Most bad development projects show warning signs in the first conversation. These four steps help you pick a team you can trust with your product and your money.
Step 1: Shortlist 3 teams
- Look for work similar to your product, and ask to see it running instead of screenshots.
- Check reviews on Clutch, Google or LinkedIn recommendations.
- Prefer teams that give you a fixed price in writing before any work starts.
Step 2: Ask these questions on the first call
- Who will build my product? Can I meet the tech lead?
- What would you build first, and what would you leave out?
- Is your quote a fixed price? How do you handle changes?
- How often will I see working software?
- What happens if a developer leaves mid-project?
- What does support cost after launch?
A good team asks you as many questions as you ask them, about users, goals and budget.
TALK TO A TECH LEADNot sure who should build it? Ask us first.Book a free call →
Step 3: Check the quote
- A written scope listing features and screens
- A timeline broken into weeks or milestones
- A fixed price, or a capped estimate
- Payments tied to milestones, not all upfront
- What's not included (hosting, third-party fees, store accounts)
Step 4: Insist on these contract terms
- IP assignment, so all code and designs belong to you.
- Code committed to your own GitHub or GitLab from day one.
- Cloud, domain, app store and tool accounts in your name.
- An NDA, or a confidentiality clause in the contract.
- A free bug-fix period after launch.
- A clear handover if you end the engagement.
Red flags
- No working demo until the very end
- "We'll transfer the code after final payment"
- Hourly billing with no cap or estimate
- A team you can't meet
- A price far below every other quote
Green flags
- Weekly demos on a live link
- A named tech lead you talk to directly
- Honest pushback on scope
- References you can actually call
To see how we answer these questions, read how we work or book a free call.
