Five questions to ask your next software partner

Choosing a development partner is hard to undo. Proposals look alike, and every team promises quality and communication. These five questions get past the promises to how the work will actually run.

1. What will I see every week?

Look for a concrete answer: a demo of working software, a short written update, a list of decisions that need you. "Regular updates" is not an answer.

2. Who owns the code and the accounts?

You should own the repository, the hosting accounts and the domain from day one. A partner who keeps them is a partner you cannot leave.

3. How do you test before a release?

Ask what runs automatically, what is checked by hand and what happens when something fails. The answer tells you how often you will find bugs before your customers do.

4. What happens when someone leaves the team?

People move on. Ask how knowledge is shared, how code is reviewed and how a new developer gets up to speed. A product that depends on one person is a risk you are paying for.

5. Can I talk to a client you have worked with for years?

Short projects show how a team starts. Long relationships show how it behaves when things get difficult.