7 Questions to Ask Before Signing Any Contract
- Who exactly will build my project? — Ask for the names and GitHub profiles of the engineers on your project. If they say "our team" without names, they're outsourcing to freelancers.
- Can you show me the test suite for a past project? — Professional developers write tests. If they say "we'll add tests later," you'll inherit untested code you can never safely change.
- What happens if you miss the deadline? — A confident agency gives you a clear answer. "We don't miss deadlines" is not an answer. "If we're late, we work free until it's done" is.
- Do I own 100% of the code and IP? — Get this in writing. Some agencies retain IP or keep the repository under their GitHub organization.
- How do you handle scope changes? — Every project has them. A professional agency has a formal change order process. A bad agency either says yes to everything (and charges later) or adds it free and cuts corners.
- Can I speak directly with the engineer, not just the PM? — Direct engineer access = faster decisions, fewer translation errors, and a developer who understands why they're building what they're building.
- What does your post-launch support look like? — Ask specifically: response time SLA, what's included, what costs extra. Vague "we'll support you" answers mean you'll be ignored after payment.
5 Red Flags That Predict a Failed Project
🚩 They give you a quote in under 30 minutes without asking detailed questions about your requirements. They haven't scoped it — they've guessed, and you'll pay for that guess later.
🚩 The quote is significantly lower than others. It either means they plan to outsource to cheaper freelancers, cut scope, or add costs after you're committed. Market rates exist for a reason.
🚩 They can't show you a deployed project with a real URL. Case studies with screenshots are marketing. A live app you can actually use is proof.
🚩 They don't mention testing, documentation, or CI/CD. These are not optional extras — they're how professional engineers work. Absence means technical debt from day one.
🚩 They say yes to everything immediately. Professional developers push back on bad ideas. If they agree with everything in the sales process, they're either not experienced enough to spot problems or too eager to close the sale.
What to Verify Before Signing
- Call 2–3 past clients (not just read testimonials) and ask: "Did they deliver on time? What would you do differently?"
- Review their GitHub activity — recent commits, code quality, test coverage
- Read the contract carefully: IP ownership, payment terms, cancellation clause, what happens if they shut down
- Check if they're registered — a proper business registration and GST number means accountability
- Start with a small paid project (₹15,000–₹30,000) before committing to a large one
What the Best Agencies Do Differently
- Fixed-price contracts with milestone-based payments — you pay as they deliver
- A formal spec document signed by both parties before development starts
- Weekly demos of working software — not status updates, actual running code
- Source code in a repository you own, with daily commits
- Direct communication with the engineer, not just a PM buffer
See How We Work Before You Decide
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