Every software agency in Nairobi can show you a portfolio and a process slide deck. Most projects that fail do not fail on code — they fail on communication, scope, and the gap between what was promised and what was understood. After 12+ years of building software in East Africa, these are the questions we would ask if we were hiring.
Ask for evidence, not adjectives
"We deliver excellence on every project" tells you nothing. Ask for the opposite: products that are running today, what problem each one solved, and what the measurable outcome was. A partner who cannot name the outcome of their own work will not be able to measure yours. Real teams will also be honest about what did not work — that honesty is worth more than a perfect portfolio.
Watch how they start the conversation
The first meeting tells you how the project will go. Does the partner ask about your users, your workflow, and your constraints — or do they start pitching their stack and their team size? A partner who jumps to technology before understanding the problem is a partner who will build you the wrong thing confidently. The best first deliverable from any partner is a clear restatement of your problem, not an estimate.
Look for a process you can see
You should not have to take delivery dates on faith. A mature partner works in short cycles with regular demos, so you see working software early and often, not a big reveal at the end. Our own process runs discovery, design, development in sprints, testing, and deployment, and every step is visible to the client. If a partner cannot show you how progress is demonstrated, assume it is not demonstrated.
Check how they handle ownership
A few questions decide the long-term relationship: Do you own the code and the infrastructure accounts? Is the system documented enough for another team to take over? What happens after launch, is there a support arrangement, or does the handshake end at deployment? Teams that keep their clients dependent are not partners; they are landlords. Our approach is built around handing over systems clients can actually run.
Red flags to walk away from
- Guaranteed delivery dates before discovery has even started.
- No named clients or verifiable case studies.
- Vague pricing, "we'll work it out as we go" is a commitment to surprise you.
- No interest in your industry's real constraints (payments, connectivity, regulations).
- A portfolio of nothing but templates and demo sites.
Choosing well is a process
Take the same care choosing a partner as you would choosing software. Shortlist two or three teams, run the same problem past each one, and compare how they think, not just what they charge. The team that asks the sharpest questions about your business is usually the team that will build the right thing. If you would like to put us through that test, tell us about your project, we will answer the questions you ask, even if that is not hiring us.