Reviewing a Portfolio of Work

The second step to vetting is essentially an expansion of step one. You've seen that your chosen development partner can represent themselves well on a website, but how does their work hold up in actual client matters?

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Seeing a portfolio of their work will help you understand the scope and depth of the work that this firm or individual is capable of. It is important that you ask for a true portfolio of work and not accept a vague description of a few projects with a list of the technologies the firms claims to be proficient in.

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What counts as a true portfolio?

It means seeing at least five projects, all from different clients. It also means making sure that the work in the portfolio is relevant to the scope of your requirements. So, if you are building a mobile application and you are provided a portfolio of work that has 4 websites and 1 mobile application, then this firm or individual is likely not the best fit for you.

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The big take away here is to be exacting. Don't feel as though this firm/individual is the only one out there for you. Think back to how many developers exist in the world. If you aren't very impressed with the work you see, then stop where you're at and move on to another option. The ultimate goal is to find a solution provider that exactly meets your needs, not one that just barely suffices.