How Can You Find And Hire A Developer For A Startup? A Detailed Guide
As a non-tech, it is challenging to find a developer for a startup because the process requires enough technical knowledge. This becomes more crucial if you are starting your startup because it needs fast execution to succeed.
You must understand the complexities of hiring a programmer for a startup because they are magicians who literally create magical solutions through coding. This is why they are essential for your startup and it is unavoidable to hire programmers for business.
Now, if you know the importance of finding a developer then you must also know how to do it. Do you have any idea? We have some questions that might help-
What can be asked?
- How you are going to make sure that the person you are hiring knows about the technology of making an application?
- What will be the cost of development?
- Where can you find a programmer for a startup?
So, you can need to sit back and relax because we have everything covered for you in this blog about how to hire a developer for a startup.
Table of Contents
Step #1: Before Hiring a Developer
Finalize Your Idea
You need to know what idea you are working on and how you want to execute it. This is going to help the developer to work in the right direction. For example, if you are working on a web solution or working for a mobile solution or both then the developer must work accordingly. But first, you need to be clear on that part.
Then you will need native or hybrid tools to develop digital solutions for mobile and web. Your developer needs to know hybrid platforms so he can easily work according to the requirement. Some examples of hybrid technologies are-
In the realm of mobile solutions, you might need to select between iOS and Android but you cannot choose between developers. An efficient iOS developer cannot develop a good android application and the same holds the other way around.
The SDK is different for iOS and Android platforms this is why you need to know as a startup on which platform you want to run your application.
Analysis of Competitions and Their Products
After you pick a platform analyze your competitors in the market working in the same line. Try to understand their offerings and existing solutions to make better products. If you want to grow your business better and outshine the competition then find a good developer first then let him find a viable solution that matches. Once you find a matching solution then note down-
- Problems they solve
- Features
- How are they approaching the customer
- Target Audience
- Problems and issues with understanding
These questions will help you know what type of product you want to develop. Also, if you want a vital application then you need to hire a team of programmers instead of one then you can easily achieve your goal faster.
Product Value Proposition Definition
You need three things that can help you in compelling your product’s proposition value and they are-
Quantified User Benefits
Differentiation
Relevancy
This process is imperative for both ends. This is why creating a value proposition is very important for a startup because it also builds trust in the customers. You should share your ideas, vision, and mission with your consumers so that they can relate with you and get connected.
Defining The Application Working
When deciding to develop an application then first be clear on your end that what you want. You should prepare a draft and if possible then prepare UX/UI designs so that you can show the developer how you want your application to be developed.
Let the developer know how you want to connect with the audience and this explanation of your journey and effort as a startup will help you to find a good developer for a startup. This is because it shows what they can expect from working in your startup.
It is very crucial information for startups. Now the next step is to write down the features of your MVP so that they can help you in taking interviews with potential candidates. This will match the skills of the developer to your needs.
Apart from this, there are some essential features of an application as follows-
- Login/Registration
- Contact
- Notification
- Profile creation
Apart from these, you can also jot down some application-specific features. You can ask questions related to these features so that you can judge how the person approaches the development process. With the help of this blog, even a non-tech startup owner can understand how to find a technical programmer.
The developer you are going to hire must be apt with the framework and technology. Also, it should know the time integrated into the whole process.
Apart from these as a non-tech startup owner, you should hire a developer who is aware of how to execute a task and also keep you updated about each milestone and possibility.
Create a roadmap and timeline with a budget so that it can help you in selecting the right candidate for the interview. A comprehensive plan is an essential part of any startup, especially for a non-tech owner of a startup.
Now, let us discuss the further process of selecting the right candidate for your startup.
Step #2: What Are Your Requirements
Even as a non-tech, you need to remember two crucial things about software development which are-
- It’s not one person’s job
- Even a skillful person might not have the right skill needed for your business
It is very simple no matter how skillful a person is he/she single-handedly cannot handle every task included in software development efficiently. This means you are going to need a team.
Also, you need to understand the fact that the developer should be able to fulfill your needs from the software and also help you handle it well after development.
This is why discussing types of developers will not be part of this blog. It is simple you cannot expect an Android developer to develop an efficient iOS app or software. I think you get the point.
If you want to know How to Hire iOS App Developer – Salary and Skills then please read the blog.
Further in this blog, we will discuss different genres of development. This is will help you get the answer to the base question which is how you can find the right programmer/developer for your startup as a non-tech.
Yes, there are different genres of developers according to the part of the software they work on. For example, some developers work on backend operations and some work on front-end. Apart from these, there are middle-tier, full-stack, desktop, web, mobile, and many more genres of developers.
