A custom software developer is a professional (or a team) who designs and builds a tool made for your business, instead of selling you a standard product.
We often get calls from founders or managers who already worked with a developer or an agency and it went badly: missed deadlines, exploding costs, code that can't grow. It isn't inevitable.
Choosing the right technology partner, and first finding one, can be learned. Here is where to look, what to ask and what should make you step back (you can also learn more about our team).
Quick answer
To find one: ask around for references, go to local events (ÉTS, Polytechnique), write to people on LinkedIn and in Facebook groups, then meet several. To choose: require 2 or 3 examples of real projects, favor professionals trained in software engineering or computer science, and be wary of new agencies that promise everything, fast and at a very low price, with no portfolio.
Summary: the answers in 30 seconds
- ✓Where to find a developer? References from people around you, local events (ÉTS, Polytechnique), LinkedIn, Facebook groups.
- ✓How many candidates to meet? Several. Compare at least three interviews before deciding.
- ✓What to require? 2 or 3 examples of real projects, not just a list of logos.
- ✓Who to favor? Professionals, ideally trained in software engineering or computer science, now that AI has created improvised developers.
- ✓What to be wary of? A brand-new agency that says it can do everything, fast and at a very low price, with no portfolio.
Where to find a good developer in Québec?
Don't start with a Google search alone. The best developers are often found through people:
Ask around. Talk to other entrepreneurs, your accountant, your partners. A reference from someone who lived through a project is worth more than ten website pages.
Go to local events. Tech community meetups and activities at ÉTS, Polytechnique Montréal and other schools are good places to meet people in the trade.
Write on LinkedIn. Look for developers and agencies from here, look at their projects and write to them directly, with a short message describing your need.
Ask in Facebook groups for entrepreneurs or the tech community. You will get names, and above all honest opinions.
Do several interviews. Meet at least three candidates, with the same questions, and compare their answers.
How long does it take to find and choose a developer?
Plan for a few weeks: time to ask for references, meet at least three candidates, compare their offers and check their projects. If someone pushes you to sign at the first meeting, that is a red flag.
How to avoid improvised developers since AI arrived?
Since AI arrived, many people call themselves developers or programmers after a few weeks of trying a tool. A result that shows on screen does not mean it is secure, maintainable or ready to grow.
Favor professionals, ideally trained in software engineering or computer science. A self-taught path can be excellent, but it is proven by delivered projects, not by a promise. Ask where the person studied, what they have already put into production and how they handle security.
Why be wary of agencies that have just started?
Be careful with brand-new agencies that say they can do everything, quickly and at a very low price, but have no portfolio.
A serious team should be able to show you 2 or 3 examples of projects to prove what it can do. If it can't show anything, you would be its first guinea pig, and your money would pay for the learning.
The first meeting tells you a lot
Before even talking about technology or price, watch how the developer or agency reacts to your first description of the project.
Do they ask about your customers, your goals, your constraints? Or do they jump straight into frameworks and architectures?
A good partner first seeks to understand the problem. They restate your vision to show they've grasped the essentials. If you leave the first call feeling like the other side understood what you want to build, that's a good sign.
💬 What we want to hear on the first call
"Tell me about your users. What problem are you trying to solve for them? What happens today if that problem isn't solved?" A developer who starts with these questions thinks like a partner, not a subcontractor.
Freelancer, small agency, or big firm?
It's not a question of prestige or budget. It's a question of risk and need. Here's how we see the three options:
| Freelancer | Small agency | Big firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lowest | Medium | High |
| Expertise | Often one specialty | Multidisciplinary | Broad but fragmented |
| Availability | Variable | Dedicated | Shared across projects |
| Departure risk | High | Low | Low |
| Best for | Simple, short-term MVP | Evolving projects, SMBs | Large accounts, big budgets |
No option is universally better. It all depends on your project's complexity and the level of risk you're willing to absorb.
Ask for 2 or 3 real projects, not just client logos
Everyone has a nice client page on their site (see our portfolio for an example). What matters is seeing how that work was done.
Ask for 2 or 3 examples of projects, ideally close to what you want to build. Ask if you can talk to a past client. Check whether the projects resemble your context (size, industry, complexity).
- ✓"Can you show me a feature similar to what I want to build?"
- ✓"Can I talk to one of your past clients?"
- ✓"Have you worked in my industry or on projects this size?"
- ✓"How do you handle scope changes mid-project?"
- ✓"Who will be my main point of contact day to day?"
Process matters as much as technical skill
A good developer can still produce bad work if the process is chaotic. Here are the indicators we consider non-negotiable:
- ✓Regular deliverables. Something functional every two weeks, not just a verbal status report.
- ✓Transparent priority management. You should be the first to know when a deadline shifts or a problem comes up.
- ✓Accessible tracking tools. Jira, ClickUp, Notion, doesn't matter which, as long as you can see the project status at any time.
- ✓Regular code reviews. The code gets reviewed by someone other than the person who wrote it.
Red flags to watch for
Certain behaviors are clear warning signs. If you spot more than one, take the time to think before signing anything.
- ✕They say yes to everything, with no questions and no reservations.
- ✕They promise everything, fast and at a very low price, but have no portfolio.
- ✕The quote arrives in a few hours, with no real analysis of the project.
- ✕No clear contract on code ownership after delivery.
- ✕They can't explain their technical choices in simple terms.
- ✕Client references are vague or impossible to find.
- ✕They refuse to run a discovery phase before coding.
Security isn't optional
We still see a lot of projects delivered without tests, without code review, with passwords stored in plain text or dependencies that are never updated.
Ask how your users' data is protected. How access is managed. If the developer doesn't have a clear answer, that's an answer in itself.
⚠️ Don't neglect security
A data breach can cost far more than the initial development. Make sure your partner talks about security from the design phase, not just at the end.
And after launch?
Software isn't a project with an end date. It's an asset that needs to be maintained, improved, updated (that's part of our services too.
If your partner doesn't talk about post-launch support, ask directly. And if the answer is vague, take note.
- ✓Who handles bugs after launch?
- ✓Who manages security updates?
- ✓What's the response time if something breaks?
- ✓How does adding a new feature in six months work?
What we rarely tell you
Human fit matters. You'll be working with this team for months. If communication is hard from the start, it doesn't get better over time.
💡 A good partner tells you no
Choose someone you can have an honest conversation with. A partner who says "there's a problem with your idea here" is far more valuable than one who says yes to everything. The easy yes always costs more later.
Where to find a software developer in Québec?
Ask for references around you, go to local events (ÉTS, Polytechnique Montréal), write to developers and agencies on LinkedIn, ask in Facebook groups, then do several interviews.
How many interviews before choosing?
At least three, with the same questions, to compare answers, process and price.
How to spot an improvised developer?
They have no delivered projects to show, can't explain technical choices simply and stay vague about security. Favor professionals trained in software engineering or computer science, or with verifiable projects in production.
Should you be wary of a brand-new agency?
Yes, especially if it says it can do everything, fast and at a very low price with no portfolio. Ask it for 2 or 3 examples of projects.
A custom software project?
Meet us: we show you real projects, answer your questions and give you a clear price. A first version of a web application starts at $5,000 in 14 days.
