The questions to ask before you sign anything — so you can tell a real growth partner from a vendor selling deliverables.
Ask what they'd tell you not to do. A vendor sells you everything in their catalog. A partner tells you which parts of your ask are the wrong problem.
Ask how they'd know if it isn't working, and by when. If there's no answer more specific than 'we'll track engagement,' there's no real accountability built in.
Ask who actually does the work, not just who's in the pitch. Many proposals are staffed by senior people and delivered by whoever's free that month.
Ask what happens to the systems and assets when the contract ends. If the answer is 'nothing, they live in our tools,' you're renting, not building.
Ask for one example of them saying no to a client. If they can't produce one, they don't have a point of view — they have a sales process.
If this hit close to home, that's worth an actual conversation, not another article.
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