A cautionary tale has emerged from the WordPress business world, highlighting the dangers of hiring without conducting thorough due diligence. Mike, the owner of WebEase, a US-based WordPress service agency, recently experienced a shocking situation that serves as a warning to others navigating the hiring landscape.
Starting a business is challenging, with statistics showing that 20% of businesses fail within the first two years. Mike, who has been in the WordPress world for 15 years, knows this all too well. Finding and retaining skilled employees and developers has been the greatest obstacle to his business growth. As the lead developer and owner of WebEase, Mike has struggled to keep up with adding necessary features and fulfilling customer requests. This led him to explore the option of hiring a senior developer.
Mike’s search for a new developer led him to Dave, a senior developer he found through LinkedIn. After a smooth onboarding process, Dave appeared to be the perfect fit for the team. However, within just two weeks, red flags started to appear. Communication became a significant issue as Dave remained unresponsive on all channels, causing concern for Mike.
The situation took a dramatic turn when a third party from Ukraine contacted Mike, claiming they had not received payment for work performed for WebEase. To Mike’s surprise, it was revealed that Dave had subcontracted the work to an overseas company without informing anyone at WebEase.
To understand the extent of the situation, Mike investigated further. He logged into the company’s GitHub repository and utilized the Git Blame tool, which revealed the true scope of the situation. Mike became alarmed not only by missed deadlines but also by the unknown developers who had gained access to WebEase’s codebase. Concerned about potential security issues, Mike took swift action, halting payments to Dave and informing him of the potential damage to the sale of his company, currently valued at 6 million USD.
Dave initially denied any wrongdoing but eventually went silent when faced with undeniable evidence. Mike documented the entire situation, including emails between them, and his credit card company sided with him, halting payments to Dave and performing a chargeback for previous charges. Despite the resolution, Mike still has to review all the code touched by Dave and the subcontracted developers, causing further delays in adding features for his customers.
Mike’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for other business owners and WordPress agencies. It highlights the importance of due diligence, effective communication, and a vigilant approach to safeguarding the integrity of their codebase and business operations. Unfortunately, Mike is not alone in encountering bad actors who try to take advantage of overworked business owners. The hope is that others can learn from his story and avoid similar pitfalls.
As for Mike, he is still searching for an honest senior developer while playing catch-up on adding features for his customers. It is a reminder that the hiring process requires careful consideration and thorough vetting to avoid potential disasters.
