3 Lessons From Andela’s Latest Move | By Williams Adegoke
When Andela (Company’s Site) first launched in Lagos five years ago, it is a business model was simple: train local entry-level developers to be globally competitive. Also, place them on four-year contracts and earn revenue by outsourcing their skills to clients, mainly in the US, in that time frame. And they’ve effectively done that.
But the company is now is making a major tweak to its business model and will end its developer training programs in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda—three of its four African campuses.
Here’s the real reason:
The overall change of track is down to the saturated market for skilled junior developers in the US, which is Andela’s most important market.
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According to Andela’s vice president for global operations, “Over the past five years, there has been a massive wave of boot camps and programming classes of different kinds like Lambda and Flatiron schools. What that has done is create a massive flux of junior engineers, especially in the US.”
As such, part of Andela’s shift in strategy will now see it focus more on HIRING and then outsourcing SENIOR DEVELOPERS from its African markets.
Well, the company will hire an additional 700 experienced engineers by the end of 2020.
SO, HERE ARE THE LESSONS FROM ANDELA:
1. Make hay while the sun shines. Opportunity doesn’t last forever.
- Go a step beyond what is required of you. Junior Developers were laid off, but the same company is still looking for 700 Senior Developers.
- As a business owner, make it a key part of your process to always review your business model. Know your numbers, and never hesitate to always re-strategize where necessary.
