Freelancing in software development is becoming more and more common. There are a plethora of consultant brokers that connect employers with employees. A former colleague I was talking to recently had an interesting observation: In the skilled trades, it’s not uncommon to see a small group of colleagues who know each other and are used to working together. My colleague observed that it was not uncommon to see teams working for different master craftsmen – you stay together because you are good together.
Mason’s jack from Farum from around 1900. Photo: Furesø Museums.
Why don’t we see this in software development? Typically, large projects are put out to tender, with suppliers providing the development team. Or you hire individuals into your existing team to gain access to a specific skill set or simply to fill a gap in the resource sheet.
But what about the tasks in between? And what if the supplier itself is short of people to fulfill the contract you’ve just won?
If you look at the tasks offered by the many consultant brokers that connect the freelance market with employers, there is almost without exception a demand for individuals. Why is it that we don’t see tasks that are best done by smaller teams? Is it that employers can’t grasp the scale of the work they’re facing? Is it procurement rules that get in the way? Why, my good colleague asked, doesn’t anyone hire software developers in teams?
A small agile team may consist of a scrum master and a handful of developers with different skills. Some are good at integration, others front-end. And some have the big picture and can communicate how the solution will be realized. The scrum master manages the promised deliverables and ensures peace of mind.
I believe that people who know each other and get to work with the technologies they are best at are incredibly more productive than new teams where you first have to find your place, learn a new framework and the chosen method. Everyone has their place and knows where they can get help with any issues that may arise.
At aety we like to work together, we know each other and know who is good at what. We work agile and can provide our own tools for development, project management and documentation. Are you looking for a team for your next project? Then give us a call and let’s find out if there are opportunities.
