In the previous articles, we have shared with you some of our secrets on how to evaluate software development companies and estimate what potential cooperation would look like. If you haven’t read any, yet, we encourage you to take a step back and get familiar with the health check, questions, and the information gathering concepts. These 4 articles altogether will help you find yourself in the discovery phase and know exactly how to find the best partner for your project.

Have a Plan

A goal without a plan is just a wish. This quote by Antoine de Saint - Exupéry expresses exactly what you should remember during the whole pre-workshop process. Because when you are armed with a solid plan, half of the job is done and your goal is clear at every stage of the process.  

Follow your plan step by step, evaluating all participating software development companies in the same way. Eventually, based on that, you will be able to make your final decision. What should be included in your plan? As an experienced team, Score recommends you to first ask yourself questions, about what is important to you and add these indicators to your plan. Use a scale from 1 to 10 to facilitate the evaluation process. Make notes, compare, and be diligent -after all, it's your dreams and (most likely) money that we are talking about here! Some ground points that should be included:

1. rate your impression, after the very first call

2. how the app development company gathers and processes numerous data?

3. how potential partners presented gathered information?

4. did they understand your vision?

5. did they make an in-depth interview about a product, technical, business, and marketing aspects?

Answer questions before the workshop  

Do you want to move to the workshop phase? Not so fast. First, make sure that you have thought through and answered all questions from your potential partner. Trust us, these unreviewed questions will come back to you like a boomerang and will hit you with the extra cost during the workshop phase. You don’t know the answers? Don’t let yourself be under pressure. Take your time to consult, analyze, and give the most accurate data to your potential partner. This will pay back during the workshop phase.

Be transparent  

We know that sharing some information with potential partners might seem risky to you. To protect your interests, always remember to sign an NDA agreement first, as we do at Score. An NDA should assure you that you can share with a potential partner all relevant information concerning your app development project. Eventually, all given information allows the software company to prepare for the workshop in the best possible way.Being transparent also means, that you will form your expectations toward your potential partner. Tell them what deliverables you want to be the outcome of your cooperation. Transparency is about budget, too. Be open to discussing money, so you and your potential partner will be able to assess if you are the match.  

Affection counts

Imagine that you have found an almost perfect partner to move on together to the workshop phase. The only thing that keeps you from sealing the bond is that you don’t like the people involved in the project. What should you do in that case? We strongly recommend you consider if this is something you can overcome easily, or it will affect your project. In most scenarios, it will resonate. Good understanding and communication are a big slice of the cake called success. Imagine that you have found an almost perfect partner to move on together to the workshop phase. The only thing that keeps you from sealing the bond is that you don’t like the people involved in the project. And this is huge. Working with people you don’t get along with can be distracting and draining. Instead of focusing on the project, you may end up wasting time and energy trying to keep your emotions in check.

If this situation is addressed to you, you have two options. You can ask to make some personal changes within the team, or… keep searching for a company that will fit perfectly into your picture. The other thing that you need to be aware of, is that with these people, most likely you will be stuck for several months. And if there is no good vibe between you since the beginning, there is a great chance that it won’t happen down the line.  

Split into two

The workshop phase involves an investment of time and money. But it is still less expensive than starting cooperation with the wrong partner and potentially failing in the further development or deployment phase. Doing a workshop with two potential partners will bring you lots of experience and additional information about each software development company. It will allow you not only to compare but more importantly assess who you work better with.  

In the next article, we will focus on the workshop phase itself. We will detect 3 basics that you need to remember to make your workshop a pleasant and efficient experience. And if you should have any further questions about the process of application development, contact us here.

‍

‍