Essential questions to ask a potential software developer
5 min 
You may have experience working with an external software developer, or you may be about to do this for the first time. Either way, it can be challenging to select the right software developer. When you start reaching out to different companies, you may occasionally encounter things that are not clear at first glance. How do you eliminate uncertainties and choose the most suitable software developer?
KEY LEARNINGS
- How to choose the most suitable developer?
- Key questions to ask
The choice of a specific developer depends heavily on what you wish to build, the status of your product, your budget, and a number of other factors. But even if you know what you want and how you want to build it, the choice can still be quite difficult. To help you choose the right software developer, we’ve compiled a list of questions that will help you distinguish between a good and the best software provider. Ask these questions to get a complete picture of the provider.
Development Capabilities
- Can you describe your company’s development capabilities? (e.g. Java/Python/Android).
- What is the average team size?
- Where are your teams located?
- How quickly can you involve new team members if necessary?
- Do you work with external partners?
- Do you work with existing frameworks, and how are they selected?
The choice of a specific developer depends heavily on what you wish to build, the status of your product, your budget, and a number of other factors. But even if you know what you want and how you want to build it, the choice can still be quite difficult. To help you choose the right software developer, we’ve compiled a list of questions that will help you distinguish between a good and the best software provider. Ask these questions to get a complete picture of the provider.
Development Capabilities
- Can you describe your company’s development capabilities? (e.g. Java/Python/Android).
- What is the average team size?
- Where are your teams located?
- How quickly can you involve new team members if necessary?
- Do you work with external partners?
- Do you work with existing frameworks, and how are they selected?
“The choice of a specific developer strongly depends on what you wish to build, the status of your product, budget, and a number of other factors.”
Development Engagement Model
- Leg uit hoe jullie software ontwikkelen, wat is je voorkeursmethode?
- Hoe is de communicatie gestructureerd en welke tools/methoden worden hiervoor gebruikt?
- Kun je de samenstelling van het team dat aan ons product werkt beschrijven? E.g. development, design, project management,.
- Kun je de gekozen ontwikkelmethodiek uitleggen.
- Leg uit wat jullie methode is voor het voortdurende onderhoud van geïmplementeerde software.
- Kun je beschrijven hoe je jouw klanten op de hoogte houdt van vorderingen?
- Hoe wordt de code aan het einde van het project opgeleverd?
“I warmly invite you to a no-obligation consultation about the best approach for the development of your software.”
Portfolio
- Can you present a few relevant cases from your portfolio?
- Can you demonstrate the success of these products?
- How do you measure your contribution to the success of your clients?
Costs
- How does your team typically estimate the costs and time required to deliver a product?
- How accurate are these estimates generally?
- What are the hourly rates?
- How and when is billing typically done?
- Are there any additional costs to be considered?
General Information
- Provide us with a general description of your company and business model.
- Can you give us a brief history of the company?
- What type of clients does your company typically work with?
- How large is the company?
- Where are you located?
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