How to Choose a Custom Software Development Partner
Choosing a Partner · Nine Criteria · The Uncomfortable Ones Included
How to Choose a Custom Software Development Partner
Most guides to choosing a development partner are lists of firms. This one is a list of questions. Ask them of every firm you talk to, including us. The answers tell you more than a portfolio does.
How many firms should I talk to?
Should I care where the firm is located?
Is a fixed price always better than time and materials?
What is the single most important question?
Is This the Right Page for You?
This is for you if: you are about to commission custom software and are comparing firms, freelancers or teams.
This is not for you if: you want a ranked list of agencies. We compare approaches, not companies. See compare your options.
What Are the Nine Criteria?
We call this the Nine-Question Screen. Score each answer 0 for evasion, 1 for a partial answer and 2 for a specific answer you can check, so any firm scores out of 18.
| # | Criterion | The question to ask | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Definition | "How do you define the work before you price it?" | A written spec you keep, produced before a build price is fixed |
| 2 | Who writes the code | "Who exactly will write and review mine?" | Named roles and seniority, and a reviewer on every change |
| 3 | Ownership | "What will I own, and when?" | Code, repository and infrastructure yours on payment, in writing |
| 4 | Phasing and exit points | "Where can I stop, and what do I hold if I do?" | Clear stages with prices, and a deliverable at each |
| 5 | Continuity | "What happens if a key person leaves?" | Documentation, a second person who knows the system, and code you own |
| 6 | Proof on inherited work | "Show me a system you took over, not just built" | A named, current example, with what went wrong before |
| 7 | Honesty about fit | "When would you tell me not to hire you?" | A specific answer, not "never" |
| 8 | Price transparency | "What does it cost at each step?" | Published starting prices and fixed early steps |
| 9 | How they use AI | "Where does AI help you, and where do you not trust it?" | Human review on everything, AI as a cross-check, not a substitute |
The same nine, answered
What Do the Answers Look Like at Razoyo?
1. Definition
2. Who writes the code
3. Ownership
4. Phasing
5. Continuity
6. Inherited work
7. Fit
8. Price
9. AI
Honesty about fit
What Are the Criteria That Count Against Us?
We are small.
We are not the cheapest.
We are not built for large enterprise engagements.
We will tell you not to build.
Four steps
How Should You Use the Screen?
Ask in Writing
Score Each Answer
Look Again Below 12
Put Ownership in the Contract
Questions We Get Before the Call
Question 1. Projects overrun when they are underspecified. A firm that will not define the work before it prices it is asking you to carry the risk.
Pick your next step
Start With a Conversation. It Costs Nothing.
Every engagement begins the same way, with a free consultation. You will leave it with an honest recommendation, including the recommendation not to build.
Free consultation
A working session with a senior person, not a sales rep. Always the first step.
Fixed-price System Spec
Defines the product and returns a real build estimate. The first paid decision is a small one.
Read the proof first
Not ready to talk? See what we have actually shipped.