In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, digital transformation is no longer a mere option but a necessity for staying competitive. Organizations across various industries embrace DevOps as a vital strategy to facilitate this transformation.
DevOps aims to improve software delivery, enhance product quality, and boost overall business efficiency by merging development and operations teams and fostering a collaborative culture.
Continue reading to learn how you can implement DevOps in your business.
The Importance of DevOps Pipeline for Digital Transformation
The DevOps pipeline is pivotal in ensuring a smooth digital transformation journey for businesses. It is a set of automated processes that streamline the development, testing, deployment, and monitoring of applications. Here are some key reasons why the DevOps pipeline is crucial for digital transformation:
a. Accelerated Software Delivery: The DevOps pipeline promotes Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD), enabling organizations to release new features and updates rapidly. This agility allows businesses to respond to market demands faster and gain a competitive edge.
b. Improved Collaboration: DevOps fosters a culture of collaboration and communication between development, operations, and other relevant teams. This alignment leads to better understanding, reduced conflicts, and enhanced cooperation, ultimately benefiting the entire product development lifecycle.
c. Enhanced Product Quality: By automating testing and code reviews, the DevOps pipeline helps identify and address issues early in the development process. This results in higher product quality and reduced chances of defects reaching the production environment.
d. Better Customer Experience: The faster and more reliable delivery of new features and bug fixes ensures a smoother user experience, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
e. Continuous Feedback and Improvement: The DevOps pipeline facilitates continuous monitoring and feedback, enabling organizations to gather insights, make data-driven decisions, and continually improve their products and services.
Five Steps to Get Started with DevOps
Implementing DevOps requires a well-thought-out plan and a gradual approach. Here are five essential steps to get started:
Step 1: Assess the Current State. Understand your organization’s existing development and operations processes, identify pain points, and gauge the level of collaboration between teams.
Step 2: Create a DevOps Culture. Cultivate a culture of collaboration, transparency, and innovation. Encourage cross-functional teams, foster knowledge sharing, and break down silos.
Step 3: Automate Processes. Implement automation for repetitive tasks, such as testing, deployment, and monitoring. Automation reduces manual errors and accelerates the development lifecycle.
Step 4: Implement CI/CD. Set up a Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate code integration, testing, and deployment. This ensures a steady and reliable release process.
Step 5: Monitor and Iterate. Continuously monitor the performance of applications in the production environment. Gather feedback from users and stakeholders and use it to iterate and enhance your DevOps practices.
Challenges in Implementing DevOps Solutions
While DevOps offers significant benefits, businesses may face challenges during implementation. Some common obstacles include:
a. Cultural Resistance: Shifting to a DevOps culture requires a mindset change, and resistance from employees accustomed to traditional workflows may hinder progress.
b. Tooling and Technology: Selecting the right tools and technologies that align with the organization’s needs can be challenging. Integration issues between different tools may arise, impacting workflow efficiency.
c. Skill Gaps: Employees may lack the necessary skills and knowledge to work effectively in a DevOps environment. Training and upskilling initiatives are vital to bridging these gaps.
d. Security Concerns: Speedy releases and frequent changes can potentially lead to security vulnerabilities. Implementing robust security practices is essential to protecting the organization from cyber threats.
e. Legacy Systems: Organizations with legacy systems may find it challenging to integrate these systems into the DevOps pipeline. Legacy systems may require restructuring or replacement to fit the DevOps model.
Leveraging Extended and Outsourced Teams for DevOps Implementation
To overcome some of the challenges mentioned above and ensure a successful DevOps implementation, businesses can consider leveraging extended teams and outsourcing. Here are some benefits:
a. Access to Expertise: Outsourcing allows businesses to tap into the expertise of experienced DevOps professionals who are well-versed in the latest tools and best practices.
b. Cost-Effectiveness: Building an in-house DevOps team can be costly and time-consuming. Outsourcing provides a cost-effective alternative, as it eliminates recruitment and training expenses.
c. Scalability and Flexibility: Extended teams and outsourcing services can be easily scaled up or down based on project requirements, ensuring flexibility in resource allocation.
d. Faster Time-to-Market: Partnering with experienced DevOps service providers can expedite the implementation process, leading to faster time-to-market for products and services.
e. Focus on Core Competencies: Outsourcing DevOps tasks allows the internal team to focus on core business activities and strategic initiatives, leading to increased productivity.
Kickstart your Organization’s DevOps Journey
Embracing DevOps is no longer an option but a necessity for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital era. By establishing an efficient DevOps pipeline and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, organizations can achieve accelerated software delivery, improved product quality, and better customer experiences.
Although challenges may arise during the implementation process, businesses can mitigate them by leveraging extended teams and outsourcing expert support.
