1A. Does scaling your team feel like it takes forever?
Getting hold of the right kind of talent is tough. Your hiring process does take a lot of time to locate the needle in a haystack. Plus, you can't always have the Hire & Fire elasticity, which automatically means Hire slow.
Do you have an Extended Team at a lower-cost location?
Solution : WonderBiz will hire and operate a full remote Extended team for you, complete with Architects, Senior Engineers, DevOps, Test Engineers, UX designers. A Project Manager will be assigned on Day 1 to take support in planning and execution.
1B. Is scaling your team costly?
Scaling your team is quite a costly affair because local talent is not cheap - compensation Levels of engineers are over the top! Besides, there are comprehensive health insurance, 401K plans, tuition reimbursements to be taken care of. You also have to offer RSUs to attract the right talent.
Does your Extended Team have superior ability to move fast & break things?
Solution : WonderBiz has a proven track record of breaking speed barriers. Customers routinely commend our ability to move at such an incredulous speed as has been seen only in early stage setups. We focus on creating the right environment to foster blazing speed delivery so that our Customers are able to achieve their market commitments.
1C. Do you have an Extended Team at a lower-cost location?
Provisioning a lower-cost Extended team is not optional these days, it's a necessity. Else, you're always too reliant on a few superstar engineers making your growth unpredictable and risky. Plus there are other, non-core tasks to be taken on (integrations, UIs, wiring up) that don't need your core team to jump in.
Is your Extended Team able to take the right decisions (product & tech) on their own?
Solution : WonderBiz teams have been constantly appreciated for their ability to step up & think from the end users perspective. We believe in the value driven approach, charting out clear decision frameworks and autonomy guidelines to empower teams to make faster decisions on their own.
2A. Does your Extended Team have superior ability to move fast & break things?
Merely hustling faster will inevitabley lead to more rework. Unless first things first - choosing good raw talent and then empowering them with processes, tools and systems to help them succeed. Speed also depends on right role models and mentors who are able to show the path (design, plan, prepare, question).
Are timezones & culture slowing deliveries for your Extended Team?
Solution : WonderBiz teams have had a track record of having successfully worked with ambitious Customer teams, including Bay Area Founders (12 hours apart!). We get the need for speed and what all it takes to make that happen (async communication channels & overlap of 4 hours). We also ensure right culture alignment through cultural onboarding sessions.
2B. Is your Extended Team able to take the right decisions (product & tech) on their own?
Ability to take the right decisions beneficial for the product only come when one has correct understanding of the product. What is it that the end-user is concerned about? Why? What would happen if not? Similarly, Tech decisions come from a deep understanding of the underlying design and the tech landscape.
Is lack of domain knowledge causing poor designs?
Solution : WonderBiz has been in this area of Industrial Software, ever since we began running operations. We know about the pros and cons of most protocols & systems that are prevalent here. Our Architects apply industry best practices and domain-driven design to ensure your software choices are technically sound and business-aligned.
2C. Are timezones & culture slowing deliveries for your Extended Team?
Cultural differences & timezone overlaps are bound to cause significant delays in your delivery, unless designed for. These by themselves can easily offset gains coming from a lower cost setup in the form of higher Customer efforts & sacrifice levels (like needing to be able to be available at unweildly hours).
Are you missing top talent due to weaker assessments?
Solution : WonderBiz has been using our proprietary Willingess & Ability framework to slot new hires, selecting only the 4th Quadrant. We also test personas, culture fit & use the 37 CliftonStrengths Assessments (Analytical, Intellection, Consistency and more) to ensure person-job fit. Plus we make every candidate write actual code in the interview.
2D. Is lack of domain knowledge causing poor designs?
Unfounded background is one of the key reasons why a team cannot succeed. To be able to trasmit a whole lot of domain knowledge is tough & can easily undermine your quest for speed. Unless, the other side has raw desire to be able to operate in this area and has built systems to retain know-how.
Does it take longer to onboard a new hire?
Solution : WonderBiz has been adopting a different appreticeship approach, instead of a classroom training. New Hires are expected to contribute at least 2 story points in their very first week & just-in-time learn. Our onboarding includes domain induction & buddy system. Later we ensure quality via shorter feedback loops & more formal quarterly reviews.
3A. Are you missing top talent due to weaker assessments?
Hiring right talent takes longer and for right reasons. There's a lot to be assessed. Technical Competence and experience are just basic. Right Attitude in terms of passion, collaboration, learning, communication are mandatory and cannot be ignored. Besides there are natural strengths that will make or break a great team.
Is your Extended Team able to contribute to the Product Scope (Requirements & Spec)?
Solution : WonderBiz Teams are known for contributing at the scope level: asking pertinent questions and proposing UIs and flows to make life of the end-user better. Our teams have been exposed to the Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework, Design Thinking & Root Cause Analyses, getting involved in the Requirements workshops & contibuting to make your product better.
3B. Does it take longer to onboard a new hire?
Even the best of the hires needs to be onboarded to ensure effective contribution. Domain knowledge, Product expertise, Design frameworks and process knowhow have to be systematically seeded. Documentaton has to be upgraded or trainign plans need to be drawn up to make this happen.
Does your Extended Team work as a partner and not as a supplier?
Solution : WonderBiz makes sure, first to understand your Value System and then over-deliver. That is why we have repeat success with Customers - they are relunctant to work with someone else. Because they see us working with Passion & Accountability. And with the technical competence needed. That is what makes us a reliable & a trustworthy partner with high capabilities.
4A. Is your Extended Team able to contribute to the Product Scope (Requirements & Spec)?
While the Engineering Team is largely responsible to realize the Product Manager's vision, it is always a plus to work in a team that thinks on their own and makes scope suggestions. Of course, this can happen only if the team has enough confidence (tech & domain) to propose Specs. Else, it is more task oriented rather than outcome based.
Solution: WonderBiz Teams are known for contributing at the scope level: asking pertinent questions and proposing UIs and flows to make life of the end-user better. Our teams have been exposed to the Jobs-To-Be-Done Framework, Design Thinking & Root Cause Analyses, getting involved in the Requirements workshops & contributing to make your product better.
4B. Does your Extended Team work as a partner and not as a supplier?
When you are running the market race, you want your team to go beyond the call of duty - not stop at tasks but own the Outcome. The Extended team has to be proactive, anticipate needs and innovate. It has to be a single team, separated by geography yet joined by the passion for the product. Only an able and competent team will show up.
Solution: WonderBiz makes sure, first to understand your Value System and then over-deliver. That is why we have repeat success with Customers - they are relunctant to work with someone else. Because they see us working with Passion & Accountability. And with the technical competence needed. That is what makes us a reliable & a trustworthy partner with high capabilities.
