You’ve already got an MVP version of your product, and now you feel like it’s time to move forward. It normally happens when you see that the number of users accessing your software is increasing — proportionally to the number of transactions being processed. Or you can also feel that the storage capacity is already at the edge of handling the existing data volume. In any case, there’s a moment when your limited MVP potential cannot address the new stage of your application growth, and you inevitably need to think of software development expansion.
Eventually, software development expansion is the common goal for all startups. Let’s take France for example. According to Statista, 52% of French fledging companies show a steady interest in growing internationally, while 20% of startups have already succeeded in this mission.
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As you can see, growth is a natural phenomenon in the lifecycle of any software product. But the question is what pains it can cause to the business and what challenges faced by developers you should be ready to cope with. That’s exactly what we’re going to cover today to help you expand your software development product mindfully and effectively.
What is scaling in software development?
Let’s first clarify what we mean by scaling. Usually, scalabiity is understood as the system’s flexibility to respond to the augmented demand. Meanwhile, in software development, this term refers to software’s ability to manage workload fluctuations while guaranteeing stable performance.
When your digital product continues evolving, it’s important to ensure the smooth scaling of operations within the tech team. This can be partially attained through Agile methodologies if implemented carefully. Still, you should also invest time and effort in handling the key growing pains we’ll discuss below.
Effective methods to expand your software team
Deciding to grow your software development team is a big move that can really help your projects succeed. There are a few good ways to go about this, and each has its own pluses and things to think about.
| Method | Advantages | Considerations |
| Hiring in-house developers | Direct communication and collaboration, Better alignment with company culture and values, Easier integration with existing teams and processes | Recruitment can be time-consuming and costly, Limited access to a broader talent pool, Potential challenges in scaling quickly |
| Outsourcing to external agencies | Quick access to specialised skills, Reduced overhead and administrative burden, Scalability for short-term | Potential misalignment with company culture, Less control over day-to-day operations, Possible communication barriers |
| Staff augmentation | Flexibility to scale resources as needed, Access to a global talent pool, Quick onboarding and integration | Requires effective management to ensure alignment, Potential challenges in maintaining consistent quality, Need for robust communication channels |
| Building offshore development teams | Cost savings on salaries and operational expenses, Access to a diverse talent pool, Ability to operate across multiple time zones | Time zone differences can impact communication, Cultural differences may affect collaboration, Requires strong project management and oversight |
| Implementing scaled Agile frameworks | Improved coordination across teams, Enhanced visibility and transparency, Better alignment with business objectives | Requires training and adaptation, Can be complex to implement, May require changes in organisational structure |
Common challenges faced during business expansion
Overcoming challenges is a must if you expect your products to be set up for constant expansion. So, don’t be afraid of these situations. Instead, go and learn the best practices to cope with each of them skillfully.
Hiring developers on a long-term basis
Despite the developer job’s popularity, hiring a developer remains a daunting task. The recruiters confirm this, claiming that 64% of tech candidates lack the required skills or experience to perform the engineering job. As a result, it’s wise to reach out to a reliable IT outsourcing provider to hire a developer or a few for your specific project, especially if you need someone to commit for the long term.
On the other hand, among the critical challenges faced by software developers, meeting the culture that fosters talent is a common complaint. So, if you care about staff retention, start with building an atmosphere of involvement by giving regular feedback and providing learning opportunities.
Overcoming communication issues
Well, business expansion often equals scaling software development teams, as you need more brains and hands to meet the new demands. Here, you might face another type of challenge—communicative. In the time of remote work and multicultural teams, you should work on uniting your team members and setting clear policies to avoid the mismatch of expectations.
This all becomes easier if you stay focused on team collaboration. Choose the right PM tools and communication channels, incite open dialogue at meetings, and ensure transparency in your business plans and product updates.
Handling a tech debt
Now, we’re moving to the financing side of software development expansion. Switching from the MVP to the full-scale solution requires paying a tech debt, meaning updating the code and design from time-saving to high-quality standards.
At this stage, you can face various management problems in large-scale software development projects, but the worst scenario is to postpone the rebuilding process. The longer you do it, the more pain you’ll likely experience. Instead, think strategically and reduce costs by starting the rebuild in time.
Ensuring quality during the growth
Another common challenge during the quick growth is keeping the same level of qualitative delivery. Here, the QA comes into the scene, monitoring and testing the product excellence at each stage of software development.
We advise investing in automated testing tools to streamline the process and taking proactive software security measures to avoid customer delusion, compliance issues, and reputation risks.
Accommodating software infrastructure to user needs
In scaling Agile software development, it’s also crucial to choose the robust software infrastructure that will help you serve the needs of numerous users without any performance dropdowns.
To adjust your software to the bigger customer base, use optimal cloud-based server solutions to preclude any disruptions in UX. Yes, your budget on this will significantly increase proportionally to the number of users, but that’s not the expense item you should save money on.
Choosing the right technologies to accelerate expansion
The selection of technologies for expanding your digital product to the full-scale application also determines a lot. For instance, you can choose the ones enabling reuse-based software development of large-scale systems and considerably decrease the developers’ time and efforts.
Also, instead of reinventing a vehicle, you can use different third-party solutions to speed up development. With the latter, however, you should be cautious to avoid vendor lock-in—the hard or nearly impossible transition to another platform. To eliminate this tie-in, give preference to open standards, avoid signing vague or hard-to-interpret contracts, and have a vendor alternative to shift to if needed.
Patternica's tips to prepare for your business growth
Now that you know key pains that may occur during the business growth and the solutions to them, it should be easier to stay resilient and cultivate leadership, especially if you partner with professionals in software development.
Before you go and book a call with us, we’ll leave you with a few pieces of advice to get ready for scaling:
👉 Delegate scaling to the experts instead of relying on trial and error;
👉 Communicate with your customers to know your TA well;
👉 Focus on your key business goals to keep on the right track;
👉 Hire the right people to build a strong dedicated team from the start;
👉 Define your policies and proper procedures to make the scaling go smoother.
FAQ
What are the most critical first steps in a software development team expansion?
The first steps include assessing your team’s needs by identifying skill gaps and roles to be filled, setting clear objectives for scaling, choosing the right model for expansion (in-house, outsourced, or extended), and establishing effective communication tools and processes for smooth collaboration.
Why use team extension for team scaling?
Team extension offers flexibility to scale your team quickly, provides access to specialised skills without the lengthy hiring process, is more cost-effective than hiring full-time employees, and helps meet tight deadlines without compromising quality.
For whom team extension is profitable?
Team extension is beneficial for startups looking to scale quickly without large investments, enterprises needing specialised skills, tech companies managing fluctuating demand, and product-based businesses aiming to meet deadlines or launch new features.
How does development team extension differ from traditional outsourcing?
Team extension involves integrating external developers directly with your in-house team, giving you more control over the process and better collaboration. Traditional outsourcing typically involves external teams working independently with less daily interaction, less flexibility, and fixed contracts.
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