Should i outsource?

Is it always better to outsource or to take the time to learn how to do the task yourself. I have had horrible luck working with freelance programmers and companies on my projects and think if i take the time to learn the language its less of a headache

 

haha did you just answer yourself?

There are legitimate freelancers out there who are responsible and professional. You might want to screen or do a trial first before getting them on board.

 

different people have different philosophy. Many times, it is better to outsource the parts you cant do well, so that you can focus on what you do well -> this does assume that you do something really well. Such as, if you are a coder and suck at art, hire an artist to do all your designs, psds, and focus on what you do well.

If you are kinda not really doing anything well... then its better to take the time to start learning.

 

I guess it depends on whether you enjoy communicating with people and delegating tasks to them
I would go with outsourcing if I have time to search for qualified freelancers and establishing contact with them. Just use trusted sources.
If I have a limited time frame, I would rather do the task myself, as I can manage my time according to my needs and priorities.
But indeed, it seems that you've answered your question yourself

 

"Delegate all you can delegate "... in fact if you don't have the required skills, it's better to hire a freelancer, however, it's better to do it yourself but it's required long learning and practice....

Conlcusion: if you like to do it, do it (and learn if you need)

 

Even if you do hire some freelancers for harder tasks, this doesn't mean that you can't spend some time learning new things in the process. With time you will learn more and more in areas that you were previously not so skilled and so you will feel less and less need to delegate tasks to an outside source. Talk about killing two birds with one stone, eh

 

I have learned a lot from consultants and other experts that I have hired over the years. The key, as many above have said, is to find good people and stick with them, whenever possible. And have those good people refer you to other such folks when you need different skills. Now, what I have learned from them is probably just enough to do some real damage, but at least I know what to ask for, how it should be done, etc.

 

It's not less headache, that's for sure! I think it is nice to know a lot about the process of your outsources, but that's exactly what you're paying them for: the convenience. You just have to place an order and, a little time later, pay the man for his service.

So sure, learn all you can about everything you can, but leave the hard work for the others

 

outsourcing is great, as well as creating a virtual team of programmers or designers. In the next years this kind of social working will become quite normal for any business and not for an internet business only.

 

I think you have a talent of picking the wrong people. Maybe you should learn from your mistake and employ a different kind of people, and maybe not the cheapest , as cheapest will cost you more. As for you learning to program ... i wouldn`t do that unless i have nothiing to do. It`s like learning to be an electrician to fix your smartphone

 

You should always keep the core competency and outsource the rest if you can. But for technology, I will advice you to learn it first as it will help you in long run.

 

It is more efficient to outsource your work so you have time to do other things and get more done. Although I guess it doesn't hurt to learn the desired skills on the side.

Now as for your issue with selecting bad freelancers, you should probably do some research before making your request.

 

There are so many problems here..... First off, time IS money if you are working with A. limited time or B. with deadlines. If you have neither A or B then you can save a LOT of money by learning programming. But DO take note that if you have never programmed before the road to learning how to effectively program is a LONG tedious road. If time is important and money isn't a huge factor then your best option is to deligate by hiring a professional. With that said.. their vision will always be different than yours. It is up to you to effectively comminicate and illustrate your expectations and to set up a timeline that allows for final changes to get close to what you seek.