DevOps implementation is a journey, and with a strategic approach, organizations can unlock the full potential of this transformative methodology. Remember, each organization’s DevOps journey is unique, and it’s crucial to tailor the approach to fit the specific needs and goals of your business.
In a short video, I’ve talked about why being a CEO sucks and why you’ll love this job. And we are talking about the CEO not only of a company but also about life in general — everywhere where you feel the ownership.
Some highlight thoughts before you watch:
any fuckup is your fuckup;
you are an Emergency;
Even if the doctor says your 2-week-old child is in serious condition, you have to solve a C-level urgent riddle the same day;
flexible hours = congrats, you may work anytime, any day;
remote work possibility = you are lucky, you may do your job while on vacation;
Tonight you get a concussion of the brain, a fracture of the facial bone, half of the face looks like a boxer after a champion fight — you participate in the meeting the next morning;
you can’t digest the word “problem” anymore. “Issue” is more or less OK, but preferably should come with the word “solution”;
you do this not because it’s that vital, but because you feel ownership. And this should not be only about being a CEO, it’s about being a developer, a friend, a father;
We have learned to navigate and operate in an exceptionally competitive job market. In this context, the acquisition and retention of top talent demand more than merely identifying qualified candidates. It becomes critical to offer applicants a seamless and memorable journey from the initial application to their first day on the job. The next lines of this text, aim to provide insights into the key strategies and best practices necessary to deliver an exceptional candidate experience, ensuring a smooth transition from application to onboarding.
The Significance of First Impressions
The importance of first impressions cannot be overstated, especially in the realm of recruitment. The process begins by designing an intuitive and user-friendly online application system. Simplify the application form, optimize it for mobile devices, and eliminate any unnecessary steps. Additionally, it is essential to promptly acknowledge candidates’ applications to reinforce their confidence and set the stage for a positive experience.
Effective and transparent communication serves as the bedrock of a successful candidate experience. Maintaining open lines of communication with applicants throughout the entire process is paramount. Providing timely updates on their application status, whether it involves progress or not, demonstrates a commitment to transparency. Even with unsuccessful candidates, treating them respectfully and candidly is crucial, recognizing their potential as future hires or valuable brand advocates.
Tailored and Individualized Engagement
Creating personalized engagement opportunities for candidates fosters a stronger connection and demonstrates their unique value. Customizing communications to address candidates by name and referencing specific details from their resume or cover letter shows a genuine interest. Engaging with candidates through personalized messages, and sharing insights about the company culture, team dynamics, and growth prospects, enhances their sense of belonging and excitement.
Ask for details if something from our portfolio seems interesting.
Efficient and Transparent Interview Process
Ensuring an efficient and transparent interview process helps avoid unnecessary delays and confusion. Using technology to your advantage, such as integrating video interviews, pre-recorded questions, or automated assessments, allows for efficient evaluation of candidates’ skills and cultural fit. Respecting candidates’ time by providing clear instructions and promptly scheduling interviews demonstrates professionalism and consideration.
Throughout the recruitment process, offering candidates glimpses into your organization’s unique culture is essential. Sharing compelling stories, news, engaging videos, or inspiring testimonials from clients or current employees highlights the positive aspects of working within your company. This helps candidates envision themselves as valued team members, fostering excitement and anticipation for potential opportunities.
Smooth and Welcoming Onboarding
Recognizing the criticality of onboarding, a comprehensive and welcoming program is essential. Designing an onboarding process that helps new hires acclimate quickly and feel supported is crucial. Providing the necessary tools, resources, and training to facilitate a smooth transition into their roles demonstrates your commitment to their success. Assigning a buddy or mentor to guide them during their initial weeks fosters a sense of belonging and enables a supportive environment.
Continuous Feedback and Ongoing Improvement
Acknowledging that the candidate experience is an ongoing process, actively seeking feedback, and continuously improving is imperative. Soliciting feedback from candidates who have completed your recruitment process enables the identification of areas for enhancement. Analyzing data, conducting surveys, and gathering insights contribute to refining strategies and ensuring a seamless candidate journey.
”We share our experience — successes and failures — to help others learn and grow” — Fusion.Works
In conclusion, delivering an exceptional candidate experience is a transformative strategy within today’s competitive talent landscape. By prioritizing open communication, personalized engagement, streamlined interviews, showcasing culture, effective onboarding, and continuous improvement, companies can attract top talent, strengthen their employer brand, and cultivate enduring relationships with candidates. Embracing these strategies enables organizations to provide an unforgettable candidate experience and position themselves for success.
Time killers remove the focus from what is really important for us. I’ll show you the ways to get rid of them by telling my story. You can apply it to your own cases, which might be different.
