5 Myths About Outsourcing App Development Debunked

Outsourcing sometimes gets a bad rap. The word itself has a stigma to some. However, many of the top companies in the world outsource key initiatives and projects. Why? They either don’t have the resources in-house to get everything done, or they realize that what they need done isn’t a core competency. Or other possibilities: they simply need more options and greater speed of delivery. Outsourcing app development is one area where companies can benefit greatly with help from outside experts.

First, we can help by debunking five major myths and misconceptions — and show you why outsourcing app development can be a winning strategy.

Myth #1: Your intellectual property won’t be safe

When your company needs to redesign an old app or develop a new one, the idea behind it is your inherent intellectual property. That idea and how the app will work is your company’s, and any reputable outsourcing platform or firm isn’t going to steal it. But of course, you need legally binding proof of that, and more than good intentions.

When outsourcing app development, who you choose to work with should take into consideration any concerns you have about your intellectual property. Be confident in your choice with protections in place like an NDA or other contract language. At Topcoder, we use more than contracts to keep our clients’ intellectual property safe.

Fact: Your intellectual property is protected by legally binding documents… and other ironclad things.

Myth #2: You’ll lose control of people and processes

You should always be in the driver’s seat. And when you outsource, you shouldn’t relinquish that position. The developers work for you. You should always have a main contact or project manager working with you throughout the process. At Topcoder, you have your own liaison to designers and developers in the form of a copilot. You’ll receive regular updates, provide feedback, and see the progress of the project from start to finish.

Fact: It’s your project — with the right talent model and specialized resources, you’re in control from day one to end result.

Myth #3: Outsourcing threatens the quality of the app

You have high standards, and your internal team has to hit them every time. An outsourced team is no different. Your internal team may have more innate knowledge about your business, but may lack the specific skills or time to do what needs to be done.

Sure, there are pros to only using your own employees to develop and refine apps. The reality is, however, that you have certain deadlines that need to be met. Priorities shift. For instance, your in-house team may be preoccupied with your consumer-facing app, while internal apps get ignored.

One of the benefits of working with the right outsourced talent is expertise. When you work with a team or an individual with a keen eye for mobile app development best practices and specialized skills in this particular vein, you’ll get the quality you need while still meeting a deadline.

Fact: By tapping into an on-demand talent pool, you can actually get more high-quality results.

Myth #4: Outsourcing takes longer than in-house app development

That’s one of the biggest misconceptions, particularly if you equate agency development with long turnaround times. Still, you already know that your in-house team can’t get the project moving because of competing priorities. Something has to give.

In fact, when you outsource work, you can tackle projects concurrently, and you can get results faster. You can go from an idea to a working prototype in days and weeks, rather than months (or never).

Fact: In many cases, outsourcing can actually get you up and running faster.

Myth #5: Outsourcing is too expensive

Many times, which projects get time and attention comes down to budget. The idea that outsourcing costs more is probably the biggest myth of these five. Building a high-quality app isn’t cheap, and it shouldn’t be. It’s an investment in your brand and its technology capabilities. However, that doesn’t mean you should expect to pay a fortune.

With certain talent models, like Topcoder’s, you pay for results, not hours. Your in-house resources have salaries and bonuses to contend with. And bringing in new team members means paying for all the direct and indirect costs associated with hiring.

Outsourcing can and should be provide you the on-demand talent you need at a cost that makes sense for you. Bottom line is you have to find an outsourcing partner that can meet your budget.

Fact: It all depends on who you choose to work with. Pricing is flexible in the outsourcing world; not so much when considering in-house costs.

Make the move from outsourcing to crowdsourcing

Now that you know the facts about outsourcing app development, it’s time to evolve that knowledge to crowdsourcing. At Topcoder, our method of crowdsourcing app development means our talent network of global experts compete to deliver the best work for you. And you pay for results — not hours, salaries, or long turnaround times without providing feedback.

You can unpack the conundrum of in-house, outsourcing, and crowdsourcing in our new whitepaper, Application Design & Development: In-House? Outsource? Crowdsource? In it, you’ll learn the pros and cons of each talent model and figure out which is best for you.