By: Joshua Finley
John Crighton, CTO of Lightning Step Technologies Dissects Distributed Teams
Offshoring software development is increasingly appealing to startups. While the U.S. has over 3,000 outsourcing companies, finding one that offers exceptional service and high-quality products for under $150 per hour can be challenging. For larger projects requiring 3,000+ development hours, these costs can quickly spiral out of control and put immense pressure on financial resources, especially in a startup environment.
John Crighton, CTO of Lightning Step Technologies, has decades of experience managing teams and advising startups on optimizing outputs while saving money.
John is currently immersing himself in Development, DevOps, Product Innovation, and Artificial Intelligence for an EMR and Revenue Cycle Management SaaS with over 100,000 users.
His 20 years of industry experience, handling budgets of millions of dollars, has provided him with invaluable insights into working with diverse companies, clients, and customers.
John’s experience has taught him that there are numerous advantages to offshoring software development. He touts this approach as providing an exceptional return on investment for time- and cash-poor startups.
The Offshoring Advantage
According to John, “Offshoring software development offers clear advantages, starting with access to a global talent pool. You can tap into specialized skills that bring fresh ideas and solutions while also addressing local talent shortages by quickly building qualified teams. Plus, the cost savings are significant.”
John specifically mentions that lower labor costs in countries like India and Romania contribute to reducing payroll expenses, allowing startups to reinvest in innovation without overstretching their budget. Offshoring also allows an organization to scale teams as needed, with time zone differences enabling round-the-clock progress and faster product launches.
“The evolution of software takes place at a lightning-fast pace, and in my experience project scope tends to change over time. This is the result of internal innovation driven by evolving market needs. If a company developing a software solution isn’t nimble enough to cope with this evolution, they’re going to be in serious financial trouble, and securing second or third-stage funding is going to present an uphill battle.”
Results Driven Focus
John Crighton has focused on managing global teams of developers and offshore Q.A. testing talent, finding it more economical and efficient than onshore alternatives. He has successfully assembled and integrated diverse teams from various locations through overseas contractors, ensuring smooth collaboration and effective development.
John’s career has been shaped by his experience in the U.S. military and how the armed forces optimize teams for efficiency. His years of service also taught him that a team’s effectiveness is a reflection of its leader’s management skills.
“Once you’ve spent time in the military, the skills that you learn never go away. You learn to work with people from diverse backgrounds and with different skill sets, and that’s one of the reasons that I’ve been so successful in setting up and managing offshore teams.
For John, the skills required to set up the tent for a squad are the same as those required to manage a team in a fast-paced business environment; it’s just a question of scaling and experience.
“No one is suggesting that pitching a tent in a field is the same as dealing with the many moving parts in a startup team, but in theory, it’s the same. It involves discipline and the ability to manage people with disparate personalities and skills. Those qualities can mean the difference between successfully managing offshore teams and wasting time and financial resources.”
A Focused Skillset
After his military service concluded, John elected to study towards a BBA in Business Administration with a focus on marketing. Although graduating summa cum laude, John quickly pivoted from a marketing focus to immerse himself in I.T. with a position as a network development specialist. What followed was a career that included managing groups of developers designing CRM software for Mission Critical Software, a leader in software development.
John’s passion for cutting-edge software development led him to manage teams at several leading companies. His experience includes leading software development at NetIQ Software, overseeing mainframe integration projects at Neon Systems, managing multiple external teams at the JME Software incubator, and heading the Q.A. group at Solarc, which Openlink later acquired.
According to John, the startup industry is a complex ecosystem. Still, regarding software development, several foundational issues need to be addressed if the company is to provide value to founders, staff, and investors.
“If there is one lesson I have learned during my career, it’s that I.T. development teams are delicate organisms. There’s a Goldilocks space where development is hyper-focused, the financial strain on the company is kept to a minimum, and teams can react incredibly quickly to market conditions.
“When you synthesize all those elements successfully and combine them with access to world-class specialists, you have the foundations for success. Finding that sweet spot is why I focus on offshoring. It’s a model that provides startups and other organizations with a cost-effective and efficient way of getting to market.”
To learn more about John Crighton’s recipe for offshoring success, visit his webpage or visit his LinkedIn page, where you can also find out more about his experience as a speaker, mentor and thought leader.
Published by: Martin De Juan
