SmartBenefits Scales with Fast AWS Migration & epicX Engineers
Resources aligned
HRTech / InsurTech
Pakistan
SmartBenefits is a fast-growing HRTech and InsurTech platform based in Pakistan, focused on simplifying employee benefits for SMEs. Their all-in-one platform allows companies to offer insurance, OPD, provident funds, and HR tools with ease.
As the startup geared up for launch, its leadership team needed a strong technical foundation, from infrastructure to platform architecture, without the high cost and long delays of traditional hiring.
With time-to-market pressure and resource constraints, SmartBenefits turned to epicX to find engineers who could get the product off the ground quickly.
SmartBenefits faced two mission-critical hurdles
The platform had to be built and scaled securely and reliably, with zero tolerance for downtime and high AWS optimization demands.
They needed highly specialized engineers fast without exhausting time or budget. Traditional hiring routes were too slow and expensive.
"We were at a stage where we needed top-tier engineers who could handle infrastructure, DevOps, and product-level thinking, without slowing us down. epicX delivered quickly and efficiently, helping us shape the product from scratch while staying lean."
- CTO, SmartBenefits
SmartBenefits partnered with epicX to accelerate product delivery and streamline infrastructure—without compromising on technical depth.
We delivered 3 qualified, pre-vetted platform architects in record time. All were interviewed, selected, and onboarded in just 9 days.
Our engineers led platform architecture decisions, data modeling, frontend logic, and infrastructure migration.
The full AWS migration was completed in record time, cost-optimized and security-compliant.
By hiring through epicX, SmartBenefits achieved 50–65% savings compared to hiring the same caliber of engineers in-house.
"epicX became an essential part of our journey. Their engineers were core contributors, not just freelancers. We were able to launch faster and leaner thanks to their focus, AWS expertise, and ability to work with startup constraints."
With epicX’s support, SmartBenefits went from idea to live product without compromising on performance, scalability, or compliance. Our team helped lay the groundwork for everything, from infrastructure to feature logic, making launch possible within a tight timeline.
The AWS migration saved both time and operational costs, while our developers’ contributions across frontend and backend shaped the product’s user experience and system stability.
SmartBenefits hired senior engineers at a fraction of in-house costs, without sacrificing quality or speed.
epicX sourced, screened, and placed engineers within just over a week, helping the team move fast.
We designed and migrated a cost-optimized, scalable AWS architecture tailored to their long-term roadmap.
Our engineers didn’t just support, they built. Their work directly enabled launch-readiness across core platform modules.
"We were looking for engineers who could wear multiple hats, DevOps, AWS, and product, and epicX nailed it. The quality of candidates was top-notch. They didn’t just help us launch, they helped shape what we launched. Anyone building in HRTech or InsurTech should consider epicX as a real partner, not just a vendor."
CTO, SmartBenefits
Every founder knows the struggle of scaling fast with limited time, money, and talent. Hiring locally burns runway quickly, while offshore development promises savings but often feels like a gamble.
Stories of buggy code, missed deadlines, and disengaged offshore developers can make even the most resilient founders question if it’s worth it.
But here’s the truth: offshore software development isn’t broken, it’s just been approached the wrong way. The right team, integrated the right way, can unlock scale and speed without draining your budget.
At epicX, we see offshore development as a strategic growth lever, where your offshore software development partner becomes a seamless extension of your startup, delivering speed, quality, and ownership.
So what does it take to build that dream offshore team, one that feels like your own and drives real growth?
Let’s unpack the common struggles founders face, why they happen, and how epicX offers a better way.
Offshore development has a reputation problem, but this often stems from how teams are sourced and managed more than the talent itself.
Global software engineers bring incredible skills, but legacy outsourcing models, filled with layers of middlemen and a lack of accountability, result in buggy code, missed deadlines, and teams that deliver just tasks, not outcomes.
Many founders have shared stories about endless debugging cycles, code so fragile it creates technical debt, and developers who seem to disappear when things get tricky.
But this isn’t the fault of offshore developers in general. When startups get direct access to pre-vetted engineers who are aligned on startup culture and work in overlapping time zones, the quality skyrockets.
epicX’s model is crafted to tear down these barriers: no layers between founders and developers, rigorous vetting focused not just on skills but on startup readiness, and transparent engagement from day one.
This creates offshore teams that deliver reliable, high-quality software and feel like an extension of your in-house engineering.
Low standards and “vibe coding” lead to fragile software full of bugs, causing more time spent on patching than on innovation.
Without clear ownership, delivery schedules slip repeatedly. Founders end up firefighting instead of focusing on growth.
Offshore teams sometimes treat tasks as checklists rather than understanding product goals, resulting in siloed execution without initiative.
This feeds the dreaded sentiment, “It’s just faster if I do it myself.” The real problem lies in sourcing and managing the talent correctly, not with the talent pool itself.
Wrong vendor models block direct founder-to-engineer collaboration and create distance from day-to-day progress.
Lack of proper vetting means agencies push candidates with inflated resumes or juniors ill-equipped for startup speed and complexity.
Mismatched incentives reward billable hours rather than successful product outcomes, encouraging quantity over quality.
