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Battle of the Dev Firms (Part I) -- Central Eastern Europe vs. Latin America

Developing the right software for your company can be daunting. That’s why so many businesses today turn to outside development firms to build new software from scratch, scale existing digital tools, and augment their internal software development teams.

From near-shoring to off-shoring, options — and questions — abound when it’s time to level up your digital infrastructure. For example:

• What regions offer the best developers?
• How should you choose between near-shoring and off-shoring?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

In this ongoing series, we’ll discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for software development firms in key areas around the world. For our first installment, we’re focusing on near-shoring in Latin America versus off-shoring in Central Eastern Europe — Poland in particular. We’ll also help you understand where VentureDevs fits in and how we can help your team.

• Top global tech talent — Polish developers rank 3rd in the world
• Polish IT market growth is up from 5% to 10% year-over-year
• Strong English skills — Poland ranks 11th out of 100 countries and received a “very high proficiency rating”
• Similar legal frameworks and cultural values
• Competitive pricing compared to on-shore development firms

• A closer time zone for US-based companies
• Similar to Central Eastern Europe, competitive pricing compared to on-shore development firms

• Different time zones can be challenging if firms don’t make their teams available for clients in other parts of the world
• Surplus of Polish development firms may make it hard to find the right one — but we can point you in the right direction ;)

• Language barrier — many Latin American developers don’t speak English
• Reports of significant delays with Latin American developers in terms of project delivery and work completion
• Cultural differences that complicate shared priorities and established deadlines

• You can get high-quality work more cost-effectively than on-shore options and more reliably than cheaper regions such as India and the Philippines
• Massive pool of world’s top software developers — more than 254,000 in Poland — means that near-shoring or off-shoring won’t compromise developer skills

• Resolve issues in real-time with convenient time-zones and same-day collaboration
• Establish in-person relationships thanks to geographic proximity and easier travel between brick-and-mortar offices

• European IT market is highly competitive — retaining top talent could be challenging
• Time zones don’t overlap extensively — although this means that Eastern European teams can work on projects around the clock
• Variation in quality depending on firm and country (i.e. Poland, Ukraine, Belarus)

• Political instability throughout Latin America
• Anti-business and anti-American governments
• “Do, not ask” approach rooted in colonial mindset

Ultimately, the best software development firm for your business depends on your unique needs and particular software goals. While Latin American dev firms do offer their own unique strengths and opportunities, it’s important to take a comprehensive view of the development ecosystem when comparing the two regions.

For example, HackerRank gives its highest scores in Latin America to Chile, Mexico, and Brazil at 78.4, 75.7, and 73.4, respectively, while Poland scores an impressive 98.0. Although Latin American time zones may (at times — pun intended) be amenable to collaboration, Polish teams can pick up work where US-based teams leave off. This means that you can give them feedback on projects during your own workday and receive a finished work product when you check in the next morning. Pretty nice, right?

With competitive pricing, skilled talent, and a burgeoning tech scene, Central Eastern Europe is emerging as a leading hub of software development talent. No wonder it’s an increasingly popular development market for US-based firms looking for cost-effective software development solutions and Western European companies on the hunt for convenient and reliable near-shore options.

To learn more about working with the region’s premier tech professionals, reach out to VentureDevs today and ask about our product development and team augmentation services.

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