Can an elite dev working part-time outperform a full-time developer?

Yes. I learned this after a decade building my last startup - senior fractional developers got more done in 20 hours than junior/mid-level devs (and offshore software devs) did in a full 40. This is why Fraction only works with senior developers - with 12 years of experience on average.

What are fractional developers? 

Fractional developers are experienced software engineers who work 20 hours per week. For founders, leaning into fractional hiring opens up the possibility of working with full-time senior developers without having to pay substantial overhead costs (benefits + payroll taxes + bonus + equity can easily add up to 1/3 of base salary). 

To make this model work, Fraction designed a delivery model based on a decade of experience working with fractional developers. Our delivery model guarantees success by including project management, product management, and software architecture guidance as part of every engagement. Fraction combines the skill of 100% US-based senior developers with this delivery model to outperform offshore, nearshore, and domestic outsourcing options on a price-performance basis. 

So Whence This Outperformance?

You'll see many firms make grandiose claims: "the top 3% of developers", the "top 1% of developers" - at some point it becomes tired, because how can it be true for all of them? Let's focus instead on some concrete differences with Fraction's developers:

1. 100% Senior Talent

with an average of 12 years of experience

Most teams, whether in-house, or outsourced, typically are composed of a mix of junior, mid-level, and senior resources. Senior developers are typically many times more productive than junior devs who are still learning - so having 100% senior developers provides a huge lift in Fraction's productivity.

2. Architecture and PM Overlay

As mentioned above, Fraction includes software architecture and product management guidance with every developer. On a typical software project, a substantial percentage of "blockers" aren't technical issues - they are actually product decisions. Fraction PMs incorporate an understanding of clients' business objectives, to remove hurdles proactively. Software architecture reviews help catch tech debt early and avoid nasty surprises later.

3. 100% US Based

In an ideal world every product is developed as close to customers as possible, to avoid gaps in understanding and communication. Fraction's model allows for this - and this is more that just the elimination of timezone and communication barriers. How about having developers that have dealt with US healthcare, or US insurance, or US financial services as customers? This means they implicitly understand US markets in a way that offshore teams will not - no need to explain how to format an address or why US products are measured in pounds and ounces!

4. Industry Experience

Industry experience can be vital - since Fraction can find talent from a talent pool 50x the norm, we can find both matching tech skills AND prior industry experience. This can be vital for clients serving specific industry verticals.

Summing It All Up:

Fraction has found that relative to typical offshore teams, our fractional development model can be as much as 3X more productive. Typical offshore (and onshore) consulting teams are composed of a single senior developer surrounded by a mix of mid-level and junior developers. Our 100% senior talent approach brings the largest component of outperformance, enabling Fraction to compete against offshore teams on both quality and price. We believe strongly in this model, and encourage you to try it - even if not with us!