

Ask HN: Is this a reasonable outsourcing plan? - tnorthcutt

I just finished Start Small, Stay Small, and it convinced me to give outsourcing development a second look.<p>(Skip to the last paragraph for the straightforward question, if you like).<p>Background: I have no training as a developer; everything I know is self-taught. I'm halfway competent with PHP, using that to build "custom" WordPress sites with a designer partner for our clients. I've long had an itch to build a web app (or two or three eventually), and am starting to put things in motion. I have an idea that I'm researching (niche CRM, essentially). If I were to build it, my thinking right now is that I'd build it as a CodeIgniter app, since PHP is what I'm most familiar with and CI seems like a good framework choice. However, building it myself would take several (likely 6+) months, but really double that plus 20%, right? :) I'd be learning as I go.<p>I'm wondering if a feasible outsourcing plan would be to hire an "expensive" PHP consultant/developer to turn my basic outline/concept into a detailed spec, and then use that as the basis for outsourcing to a cheaper overseas developer, possibly using an expensive dev as a QA check along the way and/or at the end. Do you think this is a good and viable plan to outsource development?<p><i>I realize there's MUCH more to a business based on a webapp than just the development. For the sake of a clear/concise question and discussion, I intentionally limited my question to just that topic, however.</i>
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kls
If it where me I would go the other way and have the expensive dev lay out a
modular architecture and then outsource the modules. Getting the architecture
and isolation right is 90% of getting an app right because if code is properly
isolated and a module is bad, it can be rebuilt without having to touch the
larger system.

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tnorthcutt
I think that's what I meant, but can you explain how that's different from
what I described? (serious question, wanting to learn)

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samstave
Yes.

You can also hire the expensive dev to mentor/train you - then use those new
skills to better manage others.

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tnorthcutt
I hadn't considered that option. Thanks for the input!

