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    "result": {"data":{"markdownRemark":{"frontmatter":{"title":"Hiring a developer to build your Flex marketplace","slug":"how-to-hire-developer","updated":"2021-06-22T00:00:00.000Z","category":"operator-guides-concepts","ingress":"Tips to help you hire a developer to build a marketplace with Sharetribe Flex","skills":null},"htmlAst":{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Sharetribe Flex allows you to build a unique marketplace fast with\ncustom development. Unless you have\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/introduction/development-skills/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"these development skills"}]},{"type":"text","value":", you need\nto hire someone who does. Though any developer will do, we recommend\nhiring a vetted developer from Sharetribe's official Flex Expert Network\nfor great quality work."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Hiring a developer to build your marketplace with Flex requires two\nthings. First communicating your requirements to the developer. Second,\nmatching your requirements to your budget, timeline, and what Flex\noffers. The rest of the article will walk through these aspects."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h3","properties":{"id":"defining-custom-requirements-using-the-flex-template","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#defining-custom-requirements-using-the-flex-template","ariaLabel":"defining custom requirements using the flex template permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"Defining custom requirements using the Flex Template"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"With Flex, you have full freedom to build a completely unique\nmarketplace. This means the developers you hire need guidance on how\nexactly you want the marketplace to work."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"We recommend using one of\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/operator-guides/concepts/#flex-templates-for-web-ftw"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Flex Templates for Web"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nas a basis for the development work, especially if you're launching a\nmarketplace for the first time. The Flex Templates are examples of fully\nfunctional marketplace applications. Typically the Templates have\n80%-90% of the functionality you need already available, so you can\nfocus on your unique requirements, and save a lot of time and money."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Basing your customizations on the Flex Template requires understanding\nwhat it offers. There are a few ways to gain this understanding:"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"ol","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Access the Saunatime test environment via your\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://flex-console.sharetribe.com/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Flex Console"}]},{"type":"text","value":". Saunatime is\none of the Flex Templates. The test environment allows you to try out\nall the features of the Flex Template: searching, signing up as a new\nuser, adding listings, making bookings and payments, sending\nmessages, leaving reviews, and so on."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Study\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/design-toolkit/what-are-user-journeys/#the-user-journeys-for-flex-templates"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"how listing search, listing creation, and transactions work"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nspecifically."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Install one of the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/introduction/getting-started-with-ftw-daily/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"template applications (Saunatime, Yogatime, or Sneakertime) yourself"}]},{"type":"text","value":",\nor ask a developer to do it for you."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"li","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"If you're comfortable working with design software like Sketch, Adobe\nXD or Figma, you can download the complete\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/design-toolkit/design-files/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"design files"}]},{"type":"text","value":" of the two templates to\nexplore all their pages and views."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Your developer’s job is to customize the Flex Template (how it looks and\nhow it works) to meet your unique requirements. Your responsibility is\nto communicate these requirements to the developer."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"When you meet with the developers, you should be able to explain to them\nhow your users create content (e.g what kind of information you collect\nfrom them when they sign up or add a product or service on offer ), how\nyour users find this content (is there a search by location or by\nkeyword, what kind of categories and filters can be used when searching,\nand so on), and how buyers and sellers transact (is there an online\npayment, messaging, reviews, and so on). Whenever there's a difference\nin what you see in the template and how you want your marketplace to\nwork, you need to communicate this to the developer. You can follow\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"/docs/legacy/design-toolkit/your-user-journey-a-guide/"},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"this user journey guide"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nfor help."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"You also need to communicate to the developers how the marketplace looks\nvisually. The fastest option is to follow the visual style of the Flex\nTemplate. However, you might have a completely unique visual style in\nmind. In this case, you either need to adjust the design files yourself\nto communicate the visual style you want, or hire a designer to do this\nwork for you. Many Flex Experts also offer design services you can hire."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h3","properties":{"id":"the-required-budget","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#the-required-budget","ariaLabel":"the required budget permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"The required budget"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Using one of the Flex Templates as a basis, building a unique\nmarketplace concept typically requires at least 100 hours of\ndevelopment."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"At a rate of\n$30 per hour (the hourly rates of Flex Experts vary from $15 to\n$100), this means building the first version of your marketplace would cost $3,000.\nThis is the absolute minimum budget you need to be prepared for.\nHowever, in this scenario, your concept would need to require only\nminimal adjustments to the templates, where you keep the user journeys\nthe same and focus only on changing the particulars: listing fields,\nsearch filters, small changes to the transaction process, and branding."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"More commonly development will take more hours, so an average budget\nrequired to launch the first version of your platform tends to be around\n$10k."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"The cost and time to develop your unique marketplace with Flex depends\nheavily on your specific requirements in terms of features and budget.\nWhat you are building and who you hire to build it are the biggest\ndeterminants of the budget needed to build your marketplace."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"h3","properties":{"id":"connecting-to-the-flex-expert-network","style":"position:relative;"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"#connecting-to-the-flex-expert-network","ariaLabel":"connecting to the flex expert network permalink","className":["anchor","before"]},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"svg","properties":{"ariaHidden":"true","focusable":"false","height":"16","version":"1.1","viewBox":"0 0 16 16","width":"16"},"children":[{"type":"element","tagName":"path","properties":{"fillRule":"evenodd","d":"M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"},"children":[]}]}]},{"type":"text","value":"Connecting to the Flex Expert Network"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"You can connect with developer from the Flex Expert Network through\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://flex-console.sharetribe.com/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Console"}]},{"type":"text","value":". Either book a call with\na Sharetribe expert to discuss your project and questions, or submit\nyour requirements through the form. If you prefer, you can review Expert\nprofiles and contact them directly in the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/experts/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Expert directory"}]},{"type":"text","value":". Flex Experts\ncan prepare a high-level estimate for building your marketplace fast."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"As a general rule, we recommend you to launch your first version (the\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/how-to-build-a-minimum-viable-platform/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"\"Minimum Viable Platform\""}]},{"type":"text","value":")\nwith as minimal a feature set as possible, in order to be able to launch\nfaster and validate your concept. We call this the Lean Marketplace\napproach."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Once you start receiving feedback from your first users, it's a lot\neasier to decide what to build next. As you grow, you should be prepared\nto constantly adjust your platform and release new improvements to it.\nOur recommendation is to reserve at least half of your development\nbudget for changes you're going to make during the first 12 months after\nlaunching, instead of spending your entire budget pre-launch."}]},{"type":"text","value":"\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"p","properties":{},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"Check out our\n"},{"type":"element","tagName":"a","properties":{"href":"https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/guide/","target":"_blank","rel":["noopener","noreferrer"]},"children":[{"type":"text","value":"practical guide to building an online marketplace"}]},{"type":"text","value":"\nfor more strategies on how to build, launch, and scale your marketplace."}]}],"data":{"quirksMode":false}},"headings":[{"value":"Defining custom requirements using the Flex Template","depth":3},{"value":"The required budget","depth":3},{"value":"Connecting to the Flex Expert Network","depth":3}]}},"pageContext":{"slug":"how-to-hire-developer","category":"operator-guides-concepts"}},
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