Concise Overview of Developers
Role of Architect
| Description | These developers are senior-level developers and have major cloud providers and CD/CI knowledge. Also, they can create the following-
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| Key Responsibilities |
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| Frameworks Used | Such developers are experts in both back-end and front-end frameworks for their development team. |
Role of Back-end Developer
| Description | Back-end developers are responsible for managing server-side development.
They build a bridge between the database and user interface in order to manage system architecture, database, and scripts. |
| Key Responsibilities |
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| Frameworks Used | Back-end developer works on 4 aspects of developments that are-
According to these aspects the technology required for programming can be-
Databases can be-
For Server management and monitoring the required knowledge should be of following frameworks-
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Role of Front-end Developer
| Description | Front-end developers works on the user interface and fulfill client-side requirements. Front-end developers also maintain the visual appeal and aesthetics of the software. |
| Key Responsibilities |
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| Frameworks Used | Technologies used and should be known to a front-end developer-
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Role of Full-Stack Developer
| Description | As name clarifying a lot, full-stack developers are those who know of both front-end and back-end technologies. As a startup owner, you should go for a full-stack developer.
Full-stack developers are the pundits of many technologies like-
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| Key Responsibilities |
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| Frameworks Used | Although full-stack developers have a lot of options still, the most effective technologies used by them are-
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Role of Mobile Developer
| Description | Mobile developers are asked to develop a solution for any device and on required platform iOS, Android or both.
This is why it is asked before to select a platform so that you can have the right medium to enter the market. This will also help you find the right candidate for development. |
| Key Responsibilities | Native application development
Taking care of platform-specific features and functionalities Requirements understanding of business Design and implementation expertise |
| Frameworks Used | The major framework used by mobile developers are-
Apart from them if they know the following technology that is more than a marrier-
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Now, we have finally reached to the last tier of finding a developer. If you feel a little overloaded then let us take you through the focus points till now. Here you go-
- Understand the need for your product in the market and its operations
- Know your target audience and resonate with them
- Create the roadmap of development including budget and timeline
- Note down important features and integration then hire a professional and efficient developer
- Understand and share your value proposition with potential candidates to improve their perspectives
- Then know different genres of programmers before you find for your startup
- Have a basic idea of technologies, and frameworks so that you do not feel completely unaware of the process.
In the next phase of this blog, we will discuss where to find talented and skillful programmers for your startup. If you think of local newspapers and indeed are enough then you are certainly wrong because they might have good options but we have some unique sources and scour for finding great developers. So let us dig into them.
Step #3: Where To Find
This is the part you get to know how you can find the best developer for your startup. But before that, you need to know some statistics.
According to EMBROKER, 23% of startups fail because of poor leadership and inadequate team management. The working and success rate also decreases.
These facts are showing a very basic need for a startup you cannot build alone a good business you will need a team to improve quality and speed.
Your startup is your dream you have invested your sweat and blood in it and you gonna give that to anyone. No right? This is why you need a comprehensive hiring structure for hiring the best developer for your dream to be built exactly what you want it to be.
We have some credible sources and short details about the hiring process from them. They will make you understand the value of a developer in a product launch. So let us see them-
Offline Hiring Avenues
| Source | Description |
| Meetups | You can find developers in action. Even if you do not find anyone who matches your energy still it is great place to find connections and recommendations.
Do ask for any recommended developer who might match the level of energy and enthusiasm you are expecting. |
| Coworking Spaces | They are the melting point of talent and enthusiasm. You cannot only find a potential developer here but also can find a co-founder.
It might be possible that he/she is not working on something at that point. But at least you can find a freelancer, full-time or hourly-based developer who is ready to commit to your business and help you in achieving your goals. |
| Conferences | These formal corporate events and conferences can give you two opportunities-
The latest technologies trends, and industry insights Developers who understand these technologies and like to work on them. Conferences provide you access to a huge pool of talented and skilled developers. You can also participate in such conferences as a speaker and get the attention of developers. This will allow you to make them impressed by your idea so that they can directly approach you if interested. |
| Hackathons | These are also one of the places you can find enthusiastic developers. But this place makes more sense to a person with tech knowledge.
So, you can tag along with your tech buddy so that he/she can guide you through the right candidate. Also, from hackathons, you can most credible and reliable references and recommendations of developers. |
| Universities | There is no better place to find young and fresh talents than universities. So, you can go to universities as a recruiter and explore genius developers.
The competitive and full-of-opportunities environment of a startup can encourage young graduates to work with you. |
Apart from these offline sources, you can find developers in training and coaching centers who are learning and likes to grow side by side.
