Even if you don’t have experience in software development or IT services, there may come a time when you need to outsource development to an external team. It can be overwhelming at first, especially if you don’t know where to begin. Maybe you’ve recently secured funding for a new idea and need to deliver on promises made to investors.
If you don’t have a technical co-founder or internal dev team, you’ll likely find yourself managing the outsourcing process. To help guide you, here are five essential tips to keep your project on track and avoid common pitfalls.
1. You don’t need to be a tech expert, but you should be the expert on your business problem.
You don’t need to become an overnight coding whiz to successfully outsource software development. However, you do need to be an expert on the business problem you’re trying to solve. Whether you’re automating a process or launching a new app, understanding the problem inside out is crucial. You should be able to explain what the issue is, how it’s being handled today, and why a software solution would be better.
The dev team will handle the technical details, but it’s up to you to articulate the problem clearly. If you can’t define the problem in simple terms, there’s a good chance the solution they build won’t meet your expectations. Projects without clear, well-understood problems are far more likely to fail. So before you dive into specs and features, make sure you’re the business problem expert.
2. Communicate the context and expected solution thoroughly.
It’s not enough to tell your development team what features you want; you need to explain the context of the problem and what you expect the solution to achieve. Think of it this way: telling someone to “grab a ladder from the storage room” is one thing, but saying “we need the ladder to reach the top shelf in the warehouse” provides the full picture. If the ladder isn’t available, the person can think of another tool to solve the same problem.
Your developers aren’t mind-readers. Even if you have experience in the industry, if you don’t explain the broader context of what you’re trying to accomplish, they may miss important details. For instance, if you’re building a platform for senior citizens and suggest a standard email/password login, your devs may not realize how unfamiliar that system could be for your target audience. Sharing insights into your users and the challenges they face will lead to better, more thoughtful solutions from your development team.
3. Prioritize features. Not everything needs to be built at once.
When you hand over a list of features to a dev team, one of the first things you should do is prioritize. It’s common to want everything all at once, but unless you have unlimited time and resources, some features are going to have to wait. Often, clients will say every feature is critical, but this can lead to bloated, inefficient projects that miss deadlines and overspend.
A helpful exercise is to categorize features by urgency and importance. What’s truly essential for solving the core problem right now, and what can be added later? One method is to imagine each feature costs a significant amount and takes a long time to develop—then ask yourself, “Would I still prioritize it?” By clearly defining what matters most, you’ll keep your project focused and increase the chances of delivering a product on time and within budget.
4. A fair price gets you a fair result.
There’s a reason the saying “you get what you pay for” exists, and it’s especially true in software development. While it’s tempting to go with the lowest bid, cheap development usually leads to cheap results. I’m not suggesting you need to pay top dollar for everything, but be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true.
In some cases, a junior developer might surprise you with quality work for a low price, but these cases are rare. More often, low-budget projects end up with poor quality deliverables or hidden costs that add up as the project goes on. Even worse, you could be left with something so incomplete that you need to start over with another team. It’s better to find a team that offers a reasonable price and ensures good communication, transparency, and a commitment to delivering value rather than just cutting costs. Think long-term—it’s better to pay for quality once than to deal with cheap mistakes later.
5. Show up to meetings prepared.
Once the project starts, regular meetings with the dev team are essential. These meetings are your chance to review progress, give feedback, and adjust the project’s direction if needed. However, if you show up unprepared, the meeting will likely be unproductive, and key issues might get overlooked.
Before each meeting, take time to review the progress that’s been made and prepare any questions or concerns you have. These are opportunities to keep the project on track and ensure the development aligns with your goals. You don’t want to leave everything in the hands of the developers without oversight. This doesn’t mean micromanaging, but it does mean actively participating in discussions, keeping the priorities clear, and ensuring the project is moving in the right direction.
It’s also important to avoid frequent changes to the scope or requirements. If you constantly shift priorities or add new features without considering the impact on the timeline and budget, it can lead to delays and decreased product quality. Balance flexibility with consistency to get the best results.
By following these five tips, you’ll set your project up for success, even if it’s your first time outsourcing. Focus on being the expert in your business problem, communicate clearly, prioritize effectively, pay for quality, and stay engaged throughout the project. It’s not easy, but these principles will give you the best chance at delivering a successful product.
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