How to Choose the Right Software Developer? | Criteria to Know Before Signing a Contract

Introduction

If you are planning to work with a software developer or software company on a project, price and delivery time should not be your only criteria when choosing a developer.

Two developers may offer similar prices and delivery times for the same project, yet the outcome of working with them can be completely different. Experience, understanding your business needs, project analysis and implementation, the responsibilities of both sides, and post-delivery support can all affect the final result.

Throughout my years of working in technology, I have encountered projects where the main problem was not programming itself, but choosing the wrong developer or failing to define expectations from the beginning.

At the same time, you should think about the future of the software. What happens if the company stops operating, the developer can no longer continue the project, or communication with the original developer is lost? What happens to the software, data, source code, access credentials and support?

In this article, based on real-world experiences, we will examine what to consider when choosing a developer for a software project. The goal is to help you have a clearer understanding of your choice before signing a contract and reduce potential risks.

1. Choosing a Developer Is Not Just About Price: How Should You Evaluate Proposals?

When you decide to order custom software, you will usually face several options: software companies, independent developers and providers offering different prices.

In such situations, it is natural for price to be one of your decision-making criteria. However, experience has shown me that a lower price does not necessarily mean a better choice.

For some time, an IT company operated next to my office. Part of its work involved software projects. Some of its customers would come to my office after speaking with the company's representatives to ask for consulting and pricing.

In some cases, after reviewing the project, my proposed price was even higher than the company's price. Yet the customer eventually decided to have me handle the project.

One of the employees of that company once asked me:

"Why do some customers choose you even when your price is higher?"

In my opinion, the main reason was the way I approached the project.

Before discussing price, I would usually ask questions about the project itself: How does the customer work? What problems do they have? Who will use the software? What information needs to be recorded? And which business process is expected to change?

Sometimes I would even tell the customer:

"It doesn't matter whether I eventually do the work or someone else. What matters is that you ask the developer for these things before starting the project."

For example, I would emphasize that the project scope should be clearly defined, there should be a written contract, support terms should be clear, and there should be a plan for situations where the developer may no longer be available in the future.

In other words, the customer felt that before trying to sell a project, I was first trying to understand their actual problem.

This experience taught me an important lesson: customer trust is not created simply by offering a lower price; part of it comes from understanding the problem correctly and reducing future risks.

Don't Compare Only the Final Price

After talking to several developers, you may receive very different prices for the same project. Before making a decision, ask yourself an important question:

"Are all of these proposals actually for the same project?"

Sometimes the price difference exists because the scope of work, features, implementation method, schedule or post-delivery services are not the same across the proposals.

Therefore, evaluate each proposal against the commitments made by the developer, including project scope and features, timeline, delivery stages, acceptance criteria, testing and bug fixing, training, support and the cost of changes.

A proposal may appear cheaper at first, while some of these items are not included. On the other hand, a higher price alone is not a guarantee of quality.

Therefore, a proper comparison means comparing price against clearly defined scope and commitments , not simply comparing two numbers.

A Low Price Is Not Always a Bad Thing

A lower price does not necessarily mean lower quality. An independent developer, for example, may offer a more economical price because they have lower operating costs than a company.

What matters is knowing exactly what you are receiving in return for the amount you are paying.

Consider the Technology and Implementation Approach

Another reason for price differences may be the technical approach used to build the project. Using frameworks and existing technologies is not inherently a problem. Many professional software systems are built on established and reliable technologies.

What matters is whether the developer can explain why a particular technology and architecture were selected and whether the project can be maintained and extended in the future.

You do not need to understand every technical detail. What matters is that the developer can explain technical decisions in a way you can understand.

Ultimately, the best proposal is not necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive one. The best proposal is the one that provides the most reasonable balance between cost, quality, commitments and project risk.

2. Does the Developer Really Understand Your Problem?

One of the most important criteria when choosing a developer is their ability to understand the actual problem.

You usually know your own business better than anyone else. However, that does not necessarily mean you can always describe your needs precisely and completely. Sometimes you only describe the result you have in mind and expect the developer to provide a price based on that description.

An Experience With Pricing Without Understanding the Project

One day, a customer contacted me and said he had an idea he wanted to invest in. During our initial conversation, I learned that he had previously implemented another idea, but the project had failed and he had lost his investment. Now he wanted to implement a new idea with a larger investment.

He asked me: "How much would you charge to build such software?"

I told him that I could not provide an accurate price without reviewing the details. First, I needed to know exactly what the software would do, what processes it would contain and what features were required. He insisted that I give him at least an approximate price, but I explained that pricing a project without understanding it is simply guessing.

