Outsourcing a startup is a rational decision if an entrepreneur is not experienced enough or does not have a significant budget (which is often the case).
When you and your team do not have the required technological expertise required to create a reliable and successful application, outsourcing a startup is a justified decision because it will provide you with a good result for a good price.
Currently, working with an outsourcing company from another country is as simple and safe as working with a casual company from your country. But cheaper.
For instance, in Ukraine, the software outsourcing business environment is so dense that the companies that fail to deliver quality products simply vanish from the market.
Besides, some companies are full-cycle development organizations, which means they can build a product from a scratch and support it after the release if required.
It is difficult to estimate how many software solutions were developed by a third party due to non-disclosure agreements or company policies. So, you can only guess whether some of the applications you use every day were outsourced or not.
Some information is still available though. So, to prove our point, here you have 7 successful startups that were outsourced.
1) Slack. One of the most popular workplace services for communication. Slack outsourced its design to Canada. The result is well-known: streamlined, stylish, and attractive application.
2) Skype. Another s-named messenger cooperated with Estonian IT professionals, who helped them to develop the product.
3) GitHub. Yeap, it would be strange if this service had not used the help of different developers from different countries.
4) UpWork. Naturally, the service that helps freelancers to survive used the help of free contractors as well.
5) Opera. The Internet browser with a 350-million audience also outsourced developers from different countries.
6) Alibaba. The Chinese E-Commerce giant was also developed with the help of an outsourcing company.
7) Fab. Also a large E-Commerce company but from the US. Fab’s founder Jason Goldberg worked with the Indian outsourcing company to develop his project.
And this list is only a tip of an iceberg.
Besides, some companies may also outsource the discovery phase or other business expertise.
However, not all outsourcing companies are ready to work with startups as it requires unique experience, competent Business Analysts, and a certain degree of risk tolerance. Therefore, finding a company that is willing to work with your unrefined idea might not be the easiest task.
The 21st century provides an unprecedented possibility to cooperate with people all around the globe so they can help you to make your idea a valuable reality.