MVPs & custom software2 min readReviewed by the Softivum team,

How do I choose a custom software development company?

Short answer

Choose a custom software company by how it handles scope, ownership, communication and support. Ask whether it will challenge your scope, whether you own the code and accounts, how often you see working software, who you speak to day to day, and what happens after launch. Specific written answers matter more than polished presentations.

A founder on a video call with a small software team shown in four tiles, an open notebook beside the laptop.

The key points

  • Look for a partner who questions your scope rather than agreeing to everything.
  • Insist on owning the code, hosting and accounts.
  • Ask for working demos at a regular rhythm.
  • Get support terms in writing before you sign.

What should you ask about scope?

A good supplier argues with your scope. They want to know which part tests the riskiest assumption and which can wait, and they say when something is not worth building at all. A supplier who agrees to everything may be pricing in changes later. Ask how workflows are mapped before design and how change requests are handled and priced, then use the answers to compare software development quotes side by side.

What should you ask about ownership and handover?

Whether the repository, hosting, domain and third-party accounts will be registered to you, whether source code is delivered as it is written or only at the end, and what documentation comes with it. If you cannot move to another team without negotiation, you have a dependency, not an asset. The same test applies to who owns a website after a developer builds it.

  • Who owns the code and accounts from day one
  • Whether you can see the repository during the build
  • What handover documentation is included
  • How a new developer could take over

What should you ask about delivery and support?

How often will you see working software? We build in sprints with weekly demos, so progress is visible and problems appear early. Who is your point of contact, and are they a person or a ticket queue? What support follows launch, for how long and what does it cover? Our custom software work includes twelve months of support, but whatever the supplier, get the terms in writing.

Questions to put to every supplier

  • How do you map workflows before building anything?
  • Who will own the code, hosting and accounts?
  • How often will I see working software?
  • Who is my day-to-day contact?
  • What support follows launch, and what does it cover?

Sources

Rules and guidance this answer relies on. Policies change, so check the current version before acting on it.

  1. U.S. government: Digital Services Playbook
  2. GOV.UK Service Manual: Choosing technology, an introduction
  3. GitHub Docs: Transferring a repository

Questions people also ask

Not on price alone. Compare written scope, ownership, review rhythm and support. A low figure that leaves out handover, documentation or support often costs more later. Use a detailed proposal to compare like with like.

Not necessarily, but you need someone who can make decisions about the business. A good partner explains technical choices in plain language and records them in documentation your next developer can read.

Start with a small, well-defined first phase, see working software early and keep ownership of the code and accounts. Then you can change direction or supplier without losing what has been built.

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