Workteam with oDesk
- web development case study
marr.tw@gmail.com

Why ?
Quotes from Jimmy Chen,
CEO, gulu.com
We Need Coders/Developers, but …
• the top software talents will chase the big
bucks at hardware OEM companies.
• top taiwan hackers are too proud to chase
your dream.
• the only other good talents left are the
ultra-smart, hungry and talented
engineering graduates who don’t have any
real development experience at age of 27.

oDesk ?
http://www.odesk.com/

Crowdsourced Development
Quotes from David Feinleib,
entrepreneur, vcdave.com
• great developers treat the code and your project
overall as if it were their own.
• it’s one thing to have someone knock out a
prototype, but another to build something
scalable and maintainable.
• Odds are, you will not have good success with the
first developer you choose. Don’t hang on.
• Treat developers well, take the time to explain the
rationale for your designs or approach, and you’re
far more likely to get great results in return.

104case / jcase ?
“Please buy this
bottle first, you
will enjoy the
milk once we
have the cow.”

Cut Out the Middleman

Hour Worked is Hour Billed / Paid
The Right for Contractor: The Right for Employer:
• Get guaranteed payment for the time you
work • Audit the people and hours
worked
• Avoid the hassle of creating invoices and
time sheets • Access talent from around the
world
• Live where you want, work when you • Know the identity, skills and
want, on the jobs you want experience of every team member
• Set your own hourly rate based on your • Pay your global online team
skills, experience and reputation without the hassle of payroll and
• Access jobs around the world taxes
• Prove and market your skills via free • Pay competitive rates worldwide
online testing • Offer work online without paying
a membership fee or a posting fee
• Post a profile, apply, and interview for
• Build your own online workteam
jobs without paying a membership fee
• Build your own business online

Job Posting

Job Type
• Hourly
Pay by the hour. Verify with the Work Diary.
• Fixed Price
Pay by the project. Requires detailed
specifications.
Most employers choose hourly
• Ramp hours up or down as needed.
• See what work is being done. Time and
screenshots are automatically logged in the
Work Diary.
• Control your budget with weekly limits.

Candidate Listing

Applicant

Hour Limits

Contract Created

Team Software

Work Diary #1

Work Diary #2

Status and Log
Non-billed Time / Billed Time
Auto Tracked / Manual
Disconnected, Offline, Online, Active
Over the Weekly Limit

Payment

Weekly Report

Dispute - Warning
Any hours not disputed during the review
period are deemed accepted by the
employer and cannot be disputed thereafter.
Dispute - Note
The oDesk Dispute Resolution process applies to
hourly contracts only. All disputes must be filed
during the review period and will be resolved
through mediation within 4 business days.

Idle Job Notification

Get Started Carefully
• Choosing Developers Smartly
• Are You Technical Enough?
• A Clear Vision
• Design before Implement
• Quick Specs and Iterations
• Hiring bases on the Data
• Managing with Tools
• Scaling requires Many People
• Timezone Challenge

Web Development Cycle
• Requirements
• Specifications
• Visual Design
• Testing
• Debug
• I18n & Localization
• Database Integration
• System Deployment

To Outsource Or Not To ?
• Confidential?
• Detailed Specs?
• Tight Schedule?
• When to Scale? It’s by no means linear
• Complex Project?
• Manageable Tradeoffs?