Consultancy vs. product house – what’s the difference?

When an experienced developer weighs their career options, they often end up choosing between working in-house or pursuing a role as a consultant. Rakettitiede has many rocket scientists who have put on their moon suits only after a long career in a product house. What made them decide to make the switch and what is their daily life like now? 

Switching to consulting can raise concerns about the future, including worries about the demands and potential loneliness associated with the work: Will the changing clients and teams create a sense of detachment? Is there a risk of an overwhelming increase in responsibilities? In the process, you may also find yourself grappling with questions about your sense of belonging and the support available in challenging situations.

“Consulting wasn’t something I always wanted to do,” says Perttu Keskinen (rocket scientist #43), embedded systems software developer, who switched to consulting and boarded the Rocket in 2020, after having worked 11 years in a product house.

In the product house, Perttu had acquired some impressive specialised knowledge but had also begun to feel he wanted to diversify his skillset and explore new horizons. “Over the years, I had been given some additional responsibilities which felt meaningful but also made it impossible to concentrate fully on software development,” he says. 

Perttu was drawn to consulting because he wanted to diversify his skill set: a new client always brings with it a new environment and team, and sometimes also new technologies. 

Perttu history is fairly common among the rocket scientists. Experienced software developers’ desire to focus on solving challenging problems and coding has increased the number of moon suits in the mother ship’s cloakroom.

“I noticed I wanted to go back to the basics and coding,” Perttu says.

Switching to consulting can be intimidating also due to its susceptibility to things such as economic fluctuations.

“When I was looking for a new job, I felt nervous about trying out consulting because in my mind it was connected to instability and insecurity,” says mobile developer Sergey Alto (rocket scientist #45). “I couldn’t have been more wrong. Consulting comes with many benefits and advantages I never even realised were there,” he says now, after three years of working as a consultant. 

But how do your work and life change once you switch from a product house to a consultancy? 

“As far as I’m concerned, I made the perfect choice switching to consulting.” - Petri

“I wouldn’t say my day-to-day work differs that much from what it used to be in various product houses. However, I now have the added bonus of having the Rocket support team provide me with new assignments once the current one ends. If I were working in a product house, I would need to find a new employer. As far as I’m concerned, I made the perfect choice switching to consulting,” says Petri Harri (rocket scientist #51), a self-described “jack of all trades of embedded systems”, who’s ridden the Rocket for three years now. 

What kinds of observations have these three rocket scientists made about their consulting journey? To save you from Donald Duck’s fate, we wrote a blog to help you decide between money, a tricycle or consulting.

Four things that changed when switching from a product house to a consultancy 

#1 A consultant is more accountable for what they do – in a good way

As Petri mentioned, the daily life of a consultant doesn’t differ that much from working on embedded systems in a product house. “The client defines the goals that need to be achieved. The daily work is still essentially the same, especially since the Rocket’s assignments are fairly long, which means you get to learn the ins and outs of the clients,” Petri explains.

The thing that has changed is accountability for the work done. 

“As a consultant, I need to make sure the client finds me useful every day,” Petri says and adds that he considers it a good thing.

“I’m more in control of my work and I need to redeem the promises I make not only to the client but also to myself. I did and would still do my best in a traditional job as well, but as a consultant, I tend to aim just a tiny bit higher,” he continues. 

The increased accountability comes with a heavier coin purse. The trio attest that the Rocket’s salary model which is based on invoicing results in a higher compensation than what you would get in an average product house. “You can admire your handiwork by looking at your payslip,” Petri says. 

#2 A more varied skillset, quicker

“One of the best things about being a consultant is being able to develop and really diversify your skills in a short amount of time,” Sergey says. 

Petri doesn’t think much has changed in his daily work but adds that being a consultant comes with more responsibility and accountability. Consulting also gives you better development opportunities and work variation – and a group of supporters who ensure that you have plenty of interesting assignments. “As far as I’m concerned, I made the perfect choice switching to consulting,” Petri says.

Skills are bound to accumulate as the client industries, products, teams and goals change. “Previously my role revolved around a specific product, making new ones and improving existing ones. Although the clients have similar needs, as a consultant I have a better opportunity to work with different clients without switching employers,” Petri says. 

