The Best Upwork Alternatives for Freelancers and Employers

Upwork is a popular freelance platform that connects businesses with independent professionals for various projects. However, there are several other platforms available that offer similar services and can be considered Upwork Alternatives. These platforms vary in terms of their features, pricing, and the types of projects they specialize in.

While there have been many success stories from Upwork, some talented freelancers have fallen victim to scam clients. Such experiences water down Upwork’s benefit of being the biggest freelance platform. As the popularity of Upwork grows, the number of freelancers is also rising exponentially, making it difficult for freelancers to find gigs. Startups are also struggling to hire qualified freelancers.

Today, many established freelancers seek the best alternatives to Upwork to beat the increasing competition and avoid scams. The availability of Upwork competitors is a chance to make the industry more competitive and diverse.

No doubt that Upwork is one of the best talent pool sources. However, there are other freelance services providers where you can find excellent freelance jobs. If you are looking for the ideal Upwork alternative, this article discusses five of the most powerful platforms you can use.

What to Look Out For in the Best Upwork Alternatives

Best Upwork Alternatives

Here are some factors to consider before abandoning Upwork for other job boards.

· Accommodates a Wide Range of Professions

If you are one of the freelancers whose skill sets are high-competitive, your chances of getting on Upwork are slim. The best Upwork alternatives should offer a vast range of jobs with varying experience and skill levels.

· Platform Subscription Fees

Upwork deducts 20% of the amount a freelancer earns up to their first $500. If you upgrade to the premium version of the platform, then you will have to spend more money. The Upwork alternative freelancing platform you choose should allow freelancers to keep a more significant percentage of their earnings.

· Sufficient Work

Finding the ideal full-time content marketing project can be difficult, primarily if you use a highly competitive online marketplace. The alternative outsourcing freelancing platform you choose should offer enough jobs in nearly all professions.

· Reliable Clients

As a freelancer, you are highly likely to come encounter scammers online. However, some freelancing platforms provide enhanced protection, with some offering dispute resolution services, organized client lists, and employer review systems.

Is Upwork Worth it in 2023?

Upwork remains one of the biggest platforms for linking companies with qualified freelancers. With the demand for remote work rising, Upwork continues escalating. The big question here is whether the platform is worth it in 2023. Let’s discuss the good things about Upwork and what its proprietors can do to improve service delivery.

Upwork services act as a dependable intermediary between freelancers and clients. It withholds money in escrow, tracks billable hours where necessary, and facilitates settling disputes. Upwork is classified into the following categories.

  • Creative and design
  • Copywriting
  • IT and development
  • Accounting and finance
  • Marketing and sales
  • Admin and Customer support
  • Translation and writing

Every type of freelance work is catered to on Upwork.

· How Upwork Operates

Creating a profile and using the Upwork services is easy from a technical point of view. Still, some of the processes on Upwork may seem confusing for new users. First, you must create an account to join the community.

Worth mentioning is that not every applicant will be accepted on Upwork. Upwork regulates the number of new freelancers to balance client and freelance requirements. Applicants are rejected if their services fall in an already saturated category. Further, existing members could be deprived of their active status if they don’t attempt to find potential clients.

When your account is active, you will be able to apply for tasks and submit proposals. Suppose a potential client accepts your proposal, they will organize an interview, and if the outcome is successful, they will give you the task. If you are working on an hourly rate agreement, Upwork tracks the number of hours you have worked and presents the client with your invoice.

If you are working under a fixed payment contract, you will need to submit your invoice to the client after completing the project. Upwork will then release your client’s funds from an escrow account.

Your profile will continue growing as you complete more tasks and get positive feedback. It will reflect your experience and the client contentment rating, helping you attract better-paying clients. Once you have accumulated sufficient feedback, you could get a Top Rated level, allowing you the privilege of identifying as an expert in your industry.

· What are the Features of Upwork?

Here are various things that differentiate Upwork from other freelancing platforms.

Vetting of Freelancers

As we’ve seen above, not everyone that creates an Upwork profile will be accepted. Applying and configuring an Upwork profile can be a time-intensive task. However, the website’s exclusivity only attracts clients looking for high-quality Hubstaff talent. If you are skilled in your field, the website connects you to prospective clients with a high likelihood of appreciating your skills.

Accessible to both Experienced and Newbies

Upwork is a solid platform for newbies in the freelancing industry. The system allows freelancers to build an excellent reputation even when they don’t have an established profile.

While you may be forced to accept some low-paying tasks initially, the more you work and deliver excellent quality work, the more you continue building a robust profile to attract better-paying jobs. Upwork is also an ideal platform for experienced freelancers. A solid history of success in your niche helps you stand out from your competitors even when new to the forum.

Payment Methods

Holding funds in an escrow enables Upwork to prevent prolonged payment conflicts. When freelancers complete their work, but a client tries to raise a non-meritable complaint, Upwork intervenes to ensure they still get their pay. Further, the platform has an inbuilt tracker that facilitates the monitoring of hourly tasks.

It automatically creates a work diary with screenshots that clients can evaluate to verify invoices. The time tracker makes Upwork one of the most preferred options for freelancers working hourly contracts.

· How to Use Upwork

How to Use Upwork

Newbies on Upwork will have to work harder to attract clients on Upwork. Some of the struggles of being a newbie on Upwork include working for low-paying and tedious tasks in the first month. You must develop your reputation on Upwork to attract better-paying clients.

The path is not easier for experienced freelancers as well. The platform is already overly competitive and saturated. As a result, they will need to accept some low-paying jobs to boost the demand for their profiles.

Further, having good communication skills goes a long way. Some SEO job postings include extra questions. Spending more time to provide thorough answers increases your likelihood of bagging the project. Maintain clear and responsive communication throughout the project. Downloading and installing the Upwork application helps you respond to client inquiries as fast as possible.

Build a compelling profile. Clients have numerous options and could move to other profiles fast. Including images, clear messaging, and videos with suitable keywords enables you to stand out among competitors. It can convince potential clients that you are the right candidate.

Common Issues with Upwork

Here are some common issues that users may have with Upwork:

· High Fees

Upwork charges both freelancers and clients fees for using the platform. Freelancers are charged a percentage of their earnings, and clients are charged a percentage of the total project cost. These fees can add up quickly, especially for large projects.

· Unreliable Freelancers

While Upwork has many skilled freelancers, there are also a number of less reliable ones. Clients may struggle to find high-quality freelancers for their projects, or may have difficulty communicating with them.

· Limited Control

Clients may feel that they have limited control over the freelancer selection process. Upwork’s algorithm suggests potential freelancers based on a project’s requirements, but clients may not always be happy with these recommendations.

· Communication Issues

Communication is key in any project, but it can be especially challenging on Upwork. Freelancers and clients may live in different time zones, speak different languages, or simply have trouble communicating effectively.

· Bidding System

Upwork’s bidding system can be frustrating for both clients and freelancers. Clients may receive an overwhelming number of proposals for their project, while freelancers may feel that they are constantly competing with others for work.

· Platform Stability

Upwork has had issues with platform stability in the past, causing frustration for both clients and freelancers. Technical issues, such as bugs or slow loading times, can cause delays and impact project timelines.

It’s worth noting that while these issues can be frustrating, many businesses continue to use Upwork successfully. However, if you’re experiencing any of these problems or simply looking for a change, there are a number of alternatives to consider.

5 of the Best Upwork Alternatives or Platforms Similar to Upwork

Despite the excellent features of Upwork, many freelancers today are looking for alternative platforms. Here are some reasons you may want to consider an alternative platform to Upwork.

While the platform has a strict profile registration process, it does not perform the vetting process on its talent. As a result, unqualified freelancers are highly likely to create profiles on the platform.

The high concentration of substandard talent on Upwork forces recruiters to waste lots of time perusing non-valuable applications to find relevant candidates.

Upwork’s talent rating system is not equivalent to the candidate’s general work ethic and communication skills. Further, the rating system is partial for freelancers that have been using the platform for a long time. As a result, many skilled newbie freelancers are likely to get overlooked.

Clients are responsible for vetting potential candidates and prolonging the process of hiring freelancers.

Due to these reasons, many clients are considering Upwork’s competitor platforms. Still, choosing a suitable competitor can be difficult, especially with today’s numerous platforms. Here are some of the best options you may want to consider.

1. Fiverr

Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most popular independent talent pools where individuals and small businesses can sell or buy services and products for as low as $5. Freelancers on this platform offer a wide range of popular services such as web design, logo design contests, digital marketing, web development, content writing, and graphic design.

Fiverr is a user-friendly and cost-effective website, explaining why it attracts candidates seeking jobs and clients looking to buy low-cost services. This factor is one of the biggest differentiators between Fiverr and Upwork. There are some similarities between the two platforms. For example, if you want to grow your freelancing reputation in the community, you must get an excellent rating via the platform’s scoring system.

· Why Should Businesses choose Fiverr?

Fiverr has various classes and subclasses. Entrepreneurs looking for a specific service or product can effectively and quickly identify specialized and appropriate providers in that niche.

Businesses peruse through the different prices and pick the best suits their budget.

Fiverr offers an extra fast delivery option, making it ideal for clients who need service delivery in less than 24 hours.

· Cons

The number of well-trained service providers on the platform is low

Fraud cases on Fiverr are common. One common scam is where sellers shortchange buyers by delivering substandard products. Doing so spoils the reputation’s reputation. Such cases are occasional on established freelancer websites such as Upwork.

Pros of Fiverr for Freelancers

  • Fiverr is an excellent opportunity to help freelancers leverage their skills to earn extra coins with low commitment.
  • Fiverr is available in nearly every country across the world
  • Unlike other Upwork competitors like Guru, freelancers using Fiverr don’t have to apply to a specific project. Buyers approach them if they love their services or products.

Cons

  • The platform charges a 20% fee which many freelancers find unreasonable, especially because projects are small at the beginning.
  • There is fierce competition on the platform, with freelancers fighting to get the first projects. Some freelancers never win a single client on Fiverr.
  • After delivering the end product, you must wait for 14 days before getting paid.

Worth mentioning is that Fiverr focuses on fixed-price projects. If you choose hourly projects, you will require a time tracking application to record the hours you have invested in the project. Doing so helps you prove that you are tackling the project.

2. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is the center for freelancer marketplaces. It’s an excellent platform that offers numerous fields and different skill levels to cater to budgetary needs. PeoplePerHour is neither too small nor too big. This platform is an option you may want to consider if the other Upwork alternatives on this list don’t appeal to you.

In Upwork and PeoplePerHour, clients post jobs, and freelancers place their bids. The difference between the two platforms is that Upwork focuses more on skilled freelancers, and PeoplePerHour accommodates numerous entry-level freelancers. As a result, PeoplePerHour is the best platform for clients looking for low-cost freelancers.

· PeoplePerHour for Freelancers

There is minimal competition for freelancers on PeoplePerHour. However, experienced freelancers may be frustrated when they lose bids to less-skilled and cheaper competitors. PeoplePerHour locks in a client’s deposit, guaranteeing freelancers’ payment at the end of the project.

· PeoplePerHour for Businesses

Businesses using PeoplePerHour can reap nearly the same benefits as is available on Fiverr. However, the platform offers more security. Entrepreneurs can manage multiple freelancers from their dashboards simultaneously, making the platform convenient if you are running different projects simultaneously.

3. Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is one of the oldest freelancing platforms boasting approximately 32 million users and 1800 categories. The platform is also considered one of the biggest marketplace-type freelancing channels.

Freelancer.com has been in the market for over ten years now, during which it has become the go-to option allowing numerous freelancers and businesses to collaborate on a wide range of projects.

Freelancers using this platform can benefit from the numerous projects available. On the other hand, businesses can find a wide range of freelancers skilled in different niches offering their services at cost-friendly prices.

Pros for Businesses

  • Freelancer offers different payment systems. Businesses operating on a low budget can get competitive prices on Freelancer.com than on Upwork, where freelancers’ rates can be higher.
  • This platform comes with various tools like private chate to facilitate direct communication with the candidate you hire.
  • com offers various payment systems.

Cons

  • There is a percentage of low-skilled freelancers on the com, making it difficult for businesses to pick the ideal candidate.
  • The hiring process can be costly. If you need extra upgrades, you will need to pay separately, lowering the platform’s appeal among businesses.

Pros for Freelancers

  • Some freelancers and employers who have been using the platform for some time now admit that their customer service is one of the best.
  • com is available to everyone regardless of their skill level. You can exercise your skills in different niches. Freelancers are exempted from paying fees on the platform if they refer an employer to Freelancer.com.
  • com provides different ways of withdrawing money.

Cons

Freelancers are limited to eight job applications per month. If you want to apply for more jobs, you must pay the subscription fee, which beginners can find difficult.

