Education: a priority
Comparing Poland with other countries, it’s easy to notice that we value our education. Within the IT industry, good English knowledge is a must, and every Polish developer knows that. From a very early age, polish students have contact with English and German and Russian languages. Foreign language lessons are provided even in kindergarten. Nowadays, a typical polish student should have gone through at least 12 years of foreign language lessons. This should result in at least a basic knowledge of grammar and the ability to communicate efficiently in said language.
The fascination with foreign movies, TV shows, and musicians gives us Poles strength and determination to learn new languages. In the past, Western countries were almost impossible to visit for Polish people, which created Western culture’s idealization. It drove Poles today to be hardworking, educated, and skilled.
The UK on the lookout for new devs
With Brexit and rapid business development in mind, many UK based companies will have to change their direction and look for alternative hiring skilled software developers. Since London is the place to be for all aspiring startupers in Europe, high-quality specialists are hard to reach. There simply aren’t enough skilled software developers in the UK. On top of that, the available ones have entirely taken over the market, with their prices being way over the average startup budget. It’s no surprise that company founders are desperately looking for affordable alternatives.
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Alternative countries to offshoring
Up until recently, outsourcing development forces meant hiring engineers from countries like India, China, Turkey, Philippines. Due to the larger population of Middle Eastern countries, it’s easier to find IT specialists there. Also, lesser business development and certain countries’ economies make Middle Eastern developers’ rates far lower than in Western Europe.
However, many European entrepreneurs notice that working in two or even more time zones disarranged the project schedule, making it challenging to communicate daily.
Communication wise, language also becomes a significant factor, sometimes even a barrier, when offshoring to Asian countries. Cultural differences also add to miscommunication issues.
Poland - crème de la crème of software developers
Of course, there are plenty of excellent, skilled, and educated developers all over the world. However, statistics say that Poles are exceptionally good at learning in general, and foreign languages are our spécialité. Alongside having some of the best technical skills.
Universities in Europe, Poland produces over 15 000 graduates with IT skills each year.
Poland has earned its current position, but there are no grounds for complacency in our culture. Polish developers are dedicated and focused on their work because they are aware of variables in science, technology, and the economy. If they want to stay on top, they have to work even harder.
What’s so great about nearshoring?
Building long-term business relationships is not easy. Both sides need to get to know each other and most importantly, trust one another. A successful partnership requires time and effort. So if your startup is looking for a software house, a few factors need to be considered.
First of all, will you be able to communicate smoothly? The best way to verify it is to talk: via Skype or face to face. When choosing a software house based in Poland, you can get to their office within 1-3 hours by plane, much from all across Europe. For example, a regular flight from London to Warsaw takes around two hours, and the prices start from £10! It’s probably cheaper to travel from the UK to PL by plane than to take the London-Liverpool highway.
Outsourcing product development can also be stressful. You may think it’s hard to manage a remote team, but again with good communication, your problems should be resolved shortly. Barely any difference in time zones means that both sides work similar hours so you can exchange ideas, answer questions and simply work together daily.
Cultural similarities between Brits and Poles and European countries’ shared history only tightens ties and create incredible products.
If you want to know more about nearshoring with polish software house, contact our sales team manager, he’ll be happy to help you out.
Karol, CEO of ULAN Software & BOWWE.com, is a distinguished leader with a dual degree in CS and Marketing. With a background in FinTech, eCommerce, and Startups, his experience spans over 7 years in the Polish, Spanish, and Portuguese banking sectors, contributing to major institutions. With 11 years in SME eCommerce, he's advised 500+ companies globally and is a World Bank Group speaker. Karol has co-founded 3 startups and brings valuable insights from his Silicon Valley experience, focusing on growing international online businesses.