Talent shortage is a common challenge in software development. This is where nearshoring comes in—it’s a great way to find skilled people while also saving costs.
In this special episode of the Scaling Tech podcast, our host, Arin, explores this topic with three tech experts: Luisa Diaz, Pablo Miller, and Mariana Lopez. Luisa, a seasoned technology recruiter and advocate for the Medellin tech community, brings a wealth of experience. Pablo, a Colombian-British entrepreneur and CEO/Founder of remoti, shares his insights from a global perspective. Mariana, a COO at AgilityFeat, offers her expertise in working with remote teams.
They cover the advantages of nearshoring, why Latin America is a top talent hub, how to build a high-performing remote team, and much more!
Tune in to hear their valuable tips and insights on nearshoring in software development.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts
Complete interview with Mariana Lpoez on YouTube
Complete interview with Pablo Miller on YouTube
Complete interview with Luisa Diaz on YouTube
Watch the video:
Key Insights are below
About Guest:
Name: Luisa Diaz | Pablo Miller | Mariana Lopez
What they do: Luisa is a tech recruiter. Pablo is the CEO and Founder of remoti. Mariana, a COO at AgilityFeat.
Company: CloudFactory | remoti | AgilityFeat
Where to find them: Luisa’s LinkedIn | Pablo’s LinkedIn | Mariana’s LinkedIn
Key Insights
⚡Nearshoring is a smart way to balance cost savings and quality talent. It opens the door to a pool of skilled developers while keeping expenses in check. The benefits go beyond just proximity, offering smoother collaboration through shared time zones, aligned work ethics, and cultural understanding—all of which contribute to delivering exceptional results. As Mariana says, “There are significant cost savings when you hire nearshore developers, but I would hope that people that come to us through references and that understand a little bit more our methodology, our mentality, is that we’re able to make their vision happen.”
⚡Latin America is a top choice for U.S. companies looking for talent closer to home. One key reason is the time zone advantage, which makes collaboration much easier. But there’s more to it. Pablo shares a few other reasons to choose Latin America for outsourcing software development. He says, “People here, ultimately, we provide good conditions, a good career development plan. Latinos are very, very loyal people. […] The technical skill set is very good. So outsourcing is not something that’s just come up with all these sexy HR tech companies that have started in the last five years. This has been around. I’m sure you’ve seen it for many years. But ultimately, the level of talent here, just in Bogota alone, we have over 200,000 for, let’s say, mid to senior devs at the moment.”
⚡Proactive communication is key to making a tech team successful. When working with a tech team in Latin America, there are several best practices to ensure success. Mariana, with years of experience working with remote teams, emphasizes the importance of communication. She says, “I would say there are some things that, across our clients, we look for in our developers and our team members because they make a difference. So I think one of the most important things is communication. You would tend to find that with the project that we work on, they are fast paced, they’re challenging. You hit blockers; they’re collaborative. And if there’s somebody that is just waiting for the scrum master or the project owner to say like, ‘Oh, hey, it looks like you’re having trouble,’ or ‘It looks like you’re having issues’ or ‘You don’t have any ticket design’ it’s not going to work. Those people very quickly don’t make it in our team.”
Episode Highlights
Why Colombia stands out for nearshoring opportunities?
Colombia has so much to offer in terms of professional talent. With a strong work ethic and passion, it’s a prime destination for nearshoring. Luisa says, “Colombia and Antioquia, which is the state that where Medellín is a capital of culturally, I think it offers something very unique. And if we go back to the traditional Antioquia person in what you will think about demeanor of people from here is that something that we all have in common is this passion for work. So we were taught since little that you need to work really hard and build a name and be somebody. So that’s something that it’s very within our roots. So we take that into the work environment. So, we always want to go the extra mile. We always want to do more. We always want to participate and give our ideas. So I think that’s something that’s very characteristic of people from here.”
Colombia is now a country of growth and opportunity.
Once known for all the wrong reasons, Colombia has undergone a social and cultural revival. Today, the country is recognized for its thriving culture, business opportunities, and advancements in science and technology. Luisa says, “Everyone wants to be here. Everyone wants to do business here. Everyone wants to do something with a Colombian. It’s insane. Such an amazing change. And I think part of that social transformation that we have in the city has a lot to do with science, technology, and innovation. So that’s why technology for me is the base for a lot of things happening right now in the city and being known for all the right reasons now.”
The role of nearshoring in the global economy
The most impactful outcome of the global economy is the ability to lift regions from poverty and violence, offering career opportunities and paving the way to a more sustainable future. Pablo says, “One person’s spending is another person’s income. And as crass as it sounds, if we’re able to bring more jobs, put money into people’s hands, it’s just simply going to help the economy. And, I’ve got an unusual background that I’m extremely English. My English grandfather taught at Cambridge University. My Colombian grandfather was an electrical engineer in the coffee region here. Part of my mission and what gets me out of bed is if you want to just introduce people to this wonderful country. But most importantly, we can help U.S. companies turn around with efficiency, with people, and that’s what gets me out of bed every morning.”