Quote
Ask me before you sign that quote.
A software quote usually looks reasonable. A total amount, a timeline, a list of work packages. What is in the document tends to be overestimated. What is missing, assumptions, ownership, scope boundaries, responsibility, tends to cost the most. A short independent check picks up those missing elements before the quote becomes a signature.
Check this before you commit
What I check first.
- 01
Is the scope written in concrete features rather than work packages?
- 02
Are the assumptions behind the price explicitly stated?
- 03
Is it clear what is not included, hosting, maintenance, testing, security?
- 04
Are acceptance criteria written for the three most important features?
- 05
Who becomes the owner of the code, designs, accounts and infrastructure?
Common patterns
What I see happen most often.
- A vague scope turns into change requests as soon as the build starts.
- Ownership of code, accounts and infrastructure stays unspoken.
- Maintenance, testing and security are billed separately later.
- The cheapest quote often avoids the hardest work.
What the conversation produces
What you leave with.
- 01
A list of concrete questions to ask before you sign.
- 02
Visibility into where the price could unexpectedly grow.
- 03
A workable next step: sign, renegotiate or re-issue the request.
Further reading
Articles on this challenge.
- 7 min read
Before You Sign a Software Quote: 11 Things It Should Include
A quote without scope, assumptions, ownership and risk looks clearer than it is. The eleven items that should be in the document before you sign.
- 8 min read
How to Review a Developer or Software Agency Quote
A quote should expose assumptions, ownership and risk. A total price alone tells you almost nothing.
- 6 min read
How to Spot an Agency That Confuses Sold Hours With Results
Some agencies sell capacity instead of outcome. The signals that show whether a proposal is built around results, or mostly around hours.