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Sometimes the hardest part of making your app idea a reality is hiring the right development team. This if not done well often means a difference between a steady source of revenue for years to come or complete disillusionment from the mobile app world. Separating one mobile app development company from another based on portfolio samples, experience, cost, technical skills, tools used, and communication structures is quite a task. We've made a guide to help you through the decision of hiring a development team so outsourcing your project isn't scary anymore.
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Confused about how tohire a development team?
Scared of outsourcing
Learn from the experts
To select a competent team that is most appropriate for your project, pay attention to the following:
Actual Team
Process They Follow
Are they Transparent?
Your Requirements
Actual TeamExperience
Work Portfolio
Relevance With Your Idea
Technical Skills
Thinking/Understanding Skills
Attention To Detail
Flexible
Communication Skills
Pragmatic
ExperienceAn experienced development team has a better idea of handling chaotic situations and working with more efficiency due to better development processes.
Work PortfolioWork portfolio gives you a better idea of a team’s skills and expertise. You can assess whether it’s just another sales pitch or the team has something concrete to show by going through their work portfolio.
Relevance With Your IdeaWork portfolio also helps determine any relevant connection between their past projects and your current idea. Ask the team if they have done something specific in the genre to which your idea belongs.
ActionAdventureArcadeBoardCardCasino
DiceEducationalFamilyKidsMusicPuzzle
RacingRole PlayingSimulationSportsStrategyTriviaWord
Technical SkillsA diversified technical skill set ensures the team would be virtually platform agnostic and will suggest you the right platform based on your idea requirement.
Thinking/Understanding SkillsWorking on the same project for a good number of months needs you and your development team on the same wavelength. Analyze their thinking and understanding skills.
Attention To DetailA project is successful when the owner and the developers pay attention to every small detail. Ensure that quality in your team.
FlexibleNo matter how well you spec your project, some things are going to change and you must ensure that your team knows that. But on the other hand you should be open to a revised quote if some major functionality is added at the later stage.
Communication SkillsExcellent communication skills are required for both inhouse and remote development teams. Communication plays a vital role within the team and outside too.
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PragmaticA pragmatic estimate of the time it will take to complete the project ensures that the team won’t over promise and underdeliver. This is one quality you should look for.
Process They Follow
Channels Of Communication Project Managers
Tools Spec Docs
A process-oriented team has greater probability of delivering on the initial promises ensuring good quality work in set timelines. Any oversight in this regard directly impacts the quality of the product, the bandwidth you spend, the iterations required and the timeline.
Channels Of CommunicationFor team oriented projects, project management tools (chosen according to the requirements of the project) are far better to ensure that the whole team is on the same page. To build on this, weekly meetings with the client and daily updates on progress helps you stay in the loop and intervene accordingly.
Lighthouse
ToolsWhile collaborating with a development team for a period ranging anywhere from a few months to years, the choice of right tools by your team can save many hours. The tools used should not have a huge learning curve but team members must be proficient in their niche areas. Your team should be using right tools for:
Project Management
Bug Tracking
Codebase Management
Transferring Development Builds,Among Others
Project ManagersWork with a team rather than individuals unless you already have a team at your end. A point-of-contact model helps you transfer your vision to the team and makes communication much more effective.
Spec DocsIncluding every little detail of your project in spec docs might seem cumbersome and totally unnecessary at the initial stages but helps you do feasibility analysis, discover competition and make life easier for the development team which goes into iterating constantly at a later stage.
Are They Transparent?With many teams looking to make a quick buck, the genuine ones often have to deal with mistrust from clients looking for prospective teams. But there is an easy way out to differentiate between the two types of teams.
Cost Estimates
Master Service Agreement (MSA)
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Payment Terms
Cost Overrun Risks
Post Go-Live Support
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)Ideally, your idea is your intellectual property (IP) and the sales reps of your prospective team should respect this and should be forthcoming when you ask for an NDA. All the discussions on your idea should follow after signing the NDA.
Cost EstimatesThe team can estimate the total time and money it will take to complete your project only after they have a clear idea of the features you have in mind. If the team is able to give you a random number before you have passed on the knowledge, it is a clear sign of a sales rep trying to make a quick sale. The only reliable number the team can give at the initial stage is their average hourly rates.
Master Service Agreement (MSA)The MSA should be signed and vetted by your lawyer. It should contain all the terms, statement of work, IP ownership, etc., which will govern your future relationship
Payment TermsThe payment terms also depend on whether you are going for an hourly billing-based model or a project-based model. For a project-based model, pre-decide the project milestones when you are expected to pay. Ideally, there should be at least 4 payment milestones and you shouldn’t be asked to fork out more than 25% of the total cost as upfront money. The final installment should go out only at project completion.
Cost Overrun RisksThere is a high possibility of cost overruns and all the cost overruns associated with the scope of work included in the MSA should be borne by the team whereas those arising due to change in scope should be borne by you.
Post Go-Live SupportYou have a finished product which has undergone rigorous regression testing and you are ready to make it live. Some bugs will creep up inspite of all the due diligence. So your team must commit to correcting the bugs for some time after the product goes live.
Your RequirementsStrangely, the decision about the team you are going to work with also depends upon broad requirements of the project and the onus of communicating this to the team lies entirely on you.
MVP or Polished Product
Clear Idea or Brainstorming
Cost & Budgeting
Full-Cycle Development
Meeting Schedules
Platforms
Post-Launch Support
Team Size
MVP or Polished ProductAnalyze what is your requirement for now – an MVP or a polished product. An MVP helps you test waters before getting into full-blown project implementation.
Full Cycle DevelopmentRequiring only the developers to augment the other areas of your expertise requires a different team structure, viz. a viz., full-cycle project development which involves feasibility analysis, project management, architecture design, graphics design, development, quality analysis and deployment.
Meeting SchedulesWeekly sprints, daily updates, group chats and bi-weekly discussions are some meeting schedules to keep you updated with project status and makes work coordination better. Communicate what suits you and your project best depending upon the time at your hands.
Clear Idea or BrainstormingAre you ready with a clear vision of your project or you think some brainstorming will help? Are you going to invest the time in market research and feasibility analysis at your end or wish that your team does that for you.
Cost & BudgetingHave clear knowledge of your project’s cost and how you want to keep it within budget. Knowing about the price break-ups and payment options in the beginning helps avoid any confusion when you are half way through.
Team SizeKeep your team size requirement clear from the start of the project. If you think fewer people can do the job in the set timeline, there’s nothing like it. Coordination and communication are better in smaller teams.
Post Launch SupportThis includes analytical monitoring and framing marketing strategies.
PlatformsHaving clarity on which platforms to target and their distribution strategy is important. It will help you decide about cross-platform development tools such as Unity, Corona or whether to go ahead with native development
We’re a full-cycle mobility solutions provider having experience in diverse engagement models and projects. We are a team that believes in stakeholder-based approach, are obsessive about processes, experienced in different platforms and diverse genres and transparent to the core.
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Different Collaboration Models
Industry Standard Tools For Each Process
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