The challenges the Rocket’s consultants are faced with are more complex than average since clients tend to hire consultants for their expertise. 

As the consultants need to quickly absorb big chunks of knowledge, problem-solving skills are also likely to develop. Luckily, having a curious mindset will take you far.

“In the product house, I used to be the one people came to when they wanted to know how things worked, but now, working as a consultant, it’s the opposite. I get to be the one asking the questions and learning new things,” Perttu says. 

#3 More support and help with overcoming hurdles

Onboard the Rocket, a consultant is never alone. A support team has your back and seeks to ensure the continuity of assignments. These rocket accelerators do their best to make sure that the consultants keep busy and have enough interesting and challenging tasks on their plate. 

Rocket scientists can always express their wish to change assignments and initiate discussions with Sales. The rocket accelerators make every effort to keep everyone happy.

“If you got bored with your daily chores in a product house, in practice the only option was to find another job. The risk you face when left alone to look for work is something else. Now, I’m backed by a sales team that helps me find a new assignment, should I need one,” Petri says. 

Sergey agrees: “It makes your daily life more flexible and gives you a sense of security.”

If – and when – a consultant needs to switch over to a new client, Sales is there to lend their support.

“Before boarding the Rocket, I was anxious about what switching from one assignment to the next would be like – how would I cope with the changing environment, teams and technologies. Luckily, the sales team is there to help and prepare both the client and me for the things to come,” Sergey says.

The clients are provided with the How to Care for Your Consultant guidebook with information on how to make the cooperation as smooth as possible. “In hindsight, I worried over nothing, since the assignments do not change all that often,” Sergey says with a smile. 

Becoming a consultant means consciously accepting the risk that sometimes an assignment may end due to reasons beyond your control. “It’s a relief to know that the responsibility doesn’t rest solely upon your shoulders and that you don’t need to face challenging situations alone. Having the sales team at the Rocket by your side gives you a sense of security,” Petri explains. 

Before a new assignment is found, the consultant may have to wait on the bench for a little while. In the Rocket’s invoicing-based salary model, that translates to fluctuations in income.

At the time of the interview, Perttu had spent a few months on the bench waiting for a gig, but he remained calm (he secured a new assignment the week this post came out). “As a consultant, I need to be prepared for this situation at any time. At the same time, I know that the rocket accelerators are working hard to find me a new project to work on,” he says.

#4 Two professional homes instead of one close-knit work community 

According to Sergey, consulting is really not as terrible as it seems. He used to be worried about the social aspects of consulting, but instead of becoming a hermit, he found himself having two professional homes.

“As a consultant, I have two professional homes: Rakettitiede and my client’s team,” Sergey says. 

Rocket scientists and consultants are individuals, so pursuing a one-size-fits-all option in terms of work culture doesn’t make sense. For example, some couldn’t care less about belonging to a work community while others consider it a significant piece in the work well-being puzzle. 

“I’m very social, which meant that before becoming a consultant I wondered whether I’d be a somehow separate part of the client’s team. I asked myself if I’d be an outsider and if I’d feel lonely,” Sergey says. 

Far from it! At his current client, Sergey has been part of the company and team activities, including their double Christmas celebration, for a couple of years already. “My is made up of other consultants as well as the client’s employees, so they are familiar with the procedure. Things like who pays whose salary don’t really come up in day-to-day work,” Sergey says. 

It’s a fact that for some consultants the mother ship may remain a bit distant. Rocket scientists do their daily work with the clients, and the consultants get to decide how much they want or need to take part in the Rocket’s activities. “The work community here isn’t terribly close-knit, but there are still plenty of opportunities for participation. I prefer working remotely, but I still meet other rocket scientists at various events and when visiting the office,” Perttu says. 

“Interpersonal relations are the same wherever you go. Investing in them will provide you with meaningful encounters and good relationships that make work a lot easier,” Sergey sums up. 

What would you say to a developer like yourself who’s wondering whether they should dip their toe in consulting?

“Consulting has so many more positive aspects to offer than I ever imagined. I worried about a lot of things for nothing. It’s really not as terrible as it seems,” Sergey says with a grin. 

Time to switch to consulting? Read more and join the crew!

Read more:

“It’s every coder for themselves” and other myths about being a consultant

The real meaning of work – is it all about the moolah?

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