Karl Kjer

Karl Kjer

Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Find me on: linkedin account
Karl Kjer, Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, is an accomplished writer and researcher with over 70 published papers, many of which have received multiple citations. He has dedicated his life to science and recently turned his attention to the tech industry, where he writes and researches topics related to commerce, cryptocurrencies, and technology. Karl's extensive experience in simplifying complex topics makes his articles captivating and easy to understand.
Articles from Karl Kjer
Software RFP: How to Write a Request for Proposal
Software RFP: How to Write a Request for Proposal
Why is writing a good software RFP important? All you need to know about how do you create an accurate request for proposal for software development.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
What Is a DPA (Data Processing Agreement) - and Are They Necessary?
What is a Data Processing Agreement (DPA)?
You’ve probably heard a lot about data processing agreements in the last few months. So, what is a DPA? How does it work? Is it mandatory?
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Software Development Life Cycle Phases
What is the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)? A Complete Guide
Efficiently managing a software development project is crucial for a company's success. Understanding the different phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is essential. This article provides an overview of all the phases involved in SDLC and how they work together to create successful software solutions. If you're not familiar with SDLC, this article is for you.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Software Development
how to hire a software development team
Data from 4,145 firms and 217,000 developers shows which hiring model fits your situation. In-house, staff augmentation, dedicated team, or outsourced compared.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
What Is a DPA (Data Processing Agreement) - and Are They Necessary?
keep outsourced teams aligned
44% of leaders think their teams are aligned. 14% of employees agree. Data from 4,145 firms shows why outsourcing relationships drift and how to stop it 
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
What is SDaaS
building trust remote development teams
57% of fully remote workers are watching for new jobs. 85% want clear communication but only 51% get it. A diagnostic framework for building trust that ships code.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
What is SDaaS
ethical outsourcing
Our data from 4,145 firms shows the quality gap between $25/hr and $100/hr vendors is 0.05 points. The premium buys governance, not better code. Here's the math.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
How to Choose a Software Development Company
choosing frontend framework
Svelte has the highest developer retention. Zero agencies offer it. Angular over-indexes by 10 points. Data from 65,000 devs and 4k firms on what you can actually hire for.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Predictions for the Future of Cloud Computing
onboarding developers checklist
Shopify ships code in week one. GitLab assigns domain expert buddies. Only 12% of companies get onboarding right. A phased 90-day checklist backed by Gallup and GitHub data.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Software Development
career ladder map developer
DevOps pays $80K median. AI grew just 5.3% in 7 years. Data from 237,000 developers and 93,000 promotions shows which specializations actually reward progression.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
upskilling outsourced projects
58% of agencies claim AI capability. AI salary growth is 5.3% — the slowest of 19 specializations. Our data exposes where vendor positioning outpaces actual talent.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
remote work vs hybrid
55% prefer hybrid. Remote boosts productivity 13%. Neither is universally better. Stanford and Gallup data on which model fits your team and when to commit
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
What Is a DPA (Data Processing Agreement) - and Are They Necessary?
time zone challenges outsourcing
Learn proven strategies for managing dev teams across time zones — from async workflows and agile stand-ups to smart hiring and overlapping-hours planning.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts 2 05
inclusion in tech
91% male. 9.2% ADHD. 24% no degree. Stack Overflow data from 73,268 developers reveals who actually builds software and where representation gaps persist.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
cultural considerations
70% of outsourcing failures stem from cultural differences, not technical ones. Data from 4,145 firms across 82 countries shows where friction hits and how to fix it.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
perfect job desctiption
Skills-based hiring, salary transparency laws in 16 states, and AI as first reader have changed how job descriptions work. Here's what the 2026 data shows.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Software Development
cultural fit vs skill set
Culture fit has a 0.13 validity coefficient — the worst predictor still in widespread use. Sackett's 2022 meta-analysis rewrote what actually predicts job success.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
beyond the resume
81% of employers have adopted skills-based hiring. Fewer than 1 in 700 hires actually changed. Harvard and TestGorilla data on closing the intent-to-impact gap.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
Avoiding Developer Burnout
Burnout isn't a resilience problem — it's a systems design failure, and 83% of your developers are living proof.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts3 01
measuring outsourcing success
98.5% of vendors score above 4.5 on Clutch. Ratings can't differentiate quality. Our analysis of 1,517 firms shows which operational metrics actually predict success. 
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Made Illustrations for Blog Posts 2 05
Stakeholders in Software Engineering
Stakeholders are the invisible architecture of every successful software project. The decisions that shape what gets built, why it gets built, and whether it delivers value emerge from a web of people with competing interests, priorities, and perspectives. Understanding who these stakeholders are and how to manage them is a core engineering competency that determines whether software ships on time, within budget, and actually solves the problems it was designed to solve.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer
Custom Software Development
What Is Staff Augmentation? A Guide to Flexible IT Talent Strategies
IT Staff Augmentation defined. Explore the benefits, cost-saving potential, and why businesses rely on augmenting their existing talent.
Karl Kjer
Ph.D. and Technical Writer