I've been on the opposite side of this, as either a firm working with early-stage companies or as a freelance developer. Biggest issues I saw were "entrepreneur

I've been on the opposite side of this, as either a firm working with early-stage companies or as a freelance developer. Biggest issues I saw were "entrepreneurs" with really unrealistic expectations. They had a very "build-it-and-they-will-come" viewpoint, and seldom had the budget or the marketing abilities to make anything happen. And of course they want a five-year product roadmap all built by a single developer and done tomorrow. They are generally taken in by whomever has the lowest cost and will promise them the most. They reneg on every agreement, delay payments, treat the developers like they are disposable, and then act surprised when they get ghosted. So to answer your question: Actually, there's lots of good talent out there in the world, often affordably. But you have to do your upfront due-diligence not in the form of endless reference checks and technical quiz BS, but in the "can I work with this person?" type checks. Because you need to be able to work together and communicate, and stick to a plan together. And, you need to be realistic about how much you are asking them to do, wrt to time and budget. Remote absolutely can work, but chances are there are also people local to you who have the talent needed. You don't need to be ex-FAANG to be good / good enough to get the job done. And, given that you are going to be reliant on this person, find someone you respect and treat them with respect.