Innovation through Dissent: The Power of a Strategic Development Shop

Context is everything. What to look for when choosing your next development partner.

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Imagine this: You just got out of a great first meeting with a software development firm. 

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It went great. 

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They understood your vision for the product. They loved the designs. They accepted all your requirements at your budget, with a few small tweaks. 

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What’s not to love? 

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The first red flag was that not a single question challenged what you presented.

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You’ve come across the Order Taker Dev Shop. 

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Efficient at task execution, Order Taker Dev Shops are highly driven by short-term return.

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Strategic Digital Solutions Firms by contrast take the time to understand your specific business goals, challenges, and industry. This understanding allows them to tailor solutions that align with your objectives and provide long-term value.

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The Allure of "Yes" Men

It’s understandable, we all like to be heard. 

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Clearly you’ve done the research, you know the market, now you just need people (quality devs, in particular) to execute.

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But good code doesn’t exist in a vacuum. 

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Attend a stand-up at any well-respected tech company and you’ll see more often than not continuous push-back between engineering, design, and product, and the members within each discipline.

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Healthy tension is at the heart of all successful agile teams.

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The Role of Strategic Partnerships

There are a few ways in which Strategic Dev Shop will add more to your company value in the long run. 

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Proactive Problem Solving 

Strategic dev shops don't just execute tasks; they actively identify and address potential issues or opportunities. This proactivity ensures that your projects are more likely to succeed, and problems are resolved before they escalate.

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Holistic Approach

They view projects within the broader context of your business strategy. They consider the impact of technology decisions on your entire operation, helping you make choices that promote overall growth and efficiency.

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Efficient Resource Allocation

As consultative partners, they help you allocate resources effectively, ensuring you invest in projects that will have the most significant impact on your business. This prevents wasted time and resources on less critical endeavors.

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Risk Mitigation

They assess risks associated with technology choices and project implementations, providing strategies to mitigate these risks. This can save you from costly setbacks and disruptions.

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Innovation

They often bring fresh ideas and innovative approaches to your projects, helping you stay competitive and agile in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

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What to Expect When Working with a Strategic Dev Shop

In our experience at Yolk Labs, there are five main differences you may notice when working with a truly strategic dev shop.

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1. Education and Knowledge Transfer: These partners often provide knowledge transfer sessions to your team, empowering your staff to maintain and optimize solutions independently to reduce long-term dependency on external help.
2. Transparency and Communication: They prioritize open and transparent communication, keeping you informed about progress, challenges, and decision-making processes. This transparency builds trust and ensures alignment.
3. Long-term Relationship: Consultative dev shops aim for long-term partnerships rather than short-term transactions. They are invested in your success over time, which aligns their incentives with yours.
4. Client-Centric Focus: Their primary focus is on your satisfaction and success. They measure their success by the value they bring to your business rather than just project completion.
5. Continuous Improvement: They focus on ongoing improvement and optimization. After project completion, they don't just walk away but continue to monitor and refine solutions to ensure they remain effective.

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Signs You’re Working With a True Development Partner

Curious if the firm you’re considering is truly a strategic partner interested in your long-term success, or a quick-turn agency happy to make a sale? 

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Below are a few ways to test if a dev shop understands your company goals and is building with the best future in mind. 

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• Collaboration is emphasized over compliance: You may notice spitballing between team members during white board sessions and on particularly collaborative scope documents through comments and suggestions. 

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• What you said is repeated back to you: Context is everything. This type of dev shop makes sure their interpretation of your vision, business, and opportunities is aligned with yours. 

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• Transparency and trust is fostered from the beginning: You may hear about when they’ve seen development projects go off the rails, or perhaps you’ll learn about the background of each team member in detail. The focus remains on people for this type of service business.

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• They do their due diligence on you: Maybe they know the name of your competitors before you even bring it up, or they may ask you about a recent development in the industry. A truly strategic firm is deliberate in who they choose as a partner as well to make sure the engagement is mutually beneficial. 

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• You’ll get helpful advice prior to an engagement: The long-term partnership is what matters. Strategic firms have a passion for problem solving and will jump in to ideate, no strings attached. 

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As software continues to eat the world, customers and employees are becoming more critical of how they engage with technology. 

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Companies building custom software, optimizing existing code, and choosing digital solutions need more than order takers.

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They need a partner that can push back and challenge them, that can understand the company’s context and goals in order to deliver the best solution possible. 

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Tell us what you think. What do you see as the most important features of a good dev shop? 

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Share your thoughts and experience in the comments. 

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To connect with us further and for upcoming events with Yolk Labs, follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram. 

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Yolk Labs holds office hours during the week 1-4pm pacific time. Share your vision or project over a digital coffee and we’ll be happy to ask the hard questions. 

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