# What to prepare before you talk to a developer | NxtFoldS

> A first call with a developer goes further when you bring a few things with you. None of them need to be perfect, and each one saves you time and money.

Source: https://nxtfolds.com/insights/what-to-prepare-before-you-talk-to-a-developer

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# What to prepare before you talk to a developer

A first call goes further when you bring a few things with you. None of them need to be perfect, and all of them save time.

By [Prashant Kumar](https://nxtfolds.com/company/founder)

18 Oct 20262 min read

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In this article

-   [The problem in one paragraph](#the-problem-in-one-paragraph)
-   [Who will use it](#who-will-use-it)
-   [Examples you like](#examples-you-like)
-   [A budget range and a date](#a-budget-range-and-a-date)
-   [What already exists](#what-already-exists)
-   [Who decides](#who-decides)

You do not need a technical plan to start a software project. A few plain answers, written down before the first call, make that call far more useful for both sides.

## The problem in one paragraph

Describe what is not working today and who it affects. For example: enquiries come in through three channels and some are never answered. This is more useful than a list of features, because it lets the developer suggest the simplest thing that fixes it.

## Who will use it

Customers, staff, or both? On a phone or a computer? How many people, roughly? These answers shape the design more than anything else.

## Examples you like

Two or three websites or apps you like, and one you dislike, each with a line on why. This saves hours of guessing about style and features.

## A budget range and a date

A rough range, even a wide one, lets the developer suggest what fits. A date matters too, especially when it is tied to a season, a launch or an event.

## What already exists

Your current website, the tools your team uses, any logins, and the content you already have. Knowing what can be reused keeps the cost down.

## Who decides

Name the person who will approve designs and answer questions during the project. Projects slow down most when nobody is sure who has the final say.

If you would like a starting point, our project brief asks these questions in four short steps.

Where we help with this

-   [Digital Product Development](https://nxtfolds.com/services/digital-product-development)
-   [Web Development](https://nxtfolds.com/services/web-development)
-   [Internal Business Tools](https://nxtfolds.com/solutions/internal-business-tools)

## Keep reading

-   01

    ### What decides the cost of a website?

    Two websites can look alike and cost very different amounts. These are the parts of a project that move the price, so you can compare quotes with the right questions.

    https://nxtfolds.com/insights/what-decides-the-cost-of-a-website

-   02

    ### Does your website need an admin panel?

    An admin panel lets your team change the website without a developer. Here is how to tell whether you need one, and what a good one includes.

    https://nxtfolds.com/insights/does-your-website-need-an-admin-panel

-   03

    ### Is an AI chatbot worth it for a small business?

    A chatbot helps when the same questions arrive every day and the answers already exist in writing. Here is how to judge whether that describes your business.

    https://nxtfolds.com/insights/is-an-ai-chatbot-worth-it-for-a-small-business

Start a project

## Have something ambitious in mind?

Let's turn your idea into something real.

[hello@nxtfolds.com](mailto:hello@nxtfolds.com)

[Start a project](https://nxtfolds.com/start-a-project)