At some point, I understood that scrolling social networks feeds is a drug for me — I can’t help turning on the phone screen and clicking on Facebook/Instagram icons. The first step (took me years!) is to admit you have a problem. The further journey is thrilling and beautiful and this is what I did:
Before reading forward don’t forget to subscribe to my medium account and check what we are doing at FusionWorks.
Add an additional step
As simple as it sounds — just put the icons of the time-killing apps on the second (or third if you are brave enough) screen. Or protect it with a password. In these cases, when you switch on your screen you’ll need one more step to reach your life-killers and you can think twice whether you need it or not. The empty spaces on the first screen can be replaced by Trello, a chess app (if this is not your drug) or anything else you won’t use ‘just because’.
Remember, work|life balance is not an issue if you use your time efficiently.
Plank only mode
However, I don’t have an idea of stopping using social networks. So together with the restriction, I suggest you a cheat — plank-only mode: you can scroll the social feed when staying in plank. For half a year already I’m using Facebook/Instagram on the phone only standing in the plank. Started with 1-minute sessions (at least once per day) and I am adding 10 seconds each month, meanwhile improving my health condition. By the end of the year, the minimal batch will reach 3 minutes.
Caution: you’ll be able to stay more and more and will use social networks more as well!
Eventually, doing it in plank, you’ll realize that you don’t need to know about your ‘friends’ that much! Now I know much less about what people think about different matters — and this makes me happier. Indeed, you’ll find out that not knowing the opinion of the people you don’t care about is cool. And believe me, the tension of the plank will not let you enjoy the feed and, moreover, leave useless comments. As a result, you’ll realize you don’t want to scroll it anymore.
Caution: there is a trap — your brain will go for revenge and you may find yourself scrolling Youtube feed instead. This won’t be an endless battle if you acknowledge what you are doing and will respond fast.
Even more!
Let’s see some other productivity tips that will help you properly use the time you now have:
Berserk mode. I also call it coffee mode, others name itMonk mode. Whatever you name it, the idea is simple: you commit yourself to completing a specific goal without any distractions. So you shut out every possible distraction and focus on the task at hand. This means turning off everything — phones, apps, notifications, and email — so nothing can distract you. As there are people who wrote about it better than me, you can just read this article for more details.
Doing things in blocks. Book time slots in your calendar for certain tasks. Also do it for recurring tasks, such as reading books and learning. Thus you’ll always have time reserved for what is important for your personal development.
Use headphones. Doesn’t work for everyone, but definitely helps eliminate the outside sounds. Personally, I’m using this to the maximum — my colleagues complain they can’t work because of the loud music from my headphones.
Priority tasks first. Gosh, it’s difficult — our brain works visa versa. But we are here to train this powerful beast.
Do pleasant pro-dopamine stuff. From 5 minutes to half a day — depending on your schedule. Walking, running, showering, meditation — whatever makes you wait for it with excitement.
Delegate things. Delegate what gets you down or takes too much time without giving you pleasure: cooking, cleaning, working routines. You are the main architect of your life’s timeline — build whatever makes you comfortable and makes you enjoy every single day.
“You’ll be amazed at how many things you can actually do” — people who tried this approach
As technology advances and permeates nearly every aspect of modern life, the demand for skilled IT professionals has skyrocketed. In this highly competitive job market, companies must implement effective strategies for attracting and retaining their top IT talent. While in-house hiring is the traditional method, there are alternatives to consider, such as hiring freelancers or using outsourced teams.
For those seeking to engage with outsourcing teams, I strongly recommend reaching out to my colleagues at FusionWorks.
If you are considering collaborating with freelancers for your IT needs, I strongly suggest that you get in touch with my friends at Talents.Tech.
Here are some best practices to use and learn from:
Offer competitive compensation and benefits packages
Whether hiring freelancers or outsourced teams, it’s vital to offer competitive compensation and benefits packages, taking into account the market rate for the particular IT skills required.
2. Provide opportunities for professional development
IT professionals, whether in-house or freelance/outsourced, are often passionate about learning and staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends. Offering opportunities for professional development, such as training programs, mentorship, and certifications, can help attract and retain top talent.
Find out who are our clients and what they say about working with us
3. Foster a positive and inclusive work culture
Creating a positive and inclusive work culture is crucial for attracting and retaining top IT talent, whether they are in-house, freelance, or outsourced. This can include initiatives such as diversity and inclusion programs, employee resource groups, and at least once per year — team-building activities.
4. Emphasize the importance of work-life balance
IT professionals, whether in-house or freelance/outsourced, often work long hours and may be on call for emergencies, but it’s important to emphasize the importance of work-life balance. This can include initiatives such as flexible scheduling, time off policies, and wellness programs.
