Looking for the Best Offshore Developers? Match Your Tech Stack to the Right Region

1bf25fa8068adbb2a78401c8_640_stackIf you’re searching for the best offshore developers, you’re probably overwhelmed by companies pitching their services from all over the world.  One easy way to narrow the choices (assuming you already know your tech stack) is to focus on the regions that are most likely to have excellent resources in the technology platform of your choice.

We evaluate hundreds of companies annually and while there are plenty of exceptions, we do see some reliable trends that can help direct your search.

All Offshore Development Destinations Are Not Equal

If, for example, you are looking for enterprise development skills such as .Net, C#, or Java you’ll definitely want to stick to regions with a mature IT outsourcing industry, strong university system, and some big players who are already outsourcing there such as IBM or Microsoft. The simple reason is that good enterprise developers will usually need to learn the ropes from inside a big, stable firm rather than a startup or a boutique shop. We see mature outsourcing ecosystems like this in places like Kiev, Minsk, or Mumbai.  A city or country that is just starting to build their outsourcing ecosystem may not have enough of these large, structured companies to support a community of developers that can excel in enterprise work.

Young, Trendy Cities Have More Ruby, Python, and Node Developers

wpid-cf14bab234f94eb495265970f3fd607eIf you’re involved in a startup, there’s a good chance you’re looking for node.js, Ruby or Python developers, or some other technology that is bit hipper and more aligned with startups.  Software outsourcing firms who specialize in these newer-stack technologies seem to be a bit smaller, younger, and less formal (i.e. decidedly not enterprise level companies). You’ll find the best offshore developers with these types of skills in cities that have lots of IT graduates and the critical mass required to build a ruby or python community of developers. Look for things like Meetups and other events as evidence that you on the right path. We see great software teams and software companies for technologies like this in places like Sao Paulo, Tel Aviv, & Krakow where there is a vibrant community for startups, but not so much in places like Sao Paulo where enterprise work rules the day.

Look at Upstart Outsourcing Regions For Newer Skills Like Meteor.js or Bitcoin

Ok, for enterprise skills follow the suits and for newer technologies follow the hipsters – but what about if you’re searching for a harder to find skill, like node.js, meteor.js, bitcoin, or coco2ds-x?

To find the best offshore developers with these skills, it’s easier to predict where you won’t find them than where you will.  Simply put, the hottest skills are the the ones that will be snapped up by the big companies, which will reduce availability of developers available for outsourcing clients.

In a place like Delhi or Bucharest, an effort by companies like IBM to develop a node.js or mongodb practice can take just about every great JavaScript developer off the market, leaving only the freelancers and junior developers.  It will take a few years before these skills are readily available for outsourced development, but they are probably available today in smaller regions that aren’t dominated by the big players. So, look for cities that have a strong startup ecosystem and lots of younger developers who love using cutting edge platforms.

Resource availability worldwide is always in flux, so the above observations are not meant to be hard rules as much as examples of how you might use your technology platform to inform your hunt for the perfect outsourcing team. Using this kind of approach will hopefully help speed up your elimination round and reduce the pain of the vendor hunt!

Dave Hecker

Co-Founder at SourceSeek at SourceSeek
Dave is a seasoned technology executive focused software delivery, quality, process, and helping clients succeed at international software outsourcing.