I've been deep into research and prototyping for an app I'm planning to build, but since I'm not a developer, I'm looking to hire some experts or get the app developed by an agency.
I've talked to several agencies, and the price differences are huge, even though the cheaper ones also have good portfolios and reviews. Now, I'm stuck on how to decide.
My Questions is:
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What factors should I consider before choosing an agency to hand over my project?
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Can I trust a freelancer with my app? I'm worried they might steal the idea if it shows potential.
Any advice, tips, or personal experiences you can share would be incredibly helpful. Thanks in advance guys
How to Choose the Right Development Agency or Freelancer for My App?
byu/vibe_keeper inEntrepreneur
Posted by vibe_keeper
8 Comments
My advice, look for agencies that have experience in developing apps similar to yours. Check their portfolio for quality, functionality, and design. Ensure the agency has the technical skills required for your project, including familiarity with the necessary platforms and technologies.
Choosing the right development agency or freelancer for your app requires careful evaluation of their portfolio, references, and alignment with your vision. For me, I use a non-profit platform and I get access to vetted, top-quality developers for just $980/month, ensuring my app is in capable hands without the high costs.
As an [agency](https://www.24hour.design) owner myself, the best advice I can tell you is patience.
Allow your second brain (gut, not the penis) to help you make decisions.
I can’t tell you how many founders refuted us in early days, just to come back a year later, with depleted budgets, hoping we could save them.
Go with someone reputable. Go with someone with brands/names. Someone with a track record. And make an appropriate investment to get it down right the first time.
App building “isn’t even the beginning”, it’s putting on socks!
Long and steady road ahead mate <3
Is your app that much advanced that you should look for an agency? Maybe there’s a way to build an MVP with a freelancer for a smaller amount in a few weeks?
Also there are people who consider getting into business with a co-founder, who fulfill their skills
e.g. I’m a technical Founder, I build startups like [Startup Visuals Editor](https://startuputils.com/) myself in JS stack, but in the future I may consider joining forces with a co-founder who is marketing/business oriented, to boost the marketing, promotion, conversion, etc.
Just do a partnership and profit splits with some one that has the skills and you are good to go
You can have them sign an NDA if you’re worried about the idea being stolen. Ask to see their previous works and see if you like the work. If they’ve built something similar, that’s a bonus. Avoid the ones charging too low. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
To answer the second question first, idea theft is pretty rare. Most dishonest developers aren’t interested in stealing your idea. They’re interested in stealing your money by overbilling you. I’m not saying that idea theft never happens, but it’s not very common. Worrying about idea theft is a little like worrying about a shark attack when you live in Idaho. It’s a theoretical risk, but it isn’t in your top ten dangers.
As to how to pick a developer, here’s a few tips:
* Check over the candidate’s portfolio. Pay special attention to the projects that are similar to yours, since a developer can be good at some things and not others. So if you want an app developer, pay more attention to their app work than the other items (like web) on their resume.
* Badly written code is something that will lead to quality problems with your finished product. If you know someone that’s a developer, show them code samples from the candidate’s previous work and have them evaluate that for quality. If you don’t know someone that’s a developer, hire a recruiter who can do that. I use code reviews in my process, and it really helps.
* If they have references, check them out.
* Be upfront and detailed about what you want the developer to do. That way if they’re honest they may tell you if they’re just not a good fit.
* Make sure you will get all necessary source code and passwords on completion. Also, for a long project get backups of the source code along the way so that if the developer goes out of business or if you decide to switch to someone else, you’ll at least have the code that has already been completed. It will also prevent blackmail at project completion.
* Don’t hire the cheapest option. There’s a reason why they’re the cheapest option.
* Keep your team as small as possible. The larger your team gets, the more management problems you’ll have. Start with a main dev, then only add more members if you have a reason to hire them. Adding an extra developer doesn’t mean that your project will get done faster. In fact, it may slow you down.
* Lastly, this my sound self-serving, but consider hiring a tech recruiter like me to help you. Many entrepreneurs don’t want to spend the extra money. But nine times out of ten, going it alone ends up costing you more than you would have spent on the recruiter.
I’d choose one that has developed an app similar to yours and that has a stacked portfolio
Before you go to any agency, write a specification for your app idea in as much detail as possible. Create mockups of the GUI and how you expect it to operate. Then, revisit the spec every day for a week or two and add additional detail. The more detail you add, the better the output from the developer will be.
Get as many quotes as you can. The most valuable part of getting a quote is not the price but the additional feedback you receive from the agency. If they ask questions like “Did you think about this or that?” it’s a good sign. You will also need to talk as many agencies as possible to develop your spidey sense where you can sense if the agency knows what they are talking about or just blowing smoke. I would go with whoever you trust the most instead of the price. You’ll end up paying more to fix up an initial mess up, than if you went with the right agency first.