How to build an off-shore tech team for a SaaS company?

Summary of #TalentBuzz Episode with Faisal Amin from Upsy Company

Introduction to Offshore Tech Teams

Faisal Amin, CTO of Upsy Company, joined host Samuli Salonen to discuss building offshore tech teams. Upsy, starting as a bootstrapped company in 2021, chose offshore development to avoid local talent wars and access a broader talent pool, especially considering the global openness to remote teams.

Key Aspects of Building Offshore Teams

1. Trust and Transparency:
2. Trust is crucial in offshoring, ensuring confidence in the team's abilities and intentions.
3. Transparency in actions and progress is vital for remote team integration.
4. Cultural Fit:
5. Ensuring the offshore team aligns with the company's culture and values is essential for smooth operations.
6. Effective Communication:
7. Overcommunication is key, especially with remote teams, to ensure alignment with the company's vision and goals.

Challenges and Solutions in Offshore Team Building

1. Finding the Right Talent:
2. Amin leveraged his background and network in Bangladesh to build the team.
3. Building a team based on trust, transparency, and cultural fit is crucial.
4. Referrals and networks can significantly aid in finding trustworthy agencies or individuals.
5. Cost Considerations:
6. Offshoring can offer cost benefits, but quality still demands fair compensation.
7. Average costs for senior developers in regions like Bangladesh can vary.
8. Team Integration:
9. Building a hybrid team involves respecting different cultures and time zones.
10. Regular team gatherings and consistent communication help maintain unity.
11. Language barriers can be a significant challenge; English serves as a common language for Upsy's team.
12. Vision and Mission Alignment:
13. Regular reinforcement of the company's vision and focus points is vital.
14. Ensuring every team member, regardless of location, understands and aligns with these goals is crucial.

Advantages and Future of Offshore Teams

1. Access to Global Talent:
2. Offshoring provides access to a vast talent pool, bypassing local talent scarcity.
3. Cultural Diversity and Innovation:
4. A diverse team brings varied perspectives, fostering innovation.
5. Post-COVID Acceptance of Remote Work:
6. The pandemic has increased acceptance and feasibility of remote and offshore work.
7. Challenges:
8. One primary challenge is missing out on in-person interactions and team bonding activities.

Closing Thoughts

Faisal Amin and Samuli Salonen concluded that while there are challenges in building and managing offshore teams, the benefits, such as access to a broader talent pool and cost efficiencies, often outweigh these difficulties. They emphasized the importance of trust, transparency, and communication in ensuring the success of such teams.

Actionable Tips:

1. Leverage Personal Networks: Use your connections to find reliable offshore talent and agencies.
2. Focus on Communication: Establish clear, consistent communication channels and practices.
3. Cultural Sensitivity: Respect and accommodate different cultures and time zones.
4. Regular Reinforcement of Vision: Continually communicate the company's vision to all team members to ensure alignment.
5. Trust and Transparency: Build a culture of trust and ensure transparency in all operations.
6. Inclusive Team Activities: Plan activities that include both onshore and offshore team members to foster a sense of unity.

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