Getting Your Money’s Worth from a Global Engineering Team

The future of work is global first. But saving money with international teams won’t pay off without the cultural intelligence to make it work.

As a globally-minded professional, I take pride in understanding diverse cultures, but learning to work effectively with global teams was a whole new challenge. Photo by Chris Montgomery

I was pumped. I had just handed off my detailed product requirements to our Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who added his technical specifications, and passed them along to our offshore engineering teams in Brazil and Serbia. The plan seemed brilliant: our Serbian engineers, six hours ahead, would kick off the work while we slept, and by the time our Brazilian team came online—just a couple of hours ahead of us—they’d take over, providing nearly seamless coverage. It sounded perfect... on paper.

But when the updates arrived, my excitement turned to confusion. Features were misplaced, priorities misaligned. It was like ordering a custom birthday cake and getting a loaf of bread with sprinkles. “How did this happen?” I wondered. Thinking this was a one-off, I gave my feedback on changes that needed to be made. When this happened a few more times, frustrated, I rolled up my sleeves, and addressed the engineers directly.

“Here’s what we’re building, and here’s why it matters to our users,” I explained.

Their response surprised me. It was the first time they grasped the bigger picture. They excitedly offered alternative solutions that were not only resource-efficient but also user-focused.

Startups, driven by cost pressures and a hunger for agility, increasingly rely on offshore talent. But I learned you can’t save money with a global team if you don’t understand how to navigate cultural complexities and bridge gaps in communication. Those essentials can make or break a project. Coding might be universal, but work styles and communication norms are not.

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This reliance on offshore talent has given birth to a new norm, global teams, that have transformed the tech industry.

The rapid growth of platforms like Deel and Oyster, companies that hire and manage global teams, highlights a significant shift toward global team structures. Deel, for instance, achieved a valuation of $12 billion in just three years, underscoring the increasing demand for solutions that facilitate international hiring.

How Understanding Culture Enhances Collaboration

At a startup, the organization of tech teams can vary. This was our team’s initial structure.

This is how we made our communication more effective.

But getting your money’s worth out of a global team can be challenging. In Serbia, engineers worked well with structured, direct guidance but were hesitant to suggest changes without being asked. Meanwhile, in Brazil, collaboration thrived on personal connection and trust. These dynamics required more than just a well-written brief—they needed proactive, tailored communication.