The three tiers
- Configurator: pipelines, fields, automation rules, forms — no code. Right for straightforward implementations
- Integration developer: REST API, webhooks, queue workers, field mapping, rate-limit handling. Right for connecting systems
- Platform developer: OAuth apps, placements, embedded UI, marketplace distribution. Right for custom tooling
Screening questions (with the answers you want)
- "How do you handle rate limits on a 10,000-record import?" — wants: batch (50 calls/request), queued jobs, controlled concurrency, backoff. Red flag: 'a loop with sleep()'
- "Webhook or OAuth app for a long-lived ERP sync?" — wants: app, with token rotation and user-independence reasoning. Red flag: 'webhook is easier' with no trade-off discussion
- "How do you prevent duplicate leads from a form integration?" — wants: idempotency keys and/or phone-email matching with defined merge rules. Red flag: silence
- "What do you hand over at the end?" — wants: source, mapping docs, architecture note. Red flag: 'it will be running on our server'
- "Show an automation map from a past project" — wants: an actual document. Red flag: portal screenshots
Engagement models
Fixed-price scoped projects work when the scope is genuinely known — after an audit, not before. Monthly retainers fit ongoing support and continuous improvement. Hourly-open-ended fits neither: it puts all scope risk on you. Whatever the model, insist on your own service account, your own hosting (or documented hosting), and code ownership in writing.