4. Toptal

Toptal

Toptal is the short form of top talent. The platform specializes in hiring high-quality freelancers only. Out of the numerous applications they receive from candidates monthly, they only hire less than 3%. They have a strict screening process that ensures that only the most qualified freelance talent works on clients’ projects.

· Why Should You Consider Toptal?

Toptal’s strict application process ensures that clients work with qualified freelancers only.

Toptal hosts freelancers specializing in various niches such as entertainment and healthcare

You can hire a team of designers, project managers, and developers from the platform.

Employers can’t peruse freelancer profiles as on other freelancing platforms. Instead, Toptal has an algorithm that does matchmaking based on a client’s needs.

Toptal is ideal for clients committed to collaborating with specialists.

While Toptal doesn’t display pricing information on its site, some review websites say its fees are higher than other freelancing sites. The value of this platform comes in handy when you want professionals to work on a complex project but have no time to hire vets and onboard new employees.

5. 99designs

99designs

Freelancers searching for graphic design jobs would highly benefit from 99Designs. There are numerous opportunities for designers with clients from different parts of the world. The platform enables freelancers and clients to continue working together long-term. The amount of commission that 99designs charges vary based on a freelancer’s skill level. However, the starting commission is 15%, and freelancers must pay a $100 introductory fee.

The core difference between 99designs and Upwork is:

  • It’s a design-only platform
  • Faster payout
  • Allows freelancers to collaborate
  • Freelancers have to pay an introductory fee

Other Upwork alternatives you may consider include:

There are numerous other websites for graphic designers and freelance writers where remote workers and businesses can collaborate. Here are some of the best Upwork alternatives for graphic designers you should consider.

  • io is a graphic design firm that links businesses with cost-friendly graphic design at fixed monthly rates. Kimp is not a channel where freelancers can find more gigs. However, it’s an effective Upwork alternative for businesses that want to boost their graphic design output.

If you run an eCommerce business such as Amazon, consider hiring qualified designers to help you develop themes for your websites.

  • DesignCrowd is an appealing platform for graphic and website designers. It has a wide range of freelancers available. Its features are similar to 99designs, and it offers crowdsourcing options.

Upwork Alternative Websites for Developers

Websites for Developers

Here are some of the best alternative Upwork websites for employers looking for more technical and experienced programmers and developers.

  • Upstack strives to promote tech teams globally by offering dedicated freelance talent. They search for the best freelance talent by sourcing developers from different parts of the world.
  • Flexible is a system with some of the leading freelance developers. The website boasts a comprehensive vetting process for freelancers that takes prospects through different stages of interviews

Upwork Alternative Websites for Content Writing

Businesses searching for qualified writing talent appreciate rich content writing freelance platforms. Here are some of the best Upwork alternatives for content and WordPress blog writing.

  • Panda Copy offers unlimited copywriting and blog services to businesses seeking to regulate their writing costs.
  • SEOButler is a content generation website where clients can submit guest post requests, written content, citations, and social signals on different websites.

WriterAccess is a platform where employers can commission their writing projects and access experienced freelance writers. They vet the writers heavily to ensure they can satisfy high writing standards.

Alternative Upwork Websites for Marketing

Alternative Upwork Websites for Marketing

Upwork can pair you with different marketing freelancers from other parts of the world. Here are some of the best Upwork alternative platforms where you can hire qualified marketers.

  • MarketerHire makes the process of hiring social media marketers smooth. The team behind this platform strives to recruit qualified marketers to freelance on their platform.
  • Acadium features a search tool that links businesses with the most qualified individuals from their program. As a result, clients get a chance to connect with leading digital marketers immediately after they graduate.
  • Credo is a platform where employers can hire senior consultants, digital marketing agencies, PPC, and SEO experts. The platform only deals with pre-vetted and certified consultants and agencies—the team behind Credo assists and guides employers through the entire hiring process.

The platform matches you with carefully selected digital marketing providers from their network that fit your project needs. Businesses can use Credo and be paired with the ideal pre-vetted providers for free.

Finally

While all these freelancing platforms pursue a common goal, some of them are better than Upwork depending on your particular needs. Trying other alternatives doesn’t hurt. Remember, you will need to keep testing until you find the ideal alternative for your unique needs. If you what to try other freelancing website options, this article should help you make an informed choice. You will identify one platform that enables you to hire the best talent easily.

Upwork Competitors

What Upwork Means for Freelancers and Remote Jobs

Freelancers and remote workers have a significant impact on the global economy. Currently, they contribute more than 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars to the U.S. economy. The number of freelancers and remote workers has risen steadily due to the pandemic.

Freelancing platforms connect freelancers to clients. They also offer additional benefits such as safe payment options and client project management. Upwork is perhaps one of the famous freelancing sites.

What is Upwork?

What is Upwork?

Upwork is a freelancing site that emerged after Elance merged with oDesk in 2013. The platform was later rebranded to Upwork in 2015.

The platform has grown substantially, with close to 60 million Americans freelancing on the site in 2020. The platform has expanded to include various categories in different industries such as mobile app and web development, digital marketing, graphic design, content marketing, software development, and virtual assistance.

Upwork facilitates growing enterprises in working with talented freelancers from all over the world. All a client has to do is sign up, post a project or job, review the proposals submitted by multiple freelancers, and choose the best fit.
Freelancers also need to create profiles, upload their portfolios, and bid for jobs. Upwork provides many tools to assist both freelancers and clients in communicating, making and receiving payments, and collaborating.

Upwork for Clients

Upwork provides two options for clients: Basic and Enterprise. The Basic plan is suitable for beginners who probably don’t have specific needs and can take on the added responsibility of interviewing and finding talented freelancers.

The steps for hiring a freelancer on the basic plan are as follows:

1. Sign up on Upwork.
2. Create a job post.
3. Describe whether you want the project to be priced hourly or have a fixed price.
4. Review the proposals submitted by freelancers and interview the ones you select.
5. Hire them to do your project.

The Enterprise plan offers you access to pre-vetted talent. Clients on this plan don’t need to go through the tedious hiring process of vetting freelancers who have submitted their proposals.

The steps for hiring a freelancer on the enterprise plan are as follows:

1. Sign up and get your account configured.
2. Alternatively, you can contact a Talent Specialist and describe your project.
3. You can also post your project directly on the website.

Upwork for Freelancers

Freelancers create their profiles for free on the platform. Upwork allows them to decorate their portfolio with work experience, history, testimonials, skills, and an introductory video.

After creating an account and getting approved, freelancers can bid for projects. Some clients will vet you, while others may assign tasks without an interview.

Is Upwork Safe?

Upwork is safe, legit, and has been the primary source of income for many remote workers and freelancers for years. The platform has excellent measures to ensure both freelancers and clients don’t fall for scams.

The platform has Trust and Safety programs, which safeguard the interests of all the parties involved. The Hourly Payment Protection program guarantees that freelancers get paid by the hour and promptly.

In addition, Upwork has guides on protecting yourself from threats like phishing and malicious emails. You can report security threats and issues to the platform’s support team.

Upwork’s Payment Systems

Upwork has a Payment Protection system that offers safe and secure payments. Clients can choose between two payment options: hourly rate or fixed price. Clients and freelancers can collaborate on jobs without payment concerns.

Upwork Payment Systems

Fixed Price Payment System

Freelancers and clients agree on project deliverables and set milestones. The client then deposits an amount for the milestone into the escrow account. The payment is released once the client approves the work done by the freelancer.

The client can ask the freelancer to make changes if the work is unsatisfactory before approving the payment. Alternatively, the client can request an escrow refund.

The escrow guarantees payment for satisfactory work. If the client does not approve the work or requests changes within 14 days, the payment is automatically released. The freelancer can also file for a dispute if the client refuses to approve the payment.

Hourly Rate Payment System

Clients and freelancers can agree on an hourly rate. The client will monitor the freelancer’s progress in the work diary. The diary is a time-tracking feature that takes snapshots of the freelancer’s work progress. It allows the client to confirm the invoice is for their work.

The client can file a dispute if the freelancer logs hours unrelated to their project. Upwork will refund the client for hours that do not qualify for Hourly Protection.

Freelancers use the Upwork Desktop App to log in their hours. They get paid for the hour they invoice if they meet the Hourly Protection criteria.

Top 20 Upwork Competitors in 2022

Upwork is a well-known freelancing platform for those sailing the freelance marketplace. Without a doubt, it is a convenient platform to seek freelance jobs and projects. But there are so many Upwork alternatives worth checking out.

We have come up with the best Upwork alternatives to help you explore a wide range of freelance services. These platforms will help you find a freelancing job that best fits your skillset. Keep reading to discover the best Upwork competitors.

1. Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the best Upwork alternatives. This platform allows you to sell your freelancing services or products for as low as five U.S. dollars. The low rate was its go-to strategy.

Fiverr

The gig and freelance marketplace fall into the low-budget category, making it convenient for beginners. However, it does not mean that it is a platform for inexperienced professionals. But the prices are typically lower compared to Upwork.

Creativity catches the eye when scrolling gigs on the platform. It seems creative juices are powering Fiverr, from web design to building 3D gaming characters to voice-over.

Fiverr is also a nice platform if you are looking to offer skills that are not common such as personal stylist services and cooking lessons.

2. Freelancer.com

Freelancer is also among the top competitors to Upwork. It is a gig outsourcing site and is growing quite fast, with many job listings and gig options. This Upwork competitor boasts over 1,800 gigs every day and was explicitly created for freelancers’ convenience.

Freelancer provides different payment systems, 24/7 support, and private chat options, including text, video, and voice calls. The platform also offers several membership plains that suit different freelancers. The plans include Premier, Professional, Plus, and Basic plans with a monthly fee of between 4.95 and 69.95 U.S. dollars.

Freelancer is unique because of the proportion of freelance job categories associated with tech. Other types include data entry, business, accounting, design, and many more.

3. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is also one of the competitors of Upwork that offers various job categories to freelancers. Remote job seekers can either bid on a client’s job posting or post their offers for businesses and clients to choose from.

PeoplePerHour

Joining PeoplePerHour is relatively easy for a freelancer. You will need to set up your account add a cover photo, skillset, experience, and hourly rate. You can add a few samples of your previous works to your portfolio and request endorsements from clients.

This online marketplace has secure payment systems. It requires clients to submit a deposit before assigning a gig to a freelancer. Once the project is complete, the platform’s automated invoicing raises an invoice, and the freelancer receives payment.

4. Guru.com

Guru is also one of the best Upwork competitors and sticks solely to professional freelancing services. Another unique feature of this platform is that it has some of the industry’s lowest transaction fees. This leaves more money for both freelancers and clients.

Guru is very similar to Upwork because they both focus on business acumen and professionalism. Their platforms are identical and mirror each other’s usability and interface.

Though Upwork and Guru are closely related in terms of services, they treat freelancers differently. Guru charges its freelancers membership fees and for standard features such as linking an external portfolio. Though the setup may work for clients, freelancers may be disadvantaged. A low-level freelancer can pay more to outrank a skilled freelancer.

5. Toptal

TopTal is a popular freelance platform that connects clients with highly-vetted freelancers. The platform only provided freelance software developers when it started but has since expanded to include financial experts, freelance designers, project managers, and product managers.

Toptal

Toptal’s key feature is its strict vetting process and a large-high-quality remote team. It has a multi-stage screening process that consists of real-time testing, portfolio review, code review, and an English skill test. The platform claims that its strict screening helps get the top three percent of freelance talent.

Once they receive clients’ requirements, they match them with the service provider from the talent pool. However, hiring from the platform isn’t cheap, and only well-funded businesses can afford to recruit from the platform.

6. 99designs

99designs is an online marketplace created specifically for designers. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups often turn to this platform seeking graphic and web designers to assist them with various designs, from product packaging to logos.

Clients can either create a contest to have multiple ideas to choose from or hire freelancers whose portfolios fit their needs. 99designs values excellent service, and all freelancers are evaluated and ranked.
Designers on the platform get paid better compared to other platforms. 99designs also manages all payments, providing freelancers with a heightened level of security.

7. Credo

Credo focuses on digital marketing, providing more specialized freelancing services for SEO, copywriting, social media marketing, and online ads. This platform connects e-commerce businesses with freelance writers who assist in creating content tailored towards boosting their marketing strategies.

Apart from focusing on digital marketing, the platform takes a more hands-on approach to the hiring process. Credo gets to the core of the client’s needs to better suggest freelancers with the best skill set for the project. The platform is smaller than Upwork and can give more attention to clients. It also limits the number of freelancers it offers.

The platform has a strict vetting process in addition to its narrow range of freelancing services. It offers a more customized matching process and payment security.

8. Hubstaff Talent

This platform offers paid software solutions that enable recruiters to develop, manage, and monitor remote teams. Hubstaff Talent provides a free job board for recruiters seeking to hire remote workers worldwide.

