STEP-BY-STEP: FINDING AND HIRING A PROFESSIONAL HACKER

 Some founders have tried to circumvent this issue by offering equity instead of a salary. The problem with this, however, is that you will have landed yourself a partner rather than an employee. If you have no prior experience working with them, this can be a challenge.

 A very attractive alternative is the freelance market. With these professionals, you can source the expertise you need on a shoestring. Here, we make the case for freelance talent and suggest some of the profiles startups should consider.

 As already touched on, financial stability is critical to new startups. The ecosystem is, by nature, fast-paced. Businesses need a sustainable financial model, so soliciting freelancers is an economical, agile way of accessing the best talent to bootstrap a startup. Contractors or consultants simultaneously save time and money, delivering on briefs within set timescales and budgets.

 Equally, opting for a freelancer over a full-time hire mitigates a certain amount of risk. At the end of the day, taking someone on as a permanent employee is a gamble. It’s difficult to fully assess someone’s capabilities in just one or two interviews. This gives companies the comfort of something akin to a “try-before-you-buy” scheme; if you don’t gel, you have no future obligation.

 It also makes sense for discrete, one-time projects associated with setting up. Web design, UX, or app development are often best outsourced. Equally, business planning and financial modelling are better executed by experienced consultants. The freelance market gives companies access to the best minds in these niches; after all, freelancing is very dynamic, and these experts tend to incorporate this dynamism into their approach.

 Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a first-time company founder, it’s amazing what a business consultant can bring to the table. For example, if you’re a new business owner, a consultant can mould your business plan into something truly effective to bootstrap a startup.

 Or, for those with more experience, seeking out an expert like a financial modeller could take your strategy to the next level. Gone are the days when these profiles were only for M&A; now, this expertise is accessible to startups. With these tools, they can weather some of the volatility that comes with being new to the game.

 There are certain projects a business has to undertake when it’s just starting out. Many of these are some of the organisation’s most important operational tools. Take the website for instance; and now, having an AppStore presence is often just as important. Data architecture is also key. The company needs tools to harvest, organise, and analyse data mined from marketing efforts or any other source.

 Although these tools need maintenance, the lion’s share of the work is done at the outset. This is one of the areas within which freelancers are most useful. As the project has a finite timeline and deliverables, it makes a lot of sense to hire short-term contractors. Then, if the relationship is productive, you can re-engage later down the line. It gives you access to top talent with no risky commitments.

 For certain objectives or deliverables, particularly of the technical variety, Scrum or Agile professionals can maximise the efficacy of the project. Project managers, Scrum masters and product owners can streamline the process, enhance communication, and ultimately, improve the outcome.

 For example, a product owner creates accountability, as they are solely responsible for the product that results from the Scrum team’s work. Much of their work hinges on communication; they will ensure goals are clear, communicated, and that the workload is organised and transparent.

 Freelancers are an economical, efficient and effective way for startups to source the talent they need. However, once the case has been made, the next step is identifying the right profiles to bootstrap a startup. On large freelancing platforms, this can feel like finding a needle in a haystack.

 As an experienced group of freelances, Outvise recognised this issue. That’s why they founded a platform specifically for digital and TMT professionals, so big corporates and startups alike could quickly access the certified expertise they needed. The result was all the benefits of the freelance world, with none of the hassles. Explore the portfolio of experts here.

 Fiverr is great from quick, and fixed-price, to complex projects with professional results while Upwork focuses more in collaborations and tailored hiring. Explore both to find the platform that suits your business or freelancing goals.

 Building a website involves domain names, hosting, and design. Costs vary from DIY options to hiring professionals. This guide covers key factors, average expenses, and how Fiverr freelancers can help build a site tailored to your budget and needs.

 ChatGPT offers versatile ways to earn online, from creating custom GPTs and freelance services to blogging, designing AI art, and building courses. Explore 12 practical ideas to start or expand your ventures and boost your income creatively and efficiently

 This article details how to get more Twitch viewers and grow your Twitch channel in a sustainable way. You’ll learn how to stand out on a crowded platform, create content that sticks, and connect with your audience—all while staying true to yourself.

