Businesses in Africa and around the world are running a race of rapid growth and clocking the highest revenue. Parallel to that, follows a war for hiring the best freelance talent.
From key hires like a skilled product owner to a creative UX designer, there seems to be both scarcity of and a massive demand for tech talent at the same time. Established multinational corporations and newborn start-ups alike struggle when it comes to finding the finest freelance talent. However, companies with huge investments and robust hiring teams have a slight advantage as they keep innovating new ways to attract and sustain good talent. International stages like the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi enable resourceful companies to connect with potential talent and resources, from VC funding to legal teams.
But, what about start-ups building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) at the seed level of investment? Or early-stage entrepreneurs developing a Proof of Concept (POC) at the pre-seed level? How do they find the right hires for their product development team? We’ve outlined a winning strategy to conquer the war of hiring the best freelance talent. Let’s review the journey of an entrepreneur from the idea to MVP stage, as they prepare to be investment-ready.
From key hires like a skilled product owner to a creative UX designer, there seems to be both scarcity of and a massive demand for tech talent at the same time. Established multinational corporations and newborn start-ups alike struggle when it comes to finding the finest freelance talent. However, companies with huge investments and robust hiring teams have a slight advantage as they keep innovating new ways to attract and sustain good talent. International stages like the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi enable resourceful companies to connect with potential talent and resources, from VC funding to legal teams.
But, what about start-ups building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) at the seed level of investment? Or early-stage entrepreneurs developing a Proof of Concept (POC) at the pre-seed level? How do they find the right hires for their product development team? We’ve outlined a winning strategy to conquer the war of hiring the best freelance talent. Let’s review the journey of an entrepreneur from the idea to MVP stage, as they prepare to be investment-ready.
Access Africa's Best Talent
Access Africa's Best Talent
Hiring Hacks for the Proof of Concept (POC) Stage
Every business empire begins with a small idea of what to innovate and create. But, not all of them are practical and make it to the execution stage. Entrepreneurs must evaluate their ideas to check whether they can be realized in the practical world via creating a “proof of concept”.
A POC focuses on determining the feasibility of a product. During this process, challenges emerge that might occur during execution. Insights collected at this stage require a critical and analytical approach to identifying areas of improvement.
Some founding teams already possess the key skills of a UX Designer; others are not as equipped. If the latter holds true, finding and hiring talent who can perform these roles full-time can be costly. At the early investment stage, their priority is to use funding to hire talent to take their product to the next level; thus the importance of smart hiring.
Renowned tech summits like the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi provide an avenue for connecting with professionals and expert freelance talent. If attending Africa Tech Summit, there’s a wealth of resources to leverage and network with—from product owners, to UX designers, and other freelance talent, like software engineers.
A POC focuses on determining the feasibility of a product. During this process, challenges emerge that might occur during execution. Insights collected at this stage require a critical and analytical approach to identifying areas of improvement.
Some founding teams already possess the key skills of a UX Designer; others are not as equipped. If the latter holds true, finding and hiring talent who can perform these roles full-time can be costly. At the early investment stage, their priority is to use funding to hire talent to take their product to the next level; thus the importance of smart hiring.
Renowned tech summits like the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi provide an avenue for connecting with professionals and expert freelance talent. If attending Africa Tech Summit, there’s a wealth of resources to leverage and network with—from product owners, to UX designers, and other freelance talent, like software engineers.
What do a Product Owner and UX Designer Do?
For most product-based startups, key hires at the initial stage will include a UX designer, product manager, product owner, and software developer. Product owners and UX designers are essential to product development. With the right people in these roles, then they guarantee a strong foundation for a product.
UX stands for User Experience; a UX designer is responsible for the way a product appears and responds to users.
A product owner is responsible for supervising the flow of product development. He/she is a jack of all trades who ensures all technical goals are met consistently. This person is a multi-tasker and can wear multiple hats.
A product owner is responsible for supervising the flow of product development. He/she is a jack of all trades who ensures all technical goals are met consistently. This person is a multi-tasker and can wear multiple hats.
How to create the best MVP?
After successfully completing a POC, the next stage in product development is MVP. Having the right person for UX design at this customer-facing stage is essential. If this is not someone already present in the founding team, it’s important to prioritize this hire.
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. It is a small prototype of your actual product that can be launched into the market for evaluating its performance and compatibility with the user base.
Some start-ups are seed-funded i.e. they have enough resources to build a first-class pseudo-product. However, it is their responsibility to make the most of their money when pre-equipped with investment. They need to make an efficient team that could potentially reflect the essence of their idea in the MVP.
On the other hand, for entrepreneurs who are on a quest of finding the investment, MVP is a crucial stage. The performance of the MVP is what catches the interest of investors and sometimes determines the capital investors are willing to spend.
Therefore, creating the best MVP becomes a necessity rather than an act of perfection.
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. It is a small prototype of your actual product that can be launched into the market for evaluating its performance and compatibility with the user base.
Some start-ups are seed-funded i.e. they have enough resources to build a first-class pseudo-product. However, it is their responsibility to make the most of their money when pre-equipped with investment. They need to make an efficient team that could potentially reflect the essence of their idea in the MVP.
On the other hand, for entrepreneurs who are on a quest of finding the investment, MVP is a crucial stage. The performance of the MVP is what catches the interest of investors and sometimes determines the capital investors are willing to spend.
Therefore, creating the best MVP becomes a necessity rather than an act of perfection.
Skilled African Tech Talent for both Budget and Quality
Tech-savvy startups, SMEs, and multinational corporates must evolve from old models of staffing their companies with full-time salaried professionals, and adopt new, flexible methods of building blended teams.
Entrepreneurs and start-ups should fast-track their product development cycle with on-demand, remote or onsite freelance professionals.
This new work culture is mutually beneficial for both companies and individuals. Instead of a full-time position, the company can pay the professional for a certain amount of work, for a definite time. In turn, freelance professionals can utilize their skills and potential to be a part of multiple success stories. Efficient freelancing platforms link entrepreneurs with the best talents to stay ahead in the race.
The sold-out Africa Tech Summit connects investors, entrepreneurs, and tech professionals. Gebeya is excited to be an event sponsor and speak in three sessions about product development, how investors view it, and how the right talent plays a critical role.
Entrepreneurs and start-ups should fast-track their product development cycle with on-demand, remote or onsite freelance professionals.
This new work culture is mutually beneficial for both companies and individuals. Instead of a full-time position, the company can pay the professional for a certain amount of work, for a definite time. In turn, freelance professionals can utilize their skills and potential to be a part of multiple success stories. Efficient freelancing platforms link entrepreneurs with the best talents to stay ahead in the race.
The sold-out Africa Tech Summit connects investors, entrepreneurs, and tech professionals. Gebeya is excited to be an event sponsor and speak in three sessions about product development, how investors view it, and how the right talent plays a critical role.