oDesk September Success Story - DIGICorp

Success Stories: DIGICorp

DIGICorp was founded in 2003 and now maintains between 50 and 60 employees in bustling Ahmedabad, India. The company specializes in customized application development in .NET, PHP, Windows Mobile and Facebook platforms, particularly for the healthcare, social networking and social media realms. DIGICorp first signed on as an oDesk provider company in February — its first foray into an online marketplace. Six months later, oDesk is providing about 25 percent of DIGICorp's workload, and cofounder Abhishek Desai is talking about expanding staff — in-house, or via oDesk. "I have not used other oDesk providers as subcontractors," he notes. "My staff was sufficient 'til now, but I think I should explore this more, because right now my staff is very busy."

Q:  What was your first oDesk job? How did it go?
A:  Our first oDesk assignment was the development of an innovative entrepreneur-investor relationship portal for the European market. In fact, we are still developing that portal. We consider ourselves lucky to have such an assignment.

Q:  Some providers describe a learning curve before establishing themselves on oDesk. When did it click for you?
A:  I think the best thing I did was creating my profile and my company's profile as per guidelines provided by oDesk. Also, I apply to carefully selected jobs that I think we are really capable of doing. And I write personalized cover letters for all my applications. I don't believe in just copy-pasting readymade cover letters. Because of all these, I can say I hit the ground really fast after becoming a member of oDesk.

Q:  On average, how many buyers are you working for at any one time, or how many jobs do you tend to take on in a given month?
A:  At a time, we are working with at least three buyers from oDesk. We generally take two or three jobs per month. Both those numbers will increase considerably in the future.

Q:  With a company of your size, you must see many posts at oDesk that you have the talent to fulfill. When you're choosing which jobs to apply for, what tips you off about the best opportunities, versus the ones you decide not to pursue?
A:  We tend to apply to jobs of a certain size, usually four weeks or longer. That does not mean we don't do smaller jobs -- if a job is interesting enough, we tend to pursue it. From the job description a buyer has written, you get to know how much the buyer is interested in really going forward. I like to work with a buyer who is equally excited to have his/her project up and running.

Q:  If a buyer asks you how to attract the best providers, what's your advice?
A:  Carefully choose them by reading their cover letters first. Make sure you have providers who have written a personalized letter for you. This means the provider cares about your job and he/she has already spent time understanding it. After that, it depends on the interview. Go for the provider who is as passionate for your project as you are.

Q:  After applying for a job, when a buyer responds, how do you approach your first conversations?
A:  I usually email back to the buyer as fast as possible and give at least two options to communicate with me. Generally I give them my GTalk and Skype IDs and the times I will be available to talk. If the buyer does not respond for two or three days, I gently remind them of the same.

Q:  Which methods of communication are most useful for you in oDesk relationships?
A:  I would say chat is the most effective medium for instant communication. Email is an equally important medium. Sometimes clients prefer Skype over chat. Skype is even faster, but then you have to make sure you understand the accent and you write down whatever is discussed. Maintaining records is very important in long-term relationships.

Q:  Do you have tips for other providers on how they can improve their success on oDesk?
A:  Yes. Make your profile very rich and to the point. Put your best work samples in your portfolio and explain them properly. Make sure there are not grammatical or spelling mistakes. Apply to jobs you can really add value to and write personalized cover letters for them.

Q:  Any tips on developing trust with new buyers?
A:  Always update them every day about the status. Get back to them as soon as you can. Try to be available at the time they request you to be. Work on your communication skills. Read blogs and be up to date with the latest trends in the market.

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Score: 9.8, Votes: 5