5. Utilize the power of your employer’s brand
Companies can use their employer branding to attract top IT talent, whether in-house, freelance, or outsourced, by showcasing their values, mission, and company culture. This can be done through social media, company blogs, and other marketing initiatives.
Nice video on Running a Top-Notch IT Department — Top IT Department Problems Solved
In addition to these best practices, it’s essential for companies to consider the options of hiring freelancers or using outsourced teams. Freelancers and outsourced teams offer the benefits of flexibility, specialized expertise, and lower costs. However, it’s essential to carefully vet freelancers and outsourced teams to ensure they have the necessary skills, experience, and professionalism.
Attracting and retaining top IT talent requires a multi-faceted approach that includes competitive compensation and benefits, opportunities for professional development, a positive and inclusive work culture, a focus on work-life balance, a strong employer brand, and the option of hiring freelancers or using outsourced teams. By implementing these best practices and considering the options of freelancers and outsourced teams, companies can position themselves as top employers in a competitive job market and attract and retain the best IT talent.
As a business owner, you understand the importance of having a reliable and competent team to help you achieve your business goals. However, finding and recruiting top-notch talent can be a difficult task that can consume a lot of your time and resources. This is where outsourcing resources can be a game-changer for your business. In this article, we will explore the advantages of outsourcing resources rather than relying on a recruiting agency.
Here are some of the benefits of outsourcing resources for your business:
Access to a global talent pool — by outsourcing your resources, you gain access to a vast and diverse talent pool from your trusted company partner. This means you have a better chance of finding the most suitable candidate for your project.
Cost-effective — outsourcing your resources can be cost-effective compared to hiring full-time employees. You can save on recruitment costs, salaries, benefits, vacations, sick leaves, and overhead expenses such as office space, equipment, and supplies. Moreover, you only pay for the services you need, which allows you to scale up or down as required.
Expertise and experience — outsourcing companies specialize in providing specific services or skills, which means they have the expertise and experience to handle your project efficiently and effectively. They have a deep understanding of your industry and can offer valuable insights and suggestions that can help you achieve your goals.
Flexibility — outsourcing your resources offers you the flexibility to adapt to changing business needs and requirements. You can hire resources for short-term or long-term projects, and scale up or down as needed. This flexibility allows you to focus on your core business functions and respond quickly to market changes and opportunities.
Increased productivity — outsourcing resources can increase your business productivity by allowing you to focus on core business functions. You can delegate time-consuming and repetitive tasks to external resources, which frees up your time to focus on more strategic and revenue-generating activities.
Reduced risk — outsourcing your resources can reduce the risk of hiring mistakes, as the outsourcing company is responsible for the recruitment and selection process. They have a rigorous screening process and can provide ongoing support, which reduces the risk of turnover, low performance, or project delays.
Quality assurance — outsourcing companies have strict quality control measures in place to ensure that their services meet or exceed industry standards. This means that you can expect high-quality and consistent services from the outsourcing company.
FusionWorks is a software development company that focuses on full-cycle product development, outstaffing services and IT community building. The company was founded in 2011 by Genadii Ganebnyi and Anton Perkin.
In conclusion, outsourcing resources can be a smart choice for your business as it offers access to a global talent pool, is cost-effective, provides expertise and experience, offers flexibility, increases productivity, reduces risk, and ensures quality assurance. By partnering with an outsourcing company that understands your business needs and requirements, you can focus on what you do best and achieve your business goals.
During the COVID lockdowns and pandemic restrictions, food delivery services became a vital support system for the restaurant industry. As restaurants downsized capacity or completely shut down their dine-in options, the sector experienced remarkable growth, and numerous e-commerce marketplaces emerged. Online ordering has now become an integral component of the “new normal.”
For restaurants, keeping up with the demand for delivery means choosing the right model. One option is to use online food delivery marketplaces, which provide customers with the ability to choose and order from a diverse range of restaurants. Alternatively, businesses can choose to manage their own direct e-commerce channels. This article outlines the advantages and drawbacks of using a food delivery marketplace compared to creating your own e-commerce platform. But do you have to choose, actually?
The advantages of food delivery marketplaces
Online marketplaces are third-party platforms that partner with restaurants and offered a quick and easy way to make their products available to a larger audience of potential customers. Let’s start with the benefits they provide.
Quick and easy to setup
With the existing e-commerce and delivery infrastructure, restaurant owners need just to register and upload their menus. For the customers, the process is as straightforward as browsing, selecting, and placing an order. Food delivery marketplaces demand minimal effort and investment from restaurateurs to start delivery operations.
High volumes of customer traffic
Online marketplaces have a high volume of customer traffic that can find you because they are already coming to the site. Marketplaces have marketing budgets and are advertising on Google — which means there should be constant traffic hitting your store pages.
