How to Find a Programmer for a Startup

How to Find a Programmer for a Startup

Author: Dmytro Naumenko

17 Jun 2021

One of the most important aspects of launching a startup is hiring a programmer. After all, the key components, without which the project's success is impossible, will depend on him. So, how to begin the search? Here are five stages of building this process, which we want to share with you.

Stage 1. Choose the Type of Cooperation.

Hiring an outsourcing programming specialist is one of the most popular ways to solve missing in-house developers. In this case, you pay only for the result of the work. On the other hand, the programmer may not understand what exactly you want to do. Therefore, you will need time to explain all the details of your ideas.

The staff member will do the work considerably faster than the protégé. However, its financial demands will be more costly. Plus you will have to pay a lot of additional expenses. In addition to taxes, you will also become forced to cover the employee's insurance.

Stage 2. Set Your Priorities.

Firstly, make a requirements list. Secondly, clear it of unnecessary items or move them down. For example, solution architect responsibilities are pretty extensive. But we recommend that you highlight a few basic ones. It will save you time and effort in the future. Thirdly, if your list is too long, consider the option of hiring a development team.

Stage 3. Use Special Services to Find Workers.

Now it's time to find the right person for the open position. The classic option is recommendations from your acquaintances. However, it is not always possible to use it. Especially since it is easier to find specialists for specific tasks on the Internet. There are many websites where you can get in touch with programmers. Including but not limited to:

  • Upwork;
  • GitHub;
  • Hired;
  • Freelancer;
  • Clutch;
  • LinkedIn.

Also, don't forget to take advantage of Facebook. There are many relevant groups where you can find qualified experts in many fields. By the way, Mark Zuckerberg also once started a startup and asked himself a simple question, which eventually led him to the status of a billionaire. It sounds like "how to build a social network website from scratch?"

Stage 4. Ten to Five.

Analyze the range of developers available to you. Choose the ten ones whose experience is the most relevant to your tasks. To do this, go through each candidate's portfolio. Then schedule an interview with them. Before the meeting, create a list of questions that you will ask. Make sure you ask qualifying ones to filter out those programmers who will not help you.

For example, let's talk about the need for integration with other systems. Not every programmer knows how to implement this kind of task. Preferably, after the first phase of filtering, you should have five candidates left. If this number is slightly different - it is not a problem. Your main goal here should be to form a "core" of the most suitable specialists.

Stage 5. Define the Winner.

So, in the end, you need to choose from the remaining candidates the one that you think is the ideal developer for your startup. Or at least the person who best combines the qualities that you expect to see in this specialist. A few key tips:

  • do not hire the cheapest developer because you have to make a lot of edits to its code. And this can only be done by a more experienced and expensive programmer. But keep in mind that the price can also be affected by the location of the person. To better understand the skill level, we suggest that you first take a specialist on a probationary period. Prepare a budget and the tasks that they need to perform during this time. In the end, you will be able to evaluate your programmer objectively;
  • make sure that the specialist is capable of performing your tasks. Sometimes a person can claim to be able to do anything, as long as you hire them. You need to analyze this point in detail at personal interviews and team meetings. You can also use trackers, which allow you to see how the specialist is working. They make it easier to monitor the candidate's performance during the probationary period;
  • it is desirable that you can quickly contact the developer and get a response in the shortest time. There are cases when startups develop several times slower than they could have because of slow replies. Use the Agile methodology to control feedback and make it more productive.

However, you don't have to go through this long process if you use the services of Spintech Software. Thanks to this step, you will save time and energy, which you can use to improve your startup. Contact us, and our specialists will answer all your questions.

These are the actions we recommend if you want to find a quality developer for the project. Thanks for your attention, and good luck with your search!