Looking for a software developer to build your app?
If you are planning to hire a software development company like ours, there are some important things to know, and a few important questions to ask. As you work together to bring concepts from idea to reality, a good culture fit and working relationship will be critical. In addition, there are some important logistical questions to ask of your potential new developer:
Ask: Do you guarantee your work?
Any competent development company should be willing to guarantee the quality and completeness of their work. If not, watch out – just as you wouldn’t hire a construction company to work on your home without a guarantee that the work will be done properly and to code, with a warranty for any issues, your software developer should also be certain enough of their capabilities to provide the same guarantees.
Ask: Who owns the rights?
Did you know that if you hire a developer to build your app, and your contract fails to specify who owns the work product, it will often be the developer – not you – who retains ownership of the final product?
To ensure that you keep ownership of your ideas and products, it is critical that your contract explicitly specify that the work product is “Work Made for Hire” and remains solely your company’s intellectual property at all times both during and after development. This should include “all documentation, source code, and applications”.
Ask: How do you ensure project success?
Their answer should include:
- A proven process or methodology, such as “Scrum” or “Feature Driven Development”.
- Frequent milestone deliveries to verify progress and correctness – at least once per week.
- A quality assurance process that is ISO-9001 certified annually.
- A system for documenting and tracking requirements, along with a “definition of done” (acceptance criteria) for each requirement.
Ask: What if we no longer wish to work together?
Every relationship, even the great ones, must eventually end. Make sure you and your developer know how you will successfully transition your application and maintenance to another developer, or your own internal staff.
Also ensure that there is a provision in your contract for what happens if you aren’t happy with their work. Their answer should be: “If we aren’t the right fit, we don’t bill you and we help you transition to a developer who is.”
In summary
Working with a developer is often a close partnership as they work with you to bring ideas from your imagination into reality. Because that partnership is vital to your success, make sure your future developer’s answers make good common sense to you. With so many great development companies in the market, there is never a need to compromise on what is important to you.
