Not all agencies are created equal. Here are the 12 questions you should ask before signing any development contract — and the red flags that should send you running.
Choosing a software development partner is one of the most consequential business decisions you can make. A great partner accelerates your growth. A poor one can set you back 12 months and cost you far more than the engagement fee.
1. Can I speak directly to the engineers building my product? If the answer involves "account managers" and "project coordinators" acting as buffers, consider that a yellow flag. The best agencies connect you to the people actually writing the code.
2. What does your QA process look like? Any agency worth hiring has a defined testing process — automated tests, code review standards, and staging environments. If the answer is "we test before we push," that's a red flag.
3. What happens if the project goes over scope? The honest answer involves a clear change management process, documented scope, and a mutual agreement on how additions are priced and scheduled.
Be cautious of agencies that can't show you recent, relevant work — or whose portfolio all looks the same. Be wary of fixed-price quotes for complex, undefined projects (they're almost always underestimated). And run from any agency that can't explain their development methodology in plain terms.