14 things to remember when choosing a software developer

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

We often say that choosing a software developer is like getting married. The relationship with your developer doesn’t stop once your project is completed — there are still future updates and maintenance to do. It's a partnership that can last many years, so it’s important to choose your partner wisely.

Based from 22+ years of experience in the IT industry and working with clients who have had difficulties with their previous developers, we've made a list of 14 things to consider before choosing a software developer:

1. Never have the same hosting provider and software developer because it will make it difficult to change either supplier in the future if you want to do so. Read about why hosting and development should be kept separate.
2. Do not get software development through an intermediary or middleman. It’s better to talk directly to the developer doing your project to avoid miscommunication. Learn more about why you should not have an intermediary here.
3. Make sure that the developer has a defined project process to ensure a smooth collaboration flow. Here’s what a project process can look like.
4. They must demonstrate a good understanding of the industry and that they are on top of new industry-related developments — through having up-to-date blogs or informative newsletters, for instance.
5. Make sure they have a proper testing department. Testers view the project from a user’s perspective and catch errors that a developer, with a more technical view, often misses. They also have standard testing guides (besides client testing requirements) based on best practices that they consider when testing a project. Read more about how we do our testing here.
6. It’s best to work with a developer that offers related services. Say you want a mobile app that comes with your website — having one supplier for both (rather than one for the website and one for the app) will save both time and money. Read more about our services here.
7. Find a developer who consistently improves themselves and their employees. For instance, here’s how we nurture our talents at 1902 Software.
8. Work with a developer that has reasonable prices. High-quality service doesn’t have to be super expensive. Get our pricelist here.
9. Experience matters. When it comes to something as complex as software development, it’s best to work with developers that have years of experience. Check out how many years they’ve been in the business and the number of projects they have completed.
10. If you decide to go offshore with your software development, make sure that there is at least an overlap of 4-6 hours with the developer's time zone so that there’s time to hold meetings without either party having to stay late or start very early. For example, here at 1902 Software, we have an overlap of around 4 - 8 hours with our clients — this way, we get the job done while they sleep.
11. The size of the company matters, especially when it comes to bigger software projects. Having more employees equates to having more resources that can work on your project. This is especially important if a developer falls sick or resigns.
12. In-house experienced project managers are also something to look out for. Project managers are a necessary link between you and the developers, designers, and testers. Here at 1902, our project managers have around 10 years of experience in their fields and are all former developers, striking a balance between interpersonal and technical skills. Get to know our project managers here.
13. Check if the developer also offers post-project support and that it’s done by the same team who developed the original project. The original developers understand the ins and outs of the project better and therefore less likely to give you poor half-baked answers or have longer delivery times. Learn more about how we do post-project support here.
14. Remember that a developer will only say good things about themselves. It is therefore very important that you take time to read client reviews and call up a few of their clients to learn how they, the client, experienced the company and collaboration.

Want to talk about your software project? Contact Peter today for a no-commitment consultation.