Hubstaff Talent

The platform is powered by 100 percent remote teams and provides freelancing services to over 34,000 clients in 18 countries. The platform is easy, and fun to use and has a steady flow of job postings every week.

9. TextBroker

TextBroker is an online marketplace that connects freelance writers with clients that need written content. The platform offers two service levels: managed services and self-service.

The self-service option allows clients to post a writing gig. Freelance writers apply for the job, and the clients select who they would like to hire based on their profile, experience, rating, and samples.

Alternatively, clients can sign up for managed services. This plan outsources all the work to the platform’s team, who create briefs and select writers.

10. FreeUp

FreeUp is another platform that offers plenty of remote work in various niches. Freelancers undergo a selection process that includes an application review and a one-on-one interview. In addition, the interview assesses your communication skills, competencies, and motivation.

Your skill level and experience will determine the category of freelancers you belong to. These categories are entry, mid, and expert and will determine the type of work you will be offered and your hourly rate.

FreeUp does job-candidate pairing, a convenient way of ensuring that freelancers don’t spend hours searching for jobs. Freelancers can also search and apply for jobs that fit their skill level.

11. SoundBetter

SoundBetter is a niche outsourcing platform, and as the name suggests, it is precisely for music industry professionals. It has an established talent pool, which includes some well-known names. This lowers the chances of getting hired and is not ideal for beginners. However, it is a good fit for you if you have significant experience in the field.

SoundBetter

As part of Spotify for Artists, SoundBetter has enhanced credibility in the industry. It compromises more than 50,000 artists and professionals from over 176 countries.

Job categories on the platform include film composers, instrumentalists, music producers, game audio designers, podcast editors, lyric songwriters, and sound designers. All reviews are verified so potential clients can trust the testimonials about freelancers.

12. Flexiple

Flexiple is a remote job outsourcing platform that connects freelancers with startups and entrepreneurs seeking designers or developers. The platform was launched in 2016 and has gained attention as the place to find high-quality professionals, carefully vetted before approval.

Freelancers are thoroughly evaluated when they apply to join the platform. Technical skill level, previous work, problem-solving ability, communication skills, and motivation to freelance are all evaluated during the process. Freelancers boast of being among the top talent if accepted into the platform.

Flexiple plays the role of a matchmaker by offering the most suited freelancer to each job listing. Once a client has selected a freelancer, a trial period begins to determine whether they are the right fit. If all goes well, Flexiple assists with contracts and payments between the two parties.

13. Scripted

Scripted is another Upwork alternative suitable for copywriting services. The platform’s acceptance rate for beginners is relatively low. But if you are a skilled and experienced writer seeking quality remote-jobs, Scripted could be a real gem.

Clients turn to scripted for various jobs including, blog posts, product descriptions, press releases, newsletters, and transcription. The platform covers over 37 different fields.

14. Designhill

Designhill targets freelancers with design skills and experience. There are various ways of making money on the platform. Freelancers can enter design contests submitted by clients, sell their services, or be approached by clients who like their portfolios.

Every designer on the platform can receive a design PRO status. However, it is not issued lightly. Freelancers have to fulfill specific requirements to earn it. These requirements include winning a design contest, uploading several designs on their portfolio, and being active platform users.

15. WriterAccess

This Upwork competitor offers jobs for freelance writers. Creating a profile on the platform is free, but you must showcase your talent, skills, and experience as well as you can.

WriterAccess

The platform’s algorithm will assist clients in discovering you using text analysis that matches their needs to your skillset.

16. Outsourcely

Outsourcely focuses on remote workers, and its goal is to connect clients with freelancers from the entire world. It is an excellent platform for long-term relationships as opposed to one-off projects.

Surprisingly, Outsourcely allows freelancers to keep 100 percent of their earnings. It is the client who pays for the platform’s fees.

17. ServiceScape

ServiceScape is one of the oldest freelancer markets, though it somehow goes unnoticed. However, it has a large fanbase, which makes it qualify as Upwork’s competitor. This online marketplace specializes in proofreading, freelance writing, graphic design, translation, and other editorial work.

ServiceScape prioritizes speed and expedites the hiring process, allowing freelancers to start working on projects as soon as possible. The platform is reliable in getting projects done quickly.

18. Bark

Bark is a web-based platform that focuses on reforming the landscape for freelancers and clients. It is designed to prevent both parties from wasting time on directories and search engines.

19. Nexxt

Nexxt is a cloud-based freelance platform designed to connect talented freelancers with clients seeking to hire great talent. The platform allows freelancers to search for remote jobs by going through job postings displayed on the system. Communication on the site is improved, allowing both parties to work harmoniously.

20. Hireable.com

Hireable is a platform where freelancing professionals hunt for projects. The site makes job-hunting easy because it has a search engine that yields results with only a few mouse clicks. Freelancers can even use keywords to search for gigs successfully.

Hireable.com

Upwork is a well-known freelancing site that connects thousands of freelancers with clients. However, numerous Upwork competitors provide similar freelancing services. These sites offer suitable alternatives that will enable a client to hire a developer now.

Why Use Node.js?

Why use node.js?

Node.js is an open-source JavaScript runtime environment that aids in executing JavaScript code outside a browser. Node.js is a cross-platform JavaScript, which aids in developing real-time network applications. The advantages of using Node.js are many and varied, and we will look at each of them in-depth. The latest version is v0.10.36 and companies that use this platform include General Electric, eBay, Microsoft, PayPal, Yahoo!, Uber and Yammer among many others.

Node.js allows developers to use JavaScript for writing command-line tools and server-side scripting, which means running a script server-side to give excellent web page content before the page going to a browser. Node.js applications are in JavaScript and are run within the Node.js runtime on Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X. Node.js has a rich array of different JavaScript modules, making the development of web applications via Node.js simpler.

How it Works

Node.js is event-driven and the server comprises a single thread that processes events, one after the other. For instance:

    • When one new request comes in, it is one event.
    • When the server begins processing this even, and there is an I/O blocking operating, the server registers a callback function, instead of waiting for event completion
    • The server immediately picks up the new event or request processing
    • After the completion of the I/O operation, the server processes the operation by callback execution.
    • Node.js runs on a single-thread and continues to process many requests of simultaneous connections

Advantages of Using Node.js

Node.js has various advantages, which include:

Easy Scalability

One of the major advantages of using Node.js is that as a developer, you will find it easier to scale the applications in both horizontal and vertical directions. You can scale the applications horizontally by adding additional nodes to the already existing system.

Node.js also allows you to add more resources to the nodes during the application’s vertical scaling. Node.js is very scalable and offers a better option in comparison to various JavaScript servers.

Easy to Learn

To many novices, Node.js may seem like a daunting process. In fact, JavaScript is one of the easiest to learn programming languages and the most commonly used among all developers. Most front-end developers tend to be well versed with it making it easy to use Node.js for the backend.

Full-Stack JS

Node.js is known as a full-stack JS as it serves clients and server-side applications. With Node.js, there is no need to hire different developers for front-end and back end developers, which saves you a lot of valuable effort, time and money.

High Performance

Node.js interprets JavaScript code through the Google V8 JavaScript engine and compiles the code straight into the machine code. This process makes it easier and allows for effective code implementation. The runtime environment supports the non-blocking I/O operations and improves the code execution speed. It is very fast and you can stream large files.

Since Node.js uses the V8 engine that was developed by Google to be used in Chrome. V8 compiles and then executes JavaScript at high speeds because V8 translates JavaScript into native machine code. Another significant thing after speed is the event loop, which is a single thread that carries out all I/O tasks asynchronously.

Traditionally, I/O operations consume a huge chunk of memory and are hard to program. When Node.js needs to perform any I/O operation, it sends an asynchronous task to the event loop, together with a callback function and continues to the execution of the program. When it completes the asynchronous operation, the event loop returns to the async task to execute the callback.

Large and Active Community Support

The Node.js community is always at hand to provide developers with the improvement of Node.js. The JavaScript programmers support developers heavily by providing them with codes in GitHub and easy and ready-made solutions. In the future, these developers are expected to recruit more developers.

Caching

Node.js, as mentioned before has an open-source runtime, which also provides one with the ability to cache single modules. When there is a request for the first module, it is cached in the application’s memory. A developer is not obligated to re-execute the codes because caching lets applications load web pages much faster and respond to the user faster.

Control Flow

Some of the Node.js frameworks allow serializing functions and mapping, which keeps your code organized. You do not have to build complex functional structures whereby you embed them into each other. The framework automatically groups them and you are allowed to access the needed function without having to keep using the callback command.

Automation

In a framework, you are allowed to computerize all repetitive operations, schedule actions and share any modification records. All you need to do is to specify the code requirements, and the framework does the rest of the hard tasks.

Single Programming Language

Node.js allows developers to write server-side applications in JavaScript. This allows a developer to write backend and front-end web applications in JavaScript via a runtime environment.

App development Freedom

Nde.js offers the freedom to develop applications and software. This is unlike most platforms, which impose guidelines for app and software development.

Process Several Requests at Once

Node.js assists you in processing several requests at once. It can easily manage simultaneous requests in comparison to other platforms such as Python and Ruby on Rails.

Extended support

Node.js developers have extended support for different tools. For instance, you can test the platform’s source code via Jasmin and other tools.

Thread Safety

You do not need to worry about thread safety, race conditions, and mutex protection because of JavaScript’s async callbacks that have been fired from a single thread interface.

You Have Already Learned JavaScript

You may be making use of a rich client framework such as Backbone, Ember, and Angular) and a REST-full (Representational State Transfer) server-side API which moves JSON to and fro. REST server provides you with access to resources and the client accesses and modifies resources via FTTP protocol.

If you are into using any of these client frameworks, you must have written your own code in jQuery. If you do not use Node.js on your server, you will be translating all the time. Using JavaScript in your app gives you practicality and reusing your templates and models means, you reduce your app size, therefore reducing bugs and complex issues.

It’s very extensible

The Node.js platform is very extensible, meaning you can easily customize it and extend it as per requirement. You can use JSON to provide you with scope for data exchange between the client and the internet server. It has in-built APIs that can develop TCP, DNS< HTTP, and other servers.

Where Node.js can be used

There are several instances when Node.js can be utilized:

Chat

Chat is the most common multi-user and real-time application. The chat app is the

The best use for Node.js as it is light, data-intensive with low computation, and high traffic app, which runs across several distributed devices.

Data Application

In typical platforms, HTTP queries and responses are considered as isolated cases and are called streams. You can access files as they are uploading, as data comes via a stream and you can process it using an online mode.

Proxy

Node.js is used as s server-side proxy and it can manage many connections all at once without blocking. Node.js is useful when it comes to proxying various services that have various responds times or data collection from different sources.

API

Node is excellent with real-time apps. It is great in exposing data from object databases such as document DB and Azure. JSON’s stored data, allows Node.js to operate without mismatches or data conversion.

Tooling

npm is the package manager for Node.js, and it is fast, consistent and robust. It is excellent in the specification and installation of project dependencies. It isolates packages from the rest of the projects, this preventing version conflicts. It manages global installs of platform-dependent binaries and shell commands.

Real-Time simplified

If Node.js works well in various connections, it follows that it works well at multi-user, real-time web apps such as games and chats. The real-time ability comes via the utilization of a web socket protocol. A web socket is a two-way communication channel that exists between the client and their server. The server pushes data to the client as easily as the client pushes data to the server.

Hosting

Platform-as-A -service (PaaS) providers reduce deployment to one command.

Conclusion

Node.js is a platform typically used for event-driven, non-blocking servers because of its single-threaded qualities. It is utilized for back-end API services and conventional websites. It was initially built for push-based and real-time architectures.

Node.njs plays a huge role in many companies that depend on the Node.js platform. The core element of Node.js is a library that is accessible to both iOS and Android clients, which allows you to add a Node.js to whichever mobile app.Node for mobile apps is a toolkit that combines Node.js with mobile apps. The core element of Node.js JavaScript, which is easy to learn and the scaling becomes higher than PHP and C.

Best Microsoft Office Alternatives

There are lots of Microsoft’s products like Power BI, SharePoint,Skype, OneNote etc. and Microsoft Office remains one of the most popular office suites in the world. It comes with applications that allow users to create presentations, spreadsheets, databases, and documents. However, there are numerous alternatives you may want to try. We shall discuss them below.

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft is a collection of desktop performance applications that Microsoft designed for business use and released in 1990. Microsoft Office is supported by Linux, Mac, and Windows variants and is available in 35 different languages. It can comprise Excel, Word Processor, Outlook, Powerpoint, Access, and Publisher, based on the version you choose. More services like OneDrive cloud storage space are available in some packages.

What are the Pros and Cons of Microsoft Office?

Pros and Cons of Microsoft Office

If you have many documents to create or edit, purchasing a Microsoft Office subscription like Office 365 could be necessary. Other pros of having an MS Office subscription include:

· Ability to Work from Anywhere as long as you have Internet Access

One of the core advantages of using a cloud-based suite is accessing it remotely. Unlike in the past, when people would only access programs from physical servers or desktops at the office, Microsoft Office 365 allows individuals and businesses to access programs and files from anywhere.