Focus on business
Marketplaces allow you to outsource delivery logistics, removing the headache of coordinating and executing deliveries. This gives you more time and energy to focus on making the food you love and running your business. Outsourcing deliveries also means you’re saving on manpower. There’s no need to put a hiring process in place to hire extra staff. When you don’t have to manage a fleet of drivers, you can focus on training and up-skilling your current restaurant staff.
The challenges restaurants face with marketplaces
As we see, marketplaces bring great value, however, there are also some important issues that may have both a short- and long-term impact on your business. And you should be aware of them.
Commission fees
Food delivery platforms charge between 20–30% in commission fees — I know that from the statistics and because I co-owned one. In case the restaurant’s margin is not high enough, this means reduced or even negative profits. Definitely, you can raise prices for your menu items on marketplaces, but this price discrepancy may cause reputation issues and badly influence the competition.
So while switching focus to delivery during the pandemic was a way for many restaurants to stay alive, it may not be a sustainable long-term model if you’re working with marketplaces only.
Check Dely — automated e-commerce and delivery solutions for restaurants with almost no comission.
No control over the customers
Actually, the customers are not your customers — they are the marketplace customers. Thus you sacrifice control over your customer data and remarketing. This data belongs to third-party platforms, yet your business needs it to gain customer insights. With access to data, you can discover vital information, such as the average demographics of your customers, where most of them live, or what their favorite menu items are.
In addition, when a customer buys from an online marketplace, the marketplace earns their loyalty, not you and your brand. So at the end of the day, the cost of using online marketplaces is your relationship with your customers.
You are one of many
On a third-party food delivery platform, your restaurant will receive more visibility, but you can end up a small (and not that desired) fish in a large pond. Although customers have the option to search for various cuisines or specific businesses, standing out from competitors may be challenging. Moreover, there is minimal transparency regarding the criteria for how the marketplaces rank the restaurants within the app or the reasons why certain businesses are featured while others are lost among numerous competitors. Also, be aware of the price wars.
Ironically, the same platform meant to be your partner can sometimes hinder your success in online delivery and drive customers away. Food delivery marketplaces have increasingly invested in “dark kitchens,” dedicated spaces for preparing delivery-only meals located on the city outskirts where rent is cheaper. This development not only introduces new competitors with lower operating costs but also pushes the competitive environment beyond its previous limits.
Possible brand issues
If a marketplace offers a poor delivery experience, your brand suffers. Research shows that 84% of customers will not buy from a business after a single bad delivery experience. That delivery experience is an extension of your brand as well as the marketplace’s brand. You need to ensure you’re delighting your customers with every brand interaction including delivery, service and product quality.
Last, but not least. Be aware of the risk of getting suspended or banned from the platform, e.g. when customers are unhappy and/or their concerns are not responded to on time. So definitely you need a plan B.
The advantages of your own solution
Building your own direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce channel is an alternate or additional model for food delivery. It means owning the ordering experience of your customers from start to finish, getting increased profits and having more control. This a smart move for long-term sustainability.
Increased profit
Using your own e-commerce platform results in significantly lower commissions (or no commissions at all if you buy the solution instead of renting it) for each order, allowing you to maintain healthier profit margins. Also, you’re either paying for an in-house delivery driver or working with a delivery partner and paying a fixed fee for the service. This commission fee model is not only fairer, but it’s also particularly advantageous for your biggest orders.
Your brand
Selling through your own delivery channel means you control how your app or website looks and feels. You can use your brand colors, logo, font, and even your tone of voice. With that kind of hands-on control, you can easily update menus and photos and correct any issues in real-time. This helps you stand out from the competition and build a direct relationship with your customers.
Direct marketing
A proprietary food delivery channel means you own and control your customer data. Through analyzing this data, you can tailor marketing offers to individual customers. You can offer specials, deals, or rewards based on past orders and help your customers feel cared for. These personalized experiences lead to enhanced brand loyalty and more business.
Dely.io allows you to create and manage customized promotions, discounts, and loyalty programs.
A hybrid solution to maximize sales and profit
And here the good news is coming — food delivery options don’t have to be an either-or choice. In fact, a hybrid or blended model can bring you the best of both worlds:
Leverage existing food delivery marketplaces to generate orders and quickly grow your reach.
Add and perfect a branded direct-to-consumer (D2C) delivery channel so you can harness direct orders at a lower cost to you while building brand loyalty.
By diversifying your approach, your business can grow sustainably. With this hybrid food delivery model, you capture a variety of customers and maximize your profits in the long run. Also, this means you always have a plan B.
Getting started
Delivery and e-commerce solution
Let’s move on to practical steps. If you’re considering setting up your own delivery channel, all it takes is several simple steps.
