Write a brief any developer can quote from
How do I explain what I need built?
The most expensive part of a software project is usually not the building. It is the weeks spent working out what was meant, one misunderstanding at a time.
Answer eight questions in plain language and this assembles them into a written brief. Send it to whoever you like — us, an agency, or the developer you already have.
How this is calculated:
Nothing is scored or interpreted. The questions are ordered so that the answers, read in sequence, describe a problem rather than a solution.
It deliberately asks what working looks like before it asks about tools, because a brief written as a list of features gets quoted as a list of features and then does not solve the problem.
Everything stays in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you send it.
Questions people ask about this tool:
What if I do not know the technical answer?
Then leave it out. A brief that describes the problem precisely and the solution not at all is more useful than one that guesses at both.
Is this enough to get a fixed quote?
It is usually enough to get a serious conversation and a range. A fixed quote generally needs one round of questions after it, which is a good sign rather than a bad one.
Can I send this to another firm?
Yes. It is your brief. If it helps you get a better answer somewhere else, it did its job.