4 ms·

> All this outsourcing talk is so 2005. Except for the fact that it's not outsourcing to the lowest bidder like companies tried back then. Pretty much every m

by unmole 5y ago

> All this outsourcing talk is so 2005. Except for the fact that it's not outsourcing to the lowest bidder like companies tried back then. Pretty much every major American tech company has a development center in India. The developers working here are employees of the parent company. They have the same or functionally similar culture as the HQ. And the cost advantage has significantly shrunk because of the booming local startup scene.

pridkett 5y ago
The first part is true - almost every major American tech company has a development center in India. The second part, well, I’m not so sure about that. There’s tensions about different cultures including things like different holidays that aren’t always well advertised. Tension about the perception that American jobs are being outsourced, or at the very least not-replaced, because of overseas development. Tension about quality. Tension about lack of overlapping work hours. Tension about poor connectivity at home (which has become less of an issue as the pandemic has worn on). No matter how you slice it, it’s very hard to get people to feel like they’re all on the same team. It can happen, but it take tremendous time and effort. If you’re ever interviewing and someone insists that using an outsourced development firm or Indian development center will only cost 30% as much as those close to the HQ - I’d recommend walking out. Because it’s clear they don’t understand (or perhaps care) about the true economics.
thrower123 5y ago
It's a cycle that keeps going. One VP will try cutting things over to the Indian teams to save some money. This generally works temporarily, and they go up and out. Then efficiency dies the death of a thousand cuts, and the next VP brings that function back in house, to great satisfaction albeit higher costs. Rinse and repeat.
ambrozk 5y ago
I have worked with people in such a development center, and the quality of their work is very noticeably worse than that of their equivalents in the US.

by unmole 5y ago

pridkett 5y ago

The first part is true - almost every major American tech company has a development center in India. The second part, well, I’m not so sure about that. There’s tensions about different cultures including things like different holidays that aren’t always well advertised. Tension about the perception that American jobs are being outsourced, or at the very least not-replaced, because of overseas development. Tension about quality. Tension about lack of overlapping work hours. Tension about poor connectivity at home (which has become less of an issue as the pandemic has worn on). No matter how you slice it, it’s very hard to get people to feel like they’re all on the same team. It can happen, but it take tremendous time and effort. If you’re ever interviewing and someone insists that using an outsourced development firm or Indian development center will only cost 30% as much as those close to the HQ - I’d recommend walking out. Because it’s clear they don’t understand (or perhaps care) about the true economics.

thrower123 5y ago

It's a cycle that keeps going. One VP will try cutting things over to the Indian teams to save some money. This generally works temporarily, and they go up and out. Then efficiency dies the death of a thousand cuts, and the next VP brings that function back in house, to great satisfaction albeit higher costs. Rinse and repeat.

ambrozk 5y ago

I have worked with people in such a development center, and the quality of their work is very noticeably worse than that of their equivalents in the US.