As an entrepreneur, you constantly have great ideas, but no way to execute them. It can be frustrating. Richard Simms, of Tech Talent South fame, saw the need for a way to connect entrepreneurs with local developers. With the help of his co-founder Carlos Gonzalez, he founded Tyrannosaurus Tech — an Atlanta-based development shop.
Since May 2016, Tyrannosaurus Tech has grown an extensive network of Atlanta-based software developers, all working as contractors to help build websites, mobile apps, and web apps for local businesses. Currently bootstrapped, Simms and Gonzalez are hoping to help local startups and enterprises build a minimum viable product. Their aim is to humanize the development process so your company can get the most effective software through collaboration and clear strategy.
Find out why their hands-on boutique stands out from the rest, and who they are looking to hire in the next few months.
What’s your pitch?
These days, everyone thinks they’ve got the next big idea. “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app that did xyz?!” Truth is, even some of the best ideas go undeveloped and unexplored due to the major disparity in tech know-how and coding skills. We help solve this problem by working hands on with entrepreneurs and enterprise-level clients to bring their ideas to life on the web. Each day, we’re building beautiful websites and apps for our clients with a proven iterative and consultative process.
What problem are you solving?
Often times, the person with the great idea, the passion, the industry expertise, and the ability to execute isn’t necessarily the person with the coding chops to build the technology required. Similarly, even for larger established companies, it sometimes simply doesn’t make sense to employ a full-time developer, let alone a team of developers. Even larger companies with developers on staff often have a particular project that requires accelerated development and deployment or a technology stack they are not familiar with. Bringing in external resources and expertise is often the best way to get moving. That’s where we come in.
Please describe the market/industry impact:
With Tyrannosaurus Tech, we believe we are already making a tremendous impact by helping people bring their ideas to life, whether that is launching a brand new startup or an innovative solution within an existing company. At this point, the rapid and ubiquitous influence technology has in every industry imaginable is impossible to deny. In a sense, the whole world is being redefined and flipped on its head. To us, this is thrilling and, we want to do our small part in crafting beautiful easy-to-use products that improve efficiency and create opportunities across the board.
Revenue Model:
Pricing for hourly or per-project based development, design, & consulting.
How’d you get the idea for it?
Building a “dev shop,” is something I’ve thought about and been excited about for years. As someone who loves startups and BIG ideas, the prospect of getting to work with eager entrepreneurs on a variety of problems in various industries is super exciting. This is something that Carlos and I have in common and we would inevitably talk about it every time we got together over the years. In helping to build Tech Talent South, I was lucky enough to build up a great network of amazing local developers and get exposure to all sorts of entrepreneurs and big ideas. Carlos on his part has been in the trenches working with enterprise companies like CareerBuilder and AT&T, and startups like HubLogix and WorkGreat, also building a substantial network along the way of very talented developers and entrepreneurs.
As far as getting the “idea” for Tyrannosaurus Tech — for me, it was really a matter of seeing a clear need in the market (endless folks who needed help building their app or site) and having the resources to help satisfy that need (the domain expertise and rich network of talent). This is something Carlos and I saw eye to eye on and once we realized that among the both of us we had the supply and demand covered, it was a no brainer for us to join forces. Carlos was really excited to resume his entrepreneurial pursuits and for me personally, getting back to being more hands on with products day to day is also something I’ve been eager to do for a while. Digging in deep on a particular problem a client is trying to solve and seeing things to fruition is a really exciting and fulfilling process for us.
Who are your competitors and how do you stand out?
In short, what makes Tyrannosaurus Tech stand out is our boutique hands on consultative approach to working with our clients and our deep understanding and expertise of all things startup. Unlike many companies offering similar services, Tyrannosaurs Tech knows not only in what it takes to build a great product from a technical perspective but also what it takes to launch a business and effectively navigate the many pitfalls of entrepreneurship. Both founders have rich backgrounds in startups and have been engrossed in the Atlanta tech scene for years, giving them an edge and great insight into how to run with a BIG idea in a smart and deliberate way. As a boutique shop, Tyrannosaurus Tech works hand in hand with its clients, not just helping to build the best technical solution but also offering consulting on customer discovery, MVP feature prioritization, and other lean startup methodologies.
How does ATL weave into your story?
Richard: Having grown up in Atlanta, this city is a special place to me. Over the last several years, it has become increasingly important to me to be an impactful member of the Atlanta startup scene and to do my small part to help put Atlanta on the map as a vibrant technology hub. About three and a half years ago, I cofounded Tech Talent South, a “coding bootcamp” teaching web and mobile development to kids and adults here in Atlanta. A big part of the vision was the belief in what a positive impact it would have on the city and local businesses to have young eager jr. developers being educated locally, fueling the tech industry from the ground up. Before moving back to Atlanta to start that business, I worked in tech/startups in Chicago and Washington D.C. Both cities offered a great experience but I have to say, there is something special about the growing startup scene and community in Atlanta. It is really percolating and just the growth over the last 3 years or so has been insane to watch. I’m not sure if it is a “southern culture” thing but the community as a whole is incredibly supportive and there is sort of this “we’re all in this together” vibe that makes it really fun to be a part of.
Carlos: I brought a blank canvas with big dreams, and Atlanta did the rest. Atlanta made me an entrepreneur, made me a music engineer, made me a software engineer, and most importantly, it introduced me to the love of my life. Atlanta also gave me an extended family, the tech community…a family I’ve seen grow over the years and that has helped me become the professional I am today. As I look forward into the future, I want to not only continue volunteering time to help young entrepreneurs and startups and inspire the new generation of coders through mentorship and keynotes but also seek to find ways to make a big impact in the community through more open collaboration, keeping engineering talent in ATL, and helping Atlanta become the Silicon Valley of the south east.
Are you hiring?
Absolutely! We are growing and always looking for great local talent. Right now, we’re specifically looking for WordPress, Javascript, and Ruby on Rails developers.
