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The truth is that most software isn’t all that special. For the average business that can accelerate their processes with CRUD apps you don’t need to do much in

The truth is that most software isn’t all that special. For the average business that can accelerate their processes with CRUD apps you don’t need to do much in the name of bespoke work. I can have a standard run of the mill CRUD app up in like a week or maybe if sufficiently complex a month or so - with proper tests. That’s the kind of work I’m seeing outsourced in droves typically. The kind of work I actually do nowadays I don’t see getting outsourced so easily. This is core architecture and fundamental differentiation that the business sees as key to product and core success. You’d be highly unwise to outsource that. An experienced developer that can produce high quality work but can accept a lower salary (nominal to local markets of the employer not the developer) based on geographical concerns? You can make a lot of money with those CRUD contracts I imagine Edit: this all assumes someone competent is overseeing the work and someone that understands the technical things involved in the overall project to steer it know what they’re doing too

csomar 5y ago
While simple CRUD apps are not technically challenging; the hard part of doing these is figuring out the specs and communicating with the client. I can see how this can go wrong with offshore clients (time difference, cultural difference, language difference, only remote). There could be a market for local agencies outsourcing tech work (and even that has to be done carefully). But clients directly outsourcing to off-shore agencies, that spell trouble.
- reaperducer 5y ago
  A company I worked for struggled for years trying to find the right CRUD system. Off-the-shelf packages didn't work right because they couldn't be tailored to the existing workflow, and couldn't be integrated into other systems. Three attempts at offshoring all failed because of culture and communication differences. In the end, it was done in-house. It took longer, but the application is exactly what was required, and new features can be added in days or weeks, not months or quarters. Last I heard, almost everyone was happy with the home-grown solution. CRUD can be simple. But CRUD can also be hard. Anyone who thinks that they can spin up a generic CRUD and solve any problem is someone who doesn't really understand what the problem is.
  - no_wizard 5y ago
    That is not what I mean. I am talking about well…when they are generic applications that don’t require bespoke work to be done. Maybe HN is the wrong crowd for this as I think most of us work in more specialized capacity. There is a lot of software out there however being written that is say, wiring power BI applications with predefined requirements, or collecting information via surveys that need to be tied to a CMS. Stuff I’ve seen work pretty well when contracted assuming the person overseeing the venture was competent of course. I’d say anything core to a business in terms of how it functions is not ripe for outsourcing, and anyone doing this is going to feel a lot of pain

csomar 5y ago

While simple CRUD apps are not technically challenging; the hard part of doing these is figuring out the specs and communicating with the client. I can see how this can go wrong with offshore clients (time difference, cultural difference, language difference, only remote). There could be a market for local agencies outsourcing tech work (and even that has to be done carefully). But clients directly outsourcing to off-shore agencies, that spell trouble.

reaperducer 5y ago
A company I worked for struggled for years trying to find the right CRUD system. Off-the-shelf packages didn't work right because they couldn't be tailored to the existing workflow, and couldn't be integrated into other systems. Three attempts at offshoring all failed because of culture and communication differences. In the end, it was done in-house. It took longer, but the application is exactly what was required, and new features can be added in days or weeks, not months or quarters. Last I heard, almost everyone was happy with the home-grown solution. CRUD can be simple. But CRUD can also be hard. Anyone who thinks that they can spin up a generic CRUD and solve any problem is someone who doesn't really understand what the problem is.
- no_wizard 5y ago
  That is not what I mean. I am talking about well…when they are generic applications that don’t require bespoke work to be done. Maybe HN is the wrong crowd for this as I think most of us work in more specialized capacity. There is a lot of software out there however being written that is say, wiring power BI applications with predefined requirements, or collecting information via surveys that need to be tied to a CMS. Stuff I’ve seen work pretty well when contracted assuming the person overseeing the venture was competent of course. I’d say anything core to a business in terms of how it functions is not ripe for outsourcing, and anyone doing this is going to feel a lot of pain