Outsourcing. Augmentation. We hear these words too often and see them executed poorly the majority of the time. As an agency owner and now a software engineering leader, I have seen firsthand the pitfalls associated with traditional outsourcing models. The fear of "outsourcing the company brain" and losing touch with what we build is real and justified. And it’s a worry that kept me awake at night as we had to increase our development capabilities.
How can we manage our costs and accelerate our progress without losing the knowledge that makes us unique as a company: our code? In collaborating with a fantastic nearshore partner, we created "ethical augmentation", and it's transformed how we think about outsourcing and staff augmentation.
At its heart, ethical augmentation means maintaining control over our code and core competences while using an external partner to increase our productivity. We knew that our company's brain, our in-depth knowledge of our products' logic and algorithms, must remain within the organization, so we strategically paired our nearshore developers up with senior engineers and architects intimately aware of our systems.
This partnership is all about creating a symbiotic relationship. Our in-house team is responsible for the core architecture and logic of all our projects, ensuring that we stay connected to every aspect of our development. Our outsourced team members, on the other hand, bring new perspectives and more bandwidth, while using the same methodologies and practices we subscribe to internally. Because they are part of us, they work the same way we do. This allows us to tackle more technical debt and release more features better than ever!
The results have been phenomenal! We are not only maintaining our systems but also expanding them. Our in-house teams and our outsourced team have a constant exchange of knowledge. The internal engineers are empowered and feel included, eliminating the fear of outsourcing completely and focusing on developing stronger leadership and communications skills. And each of our outsourced team members are gaining deep insights into our development processes and have the opportunity to code value for thousands of customers too!
Let's be clear, this isn’t a magic wand fix. To implement ethical augmentation, you need to be committed, have clear communication and invest in your relationships. We had to refine our onboarding processes, create clearer code review practices, and cultivate a culture of collaboration across borders. It's definitely been challenging at times, but the payoff has been worth every ounce of effort.
What we've created is so much more than just a cost-saving measure. This is a great example of how mid-sized and small engineering teams can scale up without losing their soul. We’re tackling more projects and reducing more technical debt than ever before. We're strengthening our core competencies and our teams, rather than reducing them.
Are you a leader faced with scaling your entire engineering department or team? I encourage you to rethink what the right kind of staff augmentation could mean for your company. The goal of ethical augmentation is not to offload work, but rather to strategically expand your team's abilities while maintaining your company's crucial knowledge and culture. The brain of your company is too valuable to take a risk. Let's talk about your questions and thoughts! I have learned many valuable lessons from this transition, and I look forward to sharing them with you.
Message me on X or find a time to chat!
Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
Top comments (1)
Hi, Helvin !
Are you looking for a clean, impactful logo with your brand's identity? I specialize in logo design that focuses on simplicity and elegance.
Can we connect for a quick chat?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Mahafujar Rahman
WhatsApp number: +8801602051841
You can view my work here: fiverr.com/s/DBVz9EQ