DevReady Podcast E39 - Contracting & Startups with Rafael Kaluri

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony talk to Rafael Kaluri, founder of NextContract, a digital platform that connects businesses to their next technology contractors. Raf has had a variety of roles in tech contracting in different industries, from business analyst to product development and helping to institute organizational change. Tech contractors are often hired to know, understand, and find problems that you can actually solve. The positives in contracting include exposure and being able to connect with a multitude of stakeholders across an organization or an industry. There is a network-building benefit to contracting. And the networks grow deeper with more work. Be in the know, stay motivated, and look and create for more opportunities. The mission of NextContract is to ensure that contractors are employed and are able to go between contracts with minimal downtime. The three tips from Raf: 1. If you have an idea, validate it. 2. Understand the partners you’re going to select to work with. 3. You are an investor building in your platform, so you need to understand how you’re going to get it to market. Topics Covered: ● Tech contractors. ● Culture and accepting organizational change. ● The benefits of networking. ● Rewards and challenges of contracting. ● You need to have unparalleled growth on your profitability. ● The importance of branding for your own success. ● You might move between organizations fairly quickly as a contractor. ● Spending time with users and a high degree of planning. ● Brainstorming! ● Struggles in determining the cost of your product. ● Preparing to engage with potential clients and organizations. ● Designing based on use cases. ● Project managing in the software space. Key Quotes: ❏ “When we try to challenge what has been socially accepted, it doesn’t sit well with those that have been in the business for a long time.” (5:45) ❏ “Being small is an opportunity when you’re innovating.” (8:35) ❏ “You’re delivering an outcome and you’re selling yourself on the next outcome.” (15:00) ❏ “You are your own brand, and you need to build that with intention and purpose.” (15:45) ❏ “It is, predominantly, being in the know and keeping those doors open.” (19:30) ❏ “You’re not applying for a job; you’re applying for an opportunity to deliver an outcome.” (25:10) ❏ “The saying goes something like: we spend three years in planning and one year in building.” (30:10) ❏ “You might get one shot to showcase your platform to the users.” (32:45) ❏ “People are generally open and honest [when critiquing design].” (45:00) ❏ “You already know the solution if there is a problem.” (46:20) ❏ “It’s not just the idea, it’s how you’re going to monetize it.” (56:00) Contact Rafael: ● LinkedIn ● https://www.nextcontract.com.au ● Email Raf at: raf.kaluri@gmail.com