Eventually, he explained the idea in detail. I then asked what prices other companies had quoted. The amount he mentioned was far lower than my estimate.

After reviewing the project, I told him: "The price you have been quoted does not match the size and complexity of the project you described."

I asked whether those companies had asked detailed questions about the project. His answer was no.

My estimate was approximately five times their proposed price. I explained that the difference did not necessarily mean that one developer was expensive. It could be the result of a difference in how thoroughly the project had been understood and analyzed.

This experience showed me that when a developer provides a price without sufficiently understanding the project, the actual scope and cost of the work may end up being very different from what you originally expected.

Therefore, before comparing prices, make sure that all developers are talking about the same project with the same scope and requirements.

3. Experience and Portfolio: How Can You Evaluate a Developer's Real Experience?

Once you have determined that a developer can understand and analyze your problem, another important question arises:

Does the developer actually have enough experience to handle a project like yours?

Almost every developer or software company can talk about their experience and abilities. However, it is important to distinguish between claims of experience and verifiable experience.

Experience should not be measured only by the number of years someone has been working or the number of projects they have completed. It is important to know what types of projects they have worked on, how complex those projects were and what their actual responsibility was.

What Does a Real Portfolio Tell You?

If a developer has previously completed projects similar to yours, they are more likely to be familiar with the challenges of that field. However, you should also ask what their actual role was in each project.

Did they analyze and design the entire system? Did they develop the software? Did they only program a specific part of it? Or were they responsible for support and maintenance? These differences matter when evaluating experience.

An Experience From a Real Comparison

One day, while I was walking in the street, I ran into a manager who already knew me. After greeting each other, he told me that he had launched a website for his company. Because he did not have my contact information, he had given the project to another company.

He asked me to visit his office, look at the website and give him my opinion. I agreed.

When I reviewed the website, it was relatively simple in terms of design and features. However, I preferred not to directly judge the quality of the work or criticize the previous developer. I told him:

"I am not going to judge their work. I will show you some projects I have completed. You can compare them yourself and make your own decision."

After seeing my portfolio, he lowered his head and said: "I would be embarrassed to compare the two."

I then asked how much he had paid for the website. The amount was relatively low. To make sure he did not feel that his decision had necessarily been wrong, I told him: "Considering what you paid, it is a good website. You cannot expect the same level of design and features as a more expensive project when the budget is much lower."

This experience taught me an important lesson: when choosing a developer, do not rely only on what they say about their experience and abilities. Look at real portfolios and, as much as possible, compare them with the needs of your own project.

It is also useful to ask about each portfolio item: When was the project completed? Is it still active? What exactly was the developer's role? Which parts did they personally build? And are they still responsible for its support and development?

These questions give you a more realistic picture of a developer's experience and help you distinguish between a resume full of claims and real professional experience.

4. The Future of the Software: What Happens If the Developer Is No Longer Available?

One issue that often receives too little attention when ordering software is the future of the project and dependency on the developer.

Imagine that the software you ordered has been used by your business for years and contains important data. What happens if the company or developer who built it is no longer available?

The company may stop operating, the developer may no longer be able to continue working with you, or communication with the original developer may simply end. In such situations, the problem is not merely finding another developer. Your data, software structure and business processes may also be affected.

An Experience I Have Seen in Different Projects

Throughout my professional career, I have encountered customers whose software had been developed by another company or programmer. Whenever a problem occurred with the software or its data, I would usually suggest contacting the original provider first. Sometimes the answer was:

"That company is no longer available."

In such situations, continuing the project became difficult for the customer. I had to examine the software, understand its structure as much as possible and find a way to solve the problem.

These experiences taught me that when choosing a developer, you should not ask only:

"Who will build my software?"

You should also think about:

"If this person or company is no longer available, can another developer continue the project?"

Manage Dependency From the Beginning

If the source code, data, server configuration, documentation and technical knowledge of the project are available only to one developer, ending the relationship can make the project difficult and expensive to continue.

A new developer may first need to understand the software structure, database, technologies used and deployment process. The less documentation and access information available, the harder this process becomes.

Therefore, it is better to agree from the beginning on matters such as source code ownership and delivery, database and data access, technical documentation, necessary credentials, backups and conditions for continuing the project if the relationship ends.

The details depend on the type of contract, technology and software ownership model. However, the principle remains the same: these issues should be decided before a problem occurs.

An Important Question Before Ordering Software

Before assigning a project to a company or developer, ask this question:

"If you cannot continue this project several years from now, what will I have that allows another developer to continue the work?"

The answer can tell you a lot about how the project is being managed.

The goal is not to begin the relationship with distrust. A professional relationship is one in which both sides make reasonable plans even for situations they hope will never happen.

