Jurassic Holds First Lunch & Learn on Outsourced Engineering

As we look to add value to our portfolio companies, we’ve curated a number of events specifically tailored to the journey the companies are currently going through from $1M to $10M. During this period, they are making the transition from individual heroics to growing and scaling engines all across the organization. This includes Product and Engineering, where one of the most common topics is how to appropriately use outsourced Engineering resources to scale the Product engine.

Last week, our Operating Advisor, Scott Pollak, held a lunch and learn at the Jurassic office on this topic, bringing together the CEOs and Engineering leaders at all five portfolio companies to walk through his vast experience on how to think about engaging outsourced Engineering teams. We had great discussion amongst the teams and thought we would share three of our favorite takeaways below:

1. Don’t treat offshore any different than onshore. Create scorecards and performance manage the same across all resources. Use the same core values and goals. Set a level and equitable playing ground that inspires individual and joint success for the company.

2. Tour their city. Take a Google Street View tour of their commute to get a feel for your outsourced resources’ daily life. Talk about the restaurants and bars they frequent so they can participate in casual conversation in a more meaningful way.

3. Know the holidays! Every country has different holiday schedules that can affect sprints and schedules. Know those in advance to plan out paid and unpaid holidays and work, as those will likely be different than the US holiday schedule.

Onward!