I have a healthcare tech startup that has MVP at this point.  But (semi-big but) we still need expert coding along with UX and UI to complete a website connection. Right now the product, a real time medication monitoring system, can transmit the data to a bare bones URL hosted site, but this is not scalable as is.  We are in a strange place, because we have a market waiting for us by sheer luck and a little persistence, along with a 10 month runway and pilot program  that we have set up before market introduction.  

My inclination is to bring an IT/coding expert into the team with the incentive being offering equity for the effort.  The alternative would be to simply contract out the work to a coder/web designer and keep the equity.  My thought is equity would give incentive to the person to work efficiently, and maybe provide the best work product, along with long term solutions for CTO.  I just don't know if this is a route that many people see as a viable way to  manage milestones.  I've contracted technical experts out like these before on other projects and got burned so I'm willing to give up some equity if I can get better results.  I obviously believe its a great opportunity, but I am biased, and I'm not sure even what would be a good incentive equity wise.  (And I know saying your startup is a great opportunity is like walking in a prison and asking everyone who is innocent to raise their hand, there isn't a hand down in the whole cell block).

So is equity a good idea, and if so what percent would provide a good incentive.