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| how_to_pick_a_software_development_partner:the_checks_that_matter [2026/09/21 23:22] – created michalhofmann | how_to_pick_a_software_development_partner:the_checks_that_matter [2026/09/26 00:01] (current) – created juliannegaertner |
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| Look first at proven experience, not the length of the client list. Ask for a couple of case studies that match your domain and your stack, and then ask which engineers actually built it. An honest provider will put you on a call with the engineers. Answers that name nobody at this stage almost always mean the demo work came from somewhere else. | Begin with domain experience, not the number of logos on the website. Ask for a couple of engagements that sit close to your domain and your stack, and then ask who actually wrote that code. An honest provider will introduce you to the tech lead. Answers that name nobody at this stage usually mean the demo work came from somewhere else. |
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| The contract needs more scrutiny than the proposal. A few clauses carry most of the weight: ownership of the code, confidentiality, and exit terms and handover. All the work product must transfer to you as it is paid for, including designs, scripts and infrastructure configuration. Watch for language that leaves reusable components with the vendor, [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/aws/|aws web development company]] since that is often the part you cannot replace later. | The paperwork deserves more attention than the sales deck. A few clauses carry most of the weight: intellectual property assignment, non-disclosure, and notice periods and handover. Every artifact has to transfer to you once invoices are settled, together with documentation, pipelines and deployment scripts. Be careful with any clause that keeps so-called reusable libraries with the vendor, because it is usually exactly the piece that locks you in. |
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| Ask how they estimate. A serious estimate arrives with a written set of assumptions, a breakdown by feature or [[https://webparadox.com/how-we-work/dedicated-teams/|staff augmentation company]] module and an explicit range. A fixed price is only reasonable when the requirements are stable and documented; when the scope is still moving the supplier adds a risk premium and you pay for it anyway. Time and materials puts the risk on your side, so it requires a cap, regular demos and transparent reporting. | Ask how they estimate. A credible estimate is accompanied by a list of assumptions, a breakdown per feature and a range rather than a single number. A fixed price works only when the specification is complete; otherwise the provider adds a risk premium and [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/docker/|custom docker development]] you pay for it anyway. Time and materials moves the risk back to the client, so it demands a cap, regular demos and transparent reporting. |
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| Process beats team size. Establish how change requests are handled, who defines done and how testing is organised. A team can walk you through a live build at the end of each sprint. Written acceptance criteria remain the practical protection against an argument at delivery time. | How the work is run beats headcount. Find out how a new requirement enters the plan, who signs off on a feature and [[https://webparadox.com/services/fintech/|fintech app development]] what the QA setup looks like. A team can demonstrate a live build at the end of each sprint. Written acceptance criteria stay your only real protection against the it-was-never-in-scope conversation. |
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| Finally, think about the day you no longer need this vendor while the relationship is still good. Require that the source repository lives under your account from the first commit, and [[https://webparadox.com/technologies/kubernetes/|kubernetes software development company]] that documentation is updated as part of the work. A provider confident in its own work accepts it without argument; resistance at this point reveals a great deal. | Before signing, consider the handover while the relationship is still good. Ask that the repository stays in your organisation from the beginning, and that documentation is updated as part of the work. A partner who is comfortable with this accepts it without argument; a long negotiation over it reveals quite a lot. |
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