Ask HN: What are your thoughts on nearshore outsourcing?

[peraspera]

Hello!

I guess this question could be answered by any of you, from people who work where the headquarters of the company are and those who work nearshore, to those who are not directly linked to this practice but have an opinion on it.

There seems to be clear advantages (cost, ideally similar time zones, access to a broader pool of talent) and disadvantages (different cultures, potential language barrier) from the business perspective. According to the few related posts I found on HN, there's some extra flexibility to be gained on the employee side (proximity to family and friends, potential of better pay due to devalued currency at home), but doesn't this come at the cost of access to the company's culture and maybe even some serendipity? Well, pre-pandemic at least.

What are your thoughts on it?