How do business pros connect to website development pros?
Greetings,
Where do the non-hackers, the non-coders or the non-programmers of the world go to recruit computer wizards in order to build their online vision. I’m not talking about websites built from templates. I’m talking about a site that will have millions of viewers and about 1/2 million paying customers uploading videos, content, audio and more within 5 years.
Are there firms? Are there specialized recruitment companies? Are their websites?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
-Ryan
Expert Answers
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Sep 20, 2012
It is not easy to find the right resources for this type of thing. Generally companies like Facebook and Google were started by the head geek of the business. They are technology lead with a strong focus on building something unique that will create a buzz. They then get super passionate about giving the users exactly what they want.
Building a team requires finding someone that is tech savvy and highly passionate about the project. Someone that will work through the night because they love what they are doing and would rather do that than go to sleep.
I have worked on a few projects and can say without doubt that a small switched on team will always out perform a large expensive department of coders.
I hope this helps.
Sep 19, 2012
I depends on your technical prowess. One great outsource solution is to go through ODesk.com. This is a site dedicated to contracting out for the help you need worldwide. If you have a big project, you want to make sure that you have a Business Analyst that you work through (equivalent of an outsourced CTO). I have done a dozen different projects through this site with great success.
Your other option is to find a "Project Manager" in the USA and have them coordinate it for a fixed price.
Jody Holland
Sep 18, 2012
There are quite a few websites - getacoder.com, elance.com, guru.com to name a few - you get the option to post your requirements, get people to compete and pay when you are sure that projects are delivered. It helps to be clear in your specifications so that the programmers can understand the requirements without any communication gap
Sep 18, 2012
I would suggest finding a good recruiter or good refferals. I start by looking to people who have already exited as technical leads. From there, interview, interview, interview and verify everything. As a non-tekkie, you will rely heavily on these people and you want to know what you are dealing with.
Where are you and maybe I can help more?
Sep 18, 2012
Hi Ryan - great question... because reliable and ready developers are hard to find! The best way is to get a referral from a happy customer with a similar scenario as yours. Simply ask the owners of your favorite sites who they use. Remember that you usually get to choose only 2 of thes 3 criteria... do you want it fast, good, or cheap!?
Sep 18, 2012
I want to thank everyone for their advice.
As Daniel mentioned, I do need to find my lead technical guru. Someone who can accurately tell me how much it will all cost and who he needs to hire.
I will research firms and seek a rough estimate. I will also go to local colleges and talk with computer science professors.
I spoke with a few firms in the New England Region yesterday and today. I think this industry has more acronyms than the Army.
Thanks again everyone. I have homework to do.
-Ryan
Sep 18, 2012
Check out Scriptlance.com. Post the coding project you need completed and hundreds of coders bid against each other to get your work. This is a global community so bids come in very low. I've had millions of dollars worth of coding completed for tens of thousands of dollars. Coders submit a quote to complete the work with a timeframe that work will be completed - ex. $3000, completed in 3 weeks. You review each offer, check out their past work to see if they are capable of completing your job, and read reviews on that coder's past performance. You place your money in the Scriptlance escrow, and only pay when the coder delivers your product. Scriptlance charges a pittiful amount of money for their service ($5) so don't expect them to get right back to you if there is a problem - but they do get back to you so be patient. Good luck. S
Sep 18, 2012
Hi Ryan,
My name is Rasmus from Moyo (www.moyo.la). We focus on custom development and I can try to help you in the right direction. Usually references is the best way to go in my opinion though. As Daniel said, a CTO is what you need and it's very important that the CTO is also business savvy since he will play a key role in the venture.
Sep 18, 2012
Interesting there are lots of inputs, but yeah you need the right team. Talk to some good offshore companies or known friends. If nothing works pick up oDesk and hire someone for a small pilot and extend the relationship. Well, I am no exception, but I'd rather make this an answer than a pitch for a sale. We've found great manufacturing companies on oDesk and have created complex software for them. So it does work!
Sep 18, 2012
I think you may be missing an important point. If you want a site with millions of viewers and have them uploading video, well that been done already which means you are chasing well established websites for crumbs.
You need the idea, the unique product that will attract the viewership you want. You can't just go to someone and say build me a website and get me a million viewers.
If your product or service isn't a new niche, you may never get there. Simply cloning what has already been done won't get you your million.
Web guys can build you the required site, they just can't promise you a million viewers or if they do, they are bullshitting you.
It's the unique idea that will get you your million viewers.
Sep 18, 2012
Network for recommendations. Maybe Boston is unique but we have networking groups for everything, including – networking. Talk to people in your situation and ask for recommendations. You need more than a coding genius, you need a person or a person at a company who understands what you are trying to accomplish and what you r marketing needs are. The front-end of the website is what people see and what will attract them. The back-end is critical to the functionality of the site but if you do not have the best of both you are wasting your money.
Ken
Sep 18, 2012
Hi,
Take a look at www.serviceslab.co.uk, very experienced guys that strip your idea down to the basics, build it in weeks then deploy changes weekly. It allows you to see if the principles of your idea work, change elements quickly once it is live plus they bill you weekly....no long term tie in.
Sep 18, 2012
That depends on what you what to build... local user groups is a good start... PHP and/or Python developers is probably what you would be looking for.
bnh
Sep 18, 2012
You might also try founderdating.com and cofounderslab.com. Also, just hitting the pavement and attending events. I am on the business side and it can take a lot of work to find the right developers. I even attended a few coding workshops (way over my head), but met some great developers. If you're still having trouble convincing a developer about how great your idea is, you might (if you haven't already), hire someone just to build some wireframes or a simple prototype to get your concept across better. I started with a small team in Belarus to get things moving. You have to sell your idea to get people excited to jump on board. Best of luck!
Sep 18, 2012
Hey Ryan,
Try to hunt them down on Linkedin. It has some powerful people putting up their profiles and who are open to fresh business opportunities.
I know this guy called Rafi. He was awarded by Microsoft as the best designer. He is from Banglore, India and he does a mighty great job with requirements like these. I think his company is called Zool. Try www.zool.in, you'll definitely reach him.
Sep 17, 2012
@Daniel has a lot of experience in this field. If you can find CTO it would help you big time. oDesk and other online sites are full of scam and it is hard to find good it company there. Here I'm relying on my clients effort to find a team there. Anyway, we have found each other with oDesk :)
Sep 17, 2012
This is an excellent question. Your first move is to find a CTO. This person should have a network of technical contacts to put a team together. As you indicated, this is not the kind of thing you can advertise on Craigslist for. You can also outsource early development. My firm has built several start-up web applications, one of which service the company very well as it was acquired just 1 year later. www.amuletc.com
Daniel
Sep 17, 2012
There are several places to find cheapest firms or freelancers: Elance.com, oDesk.com and Guru.com also Craigslist. You can look through their profiles and ratings.
Thank you Rajagopal. I'll check it out now. -Ryan