sole concern with outsourcing

[bmarone]

Outsourcing is pretty much the way I'm going to go to get my product designed and ready for distribution, it's quick and, if all goes well, I'll have it out to the public sooner than later. However, one thought remains: outsourcing seems take out the "experimental" quality of start up. It gives you less of an opportunity to experiment with potential customers (i.e. the lean start up approach as per Ries) and creates more of a hit-or-miss scenario - you hire someone to develop it for you and hope for the best once it's out in public. Unless you have the funds available to keep a developer long enough to continue to refine the product according to customer's needs (which doesn't seem so "lean" in the start up stage), this seems to be the predominant situation when outsourcing. Thoughts?

Brandon

 

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[healthstatus]

What prevents you from going back to the same developer with version 1.1 specs, then 1.2? That is the great part of outsourcing you don't pay them when you don't need them.

 

[verial]

Commandment of Control.

You need to find an outsourcer you can control.

 

[damien275x]

Which is why you talk to as many people as you can and get the specifications as detailed, accurate, and relevant as you possibly can. Also factor in possible changes, and what the future holds. Starting on a solid foundation is critical, if you don't do that, you're going to have big problems in the future, whether you have $50 to spend or $50,000. Be thorough, do all the ground work now.

What you are proposing to do is what we're all guilty of - do all the fun, exciting stuff first. That should be last. It's the same thing as messing around with the font, border, and theme of a word document with a blank essay that hasn't been written yet. Do the groundwork first. If you're going to outsource it make sure you put it into clear English, do not use slang, and be as literal as possible. I like to paraphrase every request x3 so that the overseas developer correctly understands what I am asking. Assume nothing, and no, a developer does not find it patronizing to receive clear instructions. They will thank you for it.

 

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