When companies first turn to offshore outsourcing, they expect efficiency. Instead, many discover the hidden cost of being out of sync. Projects drag, standups lose their energy, and "follow-the-sun" quickly becomes "follow-the-wait."
"Working with teams in distant time zones was tough — I’d be up all night and sleeping during the day, which strained my personal life. Friends would ask why I couldn’t just get the team on my schedule." — Noah Hunter, Director of Engineering at NCS Wash
When schedules don’t line up
Teams start working longer hours just to overlap. Managers spend more time chasing updates than making decisions. Collaboration becomes less about solving problems and more about waiting for the next window of overlap.
Popular offshore hubs and their time zone gaps from the US (Eastern Time):
- India (IST): +9.5 to +10.5 hours ahead
- Philippines (PHT): +12 to +13 hours ahead
- Eastern Europe (EET/CEST): +6 to +7 hours ahead
- Latin America (GMT-3 to GMT-6): typically within +2 / -2 hours
"In the past, offshore work was difficult — the time zone and cultural differences were a real challenge. With South America, alignment on both time zones and language has made collaboration much easier." — Walter Quiroga, President & CEO at Ciphertext Solutions
Howdy’s nearshore solution
Howdy connects US companies with engineers across Latin America, where workdays align. Instead of sending a message at night and waiting until morning for a reply, your engineers and ours can troubleshoot together on the spot. The result is faster delivery, smoother collaboration, and a team that actually feels like a team.
"When I worked offshore with teams in Asia, communication was tough and the culture fit wasn’t there. With Howdy, it felt completely different — our team connected naturally, like they were just down the street." — Jorge González Medina, Product Leader at OwnLocal
Collaboration that feels natural
Time zone alignment doesn’t just make scheduling easier. It helps teams build trust, solve problems faster, and feel like they’re part of the same mission.
"Other consulting shops felt like a resource dump — just a warm handoff and then you’re on your own. Howdy is different: culturally aligned, hands-on, and in our time zone. Plus or minus two hours is a lot easier than plus or minus twelve." — Noah Hunter, Director of Engineering at NCS Wash
Don’t let time zones slow you down
Outsourcing doesn’t have to mean staying up all night or waiting until tomorrow. With Howdy.com, you can hire world-class engineers who work when you do. Book a demo with Howdy and experience what it’s like to work in sync.