It seems the mobile world can’t get enough of a good thing. And, in this case, the good thing is a talented mobile app developer.
According to a new report published by The Wall Street Journal, the “talent pool” of devs isn’t overflowing by a long shot, despite the escalating demand for developers and their creative genius.
“The demand is constant,” said Dan Gilmartin, vice president of marketing for web start-up Where Inc. “Every company is looking for these people.”
Where Inc., for example, is looking to double its mobile staff this year after quadrupling it in 2010. But finding a few good developers is, incredibly, a daunting prospect for many like-minded firms.
The intense competition for mobile engineers, which affects large companies and fast-growing start-ups alike, is emerging as a key bottleneck as companies scramble to capitalize on the fast growth of smartphones and other mobile devices.
“Almost all of our companies are looking for Android and iPhone developers,” Bijan Sabet tells the WSJ. Sabet is a general partner at Spark Capital, a venture capital firm that’s worked with the likes of Twitter, Tumblr and OnSwipe.
It the big picture, it seems the digital world and the corresponding demand for mobile apps, games, and other content is growing at a pace exponentially faster than the rate at which skilled new developers are entering the job market.
“It just takes a really long time to find people to hire internally and we need to move fast,” says Scott Raymond, Gowalla’s chief technology office.
To read the full report from the WSJ, click here.
