I've had terrible luck with outsourcing as well, but it is not all bad. I've found that outsourcing works best for those simple tasks that almost anyone can do

I've had terrible luck with outsourcing as well, but it is not all bad. I've found that outsourcing works best for those simple tasks that almost anyone can do but your most talented people, including yourself, cannot seem to fit into the day because they are boring and well understood. My rule boils down to this: If I have someone overseas make this change and it is bad, can I rip it out and replace it with old code quickly and still be ok? If you have a decent design the answer is 'yes' much more often than you might think. And every once in a while you will find a really good developer that you will want to sink your claws into. Also, it is kind of awesome to put in a ticket and have it checked in by the time you wake up in the morning...one advantage of using talent on the other side of the world.