How to avoid being locked in to a single developer

The biggest objection to custom software rarely gets said out loud: what if the collaboration ends? A fair question, and one that deserves a concrete answer.

The code and the data of what I build are your property from delivery on. That stands apart from how the collaboration continues, the way a house remains the client's after the contractor has left.

I also build with common, widely used technology, so any capable developer can take the system over. A system built on exotic or home-grown technology looks economical until the day someone else is needed.

Stopping or switching is possible at any moment, without losing infrastructure. From then on you take over the running costs, such as hosting and updates.

Anyone considering a builder should ask three questions, including of me:

• Who owns the code and the data?
• Does the system run on technology other developers know?
• What happens, concretely, if we stop?

A clear answer to those questions says enough. A detour around them does too.