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| how_to_choose_a_software_development_partner:what_to_check_before [2026/09/22 00:26] – created stuartchumleigh | how_to_choose_a_software_development_partner:what_to_check_before [2026/10/03 02:53] (current) – created michalhofmann |
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| Begin with relevant experience, not the length of the client list. Request a couple of engagements that sit close to your stack, and then find out whether those engineers are still with the [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/rag-langchain/|rag development company]]. An honest provider will put you on a call with the engineers. Answers that name nobody at this stage usually mean the delivery team is not the team you were shown. | Begin with domain experience, not the number of logos on the website. Ask for two or three projects that sit close to your domain and your stack, and then ask specifically who actually wrote that code. A solid partner will put you on a call with the engineers. Vague answers at this stage almost always mean the delivery team is not the team you were shown. |
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| The paperwork needs more attention than the sales deck. Three clauses do most of the work: intellectual property assignment, the NDA, and exit terms and handover. Everything produced must transfer to you once invoices are settled, together with source code, designs and infrastructure as code. Be careful with wording that leaves framework code in the vendor's hands, as this is frequently exactly the piece that locks you in. | The contract warrants more attention than the sales deck. A few clauses carry most of the weight: ownership of the code, confidentiality, [[https://webparadox.com/compare/laravel-vs-dotnet/|difference between laravel and .net]] exit terms and handover. All the work product has to transfer to you on payment, along with designs, scripts and infrastructure configuration. Look closely at wording that keeps framework code in the vendor's hands, as it is usually the dependency that makes switching painful. |
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| Ask where their numbers come from. An honest estimate is accompanied by the assumptions behind it, a breakdown per feature and a range rather than a single number. A fixed-bid deal only makes sense when the specification is complete; in any other case the provider pads the number and you pay for it anyway. A time-and-materials model puts the risk on your side, [[https://webparadox.com/services/|web development services company]] so it demands a cap, [[https://webparadox.com/compare/laravel-vs-dotnet/|laravel vs .net comparison]] regular demos and transparent reporting. | Ask where their numbers come from. A credible estimate comes with a written set of assumptions, a task-level breakdown and an explicit range. A fixed-bid deal works only when the specification is complete; in any other case the vendor adds a risk premium and you pay for [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/ai-development/|ai software development company]] uncertainty either way. Hourly billing moves the risk back to the client, so it demands a cap, regular demos and transparent reporting. |
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| Process matters as much as the number of developers. Find out what happens when the scope changes, who signs off on a feature and how quality assurance works. A team can show you a working build every one or two weeks. Written acceptance criteria remain the only reliable protection against endless rounds of rework. | How the work is run matters more than headcount. Find out what happens when the scope changes, who writes the acceptance criteria and how quality assurance works. A well-run team will be able to demonstrate running software rather than status reports. Acceptance criteria in writing stay the only reliable protection against endless rounds of rework. |
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| Before signing, think about the end of the engagement at the start rather than at the end. Insist that the source repository sits on infrastructure you own from the first commit, and that the documentation is refreshed in every sprint. A vendor with nothing to hide accepts it without argument; resistance at this point tells you most of what you need to know. | Finally, think about the end of the engagement at the start rather than at the end. Ask that the code repository sits under your account from day one, and [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/symfony/|symfony web developer]] that the documentation is refreshed in every sprint. A provider confident in its own work accepts it without argument; resistance at this point says most of what you need to know. |
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