How to hire
Freelancer, technology partner or in-house team: how to choose
All three solve the same problem in different ways. The right choice depends on the size of the project and on whether what is missing is hands, judgement or continuity.
Comparison
Three ways to cover the need
There is no single best option. Each one fits a different situation.
Freelancer
One person, hired by the hour or by task, for a scoped piece of work.
- Quick to hire, with no ongoing commitment.
- Availability depends on a single person: if they are unwell or busy with another client, the project waits.
- Judgement is usually limited to what that person knows; architecture or vendor decisions often need looking elsewhere.
One-off, well-defined tasks with little risk if you have to wait or redo the work.
Technology partner (Fona)
A core team backed by a network of specialists, with a single person accountable for the project.
- Fixed-price diagnostic before any major commitment.
- We cover everything from integration to fractional technical direction, without you having to coordinate several suppliers.
- If the project grows, the team grows with it — it does not depend on the availability of one person.
- Code in your repository and infrastructure in your own accounts from day one.
Projects where the outcome matters more than the hourly rate, or where decisions are needed as much as hands.
In-house team
Hiring an employee who will own the system long-term.
- Makes sense when the work is ongoing and enough to occupy someone full-time.
- The cost includes recruiting, onboarding and the time until the person performs at the expected level.
- Sometimes worth combining with a fractional CTO while the right profile is decided.
When there is already a stable workload and a case for long-term ownership of the system.
By project size
By project size
Project size is the first filter. This is what we usually recommend depending on where it falls.
Small project
A one-off integration, a report, a scoped tweak to a system that already works.
- Scope is clear from the start, with few unknowns.
- One person can carry it from start to finish.
- The cost of redoing it if something goes wrong is manageable.
A freelancer is usually enough here. In fact, if the project is small enough to fit inside configuring a tool you already have properly, we say so at the diagnostic stage instead of billing for development.
Large project
A full platform, an integration spanning several systems, or anything the operation depends on.
- Architecture decisions need to be made that will shape the next few years.
- The work does not fit in one person or one discipline.
- A failure or delay has a real cost to the business.
This is where a partner with a team behind them makes sense: if one person is unavailable, the project does not stop, and one person is accountable for the outcome instead of you having to coordinate several freelancers yourself.
FAQ
What people ask us
Why not hire a freelancer directly?
Sometimes that is the right call, and we say so when the project is small and well-defined. The difference shows up as the project grows: with a freelancer, availability and judgement depend on one person. With us, there is a team behind it and one person accountable for the outcome.
What if my project is small?
We work on it the same way, with a fixed-price diagnostic. And if we see that the project is small enough that configuring an existing tool properly beats building something new, we say so even if it means not billing for development.
Do you also work as a partner for other consultancies or agencies?
Yes. We join as a senior profile inside your team, white-label, using your methodology, and without contact with your client unless you ask us to. Always under an NDA and without competing with whoever subcontracts us.
Can I start with a freelancer and move to a technology partner later?
Yes, that happens often. If a project that started small grows in scope or in how much the business depends on it, it is worth revisiting the model. A short diagnostic is enough to decide whether the switch makes sense.
Next step
Half an hour well spent
Walk us through the problem on a short call. You leave with a first read on how we'd approach it and what it would involve — no commitment, no sales deck.