judge a candidate's code, I'd recommend you get in touch with someone that can, to help you. If you are building a simple app interface, you don't need to spend heavily or go for experienced developers. Integrity and enthusiasm is more important. If however there are any advanced components, such as a custom database, 'smart algorithms' of any kind, or major framework decisions by the developer that will affect future development-- find someone with skills that seem 'overkill' for the project.

A great developer will amaze you with their ability to solve problems, however the best technical developers often lack communication skills. You have to be clear in describing the objectives, which means providing technical specifications. You can suggest methods but leave them open-ended, however the desired result must be communicated well. As you are not a developer yourself, you should look for a developer able to explain their work to you, who comments and documents the code, etc.

If you can choose between a mediocre team or one excellent developer, the latter is worth a lot more. It will also be easier to manage. This does not mean you can relax though. A good developer will offer you guidance and suggestions (engagement), they will also expect you to provide feedback during the process to make sure they are meeting your requirements.

 

[350z]

am worried that without coding and development knowledge, hiring will be a difficult endeavor.

This is true.

don’t want to just waste money & time hiring the wrong person or get scammed by someone taking advantage of my inexperience.

Yes, very likely.

Reading posts here people have said to spend a significant amount of time interviewing & communicating exactly what the software will do.

The reasons above cause this pain point.

I think you answered your own question here, you know what do.