How to Choose a Software Agency: The 12-Question Checklist

TL;DR

Twelve questions decide more than any portfolio: who builds (do you meet the actual developers, what's the seniority mix, is work subcontracted), how they work (what's live in week two, how are scope changes handled, can they show a past handoff), and what happens after (who owns code and accounts, maintenance terms, exit process). An agency that gets defensive here has answered the question.

We're an agency writing a guide on vetting agencies, so let's be upfront: this list filters us too. That's the point — a checklist only works if it can disqualify the person handing it to you.

Who actually builds your product?

Do we meet the developers who'll write the code? Not the account manager — the people committing.
What's the seniority mix on our project? "Senior-led" sometimes means one senior reviewing five juniors.
Is any work subcontracted or offshored? Not automatically bad — undisclosed is bad.
Who reviews the code, and how? If there's no answer, there's no review.

How do they work week to week?

What is live at the end of week two? The answer separates shipping cultures from planning cultures.
How do you handle a scope change mid-project? You want a process, not "we're flexible".
Can you show a repo or handoff from a finished project? Redacted is fine. Refusal is data.
How does code get from a laptop to production? Listen for tests, CI, and one-command deploys.

What happens after launch?

Who owns the repository and the cloud accounts from day one? The only acceptable answer is you.
What are the maintenance terms — and can we decline them? Support should be an offer, not a hostage situation.
What does the exit look like? Handoff docs, access transfer, transition period — in the contract, not in goodwill.
What happens if we pause for three months? Reveals how dependent you'd be on their availability.

Which answers matter most?

Question	Good answer	Red flag
Meet the developers?	"Here's the team, ask them anything"	Only sales attends every call
Live in week two?	A deployed slice, however small	"Weeks 1–6 are discovery and design"
Past handoff?	Shows docs and repo structure	"That's confidential" for every project
Who owns code and accounts?	You, from the first commit	Agency-owned "for convenience"
Scope changes?	Written change process with trade-offs	"We'll figure it out as we go"
Exit process?	Defined in the contract	Vague promises, no document

Six of twelve answered well is a maybe. Nine or more, and you've likely found a partner rather than a vendor. And weigh question 9 double — everything else is recoverable, but losing ownership of your own product is the failure mode that ends companies.

We answer all twelve in the first call — that's the fastest way to test us: MVP development. Still deciding whether to hire an agency at all? Read agency vs. in-house development.