01
Who does the work
Most offshore engagements that go wrong go wrong here: the team you meet isn't the team you get.
Will I meet the people who'll actually work on my project before I sign?
Sales calls are often run by people who never touch your code.
- Good answer
- Named people, with their background, on the call before you commit.
- Red flag
- “We'll staff the team once the contract is signed.”
Our answer The people you meet are the people who do the work. There's no account layer between you and the engineers.
Who is accountable for delivery day to day — you or me?
If the answer is you, you're buying people to manage, not a team.
- Good answer
- A named lead on their side who owns the workstream and the outcome.
- Red flag
- Individual engineers who report to your managers, with nobody on their side answerable for results.
Our answer Every pod has a named lead accountable for the workstream. We don't do individual placement.
What happens when someone on the team leaves?
Turnover is normal. What matters is who carries the cost of it.
- Good answer
- A clear handover process, and the vendor absorbs the ramp-up time for the replacement.
- Red flag
- “We'll replace them within a few weeks”, with you paying while the new person gets up to speed.
Our answer We cover the new person's ramp-up time. You don't pay while they get up to speed.
02
Pricing and terms
You should be able to work out roughly what this costs, and how to get out, before the first call.
Can I buy a small, fixed piece of work before committing to a team?
A short paid engagement tells you more than any sales process.
- Good answer
- A time-boxed pilot with a defined deliverable you keep whatever happens.
- Red flag
- A long minimum term before you've seen any work.
Our answer A two-week discovery sprint from $5,000. You get a written assessment, a working slice of something real and a delivery plan. Half the sprint fee is credited against the first month of a pod.
What exactly is included in the price?
An hourly rate can hide management, QA and design as extras.
- Good answer
- One price that covers the whole team, including leadership and QA.
- Red flag
- A low headline rate with project management, QA and design billed separately.
Our answer Pods are priced per team, per month, from $9,000. That covers a lead, two to three engineers, and fractional QA and design.
What's the minimum term and notice period?
It tells you how easy it is to leave if it isn't working.
- Good answer
- A short minimum term with notice in weeks, not quarters.
- Red flag
- Twelve-month commitments or long notice periods up front.
Our answer Pods start at three months, then run on 30 days' notice.
03
Time zones and communication
Offshore works when the overlap is honest and the reporting doesn't depend on you chasing it.
How many hours of live overlap will I get — and is it in the contract?
“We're flexible” tends to shrink after the first month.
- Good answer
- A specific number of hours, written into the contract.
- Red flag
- Vague promises of flexibility, or overlap that depends on who's on shift.
Our answer Four hours of live overlap with a US team, committed contractually. If you need more than six, nearshore will serve you better and we'll say so.
How will I know what the team did this week without asking?
If you have to chase for status, you're doing the vendor's job.
- Good answer
- Regular demos and a short written update on a fixed cadence, in your tools.
- Red flag
- Status only when you ask, or reports that list hours instead of what shipped.
Our answer A written report every week, on a fixed routine, so you never have to ask.
04
Proof
Your question isn't whether they can write software. It's whether they've delivered on someone else's roadmap, under someone else's constraints.
Can you show me work delivered for a client, under the client's constraints?
Portfolios of a vendor's own products show skill, not how they work with you.
- Good answer
- Specific engagements: team size, timeline, what they inherited and what's running now.
- Red flag
- Logo walls with no detail, or only in-house projects.
Our answer Three client engagements, anonymised, are on our
Proof section: team size, timeline, constraints and where each one is now.
Can I speak to a client you've worked with?
A reference call is the fastest way to check everything else on this list.
- Good answer
- A named contact from a recent or current engagement, offered without hesitation.
- Red flag
- “Our clients are confidential” for every single one.
Our answer Yes. We'll put you in touch with a client we've worked with on request.
05
Security, IP and contracts
Ask these early. The answers are usually fixed, and a bad one is a dealbreaker.
Who owns the code, and when does ownership transfer?
Some contracts keep IP with the vendor until final payment, or indefinitely.
- Good answer
- IP assigned to you on delivery, in a standard MSA and SOW.
- Red flag
- IP retained by the vendor, or licensed to you rather than assigned.
Our answer IP is assigned to you on deliverables, under a standard MSA and SOW, with a mutual NDA. A US entity is available for contracting.
How is my data protected, and who can get to it?
Your data sits on their machines. You need to know the rules.
- Good answer
- Least-privilege access, isolation between clients, and no client data on personal devices.
- Red flag
- Shared accounts, or no clear answer on where data lives.
Our answer Least-privilege access, per-engagement isolation, encryption at rest and in transit, and no client data on personal devices.
What happens to access when someone leaves the engagement?
Old accounts left open after people move on are a common way in for attackers.
- Good answer
- Access removed within a fixed, short window, and you can check it.
- Red flag
- No defined offboarding process.
Our answer Offboarding within 24 hours.
Will you sign a data protection agreement?
If you handle personal data from the UK or EU, you'll need one.
- Good answer
- A ready DPA with standard contractual clauses.
- Red flag
- “We'll look into it” once you're already mid-contract.
Our answer Yes. GDPR-ready DPA with standard contractual clauses, and India DPDP Act compliant. Data residency is configurable by engagement.