If you’re a Sydney founder about to hire offshore, here’s the actual checklist — not generic advice, the specific things that go wrong for Sydney-based teams specifically.
1. Confirm real AEDT overlap, not claimed flexibility. Sydney runs AEDT (UTC+11) in summer, AEST (UTC+10) in winter — a detail many offshore teams gloss over. Ask for their actual working hours in IST and do the math yourself; don’t accept “we’re flexible” without a specific committed window.
2. Ask for a Sydney-timezone reference call, not just references. Anyone can give you a glowing written reference. Ask to speak with a past Sydney or Melbourne client directly, ideally about how the team handled a real problem mid-project — not just whether they liked the final output.
3. Confirm GST reverse-charge understanding before signing. If your prospective team can’t explain how Australian GST treatment works for imported services, that’s a signal they haven’t worked with enough Australian clients to know the basics that affect your BAS reporting.
4. Get the IP assignment clause reviewed before any code is written. Not after milestone 1 — before. This is a five-minute lawyer review that prevents a real, expensive problem if the relationship goes wrong later.
5. Require a written communication cadence, not a verbal promise. Daily async updates, weekly live call — put the actual cadence in the contract or a scope document, not just as an assumed norm. What’s not written down doesn’t get held to.
6. Test their AEDT-hours emergency responsiveness before committing. During your trial sprint, send one message during your Sydney morning and time how long the response takes. This single test reveals more about real communication discipline than any sales call.
7. Confirm your own domain, GitHub, and cloud accounts are set up before day one. The developer works inside accounts you own and control — never the reverse. This should be non-negotiable and confirmed before the first sprint starts, not requested after.
The one thing Sydney founders underestimate: the AEDT/AEST daylight saving shift twice a year. A working rhythm that’s comfortable in AEST can become genuinely awkward in AEDT without anyone adjusting for it — put a calendar reminder for the shift dates and revisit the overlap window each time.
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Frequently asked questions
What timezone gap should a Sydney founder expect with an Indian dev team?
4.5 hours in AEST, 5.5 hours in AEDT (Sydney’s daylight saving period) — confirm which applies and get a specific committed overlap window, not a vague “flexible” answer.
What contract clause is most commonly skipped by Sydney founders hiring offshore?
IP assignment, reviewed by a lawyer before code is written, not after the first milestone. This is quick and cheap to get right upfront, and expensive to fix after a dispute arises.
How do I test an offshore team’s communication reliability before committing?
During a paid trial sprint, send a message during your normal Sydney working hours and time the response. This reveals more about real responsiveness than references or sales calls.
Does GST apply to offshore development services for Australian founders?
Generally handled under the reverse-charge mechanism for imported services if you’re GST-registered — confirm your prospective team understands this, as it signals real experience working with Australian clients.