You don’t need to be at the office to complete your work because you can save everything on a cloud server. Some Microsoft 365 plans allow users to install the complete desktop versions of the applications and programs, allowing users to continue working even under poor internet conditions.

Users can continue working and sync the changes once their internet connection stabilizes. Office 365 is a convenient suite for remote workers.

· Enhanced Productivity

Microsoft Office Enhances productivity by:

Flawless Team Collaboration

Collaboration between employees, internal departments, and third parties is critical for many companies. Office 365 comes with a Co-Authoring tool enabling multiple people to collaborate on a single project simultaneously in real-time. Supervisors can monitor the changes and see who made them and at what time.

Multiple Adaptable Plans Customized to Businesses

With the ideal office software, businesses don’t have to change to fit in as they would when using productivity suites with limited plans. Microsoft has multiple projects to choose from, which comprise unique features that cater to different types of businesses. In this case, business owners can choose the right plan that meets their needs.

Cons of Microsoft Office

While there are numerous advantages of using Office 365, there are drawbacks, as we shall see below.

· You need an Internet Connection to Access Updated Files

The ability to access programs and files is the core advantage of Office 365. However, it is also its biggest drawback. Office 365 is a cloud-based system that uploads data on the internet. If you suffer regular downtime or poor internet connection, uploading files will be a struggle, and you won’t access the most recent files.

Some Office 365 plans allow users to download the complete desktop version applications, as we have seen above. If your internet is not stable, you can download them, continue working and upload them to the cloud when your internet stabilizes.

· Compatibility Issues

Compatibility is one of the core problems that many businesses struggle with. Usually, Microsoft releases updates regularly, complete with advanced features. However, they often tend to be compatible with gadgets capable of managing such sophisticated software.

If your systems are incompatible with Office 365, you can buy new systems or upgrade all your plans to more recent versions of Microsoft Windows. Worth mentioning is that these methods can be time-consuming and costly.

You might also encounter third-party companies or clients that neither use cloud-based systems nor the same software as you. In this case, Office 365 comes with the Offline Online tool that enables third-party users to utilize primary functions like editing documents and viewing without requiring a subscription plan. However, this tool is basic and has limited features.

What is the price for Microsoft Office?

While you can access Microsoft Office free of charge, premium office online packages give you an excellent experience. Below you will find prices of the new small business and consumer Office 2021 perpetual-license products for Macs and PCs.

  • Office Home and Student 2021 is available for $149.99. It features Excel, Word, Microsoft Teams, OneNote, and PowerPoint for Mac and PC.
  • Office Home and Business 2021 is available for $249.99. It comes with the same apps as Office Home and Student 2021, plus Outlook for Mac and PC. Users also get the right to use the office apps for business motives.
  • Users of Office 2021 can create free OneDrive accounts, which gives them access to 5GB worth of cloud storage.

Price of the New Small Business and Consumer Microsoft 365 Subscriptions

  • Microsoft 365 Personal is available for $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.
  • Microsoft 365 Family is available for $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually. It supports households and families of up to six individuals.
  • These Microsoft 365subscriptions allow users to access premium versions of Powerpoint, Excel, Word, OneDrive, Outlook, OneNote, Microsoft Family Safety, and Microsoft Editor for mobile, Mac, and PC.

What is the Best Alternative for MS Office

With so many Microsoft Office alternatives available today, choosing the right one for your business can be a difficult task. Here are some of the best options available to ease your search.

· LibreOffice

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is one of the best open-source, free alternatives to Microsoft Office that evolved from the Openoffice suite. It features a word processor, presentation, and spreadsheet software, and users can access it in 110 languages. LibreOffice utilizes OpenDocument Format (ODF) but still supports other formats similar to what is used in Microsoft Office.

It is the default suite for many Linux distros and can also be used in macOS and Windows. LibreOffice Viewer is also available for Android. While users can get support online, LibreOffice is easy to use, meaning they will hardly need help. Users can include additional features to LibreOffice, such as templates for documents from its site.

· Calligra

Initially, Calligra Office Suite was launched in October 2000 as a component of KOffice. It is developed by KDE and is available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Calligra is an open-source software ideal for graphic art design, and users can download it from KDE’s downloads page or its website.

It comes with a project managing and mind-mapping tool, but users will need to pay extra for the services. You can read DOX and DOCX formats with this suite, but editing is restricted.

· WordPerfect

WordPerfect

WordPerfect is a robust but costly office suite compatible with numerous document formats and features extra apps to facilitate photo manipulation. It is one of the oldest Microsoft Office alternatives available for Windows only.

WordPerfect is not for you if you are looking for an advanced modern-day suite. This Office suite is old school and does not support cloud-based services. WordPerfect comes with an archaic pricing model where the professional version is $339.99, the basic version costs $249.99, and the Home & Student version is $99.99, which can be expensive.

WordPerfect versions feature a spreadsheet program, word processor, digital notebook, and slideshow creator. However, the word processor in the Home & Student version eliminates features like Bates numbering and PDF import. Some features of this Office Suite can convince you to choose it over its competitors. For example, the Professional and Standard versions come with eBook Publisher, allowing you to change your documents into EPUB format.

· FreeOffice

FreeOffice is a free-to-use plain version of SoftMaker Office developed for Linux and Windows. It is compatible with Powerpoint, Excel, and Microsoft Word formats, meaning users can view and save files in various formats like PPTX, XLSX, and DOCX. Its recently launched user interface allows users to work with classic or modern toolbars and menus, meaning they can easily switch from Microsoft Office.

· Google Workspace

Google Workspace

Google Workspace is one of the best Microsoft Office alternatives for companies. Users can use Google Docs, Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Forms, Google Slides, Google Chat, and Google Meet to boost productivity. Google Drive is also an ideal online storage solution.

This Office suite works well with Linux, Mac, Windows, and other computers with an advanced web browser. Teams can collaborate and share files without having to download anything. They can also add extra features by integrating plugins and work with different types of file formats, such as Microsoft Office files.

Google provides Offline suite versions via plugins with Chrome. However, they are neither reliable nor consistent, even though they work well with a reliable internet connection. Google Workspace works well with local apps for the Google mobile operating system. Google Workspace is available for business users for $6 monthly. A free Google account offers everything a non-business user needs.

· OnlyOffice

Apart from the standard features like Spreadsheets and Word processing, OnlyOffice facilitates sales and order fulfillment documentation. It also comes with a calendar feature, allowing users to stay updated with work-based and personal tasks. You can also edit documents using this Office suite. Different users can collaborate on a single project and leave comments when needed.

· Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper

Dropbox may not be popularly known for its office programs, but it provides a solid word processing application. Dropbox Paper is incorporated in Dropbox, easing file sharing. This Office suite allows users to export files in PDF and .docx file formats. It gives you a user-friendly interface and is available for free for people with a Dropbox account. Individuals and businesses with more significant storage needs will pay $19.99 monthly.

· Zoho Workplace

Zoho Workplace’s refined look replaces the standard word-style user interface with a formatting sidebar. This office suite also features a robust site creation tool, numerous collaboration tools, and a file management solution. While some of these tools are simple, they are ideal for small business owners. You can sign up for the free version of this office suite by searching for the Forever Free plan on the pricing page.

· Apple iWork

Apple iWork

Apple’s office suite, iWork, is only available on macOS. It supports word processing, emphasizing presentation software, spreadsheets, and design. It comes with a simple user interface that works well on different display sizes, including smaller screens on an iPad or iPhone.

This Office suite supports iCloud, Apple Pencil, and Handoff. It allows contractors and freelancers to import MS Office documents into Keynote, Numbers, or Pages and send them to their clients in the relevant MS Office formats.

Today, Windows PC users can use iWork through iCloud. However, Apple is yet to release versions compatible with PCs. iWork for iCloud is the cloud-based version. In the past, only Apple users could access iCloud. However, various platforms are now compatible with iWork apps, thanks to iCloud’s free office suite.

· WPS Office

Kingsoft, a Chinese software developer, launched WPS Office in 2016. WPS is a cross-platform office suite available for Android, Linux, Windows, and iOS. It is also available in Spanish, English, German, and French languages. You can choose the premium or free tier. The latter allows users to use Spreadsheets, Presentation, and Writer, alternatives to the MS office suite. Its PDF to Word converter is easy to use and fast. You will get 1GB of cloud storage for PC and iOS free. However, the WPS office is not yet available for Android users.

Users can link up to 9 gadgets at once with the premium tier. It also eliminates the adverts available on the free level. Some users are unhappy that WPS Office’s user interface can be slow, especially when loading documents. Linux users say some fonts have not been included, forcing them to install them separately. On the other hand, Android users say WPS is significant and urges the developer to consider making it lightweight.

· Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice is a free, open-source office suite available in more than 40 languages. This office suite has a clean and neat user interface. It offers various programs such as Base, Math, Draw, which operate as a vector graphics editor, Calc (similar to Microsoft Excel), Impress (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint), and Writer. However, some users say the interface is archaic.

Apache OpenOffice suite is compatible with Windows operating system. However, you will need to install Java in 32-bit for outstretched functionalities.

Finally

Whether you opt for a free or paid Microsoft Office alternative, you will need to research extensively to ensure it meets your specific individual or business needs. This list provides some of the best MS Office alternatives available today. Choose one that seems close to what you are looking for and try it to figure out whether or not it works satisfactorily.

What to Say in a Daily Standup Meetings

The primary purpose of daily standup meetings is to align strategy with execution. Unfortunately, only a few leaders are good with this, which creates a messy situation around priorities.

Effective daily stand-up or scrum standup meetings should answer the following questions:

  • What exactly should we work on?
  • What is every team member working on?
  • Do we know where we are headed to?
  • Are people moving in the same direction?
  • What is the broader strategy, and what does it look like at the task execution level?

Frequent daily standup meetings provide teams with a focused way of aligning what is happening in an organization, planning daily work, and removing blockers.

Standup Meeting

What Does Standup Meeting Mean?

A standup meeting is a short and synchronous meeting that allows team members to get together, review progress, and discuss new issues. Some organizations refer to it as a daily scrum meeting or a development team-only meeting. This meeting aims to get team members on the same page, ensuring that there is an alignment on who is doing what, what can wait versus what is a priority, and what questions and outstanding blockers need to be addressed.

Why is the Daily Standup Meeting Important?

A standup meeting is an excellent example of a daily routine that can break or improve a team’s effectiveness over time. Effective daily standup meetings empower teams with a robust framework for long-term success. On the other hand, ineffective standups can hinder a team’s ability to accomplish its goals.

How Do You Do Daily Stand-up Meetings?

Daily standup meetings agenda should be short and focus intensely on the company’s process. Every participant should arrive at a particular time; the daily scrum meetings should begin at a specific time and last 15 minutes or less.

Effective Daily Standup Meeting

The scum should address three cornerstone standup questions:

  1. What did you accomplish yesterday?
  2. What tasks will you perform today?
  3. What blockers do you face?

The answers to these standup questions should be direct and short so that every participant can respond within the short period allocated for the daily scrum meeting. The responses should be quick and concise so that the next person can also respond.

The three daily standup meeting questions help provide the purpose and structure of the meeting. The following steps can assist team leaders in ensuring that Scrum is efficient and effective.

  • Keep it short: The right timing is essential in every meeting. A standup meeting should take at most 15 minutes.
  • Be professional: All members should arrive on time, listen to other team members, and stand up for Scrum.
  • Be valuable: All that is said in the meeting should be valuable to the majority of the participants. If you are addressing a single person or speaking about yourself, then the information may not be helpful to the other team members.
  • Call “Tangent”: Every participant should have the power to call “Tangent” and end a one-on-one that is not valuable to the whole team. This will ensure there is no waste of time.
  • Involve remote employees: Involving remote teams will vary based on the conference room and the scrum framework. However, it is essential to include the remote teammates through conference calls or zoom.
  • Go to the source: Having some source of truth such as shared blockers, work-in-progress, and plans before a standup helps the entire team have asynchronous communication.

Further to understanding how to conduct effective standup meetings, it is critical to note the common mistakes made during these meetings. One of the most common mistakes is converting the meeting into a status meeting. It is not an overview of everything all team members intend to do.

Other common mistakes include in daily scrum meetings:

Scrum Meeting

  • Being late: All team members should ensure they check in on time.
  • Sitting down: The scrum team should not get very comfortable. Remember the meeting should be short and snappy.
  • Rambling: Scrums require agile teams that can be concise, clear, and still be mindful of the time limitations.
  • Not listening:Everyone must focus because you might have a solution to another team member’s blocker.
  • One-on-one conversations:Scrums are not intended for back-and-forth conversations. You must be mindful of the rest of the team.
  • Repeating tasks: Teams should abstain from stating the same work items every day. It would help if you investigated why there is no progress.
  • Problem-solving during scrums:Teammates should not engage in problem-solving during standups. Problem-solving requires elaborate discussions, which can be afterward.

