This is the question everyone has but feels embarrassed to ask.
You're paying $150/hour (or more). You get weekly updates that say "good progress." But you can't shake the feeling that you're funding someone's Netflix habit.
Fair question. Let's answer it.
What Real Work Looks Like
→ Regular commits in the repo — You should see code changes daily or at least several times a week → Staging environment updates — Working software you can actually test, not just promises → Documented progress in your portal — Written updates tied to specific features or tasks → Questions about requirements — Good developers ask clarifying questions. Silence is a red flag.
If you're seeing these, they're working.
The Red Flags
→ Updates are vague: "Making good progress on the backend" → No deployable code for weeks: "It's almost done, just debugging" → Constant excuses: "Ran into unexpected issues" (every week) → Radio silence until you ask for an update
You shouldn't need to play detective.
The process should make progress visible by default. That's why we built the client portal — every milestone, every deliverable, every checkpoint is documented and accessible.
The Bottom Line
If you're wondering whether your developer is working, the answer is probably no. Or at least, not effectively.
Good developers don't leave you guessing.
They show you the work. They communicate proactively. They give you something to test at regular intervals.
If you're not getting that, it's time for a conversation — or a new developer.
Have you ever felt this way about a project? What did you do?
#SoftwareDevelopment #ProjectManagement #ClientRelationships #Transparency #AgencyLife
→ scopeforged.com
Philip Rehberger Founder, ScopeForged scopeforged.com
