Why founders look to Pakistan
Pakistan has one of the world's largest young populations and a fast-growing engineering base trained on modern, AI-native stacks. For a US startup, that means senior talent at roughly a third of local cost, with real working-hours overlap.
The catch is that hiring across a border you don't know is hard: sourcing, vetting, contracts, payments, and management all get harder at once. This guide walks the whole path.
1. Define the role before you source
- Exact stack and seniority — 'senior' means 5–8 years and the ability to own features solo.
- Whether you need a contractor, a managed hire, or a full team.
- How much US-hours overlap you actually need for standups and reviews.
2. Source from a network, not a job board
Public job boards flood you with unvetted applicants. The best engineers are usually referred. Either build a referral network over months, or work with a partner who already has one.
3. Vet technically — this is where most hires fail
Screen real code (GitHub, a practical task), run a senior-led technical interview, and test communication in English. Skipping this is the single biggest cause of a bad offshore hire.
4. Contracts and payment
Most first hires are contractors. You'll need a clear contract (scope, IP assignment, confidentiality) and a way to pay reliably in USD. See our guide on paying Pakistani contractors.
5. Onboard and manage
Repo access, tools, docs, and a clear first task. Then the ongoing part — performance, retention, and payroll — which is where most DIY offshore setups quietly break down.
The shortcut
Edenic does all of the above for you: sourcing from our network, senior-led vetting, hiring, and day-to-day management. You interview finalists and make the final call.
Common questions
DIY, expect 4–8 weeks of sourcing and vetting. With a partner like Edenic, about two weeks from intake to a hired, onboarded engineer.
No. You can hire contractors directly, or use a managed partner who handles contracts and payroll so you never set up an entity.