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Key Takeaways
- Agile nearshore development enhances productivity, scalability, and cost-efficiency by leveraging flexible practices and time zone alignment.
- Combining agile methodologies with nearshore teams enables faster time to market and seamless collaboration across distributed teams.
- Finding and hiring the right agile software development partner requires strategic sourcing, focusing on technical expertise, cultural compatibility, and an agile mindset.
Businesses that have finally ditched the waterfall model for something with more room to breathe are likely looking for partners who work the same way. Agile development is the assembly line of modern software, fueling faster delivery and adaptability in a world that demands and craves constant innovation.
Still, even the best methodologies need the right team to keep it all running smoothly. Finding Agile talent that fits your needs isn’t always easy, especially when you’re balancing budgets and timelines. Agile nearshore development effectively solves this by blending the flexibility of Agile practices with the cost-efficiency and cultural compatibility of nearshore teams. It keeps collaboration flowing and productivity high without the usual pitfalls in-house hiring brings with it.
In this guide, we’ll break down what Agile nearshore development is, why it works so well, and how to find the right talent to make it happen.
What Is Agile Development?
Agile development embraces change, keeps things moving, and has been a breath of fresh air for development teams since its inception in 2001.
Born from the Agile Manifesto, it’s built on 12 principles that prioritize collaboration, flexibility, and fast delivery of value. Instead of rigid plans, Agile teams break projects into smaller pieces—called iterations—which are continuously tested and improved.
This Agile approach to the development process prioritizes speed and adaptability in a market that’s become defined by its ever-increasing pace. Agile focuses on customer feedback and team communication and keeps products user-centric and relevant.
It’s no wonder it’s become the go-to method for companies looking to innovate without getting bogged down by red tape.
What Is Nearshore Development?
Nearshore outsourcing development connects you with talent in nearby countries where time zones, cultures, and communication styles naturally align with your team.
Unlike offshore outsourcing, which often involves working across continents, nearshore development keeps teams close enough to have overlapping work hours.
This proximity means more effective meetings, faster feedback, and fewer communication issues due to smaller time zone differences.
Unfortunately, in most cases, geography prevents two countries from directly lining up along a single time zone, but with nearshoring, both teams start and finish a work day at roughly the same time. For US-based businesses, this means hiring remote team members from Latin American countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.
For example, a network security company in Baltimore works well with a nearshore development team in Chile as they both enjoy overlapping work hours and cultural compatibility.
Similarly, a payment platform business in Melbourne might partner with a dedicated team in the Philippines, benefiting from adjacent time zones and real-time communication without the delays that come with offshore outsourcing.
Nearshoring also keeps project costs down. These teams offer competitive rates compared to local hires while producing high-quality results.
By staying closer to home, companies can access a wide pool of talent without the expense of on-site teams. It’s a great strategy for building a productive, agile nearshore team that stays aligned with your business goals.
Why Agile Nearshore Development Works So Well
Agile development thrives on constant feedback, collaboration, and adaptability. Pairing it with nearshore development takes these benefits to the next level.
So, why should your business use Agile? It all comes down to communication, scalability, and speed.
Enhanced communication and collaboration
Agile development runs on frequent feedback and regular standups to keep everyone on track. Coupling this level of collaboration with nearshore teams makes it even more effective. Working in the same (or closely aligned) time zones means real-time collaboration and feedback, quick problem-solving, and smoother sprint planning.
This setup also promotes cross-functional collaboration. Developers, designers, and product owners work together in short cycles—sprints—allowing for fast adjustments based on user feedback.
This agility keeps projects relevant and focused on users, which is why some of the biggest tech companies in the world, like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, all use Agile methodologies.
They’ve shown that rapid iteration and continuous delivery are key to staying competitive in today’s fast-paced market.
Cost-effective scalability
Agile nearshore development makes it easy to scale teams based on your project’s needs. Since Agile teams work in iterative cycles, you can adjust team size as required. Whether you need to ramp up for a product launch or scale down after an MVP release, this flexibility helps you grow without the burden of long-term contracts.
Partnering with nearshore teams also keeps labor costs down while maintaining high-quality standards.
For example, developers in Latin America offer much more competitive rates compared to those in the US or Western Europe, making nearshore outsourcing a cost-effective way to expand your team whenever needed.
Faster time to market
Agile development combined with nearshore teams speeds up development cycles and gets new features and updates to users faster. With continuous integration and delivery, you can keep your product relevant and ahead of the competition. In fact, using the principles behind Agile methodologies can accelerate time to market by three times.
Pairing Agile’s speed with the time zone and cultural alignment of nearshore teams means smoother collaboration and faster decision-making. Working in similar time zones allows for real-time communication and quick feedback loops, reducing delays and keeping projects on track.
