Most companies evaluating a software partner do the same thing: browse the portfolio, skim a few case studies, ask for a quote.
It's the most efficient way to pick the wrong vendor.
A portfolio tells you what they built when things went well. It tells you nothing about how they behave when the budget slips, a deadline moves, or you need to switch vendors two years from now. You find that out later — usually when it hurts.
Here are the right questions to ask. And what you should expect to hear.
1. Who do I talk to when something goes wrong?
Sounds obvious. It isn't.
At most software houses, the implicit answer is: your account manager, who escalates to the team, who replies within 48 hours via ticket. Meanwhile, your project is stalled.
The answer you want to hear is different: you talk directly to the people writing the code. No intermediaries, no chain of command to navigate. If there's a technical question or a budget surprise, it gets resolved in hours, not days.
That's how Quinck works: developers communicate directly with clients. It's a structural choice, not a sales promise.
2. What happens if I switch vendors in three years?
This question makes a lot of software houses uncomfortable. For a specific reason: their business model depends on switching being hard.
Proprietary stacks, undocumented code, obscure tech choices — these are often how a vendor makes itself irreplaceable. Not through quality, through dependency.
What you want to hear: we use widely adopted, well-documented technologies with an active market. If you want to move on tomorrow, you can. The code is readable, requirements are written with rigour, another team can pick it up.
Quinck puts in writing at the start of every project which technologies we use and why. The stated goal is that the project outlives our relationship.
3. Do you have access to public funding or tax incentives?
Most CEOs don't ask this. They should.
In Italy — and across much of Europe — there are instruments like R&D tax credits and regional innovation grants that can significantly reduce the cost of software development. The problem is that accessing them takes time, expertise, and paperwork. Most software houses don't think about it, or outsource it to an external consultant you pay separately.
Quinck handles the incentive and grant process internally for its clients, at no additional cost. It's not a side service — it's part of how we think about project budgets.
4. How long before I can see something working?
A software project that lives on paper for months is a high-risk project. Not because the team is slow — because nobody can validate something that doesn't exist yet.
The right answer isn’t “it depends on complexity.” It’s: we have a workflow for building fast. A working prototype — even a rough one — early in the process lets you test assumptions, catch problems before they’re expensive, and make decisions based on evidence instead of optimism.
Quinck has spent the past several months developing a structured approach to rapid prototyping using AI tools. Not to look good — to reduce the risk of building the wrong thing.
5. What can't you do?
This is the question nobody asks, and the one that separates a serious partner from a vendor who says yes to everything.
A reliable partner knows their limits. They declare them upfront, not after the contract is signed. If your project requires skills outside their scope, they'll tell you — and point you toward someone who can actually help.
Be cautious with vendors who never have a negative answer. Hearing “we’re not the right fit for this” is one of the strongest signals of genuine reliability you can get.
We ask these questions of ourselves before starting any project.
If the answers don't hold up, better to know early — it costs less for everyone.