Brent Grinna is assessing different choices for the technology development of his start-up's iPhone app, including locating a CTO hiring local programmers, or outsourcing. He only has a little over two months before he presents his alumni networking app to Brown University, in the hope that they finance his company and will embrace it, EverTrue. He has to quickly decide on the very best option, and so lacks the technical knowledge essential to create the model himself.
He's thinking about multiple ways to find a developer, including hiring a local programmer or making good use of a local program-development company; using an outsourcing system like oDesk; contracting with Dashfire, a friend's firm that charges low fees for product development in exchange for equity; or locating and hiring a CTO or technical co founder. Grinna must weigh problems like cost, speed of development, equity retention, proximity and ease of cooperation, and control of intellectual property. The case further provides a chance for discussing the business models of international companies like oDesk and Dashfire.
PUBLICATION DATE: January 23, 2013 PRODUCT #: 813122-PDF-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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