How to request software without wasting money

If you’ve ever requested software development and it ended up costing double, taking triple the time, or simply not working, the problem probably wasn’t the vendor. It was the lack of clarity in the request.

Why software projects fail

Undefined scope: “I want an app like Uber” is not a useful request.
Implicit expectations: If you don’t write what you expect, you’ll get something different.
No prioritization: Everything is urgent means nothing is urgent.
No acceptance criteria: How do you know when it’s finished?

Checklist before requesting software

1. Problem and objective

What problem are you solving?
What changes if this works?
How much does NOT having this cost you today?

2. Users

Who will use this?
How many users do you expect (day 1, month 6, year 1)?
What’s their technical level?

3. Prioritized features

Must-have: Without this, it’s useless.
Nice-to-have: Improves experience but not critical.
Out of scope: What explicitly will NOT be done in this phase.

4. Constraints

Budget: How much can you spend?
Time: When do you need it?
Technology: Are there technical restrictions (e.g., must integrate with system X)?

5. Success criteria

How do you measure if this works?
What metrics matter (users, sales, hours saved)?

How to request a useful quote

Instead of writing “I need a website”, try:

“I need a website where customers can:

View product catalog (approx 50 products)

Place orders (no online payment for now)

Receive confirmation by email

Budget: up to $X. Deadline: within 6 weeks. Expected users: 20-30 per week initially. Must look good on mobile.”

With this, any decent vendor can give you a realistic quote.

Red flags when receiving proposals

They don’t ask ANYTHING about your business
They promise everything in record time and at low cost
They don’t mention risks or potential problems
The quote is a figure without breakdown

Next steps

If you need help defining your software request before looking for quotes, contact us and we’ll help you build a clear brief that saves you time and money.