Find the right partner
First things first, choose your partner carefully. Today these e-commerce partners offer more than just a storefront; they come with all the trimmings too — robust reporting, social media integrations, SEO tools, and even ad integrations. A platform like Dely can help power all your food deliveries directly from your website. This allows you to focus on what you do best while leaving your delivery needs in the hands of a fast and reliable fleet of couriers. Set yourself up for success.
Encourage customers to order directly from your own channel
The good news is that 44% of customers prefer ordering directly from a restaurant’s website or mobile app, according to a survey conducted by digital ordering solution Tillster. All you have to do is make it easy (and pleasant) for them to do so. First, make sure your e-commerce channel looks and feels like your brand. Make it easy to use, and keep improving the customer ordering and delivery experience. Tweak the options and settings until the experience is as smooth as possible.
Do marketing and re-marketing. Keep customers truly yours
Consider various marketing and advertising opportunities, from print or digital ads to social media campaigns. Don’t forget traditional marketing strategies, either. Flyers and leaflets distributed in your area can go a long way. And then there’s the oldest trick in the book: satisfied customers lead to free advertising in the form of good, old-fashioned word of mouth. Also, set up re-marketing campaigns to keep your clients loyal to your solution.
As a conclusion
You don’t have to choose. Smoothly start or continue with marketplaces and your own channel — diversify and get the most out of both.
And one more thing. Try Dely.io which would allow you to have a comprehensive solution that is customizable and scalable to fit your needs. Sign up for a demo here or apply for a direct demo performed by the head of the product.
In the long and SOMEtimes coherent blog series below, I made a case against web scraping, when justifying why my Google Chrome Extension does what it does, the way it does (very little, but quickly, respectively. 😋)
However, I web-scrape almost daily; not as a recruiter, but as a sales helper, automating the influx of leads at the awesome place that is FusionWorks!
Due to my “90s Computing Mindset ™” (described here and there) I’m obsessed by optimization (even if apps run on superfast Cloud servers! 🤪) So I always web-scraped “the hard way”: manipulating the hell out of strings via JavaScript (almost a forced choice on Google Apps Script.)
But as I discovered a couple of times already, while this mindset is good for performance tuning, it can often prove to be overkill nowadays, as small speed differences are not noticeable on small workloads. Nobody wants to tune a Toyota Prius for racing, at least nobody sane! 🤣
So I told myself: let’s see what the normal people are using, for once… And now I’ll report what I learned in little more than 2 hours of deep dive, comparing stuff for your convenience… Or amusement!
The hard way: the (lovely) hell of string manipulation
While I see many don’t like JavaScript string manipulation, I find it fascinating, and much easier than the hell I remember from my self-taught C++ years (although I can’t be sure: it was almost 25 years ago! 🧓)
NOTE: This assumes no access to the DOM, because of environment constraints. It’s the worst-case scenario: treating pages as strings!
I went from “blunt force” splits, forEach cycles, and bad if/else’s (I had just started coding 😅) like this function for the extraction of keywords:
To the less “janky”, less nested, faster version here, using a Set for the dictionary and a for…of on it. Gained around 15% in speed! (The additional stuff existed in some form in the previous one too, but I can’t be bothered to dig the old commits… 🤣)
… To working directly with indexOf and substring (in a different use-case.)
See what you lose chasing performance…?
The difficult part here is understanding what works best when it comes to finding the HTML elements/attributes we need.
As I found out, it’s often not worth thinking too much about this stuff: whether you split everything and work on string arrays, use indexOf and substring, or do something more spLice-y (dev-dad joke 🧓)performance will be similar. E.g.: a version of the above using split got almostthe same speed.
Speed is more influenced by loops, and where/how/when you store stuff.
I recommend using Map and Set objects when it makes sense, since they can be even faster than arrays when looking up stuff, or just being mindful of when you’re copying stuff, and when you’re just referencing objects.
About loops, more serious people than me found that the fastest is usually the classic for (bad for other reasons) or forEach, while “for in” and “for of” are usually slower, though the latter is amazing with Sets and Maps.
If like me you do this stuff from Google Workspace Apps, which run on GCP for free, you won’t feel much of a difference, so just go for what’s more readable for you, or if working in a team, what the team agrees is best! 👍
Cheerio: a library that makes things easier… Especially screwing up!
Yes, I didn’t become a fan of this cheerful library, at all…
I think it exists just to make jQuery veterans happy. Performance is very similar to regular string manipulation (obviously, since that’s what’s under the hood), but you’ll find that any dynamic content that takes time to load on a page is totally out of reach for Cheerio, when even puny URLFetchApp on Google Apps Script can actually get it!