How Nearshore Agile Development Works in Practice
Imagine a SaaS startup in New York developing a productivity app. They select and partner with a nearshore provider and are assigned a team in Colombia to leverage Agile methodologies. Here’s how a full Agile cycle would work:
- Sprint planning: Every Monday morning, the product owner and Scrum master in New York hold a virtual sprint planning meeting with the Colombian developers. They review the product backlog, prioritize tasks, and set the sprint goal. For this cycle, the focus is on building a new task management feature.
- Daily standups: At 9 am EST (11 am in Bogotá), the team gathers for a 15-minute standup using video conferencing tools. Developers discuss what they completed yesterday, what they’re working on today, and any blockers they’re facing. This real-time communication keeps everyone in the loop and the sprint on track.
- Development and testing: Developers work in two-week sprints, continuously integrating code into the main branch using CI/CD pipelines. Automated tests are run with each integration, making sure that new features don’t break existing functionality.
- Review and feedback: At the end of the sprint, the team holds a sprint review. They demo the new task management feature to stakeholders in New York, gathering feedback in real time. Any changes are added to the backlog and are ready for the next iteration.
- Retrospective: The sprint wraps up with a retrospective, where the team reflects on what went well and what could be improved. Actionable insights are documented, and adjustments are made for the next sprint cycle.
As you can see, Agile nearshore development allows teams to iterate quickly and deliver continuous value, just like an in-house team. They stay aligned and follow best practices, and despite geographical boundaries, Agile sprints are business as usual.
How to Find and Hire Nearshore Developers with Agile Experience
Looking for nearshore developers with Agile experience? You need to know where to look and what skills to prioritize. Below, we cover both, giving you a better idea of what to focus on.
1. Sourcing options
Go it alone
If you want full control over the hiring process, you can use job boards, freelance platforms like Upwork or Toptal, and LinkedIn. This approach lets you handpick talent and negotiate rates directly.
- Pros: It’s cost effective and gives you full control over candidate selection. You can customize job postings to target developers with specific skills, like CI/CD pipelines or experience with JIRA and Confluence.
- Cons: It can be time consuming to vet candidates, conduct technical interviews, and manage onboarding. Without a structured process, maintaining quality assurance can also be challenging.
Staff augmentation with a development company
This option involves partnering with a development company to augment your in-house team. It’s great for scaling projects quickly or adding developers with specialized skills to supplement your workforce as needed.
- Pros: You get access to pre-vetted talent with proven Agile experience. These developers are typically familiar with cross-functional teams and Agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban. Plus, you have the flexibility to scale up or down as your project needs change.
- Cons: It’s usually more expensive than hiring freelancers. You’re also dependent on the partner’s timelines and resource availability, which could affect project delivery.
Working with a recruiting and staffing company
A recruiting and staffing company can save you time by providing pre-vetted candidates experienced in Agile methodologies. They also handle legal aspects like contracts and compliance.
- Pros: You gain quick access to top-tier developers with solid Agile experience. These agencies have extensive networks in key nearshore markets, maintaining cultural compatibility and English language proficiency.
- Cons: Expect to pay a premium for recruitment services. You’ll also have less control over the initial screening process, as you’ll rely on the agency’s technical skills assessments and judgment.
Nearshoring agencies like Near get to know your business first, and ultimately, you have the final say in who you onboard into your existing teams.
2. Must-have qualities and skills for Agile nearshore developers
To build a strong Agile nearshore team for your software development project, look for developers with these key qualities:
- Technical proficiency: They should be experienced in relevant tech stacks like React and Node.js, as well as Agile tools like JIRA and Confluence.
- Agile mindset: Familiarity with Scrum, Kanban, and iterative development practices is essential for working efficiently in Agile environments.
- Communication skills: Great developers are proactive in standups, sprint reviews, and cross-functional collaboration, keeping everyone aligned and projects on track.
- Cultural compatibility: Aligned values and strong English language proficiency make teamwork smoother and reduce communication gaps.
- Problem-solving skills: The best Agile developers can adapt to changing requirements and swiftly resolve blockers to maintain momentum.
- Continuous learning: Agile teams thrive on innovation, so look for nearshore partners who keep up with industry trends and Agile best practices.
By choosing the right sourcing method and focusing on these Agile-specific skills, you’ll build an Agile team ready to drive your projects forward.
Final Thoughts
Agile nearshore development is a powerful strategy for boosting productivity, scalability, and cost-efficiency. The real difference maker, however, is having the right talent on your team.
Experienced agile developers keep projects on track, adapt and pivot with changing requirements, and collaborate across time zones that suit your business.
Choosing the right partner is key to maximizing these benefits. Whether you’re looking to add staff to your existing team or bring in individual developers on a temporary basis, Near can help. We take the time to understand your development processes, so you get the right fit every time.
Looking to build an agile nearshore team? Contact Near today to book a free consultation, and we’ll help you find the right Agile developers from LatAm fast.
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