You can avoid most of these meetings by running asynchronous scrum meetings in slack than in person.

What Is The Difference Between Daily Standup Meeting And Daily Meeting?

A daily standup meeting is meant for the development team and is led by the scrum master. It follows the Scrum methodology and seeks to answer the three standup questions. In addition, it outlines daily tasks, is short, and sticks to a specific template.

Daily meetings include more stakeholders and are more formal than standup meetings. The entire development team may be involved or only the scrum master or project manager. The meeting identifies more hindrances and engages in problem-solving. A daily meeting’s agenda is broader than a standup meeting and may discuss resource allocation.

What Should You Do Before The Daily Standup Meeting?

It is essential to plan for every standup meeting before it begins. Having the plan, shared impediments, and work-in-progress before the meeting ensures everybody is on the same page.

The host of the Scrum, typically the project manager, should meet with senior team members, the product owner, and all other stakeholders to get a status update on what’s going well and what’s not. This meeting can be monthly and will help in sprint planning during the daily standup meetings. Once the project managers understand the progress and impediments, they can allocate sprint goals and follow up on them. They can also resolve sprint backlogs quickly.

The following template will assist you in planning your meeting.

Jumping Jack

  • Start time: The scrum master should set a convenient start time for everyone, including the distributed team.
  • Brief physical activity: This is optional but critical in ensuring that everybody is active before they level-set their working day. Some companies embrace this, and it has proved to keep members active during meetings. However, it should take the least time possible, typically less than a minute.
  • Begin: Select the first person, typically the one closest to the videoconference or joining last.
  • Answer the three questions: Members should take the least time to answer the three standup questions.
  • End: Close the Scrum with a cheer, team clap, or a reminder of the project’s mission.

Such a template is ideal for ensuring the startup meetings’ purpose and goals are met.

What Have You Accomplished Since The Previous Meeting?

This question is critical in a standup meeting, and every participant must answer it. It seeks to elaborate on what each team member did the previous day. If the answer to this question is similar for several days, it may indicate non-progress, and the scrum master should investigate.

Here is an example of how one might respond to the question:

What did you accomplish yesterday?

“Yesterday, I worked on developing the initial specs of ABC App project.”

What Will You Do Today?

This is also a critical question in standup questions. Team members tell the rest of the team what tasks they intend to handle on that particular day. The answer to this question will answer question one the following day.

Here is an example of how one might respond to the question:

What tasks will you perform today?

“Today, I will continue with the ABC App development project and focus on integrating it with the client’s payment options.”

What is Hindering Progress?

This is the final question in a standup meeting. It seeks to identify each team member’s blockers in the development process. However, team members should not engage in problem-solving discussions because they may be a waste of time.

Here is an example of how one might respond to the question:

What blockers do you face?

“I could need another set of eyes to test the App’s features.”

What is Hindering Progress

Who is A Scrum Master?

A scrum master leads a development team using agile project management skills throughout the project. They facilitate all the collaboration and communication between team members to ensure success.

The agile project management methodology applies short development cycles known as sprints to ensure continuous improvement. The scrum master must be committed to the scrum practices and values to ensure that all team members follow its framework.

Scrum Master’s Role

The key role of a scrum master is to promote team members and projects using agile project management. Depending on the work environment, a scrum master may take the roles of a project manager, facilitator, or coach.

Scrum Master's Role

Other duties of a scrum master include:

  • Leading daily scrum meetings, demos, reviews, and other project-related meetings.
  • Coaching the team members on Scrum best practices and principles.
  • Supporting teams in their tasks.
  • Proactively identifying and resolving blockers.
  • Facilitating open discussions, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
  • Updating functions in project management tracking tools.

Scrum as a GameChanger

A Scrum Master is a servant-leader and serves the needs of his development team. He is not involved with the project deliverable’s development but prepares and organizes the team, ensuring they follow the scrum framework to deliver the project successfully. As a result, Scrum is a critical component in the successful delivery of projects.

Scrum enables teams to identify sprint backlogs and other issues addressed in sprint planning and when setting sprint goals. The scrum master reports these issues to the senior management. But the senior management is less accessible to handle the specific problems promptly. So, what does the scrum master do?

One way of quickly resolving such issues is setting up a task board of team leaders working on different projects. The task board embarks on identifying and collecting impediments, followed by a series of problem-solving discussions. Now the scrum master can escalate the matter with alternative solutions to the senior management for decision making.

Benefits of Daily Stand Up Meetings

Daily standup meetings have numerous benefits to the development team, including:

  • Encourages positive team building
  • Enables the team members to capture valuable knowledge
  • Builds and enhances team collaboration
  • Improves understanding of common goals
  • Reduces impediments and blockers

The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

Scrum’s framework, sprints, and agile working principles are applied in almost all business areas today. Scrum is basically based on a simple idea that requires you to regularly check the progress of your project and see whether it is moving in the right direction.

You should always seek to identify ways of improving what you are working on and what may hinder you from accomplishing your project. But this sounds more simple than what many corporate structures have: lengthy forms, procedures, and meetings. These structures are complex and time-consuming, unlike the visible value creation that Scrum adds.

If we genuinely want to do twice the work in half the time, we need a good understanding of the things that get in our way to productivity. Then we must also come up with quick solutions to what hinders our success. We can do twice the work in half the time by doing this.

The Takeaway from Sutherland’s Book

The key takeaways from Sutherland’s book, “The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time” are:

Takeaway from Sutherland's Book

  • Planning is useful
  • Inspect and adapt. Stop what you are doing once in a while to review your progress.
  • Fail fast and fix early. Corporate culture focuses on complex procedures rather than visible value creation.
  • Look outwards for solutions. Complex adaptive systems learn from their environment.
  • Focus on small wins. Every journey starts with a single step.

Daily Stand Up Meeting Template

Here’s a template for a typical daily standup meeting:

Date and time: Begin by stating the date and time of the meeting so that everyone is aware of when it is taking place.

Attendance: Take attendance to ensure that all team members are present.

Progress updates: Each team member should provide a brief update on their progress since the last meeting. This should include what they have accomplished, what they plan to do next, and any roadblocks they have encountered.

Issues and roadblocks: If any team member is facing issues or roadblocks, they should bring them up during the meeting so that the team can work together to find a solution.

Action items: The team should identify any action items that need to be taken and assign responsibilities to team members.

Next meeting time and place: End the meeting by reminding everyone of the time and place of the next daily standup meeting.

Conclusion

Remember, the purpose of a daily standup meeting is to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that the team is working towards the same goals. Keep the meeting short, focused, and productive, and encourage team members to actively participate and share their progress and challenges.

The agile principles of Scrum have led many businesses to adopt it. It has become so widespread that companies are now getting into Scrum-as-a-Service, an approach that puts success before everything else. Hire a SaaS product developer and start enjoying the benefits of Scrum.

How to leave a review on a podcast

I’m getting ready to launch a podcast.

When I first thought about doing this, I made the decision very quickly. It was an easy decision actually. I’ve been living in Europe now for about 4 years. Since I moved to Europe, I’ve been feeling a little isolated, since I live in a small mountain town. Podcasting is a great way or excuse, for me to chat with really smart and interesting people. Part of the launching of a podcast is getting exposure to potential listeners. That’s where you come in.

I need your help with reviews, and subscribers. While the podcast doesn’t have that many shows yet, it will soon. In order to have the best launch possible, I am hoping you can kindly leave a review. You can do so by following the below steps.

Step 1

Click on the link to the Big Break Software Podcast. Alternatively, look for the Apple podcast icon on your phone. It looks like this.  ios9-podcasts-app-tile

Step 2

Search for Big Break Software podcast. You’ll see the logo. Click on the lobo.

Step 3

You’ll see the Review and Ratings as the second tab. Click on Reviews and Ratings.

Step 4

Click on “Write a Review”, and click on the star rating. It’d be great of course if you selected 5 stars! Thanks in advance for taking the time to do this. It really means a lot and is greatly appreciated.

That’s it!

If you’re on a Mac, the process is pretty similar. You can also click on the Big Break Software Podcast link, and then click on the open in Apple Podcasts (the desktop application).  Mine is in German because I’m in Switzerland, but it should say Open in Apple Podcasts.

open in itunes

Do this one mockup to save your next software project tens of thousands of dollars

How do you eliminate most of the risk in a development project? It’s simple. Make a mockup or mock it up. Here’s our guide to do this yourself for free. It doesn’t take long, it’ll make you think through the project more thoroughly, and the best part, it’ll guarantee you to save tens of thousands of dollars on your software project.

And, if I could tell you some of the horror stories about software projects that went badly, and I don’t mean by a few thousand dollars, I’m talking hundreds of thousands of dollars, it’d bring tears to your eyes.

One of the main problems for savvy business owners is that while they may know their customers, they definitely know their business, they may not know the ins and outs of developing a sophisticated software project. Are you nodding your head in agreement with me on this one?

So, while you may think you’re speaking with a competent programmer because they talk a big game and they use complex technical jargon, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the wool pulled over your eyes. Imagine you’re in a discussion with a possible development team lead, and they throw out the phrase – Yeah, we’re going to use an Amazon elasticsearch cluster deployed in the AWS cloud using python django as your core base code.

Ummm, whatever you say. You’re the expert… I guess.

If you’re like most of the people I speak to on a daily basis, the above phrase may as well have been in ancient greek. Or at best if you’re a bit technical, trying to recall french from secondary school lessons.

What makes things even worse is you may know what you want, but the ideas are really just in your head. You have no real way to relay those ideas into a concise, clear bridge so you can present them absolutely, without any misunderstanding with your development team.

We can call that bringing your idea, as fuzzy as it may be, to developer speak using our OneStop Slingshot prototyping process.

Why Onestop Slingshot?

Because once completed you can eliminate the risk of having to blindly trust in a developer that you don’t really know, and slingshot your project idea so that they can clearly understand your software idea.

The alternative to slingshot is blindly trusting some developer and having to wait 2 months for an MVP to see what they come up with after they’ve already programmed your ideas. That’d be gambling, and you’re a prudent business professional that knows when you’re putting up money from your own department or company, we don’t gamble. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas and gambling may remain on the craps tables, not your software project.

Card & Dice Game scatch image

I’m about to lay out a core piece of our unique selling proposition, 100% free and without charge. Do with it what you may, I believe the world is an abundant source of ideas that should be freely shared. It’s all about execution, and I leave that up to you.

Our OneStop Slingshot prototyping process explained

In order to get going in any type of software, you’ll need what is called a minimum viable product (MVP).

This is a commonly known term in the software development world, and usually should take 2 months to produce. Of course, the more features you want, the longer it will take and the more chance there is to have problems arise. Going back to my hundreds of thousands lost on a software project example, the client went to court with the developers but the burden was on her to prove that the developers intentionally mislead, maligned or stole the code that she had already paid for.

Imagine trying to convince a judge or jury that aren’t experts in programming that defendants code didn’t do what the customer paid them to do. Basically, impossible. Which is why she chalked the experience up to an extremely expensive mistake and will never try and develop software again and hence forth moved on to investing her money into something she did know how to do, buying buildings and renovating them.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Software development shouldn’t feel like rolling the dice, not when you have possibly tens of thousands of dollars/euros at stake just to see a glimpse of the final product. There is a bullet proof way to take the ideas from your head, and put them into a near perfect and working version of the application, or software service you’re trying to create.

While many firms may talk about an MVP prototyping tool, I haven’t seen any with the proven results. Frankly, there is no magic wand here except for you as the visionary to put pen to paper and think about what exactly it is you want to accomplish. Spock is not going to be able to do a Vulcan mind dump on you, you have to do the work.

But the work is well worth it and could save you tens of thousands of dollars, perhaps even hundreds of thousands once done.

This process can help you produce in days what would take a developer a minimum of 45 days that will still only be full of bugs until the programmer has everything ready to start testing the MVP.

Step 1 – It starts with User Stories in plain layman terms

User stories are an essential building block for developers to know exactly what they need to do.

If you imagine your software application as a house, with the foundation being the core technologies chosen at the outset of the project, the user stories are the critical understandings or building blocks of what your application needs to do to solve your core pain point.

Each one of these building blocks will help to solve the core frustration that will make your final software a success. One block added upon another creates the first room in your software house. Your MVP can be considered a room in the overall house of your application, which with any luck could end up being a sprawling Versailles type palace.

Image of versailles palace.

An example of a user story could be: user creates login and password to enter into application.

That’s a building block and a single step that needs to be taken towards building your application.

To better illustrate how you can walk through your user stories, I can show you an example from the previous blog on how we pre-sold thousands in a potential crypto trading portfolio management tool just last month.