Ultimately, software should not become a closed box dependent on a single person. It should be managed and documented in a way that allows continued use and development if people or circumstances change.

5. What Should Be Agreed Upon Before Starting the Project?

Even if a developer or software company has sufficient experience and expertise, unclear initial agreements can increase the possibility of disputes later.

Before programming begins, there should be a clear written agreement covering the main aspects of the project. The most important ones include:

• Exact project scope and features
• Timeline and delivery stages
• Acceptance criteria and delivery requirements
• Cost and payment terms
• Responsibilities of both you and the developer
• How changes and new requests will be handled
• Support terms and duration
• Software ownership and source code rights
• How required data and documentation will be delivered

Define Acceptance and Delivery Criteria From the Beginning

One issue that is sometimes overlooked in software projects is that it is not clearly defined what constitutes successful project delivery.

For example, if a feature is going to be developed, it is better to define from the beginning what functionality and processes it must cover and what conditions are required for its acceptance.

This ensures that during delivery, both sides know exactly what they agreed upon and what the acceptance criteria are.

Take Changes Seriously From the Beginning

One of the issues that can move a project away from its original plan is frequent changes during development.

Sometimes you discover a new requirement in the middle of the project and assume that adding it will only take a few hours. In reality, even a small change may affect other parts of the software.

Therefore, it is better to define from the beginning how new requests will be submitted, reviewed and estimated and whether they will affect the project schedule or cost.

This does not mean being inflexible toward the customer. The goal is for both sides to understand the scope with which the project began and the effect of each change on that scope.

The Contract Should Be Clear for Both Sides

A good contract is not only designed to protect the developer. You should know exactly what you will receive and under what conditions, while the developer should know exactly what they are responsible for and which items fall outside the original agreement.

In other words, the contract should minimize different interpretations of the agreement and clearly define the responsibilities of each side.

The purpose of a contract is not to create distrust. Its purpose is to turn verbal agreements and personal assumptions into clear and documented commitments.

6. Support and Development: The Software Doesn't End With Delivery

One common mistake when choosing a developer is to focus entirely on building the software. For many custom software projects, however, real use of the system only begins after deployment.

Once software enters a real business environment, users may discover issues that were not visible during development, request changes or need new features as the business evolves.

Therefore, before choosing a developer, it is important to clearly discuss support duration and terms, how bugs will be reported and fixed, the cost of changes and future development.

Support Is Not Just Bug Fixing

Sometimes there is an assumption that every change requested later should be considered part of support. However, it is important to distinguish between software bugs, changes in requirements and new features.

If the software does not work according to the approved requirements, the issue may fall under bug fixing. However, if you later decide to change your business process or add a new feature, that will usually be considered new development.

It is better to define these differences from the beginning so that when new requests arise, both sides understand what is covered by support and what requires a separate estimate.

The Software Should Be Able to Evolve

Businesses do not remain static. The number of users may increase, business processes may change or new requirements may appear.

Therefore, when choosing a developer, do not focus only on their ability to build today's requirements. Consider whether the software will also have the ability to be maintained and extended in the future.

This does not mean designing an unnecessarily complex system for today's needs. The important point is that the developer should consider reasonable and predictable future changes when designing the software.

As a result, when choosing a developer, do not ask only about the delivery date and features of the first version. Also discuss how the software will be supported and developed after delivery.

7. Software Developer Selection Checklist

If you are planning to assign your software project to a developer or IT company, this checklist can help you before making the final decision.

Understanding the Problem and Experience

• Did the developer ask about your business and requirements before giving you a price?
• Did they correctly understand your actual business problem and processes?
• Do they have real and relevant portfolio projects?
• Can their actual experience and role in previous projects be verified?

Project and Contract

• Is the project scope and functionality clearly defined?
• Are the timeline, delivery stages and acceptance criteria clearly defined?
• Are the cost, payment terms and responsibilities of both sides clearly defined?
• Is the process for handling changes and new requests clear?
• Is software ownership and the status of the source code clearly defined?

Future and Support

• Are the support terms and duration clearly defined?
• Is the difference between bug fixing and new feature development clear?
• If the relationship ends, can another developer continue the project?
• Will documentation, data, database access and backups be available?
• Can the software be maintained and extended in the future?

Price and Final Decision

• Have you avoided comparing different proposals based only on price?
• Have you reviewed the scope and commitments included in each proposal?
• Do you understand the reasons behind the differences in price?
• Do you feel confident about the developer's communication and responsiveness?

One Final Question

Before making your final decision, ask yourself:

"If this project is important to my business, can this person or company not only build it, but also support me throughout the years ahead?"

If your choice is based on experience, transparency, commitment and real evidence, you are more likely to make a better decision.