How we partner with agencies to find great developers
As we evolve our remote team, we are setting what Gemini calls “an unapologetically high bar”. Here is what we expect from the agencies and freelancers we partner with.
Sprend has always been about moving data effortlessly, but how we build the machinery behind the scenes is constantly evolving. As we look toward the future and execute on our long-term vision—which you can read about in Sprend never quits—we realise our true strength lies in agility and working with the best professionals for the specific task at hand.
Today, Sprend operates as a decentralised, remote team. We partner with top-tier freelancers and agencies worldwide. Right now, we are working with incredible web design and copywriting specialists from Croatia to redesign our brand and marketing pages, and in a couple of months, we will be bringing on new developers to help build our future.
But as we grow this model, we expect our agency partners to do the heavy lifting before a candidate’s name ever crosses my desk.
At Sprend, the real treasure is a perfectly understood and refactored piece of legacy code.
Running the code
At Sprend, trial-and-error coding isn't enough. We need developers who understand the deep mechanics of the language they are using. Therefore, before presenting a candidate, the agency must perform a rigorous technical screen. We expect the agency’s technical lead to run a practical test—for example, fixing a bug in asynchronous JavaScript code—and verify that the candidate can manually “run” their code. The candidate must be able to step through the logic line by line, explaining exactly how the execution works, what values variables hold, and how errors are caught and handled. The ability to read code has always been important; in a time of AI assistants, it becomes even more important.
Our 11-point Professional DNA
Technical skills are just the baseline. We aren't just looking for people to close tickets; we want craftsmen who fit the unique rhythm of our company (to get a feel for our internal culture, read Join the flying coffee machine team).
However, we do not accept standard 1-to-5 reference ratings. Rating a developer on a scale of 1 to 5 is like reading online restaurant reviews—anything below a 4.5 means the kitchen is probably on fire. It tells us very little.
Instead of arbitrary numbers, how about this approach:
Before submitting a candidate, the agency must reach out to at least three people who have worked alongside the developer. The agency must vet them against our Professional DNA list, but instead of asking for a score, it must provide a specific, real-world example for each of the following items. I am addressing the developer in this description of core traits:
You own the task: It is common for a project team to ask itself: What is the definition of done (DoD)? To me, it is when I get a thumbs-up from an actual user. Let’s agree on a DoD and then work together on each task. But if you picked it, you also make sure the task gets done. There is no such thing as “I’m only the backend dev”.
You don’t do deadlines: Deadlines are met by compromising on quality. If you know this and care enough, you’ve had to fight to do it right. You’ve seen battle.
Full-Stack quality: You are detail-oriented by nature. You care about code readability and solid architecture throughout the whole tech stack, and beyond that into the user experience. You build the app you want to use yourself.
No bypass surgery: It’s tempting. Let’s just add some code here. But no, why would you add complexity to a system? Rather, the code you commit is better structured than you found it. Refactoring is never an afterthought; it is what you do as part of every task.
You dig deep: So you fixed the problem, but it was too easy, and you know it. That’s why you dug deeper. You made sure you understood what was going on. And you fixed it for real.
Schrödinger’s code: You know that untested code is exactly like Schrödinger’s cat: until you run the test and "open the box," your feature is simultaneously working and completely broken. That’s why you write the tests.
You communicate: We work in a remote team. I wish it were different and that I could roll my chair over to your desk to instantly double our intelligence. Because we can't, we have to proactively communicate—before, during, and after a task is implemented. We talk about ideas, problems, and great solutions.
Low ego, high standards: I’m going to fix your code. You are going to fix mine. Let’s welcome feedback. Let’s learn together.
Pragmatic judgment: Every new tool or framework comes with a cost. One thing becomes easier to achieve, while another one becomes harder. You are pragmatic enough to choose the “boring,” stable tech over a trendy, hyped-up one because it was the smartest, most reliable choice for the long-term health of the product.
Technology is but a tool (the goal is productivity and joy): We build software to help people climb the Maslow Pyramid. We aim for our users to feel more confident, connected, creative, proud, and respected.
Attitude and humour: You love software development. So do we. Let’s have fun, let’s have a laugh. Let’s work magic.
The Pitch
If, and only if, a candidate passes these technical and cultural bars, the agency doesn't just send me a CV. The agency’s test leader must call me directly and pitch the candidate. They need to convince me why this person is a perfect fit for Sprend.
Only then do we move to the final stage: a real-world, collaborative test to answer the ultimate question—do we actually enjoy working together?
