Choosing a software development company is one of the highest-risk purchases a business makes. The proposals all look professional, the portfolios all look impressive, and the real differences only show up months later, when the project is late, the budget is gone and the original team has moved on.
These questions help you see those differences before you sign.
About Their Experience
1. What have you built that is similar to this, and is it still running? Anyone can show screenshots. Ask what is live today, who uses it and who maintains it. Products a company still runs are the strongest evidence it knows what happens after launch.
2. What went wrong on a past project, and what did you change? Every experienced team has an answer. A company that claims nothing ever goes wrong is either new or not being honest.
3. Who exactly will work on my project? Names and roles, not "our team". Ask whether those people will still be on the project in three months.
About How They Work
4. How will we see progress? You should be able to try working software regularly, ideally every week or two, not just read status reports. A private link where you can click through the real product as it grows is a good sign.
5. How do you handle changes to the scope? Listen for a clear, written process: how a change is estimated, who approves it and how it affects time and cost.
6. What do you need from us, and when? Good teams are specific about the decisions, content and access they need from you. Delays on the client side are a common reason projects slip.
7. How do you test? Ask how they check that new work has not broken old work, and whether testing happens on real phones and devices, not only on a developer's computer.
About Ownership and the Long Term
8. Who owns the code, the accounts and the data? The answer should be you, from day one. Hosting, domains, app store listings and source code should be created in your name or transferred to you.
9. Could another developer take this over? Ask about documentation and code structure. You should never be locked in because nobody else could understand the system.
10. What happens after launch? Find out what support is included, for how long, and what ongoing maintenance costs. Software needs care as phones, browsers and connected services change.
About Money
11. How is the price structured? Fixed price for a clearly defined phase, time and materials for ongoing work, or a combination. Understand which parts are fixed and which are estimates.
12. What is not included? Hosting, third-party service fees, app store accounts, content, design assets and ongoing support are often outside the quote. A trustworthy proposal lists them.
Warning Signs
- A price given before they understand your process.
- Promises that everything is possible, quickly and cheaply.
- No questions about your business, only about features.
- Reluctance to put ownership terms in writing.
- A portfolio that cannot be verified or used.
- Pressure to sign immediately.
Green Flags
- They push back on something you asked for and explain why.
- They suggest a smaller first version than you expected.
- They want to talk to the people who will use the system.
- They are specific about risks and how they will reduce them.
- They are comfortable being compared with other suppliers.
Location Matters Less than Communication
Clients increasingly work with development teams in other countries, and it can work extremely well. What matters is not where the team sits but whether you get clear, regular communication, overlap in working hours for real conversations, and written records of every decision.
Compare Like with Like
When proposals differ wildly in price, they usually describe different projects. Put them side by side against the same list: scope, milestones, team, testing, ownership, support and exclusions. The cheapest proposal often leaves out the parts you will need most.
We are happy to be one of the companies you compare. If you would like, send us the brief you are sending to others and we will tell you honestly what we would build first, what we would leave out and what it would take.