Evaluating a software development company, freelancer or digital agency for your next digital innovation

If you are in the process of evaluating a software development company, freelancer or digital agency to build your new startup product here are a couple of questions to use as a guide:

Communication/Meetings

• Who will be the point of contact for project management and if things need to be escalated
• Assess how often they meet with customers and in what format (in person/online)
• How do changes in scope get communicated

Progress Reports/Status Updates/Process

• How often do they send progress updates
• How often are there live demos
• Are you able to get access to the project management tools
• How does their software development process work
• How do they perform quality assurance
• Who is responsible for testing

Cost

• If it is a project fee, request a breakdown of the teams experience and skills (some bring seniors to meetings but throw juniors on the job at a senior price)
• If the project is to potentially run over initial budget, at what point do they notify you and who has to pay
• If it is not a project fee and it is a team model, what are the chances of resources being shifted off the project midway.
• Does the cost include maintenance and support
• How does maintenance and support work post going live

IP Ownership

• Who owns the IP once completed
• Do they reuse existing code to build your base or are they building new

Capacity:

• What is the total team compliment.
• At what capacity is the company.
• How does the company scale resources, if they become snowed under with work.
• Do they use contractors

Confidentiality

• Once you start working together are they open to signing an NDA
• Is the whole team working under the NDA

Joint responsibilities

• What is your role in the project
• What is the expected response time from you as the client
• What are the critical meetings for you to attend

Technology stacks

• Do they reuse an existing solution they own
• Do they using an off the shelf product and customising it
• Do they use propriety technology
• How many projects have they successfully launched with their proposed technology stack
• Do they use any cloud based technologies and who is responsible for the costs once live
• How will the product be deployed

The list covers a few important areas that every potential startup founder, business owner, team lead looking to build a digital product should be aware of. The idea with the list is get an understanding how it will be to work with the potential person/company and how well they are structured and experienced in doing what they do.

If you would like someone to help analyse your responses from various companies feel free to book a free session with me at https://calendly.com/tyrone-adams/cto-sessions.

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