The frustration I had found in the crypto trading space was that crypto traders, HODL’ers (those that hold crypto through up and down markets no matter what) or investors were that they may have hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros, even millions worth of crypto spread out over multiple exchanges, online and offline wallets, or ICOs with no single dashboard to track everything. In any given day, their total crypto portfolio could be up or down tens of thousands of dollars and they had no real way of knowing exactly how much.

This is a real pain, believe me. Worthy of building a Software as a Service application, so I went through our onestop slingshot process to map out that pain, so I could get a 100% accurate development cost on what it would take to build.

The easiest way to show you our Onestop Slingshop prototype is to walk you through this application example, because it’s mine to give away since I found this pain and I’ve already worked through the user stories to create the perfect dashboard application. An application that some users were happily willing to pay me $200 a month for, and even pay 12 months in advance sight unseen without a line of code having been written.

How to start? Just start with simple words of what you want to achieve.

In my case, I simply start by journaling what I wanted my application to do. Here’s the exact example of what I came up with for this crypto portfolio tracker application.

admin-ajax

The above are very simple illustrations of what I had to write down for my development team to understand exactly what I wanted to accomplish to solve the pain of not knowing in a single glance what all of my potential clients crypto holdings were at any given time.

While you may not understand what the problem is, you can see from the illustration above that a development team can now at least get an inkling of an idea what they will need to be doing to help solve this problem. The fog of ideas in a creators brain, is now at least being put to paper (in this case, digitized in note format).

This process, if done properly, shouldn’t take longer than 2 or 3 hours. It’ll be well worth your time to write these out, even if it takes a little longer. But, it shouldn’t.

Step 2 – Take human form and convert to developer speak

In this first iteration, you shouldn’t worry about whether the frustration, pain, feature or task you’re talking about can directly translate to a single programming function. Get your ideas out on to paper.

In the example above, I’ve taken a yellow marker to each verb centered action, eg – get alert, reconcile portfolio.

Each of these verb centered actions tells you that you’re likely looking at a user role that needs to be better defined and placed into a developer speak user story.

Example – As a registered and authenticated user, I want to set an alert threshold for coin x, to be sent via email or phone when that coin reaches y amount.

Taking the above, you can now imagine a screen in your application that could look like this.

In looking through my examples above, you can see that there will be quite a few of these user stories that need to be mapped out to piece out full understanding so the developer through his years of experience can now respond back to you.

OK, I know how to do this. I’ve done this before, and know this should take me 1.5 hours to complete and my cost for doing this is $xx.

Now, we can begin laying the sketch work to slingshot our development plan into action. By going through these user stories, we can start taking our ideas as the business owner and actually formulate them on to paper, thereby thinking them through more intently. You’ll be giving your ideas focus and clarity, and the kind of precision that no developer could understand by having a simple conversation with you in a kick off call. Or worse, in a chat room on a freelancer website after you’ve tried to write down in layman terms what you think you want.

The hard part of course is going through all of these actions for your development project. I’m sorry to say, there is no other way to safely move through your project without you at least understanding exactly what it is you want your development team to produce.

The good news is that by doing this, you’re well on your way to ensuring you won’t gamble away possibly tens of thousands of dollars just to get a glimpse whether your developers fully understood the main purpose of your application.

The second piece of good news is that translating these out shouldn’t take more than another hour or two. It’s also OK if you don’t exactly know how to translate these into developer speak. Just do your best job, because anything is better than nothing and at least the attempt you’ve made will be decipherable to your future developers.

Step 3 – Take pencil and paper and start to map things out

Now, we can start to have a little fun with the right side of our brain (that’s the creative, fun side!)

Grab a pencil and paper and let’s start to draw some things out. I like pencil because I think it’s wasteful using pen and we can change our minds with pencil. I also just use plain white paper that I grab from my printer. Pencil and paper is something anyone has at their disposal, and it’s free form enough that we can start laying out the groundwork for a potential user interface, or UI.

Start by trying to classify each of your user stories into their own corresponding group.

Example groupings for my user stories in the crypto portfolio tracker were.

Investment Types
Various Pair Holdings – examples, BTC/USD, xrp/btc, ada/eth, btc/eur, zcash/btc, doge/btc, ada/usdt, eth/usd Investments in ICO’s – not on exchange, on exchange but not tradable MasterNodes – staking coins, wallet positions that automatically grow Mining rigs –

Sources of Information
Crypto exchanges – examples; coinbase, kraken, bittrex, binance, okcoin, cryptopia, bitbox, quoinex, Offline wallets – trezor, nano ledger Paper wallets –
Online wallets – Cash on exchange – Mining rigs? MN wallet bots –

Info Wanted

  • Total balance
  • Realised P & L
  • Unrealised P & L
  • Date bought, sold
  • Price bought, sold
  • Action – bought, sold, stopped out?
  • Currency pair bought, sold
  • Multiple decimals needed

We can see here that we’re still in a very raw form of information gathering, but we’ve now put some solid thought into the features or information that we need to get to help solve our core pain. Each of these values could represent a small break out piece of screen in our application.

I like writing these out on paper as the brain responds differently when sending signals directly to the hand to write things out. Even if you prefer to bang things out on the keypad, I urge you to get the pencil and paper out because there’s something about doing it by hand that just makes us more creative.

Once you see your groupings in plain paper, you can begin to understand the likely screens you’re going to have inside of your main application.

For my crypto trading portfolio tracker it was obvious that I would need a few core sections to my application.

The image of that initial drawing can be seen below.

white-handdrawn

It’s not pretty but at least I have an idea of what screen my application is likely to need, and I can use this as a base to understand what type of application I will be building. You may not understand my interpretation, but once you do yours, you’ll understand your own thinking and it’ll be easier to connect the screens.

Step 4 – What type of UI do you like?

Now, we’re seeing progress and on to more fun stuff. Drawing out a rough idea of what our application could look like.

As we’ve all been using the Internet now for the better part of our adult lives, or at least for the last 10 years, we’ve probably come across some examples of applications we know and like.

For me, my portfolio tracker was going to be a metrics dashboard application. The name itself, portfolio tracker implies the type of metric tracking applications that have already got this figured out.

Why reinvent a portfolio dashboard UI design when you know there are dozens of very successful ones that have already spent millions of dollars/euros mapping out a functional user interface. Just borrow their hard work and redeploy it for your own purposes.

You can translate your own application into the same type of search. Simply go out and find some applications in the same industry, field as you, and that are trying to essentially perform a similar function as your intended future application.

In my case, I have my own SaaS and I had been using the application chartmogul.com to map out my metrics. Keep in mind, this has absolutely nothing to do with tracking a portfolio, but I was very happy with the user interface of chartmogul, so my first example screen came from them.

mrr

Pretty clean and slick, right? I thought so, and I know they’re killing it in the SaaS world, growing by leaps and bounds each month. So they must know what they’re doing, and if they were bad at design, their customers would tell them as much.

Upon some further research, and a bit of feedback from my own network by posting out on Facebook or in a private FB group you can get a lot of great examples.

Hey, I’m wondering what applications you guys like to do x, and what apps do you absolutely love?

You know how people love to hear themselves talk in facebook. Inside of a few hours you’ll have no shortage of great ideas.

Geckoboard.com was another example I liked, that I also knew was very successful.

My bet is that you can do the same thing. If you’re building a realtor team communication application, maybe you like the looks of slack.com.

If you’re building a legal application that searches and finds the appropriate legal documents for your client, maybe you like the look and feel of dropbox.com. And why not, they’re a Silicon Valley darling, that likely knows a thing or two about successful user interface design. Steal from them as much as you can, they won’t mind!

Step 5 – Take what you have and put pencil to paper to draw out your user interface

Now the really fun stuff starts to happen. You’ve created your user stories, boring and tedious, but so essential. You’re beginning to research what you know you already like, and you’ve already grouped your user stories into screens that you’re likely going to have.

At this point, I don’t like to limit myself to what I think is a feature that is needed for my MVP or not. If I’m not a programmer (even if I was, and I used to be) we don’t need to put any restrictions on our creativity. We’re going to think big picture how our end dream result will look somewhere down the road, even if that’s years from fruition. Think Versailles palace right from the beginning, or at least a wing! Map it all out, and we can always slash features later once we know the cost of them. By that time, you’ll have spoken to your development team, and we can easily edit our Onestop Slingshot prototype in the app of our choice.

Nearly all applications need to have a home page, or a dashboard. Draw it out physically with pencil and paper. If you don’t like where something looks, take your eraser and move it.

Because we’ve already done the research on applications that we already like, we can now use screenshots from what we know works, and copy that style. Is the main navigation menu along the top, or does it go down the side? What do you like or prefer? This is your app, use what you like.

In your research, what is the main item on the page that draws your eye? That should be the most prominent and largest feature on the page.

For example on an Apple iPhone, one of the most prominent features is the home button. We know that even if we’ve never used an iPhone before, Apple wants us to press that button, and by doing so, it’s going to perform a mission critical function. You should think the same way for each one of your screens.

The trick here is limiting the importance of each feature you want to provide because there can really be only ONE most important feature per screen, or at most 3.

When in doubt, remember, less is more. Use the below for inspiration.

good design example

In my example crypto portfolio tracker the most important thing for my crypto traders was knowing their account balance spread out over all of their accounts. So total portfolio balance had to be the biggest and most prominent item on the home or main dashboard.

dash-browser main dashboard

Of course, there was heaps of other information, but all were made less prominent and were put down lower on the page.

Most successful designers of UI agree that less is more when it comes to designing. We don’t expect you to become proficient designers, especially if you’re already experts in your own business or field which has nothing to do with software development. The idea here is not to get anything perfect, it’s to get you thinking more about your application so you can convert your brilliant ideas into developer speak so that when you have your final Onestop Slingshot prototype in your hands, a developer can look at it inside of 5 minutes and roughly know what you’re talking about, and about how much it will cost to build.

Step 6 – Converting from rough hand drawing to PDF files

At this point, we can now fire up our favourite presentation software and start putting our rough hand drawings to digital renderings.

Some applications that I like are:

  • Keynote – Apple’s version of powerpoint, and a favourite of mine to use since I use mac.
  • Powerpoint – Microsoft business tool that nearly every business professional should be well versed in using.

Lucidchart.com – This handy little tool is a web based flow chart builder that you can learn how to use in an afternoon, while you map out your UI on the fly. If you’re only doing this one software project and need it for this one time, they have a free trial too. I have used this in the past, but don’t currently use it because I want my prototype to involve an element of how I want the final application to look as well. Lucidchart is strictly for mocking up your MVP. You’ll later have to develop a sexy UI, but that’s OK! Most developers have their in house UI experts, we can help you here too.

Balsamiq – Balsamiq is another tool I’ve used and it’s great but it does cost money for a license and therefore only makes sense if you aren’t happy with ones of the above.

Depending on how handy you are with using these tools you can end up with something of varying degrees of what your final product could look like. At this point the most important thing is to map out what you think you need so the developers can see exactly what they need to be building.

The above image is an example of the first iteration I made using keynote. I think this version is terrible, but it was good enough for me to show my customers and potential customers what I was building and to even sell over two thousand dollars, before the application was even built. Imagine being able to collect funds from your potential customers before you’ve spend a penny on building your product?

The reason I made this version in keynote was because I was able to build out the version in an afternoon, shorter in fact than it’s taking me to write out this blog post!

You can see from my example that I have the total ($251,298.00, a fictitious number that will have gone down a lot in this nasty market) as the most prominent item on the screen. That’s what my traders wanted to know, their total spread out over all the exchanges, wallets and whatever other crypto investments they had.

You can also see that it’s not pretty. But if you’re only planning on showing this to your development team then it’s enough for them to know exactly what they need to be programming.

If you want to take it a step further, you can open a fiverr.com project and get your rough drawings mapped out for a few hundred dollars, or less. It all depends on what you want to have as a final Onestop Slingshot prototype. Leave a comment below and we can point you in the direction of some of our favourite fiverr designers.

Because I’ve been making prototypes for nearly a decade, I wanted to spend more time and bring my UI closer to something that could be my final product. If you want something a little more slick and don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars for something that’s worthy of being able to show your investors or clients, then sing out. We can help!

Below is an example of the final product. You can see that it looks nearly as good as what you’d expect from a multi-million dollar enterprise, and I was able to do this inside of 3 or 4 days and it cost me next to nothing to make.

Even more importantly, I could sell my intended project to potential customers, people that I didn’t even know, and I could take this to my development team and get an extremely accurate quote for this project, down to nearly each feature set.

dash-browser-main dashboard

The beauty of this process is that you can clearly create every single screen in your dash and they’re all editable. In my case, you can see from the navigation bar that I had 5 main sections or screens.

