How to Prepare for a Software Discovery Call

Why preparation matters

A discovery call is usually the first real conversation between you and a potential software partner. The more clearly you can describe your situation, the better the advice and proposals you will receive.

You do not need a technical spec. You do not need to know what technology to use. You need to be able to explain your business, your problem, and what you are trying to achieve.

What to prepare before the call

1. Describe your current workflow

Write down, even roughly, how the process you want to improve currently works. Include:

• Who is involved at each step
• What tools or systems are being used
• Where information gets entered, moved, or looked up
• Where things typically slow down, break, or get confusing

You do not need a formal process diagram. Bullet points are fine. The goal is giving the development team enough context to understand your situation.

2. Define the problem clearly

Try to articulate what is not working and why it matters. Good problem statements are specific:

• “Our team spends 4 hours every Friday compiling a client report from three different spreadsheets”
• “Clients constantly email us asking for status updates because they have no way to check themselves”
• “We lose track of orders because the process involves WhatsApp, email, and a shared Google Sheet”

3. Know who will use the system

Think about the different types of people who will interact with whatever gets built:

• Internal team members (and which roles)
• Clients or external users
• Administrators or managers
• Any third-party integrations

4. Have a rough sense of budget and timeline

You do not need an exact number, but having a range helps the development team propose something realistic. “We are thinking somewhere between 5K and 15K” is much more useful than “we do not know.”

Similarly, if there is a deadline driving the project, mention it early.

5. Gather examples if you have them

If there are existing tools, competitors, or screenshots that illustrate what you are looking for, share them. Visual references help enormously, even if they are rough.

What to expect during the call

A good discovery call typically covers:

• Your business context and current situation
• The specific problem or opportunity you want to address
• Who the users are and what they need
• Any constraints: budget, timeline, existing tools, technical requirements
• Initial thoughts on approach and feasibility
• Next steps and what happens after the call

The call should feel like a conversation, not a sales pitch. If the partner spends the whole time talking about themselves instead of asking about your business, that is a signal.

Questions worth asking

• How would you approach a project like this?
• What is a realistic timeline for something like this?
• What do you need from us during the project?
• How do you handle changes in scope?
• What does post-launch support look like?
• Can you share examples of similar projects you have built?

After the call

A good partner will follow up with a summary of what was discussed and clear next steps. That might be a formal proposal, a scoping exercise, or a follow-up call to dig deeper into specific areas.

If you hear nothing for a week, follow up. If you still hear nothing, that tells you something too.