Scaling High Performing, Multinational Teams (feat. Andy Hilliard)

Polyglot Software Development

In this podcast episode, Krish Palaniappan interviews ⁠Andy Hilliard⁠, CEO of ⁠Accelerance⁠, about offshoring and building effective globally distributed teams. They discuss the importance of understanding cultural differences in offshoring, the challenges of offshoring for different types of positions, and navigating the risks of offshoring with defined vs undefined vision. In this conversation, Andy Hilliard discusses the challenges and trends in outsourcing software development to offshore service providers. He highlights the importance of having a strong product ownership role and the need for both clients and service providers to invest in developing product ownership capabilities. Andy also emphasizes the proliferation of overnight service providers and the importance of vetting and integrating offshore teams into the client's ecosystem. He discusses the challenges of understanding cultural differences and the need for clients to spend time overseas to build relationships and trust. Finally, he introduces his book, 'Synergia,' which provides a blueprint for building effective globally distributed teams in the new era of software development.

Takeaways

• Understanding cultural differences is crucial in offshoring to ensure effective communication and collaboration.
• Different types of positions may have different suitability for offshoring, and it is important to choose the right offshore partner based on their expertise and track record.
• Offshoring with a clearly defined vision is more straightforward, while offshoring to fill a knowledge gap requires a partner with subject matter expertise.
• To navigate the risks of offshoring, it is important to become a servant leader to the service provider and integrate them into your environment. Clients and service providers need to invest in developing strong product ownership capabilities.
• Vetting and integrating offshore teams into the client's ecosystem is crucial for successful outsourcing.
• Understanding cultural differences is essential for effective collaboration with offshore teams.
• Building relationships and trust through spending time overseas can lead to better outcomes in outsourcing.
• The book 'Synergia' provides insights and strategies for building effective globally distributed teams in software development.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

06:42 Understanding Cultural Differences in Offshoring

13:01 Offshoring for Different Types of Positions

22:15 Navigating the Risks of Offshoring

28:21 The Role of Product Ownership in Offshore Service Providers

30:13 Challenges of Outsourcing to Service Providers

32:43 The Proliferation of Overnight Service Providers

36:00 The Importance of Leadership Positions in Service Providers

38:22 Understanding Cultural Differences in Offshoring

41:04 The Importance of Trust and Commitment in Offshore Relationships

45:42 The Book: Synergia - A Blueprint for Building Effective Globally Distributed Teams

Andy Hilliard (Accelerance)

• ⁠Linkedln⁠
• ⁠Company Website⁠
• ⁠Book⁠: "Synergea: A Blueprint for Building Effective, Globally Distributed Teams in the New Era of Software Development"

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