Why Outsourcing Software Testing is the Best Option for Silicon Valley Startups

Silicon Valley startups are sometimes in a hurry to launch a product or service without genuinely knowing what options are available that can give them an advantage over the competition. This, in turn, leads to lost opportunities, failure to innovate when necessary, and problems with the software after the launch.

Reasons for this range from limited budgets to a shortage of in-house developers. One way to resolve these issues is to outsource certain aspects of the development operation to providers that can quickly help staff your software team with the right resources. Especially function like software testing can be easily outsourced and managed cost-effectively.

Think about it, getting a startup off the ground is hard enough no matter where you are. With Silicon Valley being ground zero for technological innovation, it’s a highly crowded space where you’re faced with severe competition for the best talent and real estate.

As a result, you will need a lot of capital to attract and keep the best talent and for office space. As a result, IT outsourcing can be highly attractive as you can access highly talented people without annihilating your capital investment.

What are the Pros of Software Testing Outsourcing for Silicon Valley Startups?

When it comes to software outsourcing, there are more benefits than obvious ones, like lower overheads. Further, outsourcing can be suitable for other software development aspects beyond testing.

For example, startups rarely have the core competencies in place to operate different aspects of the business. If you’re a small startup, finding all the multi-talented individuals needed to run the company efficiently can be near impossible.

So outsourcing non-core business functions can be highly beneficial to achieve your goals and take some of the pressure off.

Get to the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Quickly

Outsourcing can help you get from proof of concept to a minimum viable product (MVP) more quickly. Some countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America can not only build your MVP but also provide technical support.

Although this can be a great advantage, in the beginning, it won’t scale well. So you have to manage this aspect of the process carefully.

Mutual Love of Open Source

Both startups and outsourcing providers are committed to open source. So it can be affordable to create products as outsourcers are highly experienced and ready to deliver.  

Other benefits include the following:

• The ability for you to focus on your core competency and/or keep searching for funding
• Leverage the best development practices and innovation and bring them in-house
• Enhanced resource flexibility (for instance, if you choose to build your offshore testing team with Intersog, you'll be able to swap resources with a 14-day notice)

What are the Cons of Testing Outsourcing for Silicon Valley Startups?

Like anything else, there are also some disadvantages to outsourcing.

Lack of Experience

One of the main ones is that many providers in the outsourcing business lack the required knowledge and experience or don't have their own pool of tech talent. So you have to ensure they are appropriately vetted before hiring them.

Too Big for Small Players

The other side of the coin is that many reputable and experienced outsourcers are also out there, but they can be too big and mature for a small startup.

Partial Loss of Control

Let’s face it; when someone is put in charge of an essential aspect of your business, and they are far away (and in a different time zone), you can feel a loss of control.

Sometimes, you might have to travel to the site or get someone down in-house to keep things on track. But such feelings will pass as relationships strengthen over time (read our clients' stories about handling time differences and cultural issues throughout their outsourcing journey).

Cultural Hurdles

There can be significant cultural differences that have an impact on communication. If you outsource to Ukraine, Argentina, or India, you will see differences between these three outsourcing locations.

As a result, there might be a period of adjustment to get through before things run smoothly.

Having said all that, if the pros don’t get you running to outsource your software testing function, there’s still room for you to save money and time.

Software testing is towards the end of the development process, which startups tend to neglect. This aspect of outsourcing will be much easier to manage and will help you avoid headaches after the launch.

Software testing can also be an excellent way to get your feet wet in the world of software outsourcing.