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Product Design: How would I start developing a product? Are freelance sites such as oDesk or eLance the way to go? Or is a private company a better route? Thanks
JS
JS
Jeff Solomon, 5x founder, Velocify (sold for $128M), Amplify.la answered:

I use any resource at my disposal, but I think it comes down to a little formula that takes in these two data points:

1) what am I trying to build?
2) what are my strengths?

Here's how it works. I basically calculate a "success probability outcome score" based on these two factors. Here are some examples:

Let's say I'm creating sophisticated SaaS solution with a complex data structure and backend. I'm strong in the product side (features, UX, architecture, etc.) but weak in the tech side so outsourcing with oDesk could be a challenge. In a separate case, if I've got a really basic dynamic website with half a dozen tables and basic CRUD operations, oDesk might be a great source for me b/c the project is pretty straightforward and I can project manage all aspects pretty easily given my strengths.

In general I use oDesk, Elance and the like for more basic and straightforward -- they have a wide range of services there including: coding, graphic design, copywriting, task management, voiceover, etc. For this stuff, it's a no brainer. If the project starts to get out of the scope of my expertise and it's generally complicated tech, I tend to stay away from these services.

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