Choosing the right technology partner for your business is key to ensuring the growth and success of your company.
But with so many companies out there, how do you zero in on the ONE? How do you figure out which technology partner will be the right fit for your project, for your company?
Frankly, there’s no set method to find the right technology partner.
You can, however, make sure you get the right people on board by evaluating them on certain criteria that are important to you. These criteria will depend solely on the nature of your product, but here are some qualities that are generally good to evaluate the tech partners on:
Capabilities
The technology partner you choose should have a solid technical foundation so that they can help you decide which technology stack works best for your specific case. They need to be well-versed in a variety of technologies, so they can make the ‘correct’ decision. They should be able to logically and confidently explain why you should go with a certain technology and why not the other.
Some people you come across might simply agree with whatever you are saying and while this might feel good, it’s best to be open-minded when a potential technology partner challenges a certain notion.
A brainstorming session is a great way to evaluate a team’s capabilities. Are they able to bounce off your ideas, build on them, and give valuable input? Good. Do they seem like a team that doesn’t have much to say or drawing a blank? Not great news.
You may also have a set of questions ready for them to see how they respond. Whichever way, if time allows, meeting the team for an hour-long session can give you great insight into the potential partner’s abilities.
Innovation
It’s the technology partner’s job to not only help you realize your vision but also to grow and expand it. It could be a tiny input that saves you a month, it could be an alternate tech stack that solves a problem, or it could be uncovering something you probably hadn’t considered.
A capable team is not enough. You need a capable team with a burning desire to innovate.
A good idea would be to emphasize innovation when you meet the potential partner. Have they done innovation in their past projects? What did their innovation lead to? Did it save costs or time or bring in more revenue for the client?
A team that is hungry for innovation will have multiple examples for you.
Security
Choosing a new technology partner is akin to a marriage of two companies. But it’s a marriage where you are at greater risk.
You are in a more vulnerable position, as the success of the product, your reputation, and the data of hopefully hundreds of people are at stake.
You need a technology partner you can completely trust. A technology partner with a CV and testimonials to go along with it is a great starting point.
In the first few meetings, the topic of security needs to be discussed at length.
What measures will the technology partner take to ensure the safety and security of the product? Have they carried out any projects where security was the prime concern? Are there people in the industry who can vouch for their seriousness and reliability in the matter?
These questions will help you gauge the reliability of a potential technology partner.
Conclusion
There are a number of criteria on which technology partners can be evaluated. One article is hardly enough to cover the topic in depth. And for every project, these criteria will differ. Choosing a technology partner should be part mind, part gut feeling. There’s no surefire way of getting the perfect partner. But you can get pretty darn close to perfect if you have the time.