If like me you’ll look for a solution to this on Stack Overflow, you’ll find replies telling people to just stop using Cheerio, and use Puppeteer, instead! 🤣 (Which I did!)
To be sure, I also asked ChatGPT, and indeed it confirmed that dynamically-loaded content is not going to be seen by Cheerio. ⛔
I couldn’t believe this, so I tried introducing some artificial delay (after asking ChatGPT and being told it could solve this) but none of my or ChatGPT’s solutions actually worked. Thanks for nothing, AI! 😏
So funny! 🤣 In the end it’s “Just use Puppeteer”, like Stack Overflow’s repliers…
Puppeteer: now we’re talking! Unless you want to deploy for free…
Puppeteer is widely considered one of the best tools/frameworks to scrape the web using JavaScript, thanks to its headless browser approach.
This is what you want to use to actually interact with pages, for example logging into websites, or just waiting for content before extracting data.
I really liked Colby Fayock’s guide to deploy Puppeteer serverless.
But if you try the same now it won’t work because of dependencies’ versions conflicts, and an increase in size of chrome-aws-lambda plus puppeteer-core, above the memory limits of Netlify’s serverless Functions. (For once my 90s Computing Mindset ™ is relevant! 🤣)
You might have some luck if you use his exact same dependency versions…
But I didn’t try because I realized: I don’t need it hosted as an API! While it’d definitely be cool, I can actually just run it locally, and make it send data to a web app I already have online, like my own Google Apps Script!
As an HR Professional with a strategic mindset and 9+ years of experience in this mysterious field, one of the most important aspects of my team’s job is to ensure that we have the best talent available for our organization. In today’s digital age, when everything is changing so fast, the reality of work has changed as well, and hiring dedicated skilled freelancers has become a popular choice for businesses. In this article, I will highlight the advantages of working with dedicated skilled freelancers who have been selected by a team specially tailored to your organization’s needs, along with a solution that may save you time and money.
“A stress-free way to hire tech teams” — Talents.Tech
Advantage Nr.1 — Flexibility to scale your workforce up or down based on your business needs. This means that you can easily tap into a pool of talent who are readily available to work on your projects, without having to worry about overhead costs such as office space, benefits, and training expenses. In addition, the ability to scale your workforce means that you can easily adapt to changing market conditions or project demands.
Advantage Nr.2 — Bring a wealth of expertise and experience to your organization. By working with a team that has been specially selected for your needs, you can be assured that they have the right skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver quality work. This means that you can tap into a pool of talent that has already been vetted and evaluated, which saves you time and resources in the recruitment process.
Advantage Nr.3 — Opportunity to tap into a global talent pool. This means that you can access talent from different parts of the world, who bring unique perspectives and skills to the table. By working with a diverse pool of talent, you can analyze their different backgrounds and experiences to create innovative solutions for your organization.
Advantage Nr. 4 — Long-term relationships with your talent pool. By establishing ongoing relationships with your freelancers, you can build trust and loyalty, which translates into a stronger and more productive workforce. This means that you can tap into a pool of talent that is committed to your organization’s success, and who is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that your projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Did you know that Talents.Tech works in just 4 easy-steps?
(1) The client submits a request
(2) AI algorithms select a list of suitable profiles
(3) The client chooses a candidate from this list
(4) Work Starts
When a company chooses to work with a freelancer, there are a number of potential challenges they may face. Here are some of the most common problems a company may encounter when choosing to hire a freelancer:
a) Finding the right candidate: This requires a deep understanding of the job requirements and a thorough screening process to identify candidates who possess the necessary skills, experience, and cultural fit.
b) Time constraints: Companies often have to work within tight deadlines and face pressure to fill job vacancies quickly. This can be particularly challenging when there are multiple positions to fill simultaneously.
c) Quality control: It can be difficult to ensure consistent quality when working with freelancers, especially if they have different work styles or standards than your company.
d) Communication: This can be more difficult with freelancers, as they may not be as readily available for meetings or check-ins.
e) Accountability: Because freelancers are not full-time employees, they may not feel as invested in the project or company, and may not take accountability as seriously as an employee would.
f) Dependability: Freelancers may have other clients or commitments that take precedence over your project, making it difficult to rely on them for timely delivery.
g) Cost: While hiring a freelancer can be more cost-effective in the short term, it may end up costing more in the long run if the work is not up to standard, or if you have to continually hire new freelancers to replace those who do not work out.
Talents.tech was specifically designed to address these real problems that companies face when working with freelancers. They understand that finding the right talent can be a time-consuming and costly process, especially when you’re trying to build a team that’s tailored to your organization’s specific needs.