 Ever wondered how much money YouTubers actually earn? They can vary widely, but this article breaks down YouTube income by channel size, explains the key factors influencing monetization, and explores additional ways creators can earn beyond ad revenue.

 Creating an e-commerce logo can feel like a challenging task because you don’t know where to start. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process of crafting a logo that captures your brand’s personality.

Hire a Hacker

 The onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic has proved one thing: remote work works. With more and more companies switching to remote work, outsourcing, and freelance contracting, there has never been a better time to become a freelancer.

 While the internet is brimming with ways to jumpstart your freelance journey, finding the freelance project to suit your skills and needs can be tricky. You might experience a highly demanding contract, rude clients, or, even worse–you might get scammed. To help you navigate the freelancing world, we’ve developed a beginner’s guide on how to become a freelancer.

 The world’s workforce is rapidly shifting to an online setup, creating a steadfast need for more remote workers. Financial, tech, and other big companies across industries have now set their eyes on the Asia Pacific region to acquire skilled freelancers to help them drive revenue to their businesses.

 A recent study conducted by Hire Digital suggests that 59% of senior marketers said that they are maximising freelance service growth over the last five years. Moreover, 66% of companies even say that hiring freelancers on their teams boosts the productivity of their organisations.

 The same study by Hire Digital shows that 82% of the world’s youth freelancers come from Asia–a significant gap from the 47% in North America. With Southeast Asia being an outsourcing hub of the world’s foremost financial and technical companies, it’s no surprise that the Philippines ranked 1st among the fastest-growing freelance economy markets worldwide, with over 1.5 million active freelancers. Other active freelance markets come from Singapore, India, and Hong Kong. These Asian countries cater to various industries ranging from tech, finance, hospitality, retail, and more.

 According to an article in Lancer X, the number of account workers has risen from 8.8% in 2019 to 9.7 in 2020. Out of 228,200 own account workers, 84% take their freelancing work as their main job.

 For the Asia Pacific region, the Freelancing industry not only provides opportunities to gain a higher salary but also to escape the horrors of full-time 9-5 work. In this post from a Filipino freelancer, she cited the dreaded Manila traffic as one of the most compelling reasons for switching to freelancing.

 The business sector is seeing a great resignation trend among skilled workers across industries, dubbing the phenomenon as the “Talent Crunch.” The increasing rate is highly alarming for companies, as it’s said that the world will lack 85 million talent by 2030 if the trend goes on.

 Businesses across the globe find hiring freelance talents and skilled professionals as the number one solution to the talent crunch. A recent article from Tech Collective said that around 20 million highly skilled freelancers could be found in the Southeast Asia market alone, which is more than enough to resolve the talent crunch in the region and supply additional manpower to other countries.

 Employers and hiring professionals have also adapted to the changing employment trends. Before, university degrees were all that mattered. Now, online training, certifications, and portfolios place more weight on a freelancer’s resume–giving everyone better access to higher-paying jobs that can help them showcase their talents.

 With the looming recession, more Southeast Asian companies are veering towards outsourcing and finding freelance contractors to reduce operational costs. Getting skilled freelancers can help a company reduce up to 30% of operational costs each hire–imagine the savings a company receives when they operate in a fully remote and freelance setup.

 Aside from this, senior marketers also suggest that the freelancing industry resolves three of the biggest challenges of business excellence: lack of expertise among employees, long approval processes, and the rapidly changing market. This helps companies save time and resources, which they can dedicate to creating new products or solutions to further increase their revenue.

 With all these statistics and trends about freelancing, it’s safe to say that the rise of the freelancing industry doesn’t only offer more employment options for talents, but it also helps numerous businesses thrive on the market today.

 Because of the increasing number of freelancers, there is no shortage of people who attest to the benefits of being a freelancer. While each freelancer’s experience may vary depending on their skills, experience, and the industry they work in, here’s what you can expect when you start your freelance journey.

 Freelance contracts and gigs provide flexible working setups to accommodate all kinds of lifestyles. Some may be output-based, fixed project rates, or hourly contracts. In most of these setups, freelancers can set their own schedules and pacing.

 Aside from your flexible working time, most freelancers are also granted the freedom to work anywhere. While there may be periodic project meetings, freelancers can work on their own terms as long as they can meet the deadlines and metrics agreed upon on their contract.