The best software companies aren't just good at code — they're good at understanding your business, communicating clearly, and shipping software that survives real users. Use these questions to tell them apart.
Ten questions to ask
- Can you show work similar to what I need?
- Who owns the code and IP when we're done?
- How do you scope and price — and what happens if scope changes?
- How will we communicate and how often?
- How do you handle testing, security, and deployment?
- What happens after launch — support and maintenance?
- Will I get documented, maintainable code?
- How do you handle changes and feedback mid-project?
- Who exactly will work on my project?
- Can you integrate with my existing systems?
Red flags to watch for
- Vague pricing with no itemised scope.
- Reluctance to give you code ownership.
- No clear testing or deployment process.
- Over-promising timelines that sound too good to be true.
- Poor communication during the sales process — it won't improve later.
Green flags
Good partners ask sharp questions about your business before quoting, propose the simplest solution that works (not the biggest), and ship working software early so you can course-correct. At Saya.IO we scope in clear phases, hand over documented code you own, and ship a usable first version fast.