Remember Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects?🕵️♂️👣
He's there one minute, then poof - gone. You're left wondering if he ever really existed. Well, a great external software partner is a lot like Keyser Söze.
They onboard quickly, get the job done, and hand off the project to your team, leaving behind a smooth transition and a high-quality product. Except, unlike Keyser Söze, they do leave strong evidence behind-a solid codebase, clear documentation, and a team that's ready to take the reins.
Now, let's be honest-building a software project from scratch is hard. Especially for internal teams who are used to adding functionality to existing codebases. That's where the specialists come in. They know the tricks to getting things right from the start, building a simple, stable foundation that can scale.
Why is it so important to start with a simple and stable codebase? Because it saves time and money in the long run. Things are always going to get complicated, but a solid foundation makes it easier to manage.
Think of your internal team like a master chef, they're the best at preparing the main course. But they might not be as skilled at building the perfect appetizer or dessert, they're experts in their domain. That's where specialists come in to help create a complete and delicious meal.
They'll help you build the foundation, integrate new technologies, and ensure that everything works seamlessly. And they'll make sure your internal team is ready to maintain, extend, and scale the application because, well, that's their strength.
So, when should you bring in the specialists?
- Greenfield Projects: Building a new application from scratch? Specialized teams do this all the time and can get it done fast.
- Integrating New Technologies: Need to integrate a new piece of tech into your existing stack? Find a firm that has done it again and again and again…
- Limited Internal Resources: Team overloaded? Let the experts handle specific tasks so your team can focus on what matters.
- Time-Sensitive Projects: Got a tight deadline? Specialized teams can often deliver faster results.
Keep in mind, bringing in specialists doesn't mean your internal team has to completely clear out. Mixed teams are a great way to leverage expertise, reduce internal time, and ensure handoff is seamless. You can also explore paired programming setups to get all the benefits of an external expert but make sure your team is as involved as you want them to be.
When to Rely on Your Internal Team?
- Maintaining and Extending Existing Applications: Your internal team is best equipped to understand the intricacies of your existing codebase and to continue building upon it.
- Specialized Features: If your product requires unique features or functionalities, your internal team may have the specific expertise needed to build them.
- Deep Knowledge of Your Business: Your internal team has a deep understanding of your business processes and needs, so there may be specific instances where development can't happen without that business expertise.
Partnering with an external development team like The Gnar is like having a secret weapon on your side. It allows your internal team to focus on what they do best while specialists handle the heavy lifting. Everyone wins-your new software gets built faster, and your team can continue to innovate on your core product.
Ready to get started on your next software project? Find the right specialists to get the job done.
Pete Whiting is the Head of Growth and Client Service at The Gnar Company, where he leads business development, marketing, and client service activities to help companies build high-quality custom software. With over a decade of experience at the firm, Pete specializes in driving revenue growth and ensuring high utilization of development teams through strategic go-to-market and product marketing initiatives.
Prior to joining The Gnar Company, Pete held executive roles in operations and marketing at firms such as Dispatch and MeYou Health. He also spent five years at Vistaprint, where he served as Director of Product Marketing and Strategy for the Asia Pacific region, accelerating annual revenue and gross profit growth through data-driven planning and multi-channel marketing. Pete’s career began in engineering and management consulting, including seven years at Deloitte Consulting leading growth strategy and post-merger integration for global industrial and high-tech clients. He holds an MBA with honors from UCLA Anderson and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Brown University.
