How to Hire an Offshore Dev Team
A 12-point guide for USA, UK, and UAE procurement teams evaluating Indian software partners — written by a team that has delivered 200+ global projects since 2016.
1. Verify real portfolio & case studies
Ask for live URLs, repo access after NDA, and reference calls — not only Dribbble mockups.
2. Check Clutch / GoodFirms reviews
Third-party B2B reviews are harder to fake than website testimonials.
3. Insist on fixed-price or capped T&M
Open-ended hourly without scope caps is the #1 budget overrun pattern.
4. Sign NDA + IP assignment before discovery
You should own 100% of code from day one; confirm in the MSA.
5. Meet the actual team leads
Sales should not disappear after contract — insist on intro to PM and tech lead.
6. Align time zones explicitly
Define overlap hours (e.g. 9am–12pm EST) and response SLAs in writing.
7. Demand weekly demos, not slide decks
Working software every 2 weeks beats status emails.
8. Define acceptance criteria per sprint
Clear “done” prevents disputes at invoice time.
9. Use your tools (Jira, Slack, GitHub)
You retain visibility; avoid black-box vendor portals only.
10. Start with a paid discovery or small pilot
4–6 week pilot de-risks a $100k+ engagement.
11. Plan post-launch support upfront
Bug-fix window, security patches, and hourly rate for enhancements.
12. Red flag: no senior dev on calls
Junior-only delivery with rotating staff — walk away.