Each of these screens had their own important information, but when broken down they’re all just simple user stories when mapped together to build our Onestop Slingshot prototype that any developer, anywhere in the world can take a few minutes to read over and know exactly what they’re dealing with in your upcoming software project.

Step 7 – Putting it all together, and creating a clickable pdf or HTML files

The final stage of your OneStop Slingshot prototype is putting all the screens together, and then linking them with clickable links. This may be above and beyond what you need, but it can be quite useful if you want to show the application to a potential client, investors, or your own customers before you’ve spent more than a few hundred dollars to get this made up.

The process is just as it sounds, highlighting each area and creating hyperlinks within the document on where the user will be taken. I’ve even made pop up screens that show configuration aspects within the document and converted it to a mobile friendly document, put it online on my own website, and given demonstrations to customers that didn’t know the app wasn’t fully live and ready to purchase.

That’s a powerful sales tool!

I don’t recommend blowing this full version out however until you have already spoken to your development team because you need to discuss with them what the main features are that you will need to solve your core problem for your customers, or yourself if it’s an internal application. An example is that a reports section could cost $10,000 to develop and it may not be needed in our MVP. Thus, don’t create a clickable pdf or HTML file until you know exactly what you want in your MVP. If your intent is to sell a future product? By all means, blow it out, build an imaginary Versailles.

Also, you’re developers will be in the best position to give you an estimate on each feature before you build it. There’s no sense in building hyperlinks to show your customers, team, or investors parts of the application that might not exist in your MVP.

Wrapping things up

If you want to book a call to speak with me, a seasoned software entrepreneur with over a decade of experience doing this for our clients, and for myself, click on the Book A Call Now button below, and we can go over the details of your particular project.

A core part of our services is providing professional, clean looking slingshot prototypes to cut weeks down on development time and give your potential development teams the fastest and most accurate way to quote your software project.

Don’t gamble your software projects budget away by trying to skip this step. Take the time to do it yourself by the steps we’ve outlined here, or give us a call. Our discovery calls are only 15 minutes, we can guide you through the best course of action and it won’t cost you anything to speak with us.

*** All of our software entrepreneurs are seasoned business owners, that have years of experience building software. There is no commitment, or cost to speak with us. We are here to answer your questions, and get your software project up and running as quickly as possible.

How to find SaaS customers before you even have a product

I hear this question all the time. How do I find a money making software as a service (SaaS) idea that people are willing to pay me for without having to build the solution first?

There are a number of ways to do this. Here’s an example of something I found just yesterday, looking for a problem I was trying to solve myself.

SaaS idea #1

A calendar solution idea that allows you to have a thank you page after the person books a call so

1) marketers can set up a conversion event tracking pixel
2) you can send them other offer ideas
3) you can get them in your funnel with an upsell.

calendly-problem

To check out the details, and get a list of possible customers, Onestop Devshop SaaS ideas. Seriously, this post is damn gold. Do you have any idea how easy this application would be to build? And in the post, you actually have a list of potential customers just waiting to give you funds for the app before it’s built. If I were an enterprising entrepreneur that wasn’t already working on another project full time, I’d simply message each one of these people 1 by 1 and say. Hey, I’ve got an idea on how you could fix this. Are you interested in chatting about it?

I counted dozens of people, DOZENS of potential customers BEGGING for one simple feature. A calendar tracking application that has a thank you page. Calendly must have so many customers, that it doesn’t care if it loses their own or doesn’t build this feature in to get more.

Check it out for yourselves, but not before you finish reading this post, because I’m going to give you another SaaS idea that I’ve already validated with over 40% of the people in a market. A market that has many millions of users.

To start, I’ll bring you back to a conversation I had just two weeks ago…

What’s your ETH address? I am going to send back the ETH you sent me. I have been sidetracked on another project, and will not be moving forward with this idea.

What? ah man, too bad, because I was needing this app…”

I was actually looking forward to closing this, and moving on so it was actually with a sense of relief that I was sending money back to someone I had now built up a close client relationship with.

But let me explain.

What I’m about to tell you is the exact process I used to find 4 paying customers in the crypto trading space for an app that I had nearly half funded. Halfway through the process, I stumbled on to something that I felt was better aligned with my skill set. This blog is part of that new business. These customers were more than happy to pay me 12 months in advance to solve this core problem.

If you want to know what the exact idea was because it’s now been validated with 15 out of 35 crypto traders to be a problem to a serious problem, leave a comment below and I’ll address your questions. This idea is just ripe for the taking, I hope someone does develop it because I’d be a customer too!

So, on to the process of how to do find customers for a SaaS before you even have a software product or idea.

The idea of pre-selling a software service is not my idea, and certainly, the idea of pre-selling items that people don’t own is common in other markets. Real estate spec builds, selling stock on margin (where you sell the security at a higher price, something you don’t own, and buy back lower in the hopes of making a profit), the list goes on. I was introduced to the idea by my friend, and mentor-at-a-distance, Dane Maxwell, who started the Foundation. The Foundation is a course I took years back, and I started my own SaaS business, WaveReview. I’m also a mentor in the course, so if you join, you’ll see me there too.

So, how does pre-selling your SaaS customers work?

Well, I think the best explanation is for me to guide you down the path I just took for the third or fourth time.

The first time was starting my own SaaS, WaveReview.

The second was pre-selling $60,000 of organic sea salt through a health affiliate in an eCommerce business I’ve since sold. At the time, We had some samples, and we had some copy, a good copy. We sent the samples to a large health affiliate, they loved it, and the copy was good enough that we were able to sell $60,000 in one email blast after 4 days. We kept selling for another 30 days and we had banked $90,000 in the first month. By that time, we could order the salt and put together the supply chain and our own website to handle future orders. All without having a single grain of salt in the US, our primary market. By this time, I was basically hooked on the concept of pre-selling every future business endeavor for life.

The third time was through this business, OneStop DevShop (a story for another time perhaps), and the fourth time, for a SaaS I was investigating in the crypto trading space.

Read on to hear how I did it for this space.

Find an audience and start digging in to find pain

As I’m now 100% completely comfortable with the idea of pre-selling items to gauge interest in the level of pain, it starts with generally just speaking with people. Since I tend to view a business idea as the single step in what could be a much longer journey, I make sure I step into a market niche where I want to be talking with the customers for possibly the next 10 years. Therefore, the idea behind picking your niche should take some fairly careful consideration, because you might be marrying yourself to this market segment for some time.

In the past, I’ve been involved with hoteliers. I had a WiFi business that put access points into tens of thousands of hotel rooms in Mexico and Latin America. I sort of fell into this idea because I wanted to learn Spanish, full immersion-style language learning you could say. I sold this company in 2017, and they’ve since changed the name and moved on. My Spanish speaking, and bank account all the better for it.

For a particular niche, I selected recently, I had been involved in crypto trading for about two years. The crypto market (at the time of this writing) had been going through a nasty bear market, and I figured I had some time to develop a picks and shovels business in the space. I went into a deep dive into crypto because I was interested in this market, I am still very bullish on the technology and believe in it, and I knew the market well.

Considerations when selecting a market niche.

Does the industry, in general, have money to spend on software?

An example here is my other SaaS has part of its segment selling to yoga studios and salons. Part of the problem with this market segment is SMB (small, medium businesses) and this would range in the very small business owner segment, can balk even at spending $49 per month for a monthly software. I tend to keep this in mind when I select a market segment. In general, realtors, lawyers, doctors, construction contractors, accountants, consultants, all of these types of businesses would be happy to spend a few hundred dollars a month on software if it saved them thousands of dollars per month. As a rule of thumb, I like to find a pain that businesses will pay between $50 – $500 per month for the service. Anything lower than $50, and it becomes too difficult to collect enough pre-paying customers to fund your SaaS.

Is the customer business to business (B2B)?

My friend Dane recommends B2B only, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. Interestingly, the crypto space isn’t really B2B, and this was one of the main problems I had contacting the market in my crypto SaaS. I’ll explain further, but the reason to go with B2B rather than B2C is that it’s easier to find the businesses to contact them. This is especially important in the beginning when first trying to contact the people that make buying decisions in the market. There are lots of ways you can find out how to contact businesses; buy a list, scrape LinkedIn, google maps for local businesses in your area, or even just walking down the street to chat with a business owner.

Does the market contain at least 100,000 potential customers?

In general, I wouldn’t select a market that was so specialized that it contained only a few thousand potential clients. Why? Well, if you think about it, even Apple and Google don’t all of any market. If I want to give my business a fighting chance of surviving the first 2 or 3 years, I need to be growing it quickly to a few hundred users. If I want the business to be a potential $100M business, I better have a lot of customers on the backend to be able to tap into. Pretty simple.

Do I know anything about this business segment?

This is less important, but it can help you jump-start the process if you don’t have to learn the industry. For crypto trading, I had been trading myself and in general, I had come into my own problems as a user. It was easy for me to jump on a call, or verify in a chat message if someone else was having the same problem. This is not to say that you can’t learn the pains of a new industry relatively quickly. I would say inside of 45 days, and after speaking with 25 – 30 people, you should, in general, have a pretty good idea on how an industry works, the common pains and frustrations they experience, and by that time some common SaaS ideas that people will pay you at least $100 per month to figure out.

Contacting the market

Once you’ve picked an industry niche or market you’ll need to figure out ways to contact them. The easiest method is to hop on google, and type — email list for XXXX. Pretty quickly, you’ll be able to find plenty of list brokers that will sell you up to 1M emails. As a negotiating tactic, I always start the conversation out with – I’m interested in buying a list type of email. They’ll respond back wanting to sell you 5,000 and up, but I always start out with a much smaller number. This is because it’s cheaper, and you can easily tell the quality of the list within a few hundred emails. You should be able to get emails anywhere from $.05 to $.20 per email. I start with 1000 because I can’t usually get this for $100 or $200. Pretty low-risk threshold to test a market segment.

You’ve got your list. Now what?

Build a lookalike audience and run some test ads of potential concepts

Well, there are a few things you can do with a list. You can email them, or you can go into your business Facebook account and build a lookalike audience. Building a lookalike audience can give you a powerful tool to test concepts through Facebook ads, and also give you a better idea of the interests your niche is interested in on Facebook. The how to’s of doing this are beyond the scope of this post, but you can simply google – how to build a lookalike audience with a .csv file. Once you’ve built your audience, you can start running simple Facebook ads asking them whatever you want, or even gauging the interest in a potential SaaS idea by the number of likes on a post.

Run some MSN ads to ask questions.

I’ve been finding huge success with MSN ads, to start a conversation with an open-ended question. An example could be — I’m digging into the pains of the XXXX industry. Can I ask you what’s the most frustrating part of your day?

Or – what’s the biggest frustration you’ve been dealing with over the last 3 months?

This gets the conversation going, and from there, the objective is to get as much detail about this pain. For me, that’s always getting the person on the phone. And if you can get that person on the phone with a small micro commitment like – you sound very knowledgeable, do you mind if we set up a 5-minute phone call where you can tell me more about this?

You’d be surprised by how many people will take you up on this offer. And of course, once you get them on the phone, the objective is to build rapport and have them stay on for as long as you possibly can. I’ve found some of my best ideas after 45 minutes of being on the call. My best calls could even be learning about their business for 30 minutes and going as long as I can. If that’s a problem for you because you only have so many hours in the day, you can guide the conversation towards the pain points faster. I’ll go more into this further down in this post.

Cold Email outreach

The other thing you can do with your email contacts is simple. Start a cold email campaign. For my crypto traders, I was able to buy a list of bitcoin investors, but I also found that hiring a VA or using your current personal assistant to build a list of 15 potential customers daily in LinkedIn was just as successful or as using my email list. For the most part, you want to make sure your email contains a person’s name. You don’t want to be sending emails to info@company.com, because they’ll only get deleted. Spend some time to find the appropriate person in the organization to speak to. That person should obviously be the person that will make the buying decision for your potential software.

The email that I generally use goes along the lines of this one, which is the actual template I used to contact my crypto traders.

Subject line — Can you help me? (or even better, if you can put in their first name) I usually get 50% open rates with this one.

Hey Brian,

Read your blog post on the XYZ LinkedIn and thought it was great, so I thought I’d reach out. My name is Geordie and I am a software entrepreneur doing research on [market name]. My goal is to learn about the biggest pains you have running your business (or trading crypto) and to solve a big problem that will make your life easier.

What are your biggest frustrations with managing your business/crypto trading/whatever?

Love to hear back from you, even if it’s only one sentence.

