The Discovery Call Checklist: What to Ask Before Hiring a Developer

A discovery call is the cheapest place to catch a bad fit — before either side has spent time or money. The goal isn't to sell or to be sold; it's to get honest answers to a handful of specific questions.

Ask how they scope work (fixed price vs. milestones), how they handle changes mid-project, and what a typical week of communication looks like. Ask for a recent example where something went wrong and how it was handled — the answer matters more than the project itself.

If a developer can't give a straight answer about timeline, budget assumptions, or what happens after launch, that's the signal to keep looking, not the fee.