The shortage of engineers in the Netherlands is a harsh reality. But the company of today needs technology and programming to succeed and it’s safe to say that ICT outsourcing has become a necessity.

So, here you are; looking to hire PHP engineers. You have a backlog of software that needs to be written. You’re having difficulty finding good engineers locally. You’re looking at all available options. You’re willing to do whatever it takes to solve this problem - yet Outsourcing seems like a distant possibility.

You probably have 10 outsourcing advertisements open in your browser. You’re trying to figure out which one of these companies is right for you. This question does not have an easy or quick answer.

Most likely you are facing these problems right now:

Your 1st Problem

It’s Hard to Tell the Good from the Bad

Most of these companies look the same and feel the same. They are all making the same claims and they all think of themselves as the “leading” provider of something. They are all saying “Hey look at me. Come and buy my services…I am the best.”

It is hard to tell which one of these companies is reliable. It is hard to figure out, just from an advertisement, if they are speaking the truth.

 

Your 2nd Problem

It’s Hard When it’s so Far Away

Software Development is a collaboration oriented activity. The best place for your developers is near the center of operations. They need to touch and feel your company, so they know how their lines of code translate into daily operations.

It’s difficult to work with a developer from far away. Especially a developer from a third world country. You’re working with people whose native language is different. Their culture and even their working style is different. A lot of things can easily get lost in translation. On top of this, many leading programmers are weak in interpersonal communications. Even if you hire someone in your own office, your programmer could “mentally” be far away from you.

From your computer screen, the proposition of outsourcing is like putting your money in a black hole.

 

Your 3rd Problem

Outsourcing is Unknown Territory

Working with software developers in your own building is hard enough. Add 5000 Kilometers between you and your engineers, and it becomes a mega problem.

Now add a “middle man” company and the problem escalates out of this world. This is because the commercial factor comes in the mix. The “middle man” company wants to charge you maximum money, but pay the minimum to your remote developers. Both sides of a possible relationship are dissatisfied. Most likely you have never outsourced before, but you have heard the horror stories of spaghetti code. You’ve heard the stories of companies losing money without any recourse.

When outsourcing becomes the only option, and it comes with this kind of baggage, it’s hard to take a step in this direction.

 

Is There Any Hope?

Hello and Greetings - My name is Mark Mian and I am an engineer who lives in Southern California. I am writing this page myself. I don’t speak the language of sales and marketing. I speak the language of problems and solutions. I am going to offer you some ideas. But first I need to thank you.

You have spent your precious time reading this message so far. I am thankful to you. In return for your time, I will offer my experience and know-how about hiring remote engineers. You can use this knowledge to find and select the best possible solution for your programming needs.

The first thing I will do for you is demystify the claims other companies are making. Then I will explain to you how these companies really operate. I will also offer 3 solutions to the 3 problems mentioned above. Finally, I will tell you a little bit about my companies around the world and why they exist.

Right now you must be thinking, “Ah...OK. So here comes the commercial pitch from this man.” Au contraire; I am not going to sell you anything. I will tell you a little bit about me and my companies. I call them my “experiments.” If you find my story interesting, you are welcome to pick up the phone and call me or my partner Remco.

So, let’s Get Started - We have Much to Cover.
 

What Do these Companies Really Mean?

“25 Years in Business”

Does it matter? It tells you that this company is smart enough to survive so long in business. On the other hand, there is a good chance this company was doing data entry for all these years.

“Save 70% Now”

Another famous but false claim. If you believe that this claim is true and you can really save 70% on your development cost, you have just lost 70% of your money.

“20% Faster Development”

When someone says they are 20% faster, I ask them “Compared to what?” They usually don’t have any answer. If you have outsourced before, you already know the true answer. If you have not outsourced before, let me be the first one to explain that outsourcing to a team outside will not make your project go faster. It will be slower than normal in the beginning. As you build your expertise together, with your offshore team, their efficiency will sometimes come near the efficiency of having a developer in your own building.

“98% On-time and On-budget”

This is not a claim. This is a joke. You can start laughing.