Top 10 Questions Before Hiring a Dev Shop

1. "Who writes the code — the person pitching, or someone I haven't met?"
2. "What's your process when the scope changes mid-sprint?"
3. "Show me a project that shipped on time and one that didn't — why the difference?"
4. "Fixed price or hourly, and why?"
5. "What happens to my codebase if we part ways?"
6. "Who owns the cloud accounts and credentials?"
7. "What's your bus factor — who else has read this code?"
8. "How do you handle security review?"
9. "What does 'done' mean in your contract?"
10. "Can I talk to a client who fired you?"

The Stock Picks build answered all ten in the first meeting. Ask them all — the hesitation is the answer.