Hire Software Architects For Your Dream Team
How do you evaluate software development in your company? Has it become a twisted stack of troubles you have to untangle? You can’t concentrate on creating new exciting features, turning your bright ideas into business reality, and staffing your startup with the best talents? Probably, you don’t have a sophisticated software architect on your team yet.
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In this article, we’ll clear things up about software architecture specialists and their crucial role in startups.
We’ll explain who they are and what they do, how to catch the moment you start needing them and where to look for them, what skills they should have, how to check them, and, last but not least — which hiring strategy to pick.
Let’s start!
Who is a software architect?
Have you ever worked on a challenging project with seasoned engineers? 
Its challenges could emerge due to the variety of programming languages in use, tangled technical standards, unintuitive architectural designs, and outdated user interface strategies.
Remember that JIRA ticket, which at first glance seemed simple, but as you started integrating the requested feature with the rest of the system, everything went afoul and started working against you?
Poor software architecture was likely the main source of your problems.
How can you alter your development process to prevent such situations? Let’s begin by delving more deeply into what software engineering entails in architecture.
The term “software” is quite broad. We can have web, machine learning, data modeling, and embedded software — that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Software coding standards also come in a variety of forms. Copious software solutions have been developed to respond to contextual difficulties (enterprise architecture, computer science), application sizes, and industries. Both hard and soft talents are needed in this situation.
All software components are brought together into a functional program or application via the glue known as software architecture. Software architecture may be defined as creating and implementing meaningful software.
It is a versatile tool with several different working instruments. The standard job description for a software architect covers a wide range of topics. It emphasizes technical abilities (hard skills) and communication/time management/remote work experience (soft skills).
What does a software architect do?
Software architects are specialists with extended knowledge of software design and development principles. They consult about software/app look, usability, and functionality.
To make the right, reality-tested decisions, software architects must: 
- Ask for regular (preferably daily) advice from clients, product and project managers;
- Bravely venture on key software design and development decisions;
- Define and describe the appropriate coding standards, languages, platforms, and software tools for the products in the making;
- Regularly control the code to ensure its adherence to the corporate quality standards;
- Closely collaborate with the development team and assist them in reaching the project’s objectives.
Why hire a software architect?
A well-designed software architecture appears seamless and invisible. You just use it — with no need to tamper with gears and shifts under the hood. The programs/applications you design should assist developers and not hinder the surrounding processes. If your architecture doesn’t look like that, you most likely need to hire top software architects for your project(s).
The main bonuses a qualified software architect will bring:
- Easier and faster applications;
- Simple adding of new product features;
- Developers’ empowerment;
- Slowing down code degeneration;
- Easier and quicker multimodule integration;
When do you need a software architect?
Perhaps, you’ve already hired a couple of software developers — but something still goes awry. If that’s so, it’s worth considering hiring a software architect who can cope with the problems your devs can’t.
There is definitely something wrong with the software architecture when:
- a piece of software is hard to test for the development team,
- it’s hard to integrate new modules into the system,
- scaling appears to be troublesome and cumbersome;
- the system lacks efficiency or resiliency, making DevOps practices more difficult.
What skills do software architects need to be successful?
Depending on the environment, a proficient software architect should be the top gun in:
- being a team player,
- decomposing complex problems into smaller pieces,
- identifying and defining problems,
- creating C4, UML, and sequence diagrams,
- writing good technical documentation
…and many others!
Where can you hire software architects?
Bidding platforms (Upwork, Freelancer) operate on the reverse auction principle: the lower your bid, the more likely you are to be hired. This is beneficial to startup entrepreneurs since they may locate reasonably priced choices.
Their core advantages are:
- Abundant dev assortment;
- Cheap offers;
- No legal meddling: you start when you make a deal.
However, experienced Middles or Seniors rarely look for jobs on Upwork, so if you need qualification, here’s another variant.
Vetting talent platforms (Lemon.io) have a few departments of specialists who pre-check and pre-screen candidates so that they can pick up the best options tailored to your needs. Their vetting process consists of four stages:
- Online reviews and professional networks check (Git commits, LinkedIn);
- Soft skills interview (remote work experience, time management, empathy, teamwork);
- English language proficiency (to collaborate with Western clients);
- Technical skills interview.
Why should you hire software architects with Lemon.io?
