13 reasons why… Krakow is still a top outsourcing destination in 2024

Certain destinations make perfect sense as top choices in specific fields. Krakow is one such destination that excels in various categories. However, this article will focus on its position as one of the top outsourcing destinations for entrepreneurs, which it has maintained for several years. Krakow has become even more attractive to businesses with each passing year.

Since the world of software development outsourcing is changing quickly, we decided to update our original list so you can keep abreast in 2024 of all the reasons that make Kraków an excellent location to outsource your software development. Over the past decade, Kraków has become a leading technology center in Europe and a top choice for new investments, according to the latest Krakow IT Market Map study, with about 55,000 IT specialists working in the Krakow market. Continue reading to learn why Krakow is an optimal choice to outsource your software development in 2024.

1. Krakow is a treasure trove of talented tech people

Quality – that’s one of the most important things when it comes to software development outsourcing. In Kraków, quality goes hand in hand with quantity, as this city attracts developers and other tech people with top learning and employment opportunities. It’s also a great place to live, with many perks – some of which are described in the following paragraphs. Keeping the quality and quantity together, the number of students in Kraków is estimated to be around 144,000 (source). Jagiellonian University and AGH University of Science and Technology are just two of the 20 higher education opportunities young people in Krakow have to choose from.

2. Ways of working you’re familiar with

Many years of cooperation between specialists from Kraków and foreign companies has produced a business culture almost identical to what you will find in the German, British or American markets. The ability to perfectly understand business partners’ expectations, top-notch tech skills, or creativity are only examples of abilities valued by companies from all over the world in the partners from Kraków. The city is ranked high among the potential IT outsourcing destinations in the world, as reported by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

3. “So close no matter how far” or rather – the reasonable distance for cooperation

The most significant question mark of software outsourcing, apart from the skills of the developers you choose, is the distance (and issues connected with it) between you and your partner. Kraków’s location makes outsourcing cooperation easy – especially for companies with a European presence. The time difference is never more than one hour, which allows teams to sync their work perfectly.

Although the US is closer in distance, having a call, online meeting, or real-time collaboration is still feasible. According to our partners, this is a significant competitive advantage over contractors from Asian countries. If you’re curious about the time difference between your location and Kraków, you can use this time zone converter to find out quickly. Furthermore, Software Mind is present in LATAM countries with the acquisition of Virtualmind. This American and Argentinian software house has delivered over 1,000 projects for companies throughout North, South, and Central America, thus eliminating the challenge of time zone differences.

4. Krakow – a city you want to visit

Apart from remote collaboration and its benefits, you may need, or just want, to visit Kraków. You can reach Kraków by different means of transport, and due to the size of the city, you will not have any problems getting around. Kraków is a city that offers a perfect balance between work and leisure. It boasts various cultural attractions, such as the famous Market Square and Wawel Castle, along with excellent infrastructure and delectable regional cuisine. All of these combined make Kraków a truly unique destination. Here are some of the top landmarks to visit in Poland, according to Trip Advisor.

5. Krakow’s start-up ecosystem speaks for itself

Kraków is a place where not only the biggest have their offices, but it’s also the home of many successful start-ups. Talented tech people, business opportunities, and the specific “vibe” of this city make the start-up ecosystem in Kraków so thriving and energetic. And of course – the large number of start-ups is followed by all kinds of software houses and conferences/meetups happening almost daily. All this helps shape this specific culture of Kraków that loves innovation.

6. The best of the best of Polish software developers

Poland ranks 41st among the 132 economies featured in the Global Innovation Index 2023. Polish developers are recognized as some of the best in the world, ranking 4th in the Developer Skills Report. An impressive 7.7% of programmers in Poland start coding between the ages of 5 and 10, further highlighting the quality of developers in the country. Kraków is the ideal location to tap into this potential and get the most out of it.

7. Agile to the bone

Krakow is a city that takes Agile seriously, as evidenced by hosting the largest Agile conference in Central Europe – ACE! Conference. Polish engineers understand the importance of mutual understanding between parties engaged in software outsourcing. If you want to learn more about our approach to Agile at Software Mind, you can check out our outsourcing toolbox. It’s a set of practices we developed to adapt to any outsourcing partner, regardless of their structures and habits.

8. Flexibility and adaptability

There are no two identical products, teams and organizations. Every situation needs a tailor-made approach – and the expert specialists in Krakow are ready to match your needs. How do we at Software Mind do it? If you looked at our toolbox mentioned in the previous paragraph, you already know, but if you didn’t – now is the time to do it 😉 And don’t forget about “kombinować” – Poles’ magical ability to adapt and deal with anything, described in more detail in article about why to choose Poland for IT outsourcing.

9. Amazing cost-efficiency and delivered value

With so many advantages software developers in Krakow offer mentioned, there’s “one more thing,” as the late Steve Jobs used to say – the price-to-quality ratio. When choosing an outsourcing partner for software development, you’re undoubtedly looking for a good return on investment (ROI). And you don’t have to look any further. It is estimated that the monthly cost of living in Krakow for one person is twice as low as in London and almost three times lower than in San Francisco. And the same applies to the hourly cost of developers’ work. An hour of a Polish developer’s time costs less than their counterpart in the UK or US, while the quality is at the same level. And that’s why the excellent cost-efficiency ratio allows you to achieve your desired ROI.

10. Word-class English-speaking skills

To effectively work with an outsourced team, it is essential to have good communication skills. Despite not having any prior experience with communication issues while working with outsourcing partners who struggle with English, you might be aware of this problem. Poland is one of the top-ranking countries in terms of English-speaking proficiency.

According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2023, which ranks 113 countries and regions based on their English language skills, Poland is ranked 13th. If you decide to work with a software partner from Krakow or Poland, you can enjoy seamless communication without language barriers.

11. EU membership ensures stability and legal compliance

Fortunately, in the case of this paragraph, nothing has changed over the last few years. Poland is still a member of the EU and provides legal protection to all companies on par with what you would expect in your country of origin. Poland’s ties with European and international communities have been stronger.

12. Security first

Being in the EU and under its regulations means discussing General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). GDPR is the regulation that should matter when choosing an outsourcing destination since it shows we’re aware that keeping all your data or invoice details safe is essential. Suppose you prefer to rely on specific figures to confirm a statement. In that case, refer to the US Chamber of Commerce IP Index 2023 and compare Poland with other popular outsourcing destinations. Poland scored 70.74 out of 100, higher than Ukraine, India, or Mexico. To put it simply, Poland ensures the security of your data.

13. Your outsourced team in Kraków will laugh at your jokes 😉

Lastly, it is crucial to address an often-overlooked issue: the cultural gap between you, your employees, and your outsourced team. Apart from the previously mentioned factors, such as English skills and acceptable time differences, cultural similarities are crucial for practical cooperation. In Krakow, and throughout Poland, we share a similar culture. We watch the same shows on Netflix or HBO and wait for the same movies, among other things. This shared culture makes getting along and working together much easier. Moreover, if you visit us in Kraków, we would be delighted to show you our very own dragon – we even had one before “Game of Thrones.”

If you want to add your own story to the success stories of companies that entrusted Kraków software houses with their projects or think it’s too good to be accurate and want to check us – don’t hesitate to use this contact form.