The Non-Technical Founder's Agency Checklist

	A	B	C	D
1	The Non-Technical Founder's Agency Checklist Use this final checklist to score and evaluate a development agency based on the three critical areas: Mettle, Capacity, and Vision.
2	Click on File - > Make a Copy - > Start using your Checklist
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4	Area 1: Relevant Experience & Trust (Mettle Check)
5	The agency must prove they have the ability to deliver a quality product and manage risk.
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7	Checkpoint	What the Founder Must Check For	Status (✔ or ✖)	Notes/Evidence Collected (Click to type)
8	Project Fit	Have they successfully completed a project of this specific type (e.g., mobile, SaaS)?
9	Tech Stack Experience	Have they worked with the specific technologies required for my project?
10	Proven Scaling	Can they show a project that scaled from "nothing to something" (rags-to-riches story)?
11	Core Team Background	Did I check the public profiles of the actual technical team (not just the sales manager)?
12	Risk Mitigation	Do they have clear, established procedures to prevent common delays?
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14	Area 2: Team Capacity & Workload (Overwhelmed Check)
15	The agency must prove they have the focused resources and mental energy for your project.
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17	Checkpoint	What the Founder Must Check For	Status (✔ or ✖)	Notes/Evidence Collected (Click to type)
18	Exclusive Work	Will my assigned developer/team be working exclusively on my project?
19	Workload Transparency	Did they clearly state their total team size and the number of concurrent projects?
20	Quality vs. Quantity	Is their business model focused on taking fewer, higher-quality clients?
21	Employee Wellbeing	Do they prioritize their team's mental health to avoid burnout?
22	Team Structure	Is the core team building my product on their payroll? (Preferred over outsourced/freelance.)
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24	Area 3: Post-Delivery & Long-Term Vision (Scaling Check)
25	A good agency plans for your success long after the initial launch.
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27	Checkpoint	What the Founder Must Check For	Status (✔ or ✖)	Notes/Evidence Collected (Click to type)
28	Maintenance Plan	Do they have a clear plan for ongoing maintenance and updates post-launch?
29	Strategic Input	Did they spend time researching my niche/market and offer inputs on what not to do?
30	Scaling Strategy	Can they articulate how they will help me scale and improve the product based on market feedback?
31	Long-Term Incentive	Do they show a clear incentive for an active, future relationship?
32	Market Validation View	Do they understand that the project requires market testing for success, or do they think development is the final step?
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