Online Talent Pools and Sources
If you do not find offline a good candidate then you can always try online. Although you need a strict elimination and a keen eye for that. Still, there are many opportunities for you online. This is because if you meet 10 people offline then the number will be 100 online.
This scenario also increased after the pandemic, because most conferences started taking place online. Thus, you can find a programmer who is the best fit for your startup.
| Source | Description |
| Social Media | Social media is a one-stop solution for all your problems. Wherever you need you will get it on social media. Whether you need entertainment, food, humor, skills, support, help, love, study, or talents. You just name it and it has everything.
Coming back to our focus question indeed you can find a talented programmer on social media. You just need to know how? You need to build a proper page on the social media platform to promote your startup idea. Then post the requirement of a developer or other members. You can a number of responses from them and the best part is you can use many social media platforms according to your business type. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, etc are the best example of social media platforms. You just need to post and tell your needs to attract potential candidates. 92% of Recruiters Use Social Media to Find High-Quality Candidates for their businesses. |
| Job Portals | Upwork, Hired, Crossover, Toptal, and Guru are the best job portals to find potential developers. You just need to know how to use them.
Every platform has its different features. If we take the example of Upwork then it is a platform where you can find people for the short term and on the other hand, Toptal has people who are ready to work for the long term. But all of them are mostly freelancers. A startup development process needs someone who is regular and works from scratch this is why consider hiring someone as a permanent employee. And for that try to consider these online platforms-
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| Communities | If you are thinking about how you can find your developer here then you might not aware of the power of community. Communities like Stack, GitHub, Mashable, Angelist, and Overflow are thriving and full of young and experienced developers.
You can get access to many people here who have individual profiles so that you can check their experience and expertise. |
| Messengers | These are great platforms for finding the answers to finding a programmer for your startup. We want to recommend using Telegram Promotions to get your candidates better results. |
Now, the next step is interviewing these candidates and what to judge during the process. So, let us go.
Step #4: Interview of the Candidate
After collecting a pile of resumes from online and offline platforms. You need to shortlist your candidates based on the following-
- What do they DO
- Experience (Academic plus Practical)
- Products they have helped develop
- Number of jobs
- Companies they worked in
- Plaudits and Recommendations (for online portals, check the reviews given by other clients)
One more thing you can for shortlisting candidates is to conduct a React skill test. Then based on that you can proceed with those candidates who scored high on that test. This test can be done according to the framework and language important to the development.
These are the best way to cover half of the process of finding a developer for your startup. Now, we will focus on how to conduct an interview for potential candidates both online and offline.
You should mention that you are looking for an expert developer to expand your startup and be ready to conduct this interview online if the candidate is not comfortable for face to face interaction.
There are two types of aspects you need to consider while hiring-
- Soft Skills
- Hard Skills
Soft Skills
They consider the overall personality of n individual. So, the attributes you must consider are-
- Punctuality
- Communication
- Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Team Adaptability
- Problem-Solving
- Creativity
- Learning Attitude
Hard Skills
These skills are subject or technology-related. Here a candidate can outsmart you as a non-tech person so you need to be careful with your questions. The attributes that should be counted are-
- Network Security
- Database management
- Development
- Situation analysis
- Knowledge about languages, frameworks, and the latest technologies
- Bug reporting
- Damage control
- Storage Systems Management
- UI/UX
Confused?
Do not worry we are here to help. le t us take an example. If a candidate is punctual, has good listening skills, and has a comprehensive approach toward work then he/she may finish the task on time with fewer errors and will understand the requirements better, and that eventually leads to work precision.
As a non-tech person, you can understand the soft skills but one person can wear enough hats this is why you need a person who can help you understand that a person is a fit for the startup based on field knowledge.
This is why you need to hire a CTO (Chief Technical Officer).
As the name is clarifying that a CTO can help you find the right developer for your company and build your team by doing software development tracking for your software.
Now, the question is whether you need a full-time CTO or not.
The answer is No. You do not need a full-time CTO, especially as a startup. You need someone who acts like a co-founder of the company but is also involved in the technical part of the startup.
The two types of CTOs you can hire are-
- A freelance CTO
- A part-time working CTO
Hiring a part-time CTO must be the best option for a startup so that he/she can work efficiently on the projects. We can understand the responsibilities of a CTO from the figure below-
Lastly: A Better Solution (4 In 1)
Although this is the best way to find a potential and skilled developer for a startup as a non-tech. Still, this process is very vulnerable and quite con-dependent. But what if we tell you that you can get this done impressively without any trouble?
Yes, there is a way. VerveLogic is a Leading platform for software development. No matter what type of digital solution you need on whichever platform you can get it here with precision and within a given deadline. To know more please request a quote today.
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