Most non-technology founders face the problem that they need to work with an agency to build their first MVP.
What actually happens here is that most founders in the UK end up having to engage an overseas company to build that MVP, because it’s cheaper than engaging an agency in the UK.
There are some advantages to engaging a UK company if you’re based in the UK, but then again so many agencies now have a blended UK team and “offshore” team… maybe there’s not too much advantage there?
In the offshoring world, you have generally two options. A “close” country, like one in Eastern Europe, or a “distant” country, like one in Asia, Africa, or South America.
The reason why there are two is that it’s generally harder to manage a project in a distant country compared to a close country. If you are a non-technology founder – i.e. you are not an expert in running software projects – it makes sense to prefer a close country over a distant country because you are less likely to run into problems.
Cost-wise, the rule of thumb is that “nearshoring” to Eastern Europe is about half the cost of outsourcing to a UK company, and “offshoring” to a distant country is about one-third of the cost.
So this one’s easy – if you are offshoring as a non-technology founder, select a country in Eastern Europe that will be easier to manage, and don’t be tempted by the reduced cost of shipping the work further away.