What should you have ready before hiring a software developer?
Before hiring a software developer, write down six things: the job the software must do, who will use it, what it connects to, what data it holds, how you will know it works, and who owns the accounts it runs on. A page or two in plain language is enough. It lets a developer give a realistic plan and lets you compare people fairly.
Six things to write down
- The job it must do: describe the problem and what happens today, in a few sentences, not the features you think you want.
- Who uses it: your staff, your customers or both, and roughly how often. Note anyone who is not comfortable with technology.
- What it connects to: your website, email, calendar, payment tool, accounting or customer records, and any spreadsheet it replaces.
- What data it holds: names, contact details, payment information, health or other private details, and how long you need to keep them.
- How you will know it works: one or two things you can check, such as a task that takes a few minutes instead of an hour, or no more double bookings.
- Who owns the accounts: hosting, domain, code storage, app stores and outside services should be opened in your name, with you as the owner.
Bring examples
Gather screenshots of the tools you use now, a sample of the spreadsheet or form, and a few real cases, with private customer details removed. Examples show a developer what the work involves faster than a description does. Include the awkward cases, such as a canceled job or a customer who changes their mind.
What you do not need yet
You do not need to choose a programming language, a database or a design. Those are the developer's questions, and a good one will explain the choices in plain terms. You also do not need a finished specification. A short brief plus a conversation is usually a good start.
What you do need is a person on your side who can answer questions within a day or two and make decisions. Projects often slow down because nobody can say what the business wants.
What to do with the brief
Give the same brief to every developer you talk to and compare their questions as well as their answers. The related answers on questions to ask before hiring a web designer and on whether you need a designer or a developer cover similar ground for websites, and the related answer on who owns software built for your business covers ownership.
Related answers
- Who owns software that was built for your business?
- Do you need a web designer or a web developer?
- What should you ask before hiring a web designer?
Custom software and apps
Off-the-shelf tools get you most of the way. When the last stretch is where the time goes, we build the part that fits: the dashboard, the portal, the internal tool or the app.