What mistakes to avoid when hiring someone to build my product?

I want to build a marketplace and I have already validated the idea (user interviews with both sides of the marketplace). So now I have a budget to build MVP & test it but don’t have developers in-house. So I'm considering hiring external devs to move faster.

Hey, Alexander. I run a marketplace of engineers, https://lemon.io, and know the market pretty well. Here are a few critical pitfalls: - Don’t commit to anything. There are a few dev shops or marketplaces that allow you let go the developer when you need it. The advantage of working with them is to have 0 firing cost. marketplaces take 40-60% cut from their pay. - Find out if they replace a candidate if anything happens. We spend a bunch of time with candidates while vetting them, but sometimes bad hires happen and you want to be protected. - Make sure the developer you’ve chosen is doing actual work. I’ve heard many stories when behind the senior hire was a junior developer writing all the code. - Make sure the developer is excited about your project and motivated to work with you. It’s not always the case in outsourcing in general. Especially when they are underpaid, as some marketplaces take 40-60% cut from their pay. Let me know if you have any questions, happy to elaborate on the points or give you a discount for the developer if working with the marketplace for you is an option.

The mistake I made as Founder & CEO is to recruit a CTO instead of a CPO. You don't need a CTO to build a product. In fact, it prolly hurts you b/c few CTOs understand that they need to build for customers and talk to customers as much as the sales lead

When hiring someone to build your product, it's important to avoid several common mistakes. Firstly, don't rush the hiring process. Take the time to thoroughly vet potential candidates and ensure they have the necessary skills and experience to build your product. Secondly, don't base your decision solely on cost. A lower cost may seem appealing, but it could lead to subpar work or delays in the development process. When building an MVP, it's not uncommon to hire a development agency or freelancers. However, when working with external developers, it's important to pay attention to their communication skills and project management abilities. Make sure they have a clear understanding of your project goals and can effectively communicate progress and any potential issues. Additionally, ensure they have a solid track record of delivering projects on time and within budget. It's also essential to be transparent about your expectations and requirements from the beginning. Make sure you understand the terms of the contract and what is included in the cost. Additionally, make sure that you have a clear understanding of the development process and the tools and technologies that will be used. Overall, it's important to take your time when hiring external developers, to ensure that you find the right fit for your project. Make sure to do your due diligence, and ask for references and case studies before making a decision.

Hi 👋🏼 Alexander, Congrats on validating your idea! Have you considered first building with integrated no-code tools to validate the *features* of your marketplace before hiring a developer? Bubble is popular for building marketplaces without code. See how you can build an Airbnb clone, for example, with Bubble via this link: https://bubble.io/blog/build-air.... I've built multiple web apps with Softr + Airtable, which is another popular option for 🛠 building a marketplace.

Hire them on project basis. So you make sure they will finish their tasks

We don't know about the creation, but we know everything about the promotion and the search for an investor. Check out our blog if you have any questions about this

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From my past experiences as a product builder, I would recommend you hire someone entrepreneurial-minded. Look for someone pragmatic with the final user in mind. Ideally a product builder familiar with UI/UX. Depending on your budget, someone full stack can work perfectly. In all cases, look for autonomy.