How to Find and Hire a Python/Django Development Company
We’re a Python/Django development company that builds software from scratch. We’ve been in business for seven years and know what problems clients may face when looking for a deserving development team. We’ve put together this article to offer practical tips for choosing the best Python development team. Read on!
Even though there are about 22 million developers in the world (according to a Nexten.io study), good Python/Django developers aren’t easy to find and can be quite expensive. But there are many freelance marketplaces for software development companies and individual Python developers. On these marketplaces, you can find profiles of software development companies and their projects alongside reviews and ratings from current and former clients.
Each of the following platforms has a Python developer community:
How can you differentiate between a good software development team and a bad one?
Since there’s such an abundance of developers, it’s vital to know how to discern who’s good.
A good Python development team:
- follows best practices and guidelines
- understands object-oriented programming
- knows how Python libraries work
- can solve Python-focused software architecture problems
- has good knowledge of web development frameworks
- has a transparent workflow
- knows what teamwork is
- has meetings to discuss project progress;
- reports regularly on work completed;
- signs a contract with you that ensures your rights and protects your business idea (an NDA, software development agreement, etc.)
- will provide code samples if asked to prove their capabilities
- sets up interviews with team leads
- is willing to complete a test task if one is given
We’ve talked about what makes a good development team. Now we’ll tell you how to choose developers based on the criteria listed below.
Look at the Python and Django-based projects in their portfolio
Software providers always have an online presence that lets you learn about their experience. Most companies offer case studies and maintain a portfolio or projects page on their website to showcase their hands-on experience. Read the descriptions of featured projects to find those built on Python/Django. Usually, in case studies there’s a section about technical solutions and problems the development team has solved.
Interview your Python/Django team for hire
It takes an interview session or two to decide which Python consulting company to choose. You should meet the team that’s going to work on your project during an interview, either by video or in person. If you aren’t a developer, leave the Python Django interview questions to a technical interviewer. They can ask questions that are relevant to roadblocks you may face during development.
You should also ask questions about the business and organizational sides of collaboration. An interview can show whether a Django consulting firm is interested in your project and confident that they can complete the task.
You should be prepared for this interview since your candidates will ask you project-related questions. Make sure to provide developers with a proper job description that clearly describes your project and the functionality that needs to be implemented. The job description should include required skills, qualifications, and experience.
Your own technical consultants can create a list of technologies and APIs for candidates. Having this list will help you find developers faster, as clear requirements make it easy for project managers and COOs to allocate the best people for the project. If you need only one or two developers, then a software development partner can give you just one or two people who can work on your project and report to a project manager.
Don’t back away if candidates start expressing their ideas about development solutions. This discussion can be a sign that they want to improve your product and offer useful technical advice or improve the overall logic of your project. Their comments are likely grounded in years of experience. An interview is a possibility for you to see how a team conveys their thoughts and whether they can maintain a strong work ethic. Interviews can help you finalize your decision and establish a connection between you and a potential development team.
At the end of your interview, ask for references. A company can get you in touch with customers who have worked with them so you can get feedback on how they communicate and deal with challenges and how innovative they are in their approach.
That said, you should feel at ease when communicating with the team. Therefore, you need to choose a technical team with good communication skills.
Review the web development technology stack
Python companies are generally multifunctional because of the programming language they use. Python allows developers to build and maintain scalable systems. It’s a mature language that can cover all functionality and automate many tasks. Google, Facebook, Instagram, and other well-known companies choose Python for their websites as it allows them to build secure environments.
Companies with good expertise will offer a wide range of technology stacks or will specialize in specific areas. This expertise should include the best Python frameworks. Developers should know how to work with libraries, extensions, and APIs. When you first get in touch with a Python development company, ask what technology stack they typically use.
Every programming language has its standards. You should also inquire as to whether companies keep to those standards. Common standards for Python are described in the official Python Guidelines.
There are many principles that support object-oriented design and programming. Five of these principles are described by SOLID: single responsibility, open/closed, Liskov substitution, interface segregation, and dependency inversion. These principles should be incorporated into development to ensure stable, scalable, and robust code. In brief, following these principles makes it easy to understand, maintain, extend, test, and reuse Python code.
Ask for a dedicated team
Think of how much time it will take to build your project if you hire a distributed team whose members are located all over the world. Making sure they all stay on the same page will be hard.
As an alternative, you can hire a Python/Django company that has all employees in-house. If you partner with a company, go ahead and ask for a dedicated team. Good companies have good management and will set you up with a team capable of building your project from the ground up. If you partner with a Python outsourcing development company, you can manage a remote team the way you’d manage developers who work in your own office.
Request a quote
You certainly don’t have a limitless budget to build your project. Like everyone in the business of building software, you’d like to know how much the product will cost. It’s fair to request an approximate quote from a company you’re considering. Experienced developers can estimate the number of hours necessary to implement all features. However, to make this possible your team must have a requirements document that lists features. If you don’t have this document, you can ask a third party to write it for you. You can also ask the company you’re hiring to write project requirements for you. Mind that this service will likely also be billed.
Remember that testing should also be included in your quote, as it’s an integral part of the software development process.
What’s more, you should know that there are three popular pricing models companies work with: fixed price, time and materials, and milestone. Your estimate may vary depending on the pricing model you choose.
To avoid complications later on, it’s wise to ask a software development company what payment methods they accept. Companies can accept payment by PayPal, credit card, bank wire, or direct deposit. Now there’s even an option to pay right in the invoice email and some companies have adopted this practice.
Hiring Python developers: dos and don’ts
Below, we lay out things you should and shouldn’t do before you make a final decision about a development company. These things may well influence your choice of a Python/Django development company.
DOS
- Navigate the сompany’s website to get a feel for what they do and who they work with.
- Read the company blog to find out more about their expertise and aspirations.
- Check how active the company is on social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get an idea of the brand and its identity.
- Read client reviews and look at ratings on freelance marketplace platforms to know what clients say about the Python/Django team you’re interested in.
- Write an email to see how the company responds.
- Schedule a call or a meeting to see if they’re open for discussion.
- Check if the company has a Dribbble or Behance account to learn about their UI/UX capabilities.
- Hear what the company has to say about your project to see if they’re excited to work with you and can offer valuable insights and improvements.
- Ask if they’ve worked with the technology you’re interested in to know how quickly they can get the job done.
- Ask them to show similar projects in the same industry and see their Python developer portfolio to make sure their claims are true.
DON’TS
- Don’t hire a development team based on price alone because cheap doesn’t always mean high quality.
- Don’t always trust claims that a team can use any technology and has experience in everything because developers can’t embrace all technologies at once.
- Don’t hire software development company that’s hesitant to jump on a voice or video call because it may mean they aren’t interested in working with you.
- Don’t hire a Django development company that just wants to get the job done and doesn’t care about your goals and the future of the product.
Choosing the right Python software company for your project
If you have an app idea, you need to look for developers who can build it. You can either search for developers on platforms or visit development company websites and ask for references. You should also study what technology stacks companies use, ask for code samples, and give test tasks with functionality similar to that in your project in order to see what technical solutions developers can offer. When selecting a team to work with, conduct an interview to see how they treat the work and what comments they make regarding your project.
