Seven questions to ask before you hire anyone to build your software
The questions that separate a team that will deliver from one that will leave you with a half-finished product and no way to change it.
Hiring someone to build your website or app is one of the bigger decisions a growing business makes. Get it right and the product pays for itself. Get it wrong and you lose months, money and the confidence to try again.
These are the questions we would ask if we were in your seat.
1. Can I use something you have already built?
Not look at screenshots: use it. Open a live product on your phone, sign in, try to buy something. Anyone can make a nice picture. Far fewer can ship a product that works.
2. Who owns the accounts?
Your domain, your payment account and your hosting should be in your business’s name, or clearly handed over to you. Payments from your customers should go straight into your account, never through the developer’s.
3. What exactly is included in the price?
Ask for a written list. Is hosting included? Training for your staff? Support after launch? Changes after you see the first version? A fixed quote with a clear scope protects both sides.
4. What happens after launch?
Software needs looking after: security updates, backups, small fixes and new features as your business grows. Ask who does that, how quickly they respond and what it costs each month. A developer who disappears after launch leaves you with a product nobody can maintain.
5. How will payments be confirmed?
If your product takes money, ask how a payment is confirmed. The right answer is that the system checks with the payment provider itself. If anyone mentions checking screenshots, keep looking.
6. Will it work on the phones my customers use?
Most of your customers will use your product on a phone, often on a slow network. Ask how it is tested on phones, tablets and laptops, and what happens on a weak connection.
7. How soon will I see something real?
A good team shows you a working version early, not weeks of drawings. Ask when you will first be able to open it on your own phone.
The short version
The right team will answer all seven questions clearly and without hesitation, and will be happy to put the answers in writing. If you are weighing up a project, we are happy to answer them for ours.