It seems like developers are next hot commodity for many new startups and existing businesses that are just beginning their march into digital territory. This is because software developers are capable of amazing things when it comes to making your business more productive or efficient. Designing in-house software for your business can give it and upper hand against competitors and the ability to create and manage web-based applications and services for your customers is a huge deal in such a competitive online environment.
However, hiring a software developer just for the sake of having one is a silly move. After all, many online applications and services can be managed with a freelancer or and outsourcing company—there’s no need to hire an extra employee for that. To help you decide, here’s an article dedicated to giving you advice on software developers and how they could fit into your business.
Software developers are expensive and need a lot of tools
If you want to hire a software developer then expect to pay a lot of money. Unless you have a plan for your new online startup and what you want to achieve with a developer, it’s best to hire a freelancer instead or look for alternate solutions. For instance, if you’re a startup then the chances of you actually needing bespoke software or a customised solution is very low. Almost everything a startup needs can be provided by web hosts and outsourcing companies to save money and time.
Developers also need a variety of different tools and computers in order to do their jobs properly. For instance, you’re going to need not just one computer, but a computer of every operating system and also a smartphone and tablet with both iOS and Android platforms. This is because a software developer needs every device that you plan to support because they have to test software on various different devices to ensure it works for everyone. You’re also going to need to pay for specialised development tools such as application monitoring tools. This is because developers need smart application metrics, not server monitoring in order to determine what needs to be optimised and improved in the software they create.
Software developers are slow to become useful
If you expect to add a software developer into your company and then see instant improvements, you’re going to be disappointed. Creating bespoke software for your company is going to take a lot of planning and time. It’s not uncommon to wait several weeks before an early test version of your software is ready to be seen, and if you want your software developer to manage and handle online web applications then they’re going to need to get accustomed to the software first.
The fact is, software developers are professionals because they can easily adapt to any situation that is required by their employers. They don’t know how to use every single software application or programming language in the world, but they are capable of learning very quickly because each programming language is similar in nature. If you plan for your software developer to use a certain language or tool, then put that in your recruitment advertisement so you can find people with prior experience.