Most founders ask agencies the wrong questions.
They ask:
“What’s your hourly rate?”
“Can you build X?”
“How fast can you do it?”
Those questions are easy to “win” — and they produce the wrong hire.
Instead, use this 15-minute vetting script + scorecard.
It’s designed to expose scope creep, weak planning, and vendor-style teams fast.
The Rule
If they can’t answer these clearly before you sign, it won’t magically improve after.
Part 1: The 6 Questions (Ask exactly like this)
1) “Walk me through your MVP plan in phases.”
✅ Good answer: phases + deliverables + timeline ranges
🚩 Red flag: “We’ll start coding and iterate.”
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
2) “What’s your process when requirements are unclear?”
✅ Good: discovery, workshops, user stories, validation
🚩 Red flag: “We need exact requirements from you.”
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
3) “How do you prevent scope creep?”
✅ Good: change control, backlog grooming, sprint goals
🚩 Red flag: “We’ll add it to the backlog” (forever)
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
4) “Who owns architecture decisions and code quality?”
✅ Good: named lead, standards, reviews, testing strategy
🚩 Red flag: “Our developers will handle it.”
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
5) “Show me a launch you supported post-release.”
✅ Good: monitoring, hotfix SLA, iteration plan
🚩 Red flag: “We deliver and hand it over.”
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
6) “What does weekly communication look like?”
✅ Good: demo, written updates, risks, next steps
🚩 Red flag: vague updates / no visibility
Score: 0 / 1 / 2
Part 2: The Scorecard (Quick Decision)
Add your total:
10–12 → Partner mindset ✅
7–9 → Risky (needs tighter contract + milestones) ⚠️
0–6 → Vendor shop (expect rewrites + overruns) ❌
Part 3: The Contract Trap (One line that predicts pain)
If you hear:
“Sign the contract — we’ll do the rest.”
That usually means:
unclear scope
weak discovery
hidden assumptions
expensive change requests later
Use this on your next call
Bookmark this post. Send it to your cofounder. Use it live.
And if you want the full breakdown + red flag bingo + deeper checklist, I published it here.
Top comments (0)