Outsource! Really difficult to do it, eh ?

Outsource! Really difficult to do it, eh ?
​While skimming through a project's code, I found out via the commit messages that it was built by 8 different agencies. We were the 9th! I was not wondering on why it came so late to us, but on - How exhausted the project owners must be ? They outsourced the project, expecting it to be built in “x” months and of a shippable quality. However, what they got was “x + y” months of bill payments to various agencies and still no shot at a quality product! Outsourcing is crucial to a project’ success. If not done correctly, it can incur heavy losses.

Firstly, don’t leave it till the end. Like submitting a session proposal in the very end - not a good idea especially when you wish to leave a global footprint with your work.

• Identify what you need ? - Going to look for someone who can help you without knowing what your problem is - A big NO!

• Identify when you need it - We often come up with unrealistic plans and associate them with timelines that we feel would work. There can be different scenarios here : our timeline is unachievable with the crisp quality needed or our timeline is based on funding and there isn’t anything we can do to push the dates.

• Start the scavenger hunt - Look for consultants and not puppets! You should always look for like minded people teams - who aren’t just trying to make money but care about your requirements as it’s also going to impact their reputation. Look within the Open Source community - if you find Consultants who are kickass in contributions - you are headed in the Right direction.

• Make smart choices, based on your needs - How to choose someone based on one meeting ?? This is not a practical choice in any phase of life. So, pitch in the idea of working together for a week and do brainstorming sessions together. If you are compatible to produce awesome ideas - go ahead without a doub. If not, you just figured out what you are not looking for.

• Be prepared to listen - If you have made the right choice, you should also carefully absorb what the technical consultants have to share. You may just find out - “Oh! I never thought this was a possibility” or “Why was i stressing on this feature ? This isn’t a value addition.”

• Also, Sometimes Don’t take NO for an answer - There may be something very critical to your investors, but the development team suggests it can be omitted as it’s not as per market standards. If you are sure about the gravity of the feature - Insist on getting it thought about from implementation perspective.

• Don’t just talk about the process, but also about the culture - It is very important to learn and be comfortable with the processes followed in your Consultant’s firm. But it won’t hurt a bit to know about their culture. It might give you an insight of the kind of team you are going to work with. A lot of us must have had our share of working with highly talented, but frustrated teams. Would we like to repeat that ? Probably not!

• Observe! In the brief period of your engagement, observe professionalism, approach to problems, precision in understanding your requirements, capability to listen, absorb and then suggest.

You will end up working with a really good team, and together create an awesome product! We will talk more about how to be good at outsourcing with some examples.