Picking a development agency is the biggest decision in any software project - bigger than picking the technology or the budget. A good agency with an average budget delivers a better product than a bad agency with an unlimited budget. These 12 questions isolate quality partners from the ones who’ll cause you problems during and after the project. Ask them before signing - mark each answer green, yellow, or red, and pick the agency with the fewest reds.
This article is the practical checklist we use in Discovery calls with our clients, and which we recommend you ask every agency you’re considering.
Process questions
1. Do you have a Discovery or Research phase before the proposal?
Why ask: Agencies that send a proposal after a single 30-minute call are guessing at the price. Discovery (1-2 weeks, paid or free) removes 70% of estimate risk.
What to look for: “Yes, paid Discovery of 1 week, ending in a written brief with scope and a fixed proposal.”
Red flags: “It’s all in our heads, no need for Discovery,” “We’ll send a proposal today.”
2. How do you handle scope changes during the project?
Why ask: Changes are normal. The question is how they handle them - professionally and transparently, or as an excuse to pad the invoice.
What to look for: “Small changes within the original scope - no extra cost. Bigger ones - quoted separately before we start them, never after.”
Red flags: “We figure it out as we go,” “Everything’s already included” (often means they’ll later say “that wasn’t part of the deal”).
3. Who actually works on the project - juniors or seniors?
Why ask: Many agencies sell the project through a senior account manager, but the code is written by juniors. Different product.
What to look for: “Senior tech lead + mid/senior developers. Possibly juniors for simpler tasks under supervision.”
Red flags: “We have a big team” without specific names, “Development in Indian outsourcing” (if you haven’t explicitly agreed to it).
Ownership and IP questions
4. Who owns the source code after the project ends?
Why ask: If the answer isn’t “You, 100%, handed into your own repositories” - you have a serious problem.
What to look for: “You own everything - code, design files, data, accounts. We retain no licenses or control mechanisms after handover.”
Red flags: “You can buy the code later,” “We host the code on our side,” “We license you the right to use it.”
5. Who owns the server, domain, and accounts (App Store, Google, AWS)?
Why ask: If the agency holds the accounts, you’re locked in. Switching agencies risks losing access.
What to look for: “You open the accounts in your own name. We have access as a collaborator, which can be revoked.”
Red flags: “We open it for you under our name,” “We host you on our infrastructure.”
6. What happens when we want to leave you?
Why ask: A question agencies don’t love, but it reveals a lot. A professional partner isn’t afraid of this conversation.
What to look for: “You have everything - code, documentation, accounts. You can switch agencies in 2-4 weeks. We’ll help with the handover at standard hourly rates.”
Red flags: Nervousness, dodging, “We’ve never had that problem” (every serious partner has).
Quality questions
7. What’s your testing process?
Why ask: “We’ll ship it and see how it goes” is a recipe for problems.
What to look for: “Automated tests for critical code, manual testing by a QA team before every release, beta testing with real users.”
Red flags: “The developer tests their own code,” “Testing is a separate service.”
8. How do you handle bugs after launch?
Why ask: A bug in the first month is an inherent part of software development. The question is who pays for it.
What to look for: “Bugs in functionality we delivered - we fix free of charge for 30-90 days post-launch. After that - through maintenance.”
Red flags: “Well, that’s extra work” (right after day 1), “We don’t have a maintenance plan.”
9. Do you have reference projects we can verify?
Why ask: Agencies with real projects love to show them off. Agencies without references are often selling things they’ve never made.
What to look for: 3-5 reference projects with clear scope, timeline, and a client contact who’s allowed to talk.
Red flags: “NDA covers all our projects,” reference clients you can’t reach.
Transparency questions
10. How do you communicate during the project?
Why ask: Poor communication is the main reason projects end badly. Almost everything else can be fixed with good communication.
What to look for: “Weekly demo presentations, daily Slack/email, monthly written progress reports, an accessible project board (Linear, Jira, Notion) where you can track tasks.”
Red flags: “We’ll get back to you when something is ready,” “Our PM emails you weekly” (with no technical contact).
11. Can you show me an example monthly report from another project?
Why ask: What they send you in the sales phase is a good predictor of what you’ll get throughout the engagement.
What to look for: A professionally written report with concrete numbers, timeline, open questions, plan for the next period.
Red flags: “We send email,” “We have a dashboard you see” (with no actual context).
12. Who do we call at 10 PM if something seriously breaks?
Why ask: Emergencies happen. The question is who answers - a person or a department.
What to look for: “Named person (tech lead or on-call engineer) with a direct number for emergencies.”
Red flags: “Open a support ticket,” “Our email is monitored during business hours.”
Bonus: signals only agencies can spot
Things that usually mean an agency is serious:
- Asks more than it answers in the first conversation. Weak agencies talk about themselves, good ones ask about you.
- Gives you advice that DOESN’T win them business. “For this you won’t need custom, one SaaS does this well already” is a sign of trust.
- The written proposal has concrete numbers - not 5x ranges. “€8,000-€40,000” means “we don’t know.”
- Has their own tech blog or open resources. If they don’t write about tech, they probably don’t deeply understand it.
How to use this list
- Send these 12 questions to the agencies you’re considering.
- Ask for written answers.
- Mark each answer green (clearly OK), yellow (not ideal but OK), or red (problem).
- Eliminate agencies with 3+ red answers.
- Go to an in-person meeting with the remaining 2-3.
Most agencies will react positively to this level of structure - it’s a signal that you know what you’re doing. If any react defensively - they’ve disqualified themselves.
Frequently asked questions
What if they can’t answer some questions in the first call? A few “let me get back to you in writing” is fine. If they don’t have answers to 5+ questions, they probably don’t have processes.
Should we ask for references from former, not current clients? Yes, good catch. Former clients will be more honest about what didn’t work. Current ones sometimes feel “stuck.”
How much does a good Discovery cost? €2,000-€10,000 for 1-2 weeks, depending on project scope. Many agencies will deduct Discovery from the final cost if you continue with them.
What if an agency doesn’t want a written contract with clear scope? Walk away. No written scope means no fixed price, no clear accountability, no way to resolve disputes.
Thinking about a collaboration?
If you’re looking for a development agency, book a free Discovery call. We’re ready to answer all 12 questions in this article (and more) - no dodging and no sales tricks.
Reach out at [email protected] or through the form on our homepage.