How to Choose a Consulting Company to Build Your App

How to choose a consulting company to build your app:

1. Don’t use an NDA.
   • This means that it will take longer to find a company because you will first have to screen who you even want to talk to. This is a good thing. With certain exceptions, time to market is most important to the investors who want payback as soon as possible. An extra week or two of searching will probably payoff in the short run.
   • Read yesterday’s post about NDAs being stupid.
2. Get recommendations from a friend or ask around.
   • This is obvious. It’s only useful if you have friends.
3. Read their blog.
   • Does their company philosophy match yours? Very important.
   • Do you find yourself shaking your head up and down when you read them?
   • Do you feel inspired when you read them?
4. Call them and talk to them.
   • Did you get along with them?
   • Did they make time for you? Did they talk to you or did they just say “We like your idea and will be glad to help, when can we start?”
5. Choose a small company.
   • It is really, really hard to find top developer talent. The odds are a company with a large staff has not found a lot of top talent. Who will be working on your site? If you are OK with a consulting company that will give you mediocrity, then it doesn’t really matter. But if you want something that is among the best on the net, you have to use a boutique company.
   • A company who has chosen to stay small is a company that really cares about what they put out.
6. Ask them what consulting companies they would recommend.
   • A great consulting company will want you to succeed even if it’s with another company.
7. Choose a company that is picky.
   • A great consulting company can afford to be picky. Being picky also means that they want to do it their way, and that they are very concerned with the end result, not just your money. These are very good things.
8. Pick someone you trust. And then trust them.
   • Unless you have a proven track record of successful web apps, any company you pick will have more experience at this than you do. Let them help you, even you are sure you’re right. (Don’t pick someone with less experience than you.)
   • If you are worried about not using an NDA, then embrace this constraint: Only pick a company who you trust will not steal your idea. If you don’t trust anyone that much, search or talk more with the companies. You should have faith and trust in them before you begin.

Extras:

1. Once you pick someone let them do it their way.
   • Don’t play armchair quarterback. They will make your product/idea/business better if you let them.
2. Do you feel like you can’t afford a great consulting company? How can you afford not too?
   • Maybe you should reconsider how serious you are. If execution is everything, only talk to people that have already executed well. They are rarely inexpensive. (Rarely as in never.)
   • It is always cheaper to pay someone more to do it right the first time.