Hiring with Lemon.io provides you with a plethora of bonuses and benefits. We specialize in remote work and hiring: all our employees work remotely, so we know all the necessary details like no one else. We’ve been working with Western startups, offering them reasonably rated developers and engineers from Europe and Latin America since 2015.
What does our hiring process look like?
Swift as an arrow
After you leave contacts, our Sales manager calls you and finds out about your needs and requirements.
Transparent
You can arrange a job interview with the candidates (including a live coding session). If everything is all right, the process continues, and your collaboration can start in 7-14 days.
Easy-paid
Our payment procedure is very straightforward: you pay the sum we announce at the beginning — no hidden taxes or commissions will emerge later.
Problem-proof
If a developer you choose turns sour, our Customer Success department will swiftly substitute them for a new one in no time.
Open to questions
Any questions? Contact CS specialists from Lemon.io; they are caring and helpful (just like your mom, but slightly better).
What are our core benefits?
Vetted developers only
No hidden expenses
Guaranteed replacement
Ivan S.
// senior back-end web developer
If you are searching for the top Developer in Golang and Java, Ivan is the cream of the crop. More than 10 years of commercial experience make Ivan even more required.
Oleksii S.
// software architect
Oleksii is bound to be a gem in any crown. His professional experience in web, real-time, and distributed systems lasts for over a decade now.
Whether you are a pre-MVP tech startup or a seasoned company with 50+ employees, a software architecture specialist will come in handy for all your business needs and ongoing processes. Hire a software architect with Lemon.io — and you’ll instantly feel the much-needed boost!
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FAQ
How much does it cost to hire software architects?
The cost to hire a software architect can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, such as location, experience, and industry.
In the United States, the average salary for a software architect is around $120,000 per year, according to Glassdoor. However, this can range from around $90,000 to over $150,000 per year, depending on the individual’s experience and qualifications.
If you’re looking to hire a software architect as a contractor, the hourly rate can vary greatly depending on their experience, location, and the type of work being done. Generally, software architects working as contractors can charge anywhere from $70 to $250 per hour.
How can you hire a top software architect?
- Define the job requirements: Identify the specific skills, experience, and qualifications required for the position. This will help you to create a clear job description and identify the right candidates.
- Post the job on relevant job boards and professional networking sites: This will help you to reach a large pool of potential candidates.
- Look for candidates with relevant experience: Look for candidates who have experience working on similar projects and have a proven track record of delivering high-quality software.
- Look for candidates with good communication and collaboration skills: A top software architect should be able to work well with different teams and stakeholders and effectively communicate technical information to non-technical people.
- Conduct thorough interviews: Use a combination of behavioral and technical interviews to assess the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and fit for the role.
- Check references and conduct background checks: Contact the candidate’s previous employers and colleagues to get a sense of their work history and performance.
- Offer a competitive compensation package: A top software architect will have many options, so it’s important to offer a competitive compensation package that includes a salary, benefits, and opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Provide ongoing training and support: To keep your software architect engaged and motivated, it’s essential to provide ongoing training and support to help them stay current with the latest technologies and best practices.
Do software architects write code?
Yes, they almost always write some code since they amend and enhance the website or app condition with the help of transparent and efficient code.
Is a software architect better than a developer?
“Better” is a relative term, as both software architects and developers have different roles and responsibilities in the software development process.
A software architect is responsible for designing a system’s overall structure and organization. They need to have a deep understanding of the various available technologies and platforms and the project’s business requirements. They work with other stakeholders to make decisions about the technology stack, design patterns, and overall architecture of the system.
On the other hand, a developer is responsible for implementing the software. They write the code, test it and debug it. Developers need to deeply understand the programming languages, frameworks, tools, and best practices for software development.
Is the IT architect the same as the software engineer?
An IT architect and a software engineer are not the same, although they both play essential roles in the software development process.
An IT architect is a senior-level professional responsible for designing and overseeing the overall technology infrastructure of an organization. This includes the hardware, software, networks, and data storage systems that support the organization’s operations. IT architects are also responsible for ensuring that the technology infrastructure aligns with the organization’s business goals and objectives.
On the other hand, a software engineer is a professional who designs, develops, and maintains software systems. They work on the implementation of software projects and are responsible for writing code, testing, and debugging. They also need to have a deep understanding of the programming languages and frameworks they are working with and must follow best practices for software development.