Our partner’s platform was created to help companies overcome these challenges by providing a curated pool of talented and skilled freelancers interviewed and tested by a team of experts in their respective fields. AI algorithms select the best from the best and propose you a list of profiles that are suitable for your own project. This means that you can be assured that the freelancers you work with have the right skills and experience to deliver quality work on time and within budget.
Along with these, their platform is designed to offer companies the flexibility and scalability they need to adapt to changing business needs. Whether you need to scale your workforce up or down, our platform makes it easy to find the talent you need, when you need it.
Why work with Talents.tech? Professionally screened candidates. The vast range of specialists. Small service fee.
In conclusion, working with dedicated skilled freelancers who have been selected by a team specially tailored to your organization’s needs offers a range of advantages, including flexibility, expertise, global reach, and long-term relationships. By pointing out these advantages, your organization can tap into a pool of talent that is committed to your success and who can deliver quality work on time and within budget. Talents.tech is the answer to the real problems that companies face when working with freelancers. They provide a simple and effective solution that saves time, reduces costs, and ensures that you work with the best talent. Being a huge part of the HR team, I recommend that organizations explore the benefits of working with dedicated skilled freelancers that were selected especially for their needs and projects. As there is no bad or good professional, there are just collaborations that can not succeed without dedicated magic, present during the recruiting process. In our case — this is done by the harmony between human proficiency and AI correctness.
If all these arguments are not enough and you still want to work and collaborate with ”sweet outsourcing”, feel free to contact our trusted team at FusionWorks. As we know how to build your product from scratch or join the existing team as we are TECH-ORIENTED. PEOPLE-CENTRIC. LEARNING-DRIVEN.
As the freelance workforce continues to grow, companies are increasingly relying on freelance talent to meet their business needs. While hiring freelancers has many benefits, such as cost savings, flexibility, and access to specialized skills, it also comes with its own set of risks.
As an HR specialist with 9 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges that companies face when it comes to hiring freelance talent. In this article, I’ll share some best practices and strategies to help companies minimize the risks associated with freelance talent acquisition.
Looking for your next employee? Fill in a form here and the magic will start.
Clearly Define Project Scopeand Expectations— one of the biggest risks when hiring freelancers is the lack of clarity around project scope and expectations. To limit this risk, it’s important to clearly define the project scope and expectations upfront, including deliverables, timelines, and communication protocols. This will help ensure that the freelancer understands what is expected of them and can deliver the project on time and within budget. If you need help here, feel free to contact FusionWorks, as one of their directions is consulting.
Conduct a Thorough Screening Process — when hiring freelancers, it’s important to conduct a thorough screening process to ensure that they have the necessary skills and experience to complete the project successfully. This may include reviewing their portfolio, checking references, and conducting interviews to assess their communication and collaboration skills. No need to hire expensive consultants, start using Talents.Tech.
Use a Contract or Statement of Work — to protect both parties, it’s important to use a contract or statement of work that clearly outlines the terms of the project, including payment, intellectual property rights, and termination clauses. This will help ensure that both parties are on the same page and can avoid any misunderstandings or disputes down the line. You may hire a legal consultant here, in order to draft all needed documents once and you may use them happily after.
Set Clear Performance Metrics — to ensure that the freelancer is meeting expectations and delivering high-quality work, it’s important to set clear performance metrics upfront. This may include deadlines, quality standards, and communication expectations. Regular check-ins and performance reviews can help ensure that the freelancer is meeting these metrics and can help identify any issues early on. Setting clear and correct key metrics is crucial for any organization that wants to succeed, if you need any help here, contact FusionWorks as they always have the solution to your needs.
Build Strong Relationships with Freelancers — building strong relationships with freelancers can help minimalize the risk of turnover and ensure that the freelancer is invested in the success of the project. This may include regular communication, recognition of their contributions, and opportunities for professional development.
In conclusion, hiring freelancers comes with its own set of risks, but by following these best practices and strategies, companies can proactively approach in order to minimize these risks and ensure the success of their freelance talent acquisition efforts. By clearly defining project scope and expectations, conducting a thorough screening process, using a contract or statement of work, setting clear performance metrics, and building strong relationships with freelancers, companies can reap the benefits of the freelance workforce while minimizing the risks.
Additionally, companies can make the process of hiring freelancers even easier by choosing a suitable platform for their needs. One option is a worldwide staffing and recruitment platform that connects businesses with technical teams, providing a stress-free way to hire tech teams and ensure a positive experience while having a productive collaboration with freelancers. By utilizing a platform that offers pre-screened talent, companies can reduce the risk of miscommunication and ensure a successful project outcome.
Another solution here is to forget about freelancers from all over the world and to continue working with outsourced teams. Choose your partner taking into consideration their expertise, portfolio, and of course — other reviews.
