Introduction
Let us assume that you are working on an app project. In case you don’t have the team for the same then you will have to create one. While scouting for talent, you might come across people who are pretty economical or very expensive. You want the best people on board for your app project. However, money is also a concern as well and not all cheap purchases live up to your expectation. The option before you is simple: you have to get the ideal candidates without loosening your purse strings much. You need to strike a perfect balance between money and talent. There are other considerations as well. Whether you need to hire a developer, agency etc. So, the question is how to kickstart the pricing part of the project?
What is required for a Development Project?
Firstly, you require a developer. Is that the only talent you require for the project?
No, you require a designer for the purpose of designing the app as well. This apart, you also require a QA engineer to ensure that the app is working fine. There will be a requirement for a project manager as well to make sure things are panning out according to the deadline or not. Hence, you need more than just one developer. Therefore, it has to be remembered that you need a team and each component in the team is significant to your app project.
Do you require the help of an App Development Agency?
Agency might look like a viable option as you don’t have to look for people individually. As an agency will have an exclusive team for app development. But agencies deal with man-hours and you might end paying a lot. Also, they will not challenge or contest your ideas in any way as they will be more than willing to do what you ask them to. This is where a partner can come in handy as he can guide you when you are going wrong and would suggest you in circumstances when you are stuck. Also, being a partner, he or she might be interested in taking your company to greater heights. Hence, you need to be sure as to what you require: partner, agency or create a team of your own. It has to be remembered that money is important but don’t base your decision merely on the basis of finance. There are things that can’t be quantified monetarily.
5 methods to employ while looking to build your team
We have already broached upon the basic requirements. Now let us get into the methods to be employed while handling developers, agencies or partners. These points will assist you take the best call.
Method #1 — Break down quotes by line items
Quotes need not be super detailed, but they should clarify how the developer or agency decided their prices. The ideal manner is to break down a quote line item by line item.
The whole intention behind the exercise is to make them justify the price.
This is done to ensure that no one cheats you while hiring their services.
Also, this makes sure you pay appropriate prices to everyone and not shortchange anyone in the process. This instills a sense of honesty and diligence in your team. So, be fair to them.
Also ensure that a proposal from a developer, partner, or agency fits into your scheme of things. After all, you don’t want anything that is not required for your project.
Method #2 — Differentiate Quotes in minute details
Once you get quotes from various sides, it is imperative to compare them one by one.
Find out if these quotes gel well with your business. Also, consider any additional service you might require. For example, you’ll have to take into account hosting expenses for your backend data. Push notification servers, analytics servers, servers for user notifications, and user authentication these things are there. All of them have to be added in the list of expenses and these might not be there in the initial quote. For instance, if you are dealing with an agency or a developer they might only quote what you have asked for and not what you require. So, once you get actively involved in the project and some additional expenses crop up, you are bound to get annoyed. You cannot back out as well, so it is better to opt for partners in such circumstances. They won’t throw up any surprises for you in the middle and can always assist you in pointing out what is amiss in your initial demand.
Method #3 — Be organized while differentiating line items
One needs to be organized while comparing line items. Let me explain the same in detail.
After getting several quotes from various developers or agencies things are dissected the way you have asked for. Now you need to compare everything in detail. While doing this
you need to weigh in on every feature that’s important to your business. This enables you to make a decision based on data. You need to factor in aspects such as longevity, marketing time, features involved etc. After this you will get a clear picture about your efficacy of the project.
Method #4 — Product or Solution
So what are you looking to get: a product, or a solution.
A product is basically a kind of widget that you are buying. It might be software or something tangible. While purchasing the items you can assess the price involved. This will be appropriate if the size of your problem is quite small. However, if you are confronting a huge problem, then the product won’t be of any use to you as you would require a solution.
For example, we are currently reeling under COVID-19 global pandemic. For businesses rhis is a huge problem as they have to devise a map for the next 1 year or so. It is true that this type of problem is tough to predict. However, with a partner it becomes easier to adapt to shifting markets. A partner can also help you plan a minimum viable product (MVP).
Hence, the crux of the matter is that a solution is more appropriate than a product. Solutions are ideal if you have a partner, who can deal with constant changes or problems confronting you.
Method #5 — Contest the Quote
By contesting or debating about a quote you can easily get a hang of the agency’s or developer’s intentions.
Simply ask them what difference it would make if we put in more money. They might come up with some excuses like your servers are not secure enough, so they need to protect them with encrypted data or your servers need to scale up to accommodate more users for your app.
Hence listen properly to what they are saying carefully. Are they giving new features? Or are they plugging the gaps that were already baked into the quote?
Alternatively you can also challenge the quote by asking them what they would do if you don’t have enough money. In case they have to do away with three features, what would they be.
So by requesting them to revise the quote you are cutting some flab from the same.
Therefore contest the quote in several ways. This manner you can assess the commitment of the developer or agency and also eliminate unnecessary frills from the initial quote.
Conclusion
With these methods you can assess your quotes in different ways. These would help you take the right call, whether you are dealing with an agency, developer or partners for your next big app development . For finding the best solutions opt for these methods.