Essential Questions To Ask A Potential Tech Partner

Vetting prospective tech partners can be overwhelming. There’s so much to learn about a company, and knowing where to begin a conversation can be difficult. In order to get a good understanding of a company’s process, capabilities, security, and cost control, we’ve compiled a list of the most important questions to ask a potential partner. Use this list to guide you as you take on the challenge:

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General:

• What is the average length of your partnerships? 

• What are your internal turnover rates? 

• What is your process for hiring tech talent? 

• What is your definition of a successful partnership? How do you measure success?

Process:

• Do you operate on a two-week sprint cycle with each client, and do you provide daily transparency through standup meetings?

• What is your process for breaking down features, creating user stories, and estimating timelines?

• What tools do you use to track issues, priorities, and velocity?

• How do you integrate into your partners’ communication channels? 

  
  

Engineering Capability:

• How do you familiarize yourselves with our specific industry and business context?

• How do your engineers break down our vision into development increments?

• What types of questions can we expect during planning sessions?

  
  

Security:

• How do you handle sensitive information in your code?

• What is your process for managing personally identifiable information (PII)?

• Do you encrypt all data, including your database, both at rest and in transit?

  
  

Cost Control:

• Have you ever requested that a client increase their team size in order to complete features?

• What measures do you take to minimize third-party development and infrastructure costs?

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Still feeling overwhelmed by the search process? Want more tips for finding your perfect partner? Check out our other article How to Choose a Technical Partner.