Hiring Developers | Mindset & Biases

10/31/22

We’ve talked about filtering well and testing developers, now let’s talk about some things to look for when interviewing.

It is actually rare that developers can understand and implement business goals effectively. There just aren’t many joint CS and Business programs in the world. 

If you’re looking for a technology leader, one thing you’ll want to check is the way they think about the languages, frameworks, packages, tools, and other technologies they recommend. 

Are they able to look at things through the business’ eyes?

They’ll be making decisions that will affect you for the life of the company. Once a piece of code is written and running, it is very costly to re-build, sometimes even more costly than it was to build originally.

When choosing a tech lead, make sure they’re looking at things through the eyes of the business. Make sure they’re choosing languages, frameworks, and open source packages when appropriate. If not, you may not have the right person on board.

Biases to Avoid

Here are some possible red flags to watch for:

  • Adopting technologies too early for business. New things are shiny and interesting, that doesn’t mean they’re right for the business.
  • Building vs. remodeling. Developers almost always recommend to rebuild vs remodel when it is rarely the best decision.
  • Underestimating. Everything seems easy till the rubber hits the road.
  • Dismissing languages. Writing off whole languages as if they’re dumb. PHP is an example of this. It is the most widely used language on the web and several of the largest websites use it. Including WordPress, Wikipedia, MailChimp, Facebook, etc. 
  • Dismissing frameworks. Writing off frameworks because they’re dumb. WordPress is the most widely used CMS on the web yet developers incorrectly think they could do it better, cheaper, and faster. 
  • Extreme positions or opinions on things. Some examples of this are that everything needs to be written in components. Design should always be mobile first. Extreme test driven development. The truth is, every decision has tradeoffs, try to understand them. 
  • The list could go on!

This article is part of our series on tips for non-technical founders. Download our free Guide to Tech Projects for Non-technical Founders.

If you need hands-on help with your project, Buink has years of experience managing and completing technical projects on time, under budget, and with a high level of quality. Contact Buink today.

About The Author

Ben currently works as a senior developer and technical business consultant outside of Boulder, Colorado.

Read more about Ben

About Buink

Buink Web Development is a development shop founded in 2009 by Ben Buie. For years, Ben built and modified web assets for clients in Utah. In 2011, he moved the company to Colorado and in 2015 he started taking on new clients full-time.

Buink’s Core Values:

  • Cost effective technology (with business strategy in mind)
  • Eloquent, maintainable code
  • Responsive and transparent communication

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Dave G.
Dave G.
14:05 13 Aug 23
Buink is a great place to work, as well as a great place to have quality software written. I originally contracted Buink for some web development, and it worked out so well we began working together on many different projects. Definitely an honest transparent company that needs to be considered for... your software needs.read more
Dru M.
Dru M.
15:41 25 Mar 21
Ben’s a super responsive, thoughtful, sharp and all around great guy to work with. Excellent with his trade. I’d recommend him to anyone. Thanks Ben!
Seth L.
Seth L.
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Ben and team are incredible to work with. They are reliable and proficient. I'd highly recommend hiring them for web development work. SethVOLTAGE
Craig A.
Craig A.
20:50 18 Jun 19
It was a pleasure to work with Ben and his team. It is rare to find such attention to high standards of coding and devops.
Lexi S.
Lexi S.
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Grateful to have Ben and his team as such a capable, reliable partner for completing client work!
Tom S.
Tom S.
13:18 14 Jun 19
I reached out to Buink after finding Ben’s name in a local developer/consultant listing in 2017, and I have to say, it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Buink. Ben consistently understands not just the development task laid in front of him but the business application behind the task. I’ve... never felt more comfortable with a development team than I do with Buink. I truly feel Ben and his team are integral partners in the success of my business.read more
Marilyn F.
Marilyn F.
22:47 13 May 19
I could not recommend Buink Web Development more highly. Ben and his team have recently developed a budgeting app for me (both web and IOS). I have had the opportunity of working with them for over a year and I am extremely happy with the results.I would say that the biggest plus for me is that I... trust Ben completely. From the very first, Ben has helped me make decisions that were in the best interest of my company. I have never felt like he is taking advantage of me. Ben does his best to keep the whole process very open and upfront. I have really appreciated that.I tell people all the time that I love my developers. And I do. I'm very happy that I chose to use Buink to develop my apps. It was the best business decision I could have made.If you are looking for someone to develop a website or app, I strongly suggest choosing Buink Web Development. They are fantastic!Marilyn Ference, President, Defend Your Money, LLCread more
James Landon B.
James Landon B.
01:33 28 Aug 18
Great company to help with all your web design needs!
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