Custom software: the most common mistakes and how to avoid them

01 — Mistakes

The most common mistakes

• Starting too big. Projects where nobody can use anything for months fail more often than average. A small, usable first step is almost always the better way.
• Not involving the people who work with it. Requirements that only come from management rarely match the actual work.
• Not defining a success measure. Without a metric defined in advance, you can't say afterwards whether it delivered anything — and the next decision will be made on gut feeling again.
• Overlooking operating costs. The project price is only part of it. What operation costs over three years belongs in the same calculation.
• Creating dependency. If you don't get access, documentation and source code, you're locked in. That needs to be clarified before commissioning, not after.

02 — Warning signs

When to be skeptical

• Guaranteed results. Anyone promising top Google ranking or a specific revenue increase is selling something they can't deliver.
• No pushback. A provider who thinks every project is a good idea has either not listened or is only selling.
• Time pressure. Limited-time discounts on project prices are a sales tool, not an offer.
• Unclear ownership. Anyone who won't clearly say who owns data and access doesn't have your interests at heart.
• No contact with technical expertise. If only sales sits in the first meeting, that's where misunderstandings arise.

03 — Bottlenecks

What typically causes delays

• Content and deliveries. By far the most common cause of delay. Text, images, price lists, access credentials — what's missing blocks progress.
• Decisions. When it's unclear who approves, the project waits. A named contact person with decision-making authority noticeably shortens the timeline.
• Access to third-party systems. Getting access to inventory management, phone systems, or CRM regularly takes longer than the integration itself.
• Endless review rounds. Two correction rounds are normal, five are a sign that the goal wasn't clear at the start.