“Software is eating the world,” said renowned venture capitalist Marc Andressen.
It’s terrifying, but there’s some truth to it.
The software industry is represented by 31 Fortune 500 firms, with combined earnings exceeding $400 billion.
It appears that software is taking over the globe. It’s also spawned a hotbed of entrepreneurship innovation, with entrepreneurs brimming with creative, software-driven business concepts.
If you want to start a tech company but don’t have the technical skills to make it happen, you’ll need to hire top software developers. Even if you already have a technical co-founder and you need a new software developer to take your MVP to the next level, you must know how to find one.
In any case, you’ll learn four methods for finding top software developers for your startup in this article. You’ll also hear what you should look for before recruiting one if you read all the way to the end.
Does this sound appealing to you? Let’s get this conversation going, shall we?
Use your connections to your advantage
When you look at successful startup partnerships in the past that included at least one technical and one non-technical cofounder, you’ll notice that the majority of them came from within their own networks.
Three of Facebook’s cofounders, Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, started the company in their college dorms. (Andrew McCollum and Eduardo Saverin, the other founders, were also Zuckerberg’s friends.)
The two legendary Microsoft founders, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, were high school pals before founding their company in 1975.
Similar stories about founding teams can be found at Google, PayPal, and other organizations. The point is that the majority of successful tech startups are the result of one or more founders’ networks.
Even though you aren’t looking for a technical cofounder right now, the same logic applies when hiring a software developer: start with your network.
The confidence you have in your network would make the whole work process go much more smoothly.
Start by searching for people who work as software developers on LinkedIn. A quick search will show you who works in that field in your network. Just remember to filter by first connections so that you can see people you know.
Start by searching for people who work as software developers on LinkedIn.
You will repeat the process on Facebook and Twitter by putting out a public call for software developers who want to work on a project. Although a tweet to your social media network may not appear to be an ideal recruiting strategy, it worked for Uber.
Contact anyone you think may be able to assist you, particularly if they are aware of your entrepreneurial interests.
Hiring from your network may appear to be dangerous or nepotistic, but this is just a potential disadvantage. “Whatever qualities you’re looking for as you build your team—entrepreneurial spirit, a solution-driven attitude, passion over polish—you’ll recognize those qualities in people you know well and have worked with before,” says Eric Breon, founder and CEO of vacation rental startup Vacasa.
Working with people you know and like is a surefire way to create a trusting and cooperative society.
Make use of a freelance platform.
Freelance software developers are plentiful in 2019. Even in 2013, Computerworld estimated that there were 18.2 million software developers in the world, and that number could rise to 26.4 million by the end of this year, according to their estimates.
It’s important to note that all of these programmers are independent contractors. According to a study conducted by Freelancers Union and Upwork, 35% of Americans worked as freelancers in 2018—and a similar percentage is likely to be found in workforces similar to the United States.
This is where freelance platforms can help. Upwork, which was developed after the merger of two of the earlier biggest platforms, Elance and oDesk, is the most prominent example. Upwork is a great place to find a freelance software developer, with over 3 million jobs posted each year.
A simple Google search for software developers yields more than 20,000 results!
Engage a Development Firm
Agencies, as opposed to freelancers, offer a more solid solution—one with the resources to take a more in-depth and long-term approach to your development needs. If you don’t know all that needs to be done to create your software, a software development agency can share its knowledge and experience with you.
When you pay an agency, you’re usually paying for more than just the software; you’re always paying for marketing, administrative, and other services as well.
Despite the greater cost, one advantage agencies have over freelancers is the ability to work with local businesses that you can meet in person. The fact that you will be able to meet with the people who will be working with you face to face will make the whole process much easier to handle.
Find a new team member.
Finally, you should go the conventional path and recruit a full-time software developer just like any other job.
The main advantage of this strategy is that you will be working with someone who is dedicated to your success. As the saying goes, they have “skin in the game.”
However, as anyone who has ever employed someone can testify, this comes at a significant cost. Software development has become one of the most in-demand skills, and as a result, recruiting for those skills is prohibitively costly.
According to US News & World Report, a software developer’s average annual wage in the United States is $101,790, versus a low-paying software developer earning $77,710.
Many people in the selection process place a higher value on a developer’s coding abilities. However, this is not the most effective method of finding developers. Instead, send him a real-life technological problem that has arisen in your company and ask him how he can handle and fix it in the shortest amount of time. This will give you a better understanding of his abilities and imagination, as well as how he will approach a project if he joins your firm.