What are good questions to ask during an intake interview?

Oscar Bout · 06 Aug 2026

Good questions during an intake meeting are questions that clarify expectations, reveal the working methods of the other party, and help you assess whether there is a genuine match. Think about questions regarding approach, communication, budget, and previous experiences. Whether you are looking for a software development partner or another service provider, the quality of your questions determines the quality of your decision. In this article, you will find the most valuable questions you can ask, organized by topic.

Which topics should you definitely discuss during an intake meeting?

During an intake meeting, there are five topics you should always cover: the content of the project, the working method and approach, communication and collaboration, budget and planning, and the reliability of the party. Anyone who thoroughly goes through these five themes will leave the conversation with a clear picture of what to expect.

An intake meeting is not a sales pitch, but a two-way conversation. You are evaluating the other party just as much as they are evaluating you. By covering all five topics, you prevent being caught off guard later by things like a suddenly higher bill, a different approach than expected, or a communication style that does not suit you.

Project content: What exactly are you going to build or have built?
Working method: How does the party approach the project?
Communication: How and how often is contact maintained?
Budget and planning: What does it cost and when will it be finished?
Reliability: What are the experiences of other clients?

How do you know which questions are relevant to your situation?

The most relevant questions are those where the answer influences your decision. Ask yourself in advance: what do I need to know to be able to say yes or no? Everything you need for that is relevant. Everything you already know or that does not change your decision is less relevant.

In software development, your specific situation and goals are leading. A startup having an app built for the first time asks different questions than a company looking to expand an existing system. Think about your risks: what are the consequences if the project runs over schedule, if the quality falls short, or if communication is difficult? Formulate your questions based on those risks.

A useful method is to divide your questions into three categories:

Dealbreakers: Questions whose answers determine whether you proceed at all.
Comparison questions: Questions that allow you to compare parties side by side.
Clarification questions: Questions that help you understand how something works.

What are the best questions to clarify expectations?

The best questions to clarify expectations are those that force the other party to be specific. Avoid vague answers by asking for examples, results, and agreements. The more specific the answer, the better you know what to expect.

Good examples of this type of question are:

“Can you describe how an average project with you progresses from start to delivery?”
“What are the most common reasons why projects run over schedule with you?”
“What does a delivery actually look like? What will I receive at that point?”
“What do you expect from me as a client during the project?”

Expectations are most often violated on points that no one has explicitly discussed. By asking these kinds of questions, you make the implicit explicit. That is where most misunderstandings come from, and therefore also where the most valuable questions lie.

Which questions help you assess the reliability of a party?

To assess the reliability of a party, ask about concrete experiences, references, and how the party handles problems. A reliable party is transparent about what can go wrong and has a clear answer on how they resolve it.

Ask these questions to test reliability:

“Can you provide a reference from a comparable project?”
“What do you do if a deadline is not met?”
“How do you handle feedback or complaints during the project?”
“How long have you been working with your current team or partners?”

Pay attention not only to the content of the answer, but also to the way someone responds. A party that directly and without hesitation explains how they handle problems inspires more confidence than a party that deflects or only tells positive stories. Authenticity in a conversation is itself an indicator of reliability.

What should you ask about collaboration and communication?

Regarding collaboration and communication, you should ask what day-to-day coordination looks like, who your point of contact is, and through which channels you stay in touch. Poor communication is one of the most frequently cited causes of failed projects, so this topic deserves explicit attention in every intake meeting.

Relevant questions include:

“Who is my dedicated point of contact and how accessible is that person?”
“How often do we have a status update and in what form?”
“Do you work with a project management system? If so, which one?”
“How do you handle time zone differences or language differences when relevant?”

In remote software development, this topic is especially relevant. The distance between the client and the development team makes clear communication structures even more important. Therefore, also ask specifically about the tools and practices a party uses to bridge that distance.

Which questions about budget and planning should you not forget?

Regarding budget and planning, you should never forget to ask how the pricing is structured, what happens with additional work, and what the realistic turnaround time is. Financial surprises and overrun projects are the two most common sources of frustration for clients.

Always ask these questions:

“Is this a fixed price or do you work on an hourly basis?”
“How are additional costs communicated and approved?”
“What is the expected turnaround time and which factors can influence it?”
“Are there interim payment milestones and how are they tied to progress?”

A good software development partner gives you transparency about costs upfront and has a clear process for handling scope changes. If a party remains vague on this point, that is a signal to be more critical.

This is how we help you find the right software partner

At 3Bird, we understand that an intake meeting is more than just an introduction. It is the moment when you determine whether we are the right partner for your project. That is why we also ask you the right questions, so that together we can get a clear picture of what you need.

This is what you can expect from us:

Dutch points of contact: Our fractional CTOs guide the project in your language and time zone.
Transparent rates: Developers from €25 to €30 per hour, with no hidden costs.
Flexible team: We scale up and down based on your needs, from junior web developer to senior full-stack developer.
Broad technical expertise: From React and Flutter to Java, .NET, and cloud solutions via AWS and Azure.
More than 25 years of experience: Our approach combines Dutch quality standards with cost-effective execution.

Want to know if we are the right match for your software project? Contact us at +(31)75-7993038 or send an email to contact@3bird.nl. We would be happy to schedule a no-obligation intake meeting.