Free resource
The Agency Hiring Checklist.
10 questions every founder should ask before signing with a software agency. No fluff, no filler — just the questions that separate good agencies from expensive mistakes.
What is your pricing model — hourly, fixed, or sprint-based? What happens if the project takes longer?
Hourly and sprint-based billing shift all budget risk to you. A "6-week project" at hourly rates can quietly become 14 weeks before anyone says anything. You want a pricing model where the agency absorbs overruns, not you. Fixed price is the only model that creates aligned incentives.
Who exactly will build my product? Will I have direct access to them?
Many agencies sell with senior people and build with juniors or offshore contractors. Ask for the names and LinkedIn profiles of the engineers who will be assigned to your project. Then ask whether you can contact them directly — not just through a project manager.
Can you show me 2–3 projects similar to mine that are live and generating revenue?
A portfolio page with screenshots is not the same as live products with real users. Ask for URLs you can visit. Click through the product. Check if it is actually in production or just a demo environment. Ask what tech stack it runs on and whether the original team is still supporting it.
What happens if you deliver something that does not match the spec?
Every agency says they will fix it. But on what terms? Is there a formal acceptance process? Are revisions included in the original contract or billed separately? Ask for the specific clause in the contract that covers rework after delivery. If there is no clause, that is your answer.
Who owns the code, repos, and deployment credentials at the end?
Some agencies retain ownership of your codebase until final payment. Others keep your repo on their GitHub organisation indefinitely. You should own everything: the source code, all repositories, all deployment credentials, and all third-party service accounts — transferred on the day of handover.
What does post-launch support look like? Is there a maintenance contract?
Launching is the beginning, not the end. Bugs appear. Dependencies go out of date. Traffic spikes. Ask specifically: what is the response time for critical bugs after launch? Is there a retainer option? What happens if you need a hotfix at 11pm? An agency that disappears after handover is a liability.
What is your process when scope changes mid-project?
Scope changes are inevitable. The question is whether the agency has a formal change order process or just absorbs requests until the relationship breaks down. Ask to see a sample change order. A well-run agency has a clear process: request logged, impact assessed, price agreed in writing before implementation begins.
What is the realistic timeline — and what are the typical reasons projects run late?
Every agency gives you a best-case timeline. Ask for the realistic timeline and then ask what typically causes projects like yours to run over. A good answer will be honest about dependencies: third-party integrations, client feedback cycles, regulatory requirements. A vague answer ("we always deliver on time") is a red flag.
Do you have experience with the specific technology stack my project requires?
Agencies often say yes to everything during sales and figure it out during build. Ask for specific examples of projects using the same stack. If your project requires Shopify Hydrogen, a custom payments integration, or a particular database, ask who on the team has shipped production code with that technology before.
What would make you turn down this project?
This question reveals intellectual honesty. A good agency knows its limits. If the answer is "nothing — we can build anything," that is a warning sign. Agencies that turn down bad-fit projects are the ones that deliver well on good-fit ones. Listen for specific, thoughtful limitations, not sales confidence.
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How ISPIRLI answers these questions.
We built this checklist because we hear the same stories from founders who hired the wrong agency. Discovery phases that cost €5,000 before a line of code was written. Projects handed to junior offshore teams after a senior salesperson closed the deal. Scope creep that doubled the original quote.
Our answers to all 10 questions are on our About page and in every introductory call. Fixed price, direct engineer access, full code ownership at handover, and a formal change order process. We also turn down projects that are not a good fit — and we will tell you why.
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Book a free 30-minute call. Bring the checklist. We will answer every question — and give you a fixed price before you leave.