iCombat

If you are considering outsourcing some or all of your project then you should definitely think about having a Non Disclosure Agreement signed by everyone that will see your specifications or idea.   You can find some decent NDAs on Docstoc and then simply put your name or Company name in the document or have a lawyer help adapt it for your needs.  Especially with outsourcing the project abroad, it is just too difficult to know whether you can trust all of the developers you will speak with.  While I am sure most NDAs won’t hold up internationally anyways, even the fact that someone is willing to go through the trouble of printing, signing, and scanning says something in my mind.

Once you have a signed NDA and you have sent out your specs and chosen someone to your liking the next step is drafting a contract.  What worked well for me was to create a contract between the developer and myself outlining, via milestones and detailed specs, what was going to be done at each stage.  While it takes a lot more up front work on your end to know exactly what you are looking for, it pays off in the end by having everything out on the table for everyone involved.  I learned from my experience developing application for The App Farm^tm , that it is worth the trouble to get it right the first time to avoid confusion down the line.

Things to consider in terms of a contract with a developer for an iPhone application:

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Although I had already done quite a bit of work with the guys, it did take us a few days to finalize the contract with all of the milestones and specs completely hashed out.  It was making me anxious because I just wanted to get cranking on the project, but I knew it was worth it to predefine as much as possible so both sides expectations would be met.  Thankfully the team shared my desire to clearly layout the terms of our contract and begin working in the meantime so there wasn’t any issue there.  All in all I am happy with the terms and feel confident in the team’s ability to execute on my vision.  I finally feel that the project is underway and can’t wait to start seeing progress soon.  The first milestone is a week away so pretty excited to see the application begin to take shape.

If you want some tips on the contract details and other legal stuff see the Taking Care of the Legal Stuff entry.

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