Guide 09

Before paying others to build

Mapped

The situation

You are about to pay a studio, a freelancer, or an agency to build the product, the brand, or the infrastructure. They are faster than you. They also set up the accounts.

The decision at stake

Whether the engagement leaves you with ownership, a milestone you can judge, and control of the repositories, domains, and admin accounts when the relationship ends.

This guide is mapped. You can answer the questions and keep a note. The full essay, contrasting examples, and the longer branch for founders who have already acted are not written yet. Output to aim for: Build engagement note.

Questions to start the note

This guide is mapped, not finished. The situation, the decision, and the questions are here so you can start a record. The full evidence, the contrasting examples, and the longer “already acted” branch are not written yet.

1.Your name
2.Company
3.Who you are about to pay
4.Who will own the copyright and the other rights, and is that an assignment or only a licence?
5.Who controls the repository, the domain, the cloud admin, and the design files on day one?
6.What must be true before the next payment, in a way a third person could judge?
7.What does handover include, and could another person continue the work?
8.What access will you revoke at the end?
9.Are they an employee, a contractor, or a studio, and which law have you asked counsel about?
10.Who are their subcontractors, and is the chain of title in writing?
11.If you have already paid or shared admin access, what can you still recover this week?

Saved on this device.

Open your record