The rate is the smallest variable
Two engineers at the same rate can differ by a factor of several in delivered value. The expensive parts of offshore development are rarely on the invoice: reviews that catch avoidable mistakes, features rebuilt because requirements were misread, and the weeks lost when an engagement ends early.
Four things that genuinely move the number
- Seniority: a senior engineer who needs no supervision costs more per hour and less per feature
- Engagement model: individual augmentation is cheaper to start; a dedicated team with its own lead costs more but absorbs management overhead
- Overlap hours: fewer shared hours means slower feedback loops, which shows up as calendar time
- Vetting depth: the cheapest bench is the one that has not been filtered, and you pay for that later
The cost of a bad hire
A mis-hire is not one wasted salary. It is the ramp-up time, the code someone else has to unpick, the delayed roadmap, and the second hiring cycle. This is the real argument for thorough vetting before an introduction reaches you — and for a replacement guarantee that operates in days rather than quarters.
How to compare two proposals honestly
- Ask for the rate by role and seniority, not a blended average
- Ask what management time is expected from your side each week
- Ask what the committed overlap window is with your working day
- Ask what happens contractually if the engineer is not the right fit
- Ask who owns the code, the IP and the repositories on day one
How we price it
We evaluate requirements, time, risk and team shape before presenting a written estimate. Fixed-scope work comes with agreed milestones and payments; flexible engagements run on a rolling scope. Either way you see the number before the commitment, and every engagement includes a replacement guarantee.