Hey!

Chris here. Welcome to Blueprint—the newsletter to help you build a winning engineering team.

This week, we're diving into something I'm passionate about: why contract engineers are the smartest move you can make for your business.

You might think I'm biased because I run Surton. And yeah, maybe I am.

But I wouldn't have built a whole company around contract engineering if I hadn't seen it work over and over again.

Today, I'm going to break down exactly why contract engineers make sense and why most companies are still getting it wrong.

Let's get into it.

📒 DEEP DIVE

Why Contract Engineers Are Your Best Business Move

Everything I've learned about building high-performance engineering teams using contractors.

If you're automatically defaulting to full-time engineering hires, you're probably burning money. 

Here's why contract engineers are often the smarter play, especially for early-stage companies and specialized projects.

The Engineering Reality Check

Engineering isn't what it used to be. It's exploded into dozens of specialized roles. 

We've got:

• Cloud architects

• AI specialists

• DevOps engineers

• Security experts

2 years ago, hardly any company had an AI team. Now everyone needs one. 

Add in the fact that there are 15 AWS certifications alone, and you start to see the problem: No single engineer can master it all.

The Traditional Hiring Trap

Most companies fall into one of 2 traps:

1. They hire a full-time generalist who's decent at everything but a master of nothing

2. They try hiring multiple specialists and watch their burn rate skyrocket

Both options suck. 

Here's the truth: you don't need these specialists full-time. You need their expertise at specific times for specific projects. 

This is where contract engineers come in. 

The Contract Advantage

When you bring on a contractor, everything is crystal clear: here's the project, the timeline, and the budget—now go make it happen. 

No ambiguity, no idle time, no bloated payroll. You're paying for outcomes, not hours.

Think about it like this: My livelihood as a founder is 100% tied to what I deliver. There's an urgency there, a focus on results. 

Contractors operate with that same mindset because their success is directly tied to their output. 

That's a powerful motivator you rarely get with salaried employees.

The Flexibility Factor

With contractors, you can:

➝ Scale your team up or down on a dime

➝ Bring in specialized expertise exactly when you need it

➝ Avoid the rigidity and overhead of traditional employment

➝ Maintain high-quality output without the full-time price tag

This isn't just about saving money—it's about maximizing your resources. 

When you need a security audit, you get a security expert. 

When you need AI integration, you get an AI specialist. 

When the project's done, you're not stuck with expensive specialists sitting around waiting for their next relevant project.

The Quality Question

You might be thinking: "But what about quality? Don't we need full-time people who really know our business?"

My answer? It's insane to hire a full-time person with lower expertise just because they're willing to take a salary. 

Contract engineers, especially those working through reputable agencies, dive deep into your business while maintaining their specialized expertise. 

They've usually seen similar problems across multiple companies, giving them a broader perspective than many full-time hires.

The Bottom Line

Tech jobs are getting more specialized every day. You need experts who know their stuff inside and out—but you don't need them full-time. Contract engineers give you that flexibility without the crippling overhead.

Your job as a founder or leader is to get things done as efficiently as possible. A strategic mix of contractors and full-time employees always proves to be the most effective way to do that. 

It keeps everyone focused on outcomes, gives you the expertise you need when you need it, and lets you build the exact team your projects require.

Don't be the last one to figure this out while your competitors are already leveraging this model to punch above their weight class.

Looking to explore contract engineering options? Let's talk. 

🎙 EPISODE OF THE WEEK

In this episode Matt and I talk about how being yourself helps you find better clients—A.K.A. the founder brand.

 We share what we've learned about telling our story, making helpful content, and not being afraid to sell. 

Sure, putting yourself out there feels scary—I've been there. But it works better than trying to look perfect all the time. 

If you're struggling to stand out or get clients to notice you, this episode is worth a listen.

Take a listen here.

BEFORE YOU GO…

I wouldn't be writing about contract engineers if I didn't believe in them 100%. 

It's why I built Surton in the first place—I kept seeing companies struggle with the same engineering problems that could be solved with the right contract talent.

And hey—if you're nodding along to any of this and want to see how contract engineers could fit into your business, reply to this email. 

This method really works, and I'd love to show you how.

Next week, I'll break down our biggest lessons from 2024 and share what we're planning for 2025. 

Talk soon,

Chris