What US buyers usually check first
Three things come up on nearly every first call: who owns the code, how the time difference is handled, and whether the company can pass a security review. The answers are the same for a two-person startup and a mid-size IT department. Source code lives in your repository from the first commit. Hours are written into the contract rather than described as flexible.
How an engagement usually starts
A scoped call, then a written estimate within 48 hours listing assumptions, exclusions and the risks that could move the number. If a fixed price makes sense the scope document becomes the contract. If the work is genuinely exploratory, time and materials with a weekly demo is more honest than a fixed price that both sides know will change.