This sets up a “black box” dynamic where founders lose visibility, become reactive, and miss the chance to truly scale.
epicX flips traditional outsourcing on its head by putting founders directly in the driver’s seat:
Founders work directly with vetted engineers who understand the startup grind—no account managers or middlemen slowing down communication.
Developers undergo rigorous testing not only for technical excellence, but for startup culture fit and ownership mindset.
Teams are matched for overlapping time zones and compatible communication styles, making collaboration fluid and real-time.
With full transparency and active performance tracking from day one, there are no surprises or ghosting.
This is a genuine partnership. It’s not outsourcing as you know it. It’s built to speed startups past the hurdles of quality, communication, and accountability.
“Startups don’t just need coders, they need partners who think like founders. At epicX, we build teams that grow with your vision.”
Hassan Azhar, CEO & Founder at epicX
Even the most talented offshore developers can’t overcome structural problems alone. Startups face unique hurdles:
Despite these challenges, epicX has designed its platform to eliminate bottlenecks by offering pre-vetted developers ready to start within 48 hours, with a 94% first-match success rate.
We ensure guaranteed time zone overlap so founders get real-time collaboration during core hours.
Plus, our 14-day risk-free trial lets startups test the fit firsthand before committing. Our ongoing performance tracking and direct support keep accountability tight and visible.
This approach relieves founders from vetting exhaustion, micromanagement, and ghosting, freeing them to focus on product growth.
Successful offshore partnerships feel like your in-house team, not a faceless ticket factory. This requires conscious effort and respect.
Treat offshore engineers as teammates, not contractors. Startups that share their vision openly and invite offshore teams into planning and demos see higher engagement and ownership.
Clear documentation in shared wikis and established availability windows avoid misunderstandings and keep everyone aligned despite distance.
Assign features and outcomes, run demos together, and celebrate milestones. This builds true accountability and a product mindset.
Daily standups, sprint retrospectives, and live demos keep momentum and cohesion. Shared tools like Slack, GitHub, JIRA, and Notion unify workflows.
We facilitate direct kickoff sessions between founders and developers, ensuring immediate clarity and rapport.
With defined co-working hours for real-time sync, and culture-fit matching aligned with startup urgency, offshore developers feel and act like part of your core team.
This intentional approach turns remote developer teams into powerful engines for scaling startups with offshore talent.
Timing your offshore scale-up is crucial. Too early, and you burn through resources before product-market fit. Too late, and your core team is overwhelmed, blocking growth.
Too early: If your product specs are incomplete or unvalidated, overhiring offshore developers creates wasted costs and confusion.
Too late: If your founding engineers are burning out or repeatedly missing deadlines, delaying offshore hiring stalls your roadmap and causes missed market opportunities.
Your development pipeline jams because engineering velocity can’t keep up with ideas.
Your product specs and processes have enough clarity to onboard external engineers efficiently.
You need flexible talent scaling without the burden of full-time hires dropping your runway.
With epicX, startups can add vetted developers in days, not months.
You get the freedom to scale up or down without rigid contracts or penalties, perfectly adjusting to evolving needs. Plus, the risk-free trial lets you test collaborators before fully committing.
Scaling with epicX isn’t a gamble; it’s a deliberate, controlled growth strategy.
epicX stands apart because we’re purpose-built for startup realities, not just volume staffing.
We deliver proven startup alignment with quality developers who save you up to 65% compared to local hiring, without compromising standards.
Our teams are culture and time-zone matched, so communication flows naturally and agility is baked in.
Unlike freelancer marketplaces, we provide dedicated engineers focused solely on your product, ensuring continuity, deep product knowledge, and faster iteration cycles.
Our staff augmentation services and transparent pricing mean no hidden fees or markups, and we don’t require deposits or long-term lock-ins. Founders can trust us to help them scale fast, stay lean, and focus sharply on building winning products.
epicX isn’t about filling seats, but about delivering a real offshore software development partnership tailored for startups.
The competition to ship faster and smarter is heating up globally. Startups that can tap global tech talent, build flexible teams, and avoid bottlenecks will lead their markets.
epicX is more than just a talent provider—we build resilient development engines that scale with you through every phase: from MVP to Series A to expansion.
If it’s time to skip painful hiring cycles and build an offshore team that moves your startup forward, connect with epicX’s founder to start your journey today.
Watch for recurring bugs, patch-heavy releases, or poor documentation. Regular code reviews and clear performance metrics help catch issues early. At epicX, ongoing performance tracking gives founders full transparency.
Freelancers suit short, isolated tasks. For core product work, you need dedicated developers who care about outcomes and continuity. epicX offers full-time engineers embedded in your team.
Designate overlap hours for live collaboration while complementing with asynchronous documentation. epicX guarantees time-zone aligned teams for real-time communication.
Treat developers as you would in-house talent: provide growth opportunities, regular feedback, and ownership. epicX prioritizes culture fit and engagement to foster long-term retention.
Choosing the cheapest provider or outsourcing without integration plans. Treat offshore teams as partners, not vendors. epicX builds teams focused on partnership and shared success.
Skip the job boards, candidate ghosting, and weeks of screening.
Get top-tier engineers matched to your stack, ready to deliver.
No proxies, No middlemen. Just velocity.
2-Week No-risk trial. Pay only if satisfied.
✓ 50+ tech stacks
✓ 94% success on first match
✓ Talent matched in under 48 hours