31 questions to ask an app development company before you hire them

The team

Good answer: named individuals, available to meet, with a stated allocation percentage. Bad answer: 'we assign the best available resources at kickoff.'

• Who specifically will work on this, and at what allocation?
• Can I meet the lead engineer before signing?
• Are they employees or subcontractors, and where are they based?
• What happens if a key person leaves mid-project?
• Who is my single point of accountability?

The work itself

Good answer: a working build in your hands within a few weeks and a weekly demo. Bad answer: a long design phase with the first build near the end.

• When will I first hold a running build on my own device?
• What does a typical week look like — ceremonies, demos, reporting?
• How do you handle scope changes mid-sprint?
• What is your definition of done for a feature?
• Show me a pull request and a CI pipeline from a real project.

Code and quality

Good answer: specific, opinionated and defensible. Bad answer: 'we follow best practices.'

• What is your automated test strategy and current coverage on a live project?
• Which device matrix do you test on?
• How do you handle crash reporting and triage after release?
• What is your dependency and version upgrade policy?
• Who reviews code, and what is your merge standard?

Security and compliance

Good answer: they raise things you had not thought of. Bad answer: they wait for you to bring it up.

• How is sensitive data stored on device and in transit?
• Have you passed an enterprise security review or penetration test?
• How do you manage secrets and credentials in CI?
• What is your process if a vulnerability is disclosed after launch?
• Which compliance regimes have you shipped under?

Commercial terms and ownership

These are the questions that protect you when the relationship ends — which every relationship eventually does.

• Do I own the code from the first commit, in writing?
• Are the Apple, Google and cloud accounts in my company's name?
• Will I receive design source files, not just exports?
• What is included in the price, and what is billed separately?
• What are the notice terms and the handover process on exit?
• Will you sign an NDA before detailed discussion?

References and evidence

Ask for a client whose project went badly and what they did about it. The answer to that question is more informative than five happy references — every firm has had a difficult project, and the ones that claim otherwise are managing you.

• Two live apps in my category I can install today
• A reference from a client whose project had problems
• A client still with them after two or more years
• Verified reviews on Clutch or an equivalent platform
• A written case study with actual outcome numbers

How we answer them

WVE Labs is a digital product company founded in 2015. Product strategy, design and engineering sit under one roof, and mobile has been at the heart of the studio for more than a decade — it remains one of our deepest areas of expertise. We have delivered for startups, growth companies and established organisations including Sony, Honda, Guardian, Marriott, USC, Maui Jim and California State University. Engagements start at $25,000.

You meet your engineers before contracting, you own the repository from commit one, we demo a running build weekly, and the handover terms are in the master agreement rather than negotiated at the end.