Be well,

Geordie
+xxxx xxxx

Linkedin profile

I usually put in my LinkedIn profile, so they can see who I am. This has the added benefit of building up my LinkedIn profile during my campaign. When I was doing this, my LinkedIn profile numbers jumped from 1000 to 2,200 in about 40 days, just from people checking out my profile and adding me. They even did this if they didn’t respond to me in the original email. If I wanted and they were in my niche, this made it easier to contact these people directly through LinkedIn. Which, you can do by the way, but I find it much less effective than simply emailing them. Another friend of mine has been using LinkedIn as her primary marketing channel by sending a short message to each potential lead for years. It’s definitely a way you can reach people, it’s just not one of my highest leverage activities but in the beginning, you may want to use it.

linkedin header

Using Chat Forums, or FB Groups, telegram groups

I actually found two of my customers that prepaid me for my solution in a paid-for chat room. The room happened to be paid for, but there are literally thousands of Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, telegram groups, WhatsApp groups, Reddit pages, subreddit pages, where you can use the same ideas. In general, I’d become active for a week or so in this group to make myself known. Mostly, commenting where I could be helpful and answering people’s questions. When someone likes your comment, answers back, you can break off into a one to one conversation. When I start that one to one conversation, I use the same general intro as the email.

chat-capture-blog

OR

Hey, xxx, Nice to meet you. I have a quick question for you. I’m a software entrepreneur (say this, even if you’re not, you actually now are because you’re hustling an idea in a new market, and this makes you entrepreneurial) doing market research in this space. I’d love to ask you a simple question – what’s the biggest frustration you’ve had with your business in the last 3 months?

This usually starts the conversation, and you can lead it in any direction you want. It also builds rapport, and the nice thing about a chat, as opposed to email, is that you can start it back up later and people are in general more responsive in chat messages.

Again, the idea is to get them on the phone and keep them on the phone for as long as possible. Usually, I cleared out my schedule for 90 minutes for each call in case it went longer. Trust me, this is the most important, highest leverage activity you can do all week, so whatever you’re doing, clear your calendar for this event. This is where you will find gold, coming directly from your customer’s mouth. After going through this with hundreds, nay, thousands of contacts, it’s hard enough getting someone on the phone that when you get that person on the phone, stay on with them for as long as you can.

How to handle the call – Idea Extraction

The general script that I use goes somewhere along the lines of this, but I wrote a much more detailed breakdown of my call in the blog post – how to do idea extraction.

Start the conversation off with some rapport building. One of the best ways to do this by starting with the question.

Hi Brian,

This is Geordie, we were talking on Facebook/email about your frustrations in industry x. We have a scheduled call now, is this still an OK time to chat?

If it is, then he and you will be more relaxed.

Honestly, the first time I started doing Idea Extraction, I was terrified. So if you are, it’s completely normal. My friend Dane of the Foundation gives tons of helpful tips on mindset and dealing with this on his blog. Go check him out if you want to learn more. It’s actually a lot easier than you think. This past time I did idea extraction, just 3 months ago, it was much easier. But, I still had some pangs of procrastination before making the call. All I can do is reiterate that these are just people, and the fact that someone has already agreed to speak with you means more than likely they are predisposed to having a frank and friendly conversation with you. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to do, and if you think about it, how many people have asked to speak with you about you problems?

list-of-questions

Some of the most important questions to think about are.

  1. What is the single most frustrating problem you or your business has had to deal with over the last 3 months?
  2. are there any manual tasks that you do, that drive you crazy? for me there, is i track daily the price of my port because coin tracking doesn’t bring in all my data. have to use excel
  3. anything your mobile phone can’t do that you’d want it to do?
  4. what sources of information do you follow?
  5. What is the most critical component of your day?
  6. Could you walk me through your day?
  7. What is the first [second, third, etc] thing you do in the morning?
  8. what do you measure in BTC or USD, AUD? what is most important for you?
  9. what software do you use now, and pay for?
  10. any Facebook groups or telegram groups that you are a part of?
  11. What is your most challenging aspect of generating revenue?
  12. What would help you generate more money in trading
  13. What’s the most frustrating part of your trading?
  14. What software do you wish existed but you can’t seem to find it?
  15. “If you had unlimited resources, what would you develop to make your day more productive
  16. Think about the last couple of days trading, what have been your biggest struggles lately?
  17. What manual tasks in your daily routine would you like to automate?
  18. Do you have any ideas on what would make your job easier?
  19. Are there any features missing in your current software that you wish existed?
  20. What is the most expensive problem in your business? Do you think this could be automated?
  21. Are there any areas in your business where duplicate data entry exists?
  22. Is there anything you want to do with your mobile phone that you can’t right now?
  23. What’s a problem you’ve tried to solve in the past but it didn’t work out?
  24. 3 do you pay for any apps, if so, which ones, how much are they?

Any time that you get to something interesting, stop the conversation and dig deeper. The easiest way to do that is to simply ask the question why. There is a concept called the 5 Whys which can find the root of any problem. Don’t rush this part, you can find your best answers here.

Five-Why image

Some good why questions for example in the crypto space were for me —

  • First Why Why do you trade crypto?
    Because I want to be rich.
  • Second Why Why do you want to be rich?
    Because I want to be able to provide for my family.
  • Third Why Why do you want to provide for your family?
    Because it will make me feel like a better father.
  • Fourth Why Why will that make you feel like a better father?
    Because when I was growing up, it was something my father did for me, and I want to live up to his expectations.
  • Fifth Why Why do you want to live up to his expectations?
    Because my father was someone that people loved and admired, and I love and admire him and I never felt like I was living a life that quite measured up to his.

Woah, now you see how can find the root of the real reason why someone is struggling with something?

Armed with the 5 whys, you’ll be in a much better position to get to the real crux of a software problem so that you can focus on a single core benefit or emotion that your customer is trying to achieve.

If you want me to give you the exact list of questions I used on the crypto space, leave a comment below and I’ll send you the list. Like I said, I had found a solution that I was able to fairly easily sell and collect in the range of $600 to $1200 in advance to solve this problem. That’s real pain.

Putting $$ figures to the pain or frustration

Let’s be honest, pain can be measured purely in simple in monetary means. So whenever I ask someone about a frustration, before I move on I always measure the pain in monetary values. The simplest way to do this is to be direct. Remember, you’re not selling anything at this time, you’re helping them to solve a pain that they’ve already acknowledged is a big deal to them.

You can do this by —

Hang on, before we move on. What do you think this problem is costing you on a daily/monthly basis? How much time do you think you’re spending doing this activity?

How much is your time worth on an hourly basis?

And how many hours per day/week/month are you spending doing this?

Or your staff, how much are you paying that staff member per month? If they didn’t have to do this, how much would you save?

If you knew this information, how much would this be worth to you?

In the case of WaveReview, my review software, I asked a hotelier a question that sealed the deal for me on the level of pain.

How much do you think bad reviews are costing your business on a monthly basis?

Hoteliers answer – At least $25 to $30,000 per month, per hotel in lost business because of one or two stupid unfair reviews.

    • And how many hotels do you have?
    • I have 7 hotels in this area.
    • 7 x $25,000 = $175,000. Monthly!

Now that’s some serious pain.

This guy was more than happy to pay me $100 per month, per hotel to help him manage his reviews.

In the past, I’ve coached and mentored people in the area of pre-selling, and some to most felt uncomfortable talking about money. Let me be clear. Money is something we use every day to buy things we want, it’s a very normal part of everyday living. Why you should feel strange or awkward about talking about money is something you just need to look at logically. In this case, I’m talking to someone that’s telling me about a problem of theirs, potentially a big problem. At this point in time, you are not selling anything to him. You are only trying to help him, and placing a dollar/pound/euro/franc amount to this pain is simply the most efficient way to gauge that pain.

Think of it the same way as you would a doctor asking you, “On a scale of 1 – 10, how bad is the pain in your head?”

If you respond with a 2, the doctor knows, OK, take two aspirin and call me in the morning. But, if you respond a 9.5, OK, this could be serious and maybe we need to break out the MRI.

The same is true with a business owner.

If I build this application for you, and it solves the problem that you are having, how much would this be worth to you on a monthly basis?

hmm, about $20 per month. Is like a 2 aprin call me in the morning, and I’m moving on.

I’d pay you $250 per month to solve this for me. This is like a 7, eyebrows perking up, and I’m mildly thinking I’ve found the next intercom solution.

I’d gladly pay you $1000 per month to solve this problem.

Now it’s time to break out the MRI machine to fix this problem…


So we can see, pain = $ amounts, just like the doctor asking you physical pain on a scale of 1 – 10.

In the world of SaaS, pain under $50 is nothing (except in the case of my potential crypto app because it had a potential market of millions of users). Pain at the $69 and upstarts to get interesting, especially if this business owner has more than one location, which many owners do and the potential market size is over 100,000. If the pain is great enough, you’ll eventually be able to ask for 6 – 12 months in advance, and their help to solve this pain. $69 per month * 6 or 12 months for a few locations starts adding up. If the pain is closer to $200, even better.

It’s out there, just waiting for you to find it.

Keep building your Beta Customers

Idea extraction doesn’t end with a single phone conversation. Chances are you are going to need to do between 30 and 70 of these calls to not only find but to fund your software. The first thing I do once I’ve made my first idea extraction call is celebrated. It’s a big deal, especially if you’ve found and validated with a number tag.

You’ll need to keep working through your email lists, forum posts, LinkedIn emailing until you have validated the pain with at least some type of small group of customers. That can range anywhere between 7 and 20, depending on how bad the pain is. If you’ve found something that ranges in the $99 – $200 range, you’ll likely only need to find 7 – 10 customers. This is my preferred sweet spot range for a SaaS cost. The idea is to keep calling, and your outreach going until you reach this number.

The aim of all of this is to get to find enough funds for your minimum viable product (MVP). For the most part, an MVP should take no more than 2 months to build. Most development teams should range in the $8 – $16,000 per month range to build. Your purpose to build an MVP is to solve the core pain or frustration that your customers want to be solved. A very good development team will actually walk you through the actual user stories that you’ll need to solve that pain.

To many people, this can be one of the most challenging parts of creating software as a service application, mobile app, etc. Not to worry, this is actually where I can specifically help you since it is the core part of my business.

Helping founders find their development teams.

The good thing is that I will charge you nothing to do this. The teams that I work with are the ones that pay me to bring them, clients. The reason I love this model is that I get to be in the middle helping out two people. You, the founder, startup, an entrepreneur by placing you with the best development team for your project, and my development teams that I’m helping to find clients. If you think about it, most development teams don’t need to do customer outreach because they may only have between 3 to 15 developers. Since most software projects can range from 2 or 3 months in the shortest range to several years in the long-range, these development teams or dev shops can’t really afford to spend too much time generating leads because, for the most part, they have their hands full. Also, the biggest problem for them is that the sales cycle for software projects ranges in the 3 – 6 months. By the time these devs need a new project, they can’t afford to wait 6 months, so they come to me, and I can help them out.

I usually start calling and pricing out a new software project by the time I’ve collected about 30 – 40% of the funds needed for my MVP. This in theory should be 3 customers, at around $1000 each at 12 months in advance. Our goal with the MVP is to slash, slash, slash your feature list down so that we can prove the concept to solve the core pain in as little as 30 – 45 days of development. This usually means no reporting and no payment gateway. To solve your pain, you shouldn’t need this stuff, and I’ve launched more than one SaaS without either and did them manually on the back end without the clients even knowing that the app didn’t have these features. The idea is to get your app or SaaS up and running as quickly as possible so that you can’t start selling and build other clients to come in and help to fund further development.

The other big reason to self-fund is obvious. You have a willing group of beta customers that you can ask specific questions before and during the development process. Again, this information is invaluable, way beyond the amount they may have paid you in advance to develop this solution.

We use a modified through a decade or more of experience building the SaaS version of the Lean Start-Up model. Eric Riess wrote this book, the Lean Startup, and it’s excellent. Check it out on Amazon, required reading if you’re interested in bootstrapping your software to financial freedom.

lean-startup-draft

What about if you did want to go the investment route? Because maybe you’ve stumbled on to an idea that’s so hot, you need to roll it out to the market in the fastest time possible. Don’t you think your possible investors will be a lot more interested if you’ve already found a small group of customers that verified that the pain that you’re going to be solving is so great they’re willing to pay 12 months in advance to solve it? That sounds to me like an investment project I’d be much more willing to invest in than one that sounds nice on paper but has no customer validation.

You may even be able to get your customers to become your investors if you target the right type of people during your idea extraction calls and outreach.

Again, many of the ideas that I’ve included in this post came directly from my friend Dane’s excellent course, the Foundation. If you feel you want more in-depth information on that, I suggest you head over to his website. I’m actually a mentor in his course, and I do this for nothing to help him out. He’s basically an idea factory, and what’s more a great fun loving guy and excellent instructor.

If you have some simple mechanics or technical questions, feel free to drop them in the comment. I’ll be sure to respond to them, I’ll be checking this blog daily as part of my outreach and content marketing.

If you want to speak with me about finding a technical team. Hit the button below. It won’t cost you anything and there are no commitments. Remember, this is what I do, I speak to people on the phone most days, all day long and love to discuss ideas and help solve peoples pains.

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