Choosing a development partner is one of the biggest decisions in any software project. The right team saves you time, money and stress. Here's how to evaluate your options.
Look at relevant experience
Ask for case studies similar to your project in size, industry or technology. Experience with similar problems means fewer surprises.
Understand their process
How do they run discovery? How often will you see working software? Who is your day-to-day contact? A clear, transparent process is a strong signal.
Questions to ask
- Who will actually work on my project?
- How do you estimate cost and handle changes?
- How often will I see demos?
- How do you test quality and security?
- Who owns the source code and IP?
- What happens after launch?
Check communication
Notice how quickly and clearly they respond during the sales process. It's usually a good preview of how they'll communicate during the project.
Red flagA fixed price for a large, vague scope without any discovery. Good partners ask lots of questions before they estimate.
Start small
If you're unsure, begin with a paid discovery phase or a small first milestone. It's a low-risk way to see how you work together.
