Frequently Asked Questions
Everything companies ask us before they hire a Scala team. If your question isn't here, that's what the button at the bottom is for.
Hiring & Process
How is this different from a staffing agency or a recruiter?
A recruiter hands you a resume and wishes you luck. Scala Teams hands you a team that's already worked together, already knows Scala, and already knows how to ship. You're not screening candidates one at a time. You're plugging in a group that's ready to go.
How fast can a Scala Teams team start?
Most Scala Teams engagements start within a few weeks, not months. Because the team isn't sourced from scratch for every project, you skip the part of hiring that eats up a whole quarter.
Do we get to meet the engineers before we commit?
Yes. You'll talk directly with the Scala Teams engineers who'd actually be working on your codebase, not a sales rep reading their resumes to you. If it's not the right fit on either side, that gets said before anything starts.
What happens if someone on the team isn't the right technical fit?
Scala Teams handles it directly. That's the point of hiring a managed team instead of a single contractor. If someone needs to be swapped out, the transition is managed so the project doesn't stall.
What engagement models does Scala Teams offer?
Three options: a dedicated team that works only on your product, staff augmentation to fill a specific gap on your existing team, or project-based delivery when you need a defined scope shipped and handed off. Scala Teams helps you figure out which one actually fits before anything gets signed.
Technical Depth
Do your engineers have real production experience with Cats Effect and ZIO?
Yes. Scala Teams engineers have shipped and maintained production systems built on both Cats Effect and ZIO, and know the tradeoffs between them well enough to tell you which one fits your problem.
Can you help us migrate from Scala 2 to Scala 3?
Migrations are a core part of what Scala Teams does. Teams are walked through the process without freezing feature work for months, because the real friction points are already known, unlike what the official migration guides suggest.
Do you work on data engineering and Spark, or just backend services?
Both. Scala Teams covers backend systems built on Akka, ZIO, and http4s, plus data engineering work in Spark and FS2. If your stack spans both worlds, you don't need a second vendor to cover the gap.
What if our stack is a mix of old Akka code and newer functional patterns?
That's a normal state for a Scala codebase, not a red flag. Scala Teams engineers are comfortable working across both styles and can help modernize incrementally instead of forcing a rewrite you don't have time for.
Do you have experience with compliance-heavy or regulated systems?
Yes. Scala Teams engineers have worked on fintech and compliance infrastructure where correctness and auditability matter as much as speed, and Scala's type system is part of why teams choose it for that kind of work.
Team Structure
Is this a full team or a handful of contractors?
A full team. Scala Teams engineers already know how to work together, so you're not getting a group of strangers introduced last week. You get the coordination benefits of a team that's been through projects before.
Who manages the team day to day, us or you?
Whichever way works for you. Some companies run the Scala Teams engineers like their own, with their own PM in the loop. Others have Scala Teams own delivery end to end. This gets set up during onboarding so nobody's guessing later.
Can we scale the team up or down as the project changes?
Yes. If scope grows, Scala Teams adds engineers who already understand your codebase instead of starting a new hiring search. If it shrinks, you're not stuck carrying headcount you don't need.
Do we get a dedicated point of contact?
Yes, always. Every Scala Teams engagement includes one person accountable for the team's output, so questions don't disappear into a group inbox.
Where are Scala Teams engineers located, and what time zones do they work in?
Scala Teams engineers work in time zones with meaningful overlap with US business hours, so you get real-time collaboration instead of a daily handoff delay. Specific overlap is confirmed for your team before the engagement starts.
Cost & Commitment
How does this compare to hiring in house?
Hiring through Scala Teams skips the cost of sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding senior Scala engineers, which is often the most expensive and slowest part of building a team in house. It also skips the risk of a bad hire sitting in the role for a year.
What's the minimum commitment?
Scala Teams will walk you through engagement terms on a call, because they depend on team size and scope. What can be said upfront is that engagements aren't locked in longer than the project actually needs.
How is pricing structured?
Scala Teams pricing depends on team size, seniority mix, and engagement length. Real numbers come after understanding your project, not from a generic rate card that doesn't match what you actually need.
Trust & Credibility
Who's actually on these teams?
Senior Scala engineers with real production experience across the ecosystem, not junior developers learning on your dime. Scala Teams introduces you to them before the engagement starts, so this isn't a claim you have to take on faith.
Why should we trust a team we've never worked with before?
You shouldn't have to take Scala Teams' word for it. Talk to the engineers directly, ask them about real systems they've built, and judge for yourself before anything is signed.
Who owns the code and IP once it's built?
You do. Every Scala Teams engagement is set up so the client owns all code, IP, and deliverables outright, and this gets spelled out in the contract before work starts rather than left ambiguous.
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