Begin with relevant experience, not the length of the client list. Request three or four case studies that resemble your technology stack, and then ask specifically who actually wrote that code. A solid partner will put you on a call with the engineers. Answers that name nobody at this stage almost always mean the demo work came from somewhere else.

The contract deserves more attention than the sales deck. Three sections matter more than the rest: ownership of the code, confidentiality, and exit terms and handover. All the work product must transfer to you once invoices are settled, igaming web development along with documentation, pipelines and deployment scripts. Watch for any clause that keeps so-called reusable libraries in the vendor's hands, because that is often exactly the piece that locks you in.

Ask where their numbers come from. An honest estimate arrives with a written set of assumptions, a breakdown by feature or module and a best case and a worst case. A fixed-bid deal works only when the requirements are stable and documented; otherwise the provider pads the number and you fund the buffer regardless. Time and materials moves the risk back to the client, so it outsourcing russia demands visible weekly reporting and a spending cap.

The delivery process beats headcount. Ask how a new requirement enters the plan, who signs off on a feature and how testing is organised. A mature team will be able to demonstrate a working build every one or two weeks. Acceptance criteria in writing remain the practical protection against endless rounds of rework.

Finally, consider the day you no longer need this vendor at the start rather than at the end. Require that the code repository stays under your account from day one, and that documentation is updated as part of the work. A partner who is comfortable with this will agree quickly; resistance at this point tells you most of what you need to know.