The 5 Questions I Get on Every First Call (and the Answers I Wish More Teams Heard Up Front)

If you have never been on a custom software sales call, you are not alone. A lot of the teams I talk to are walking into their first “let’s talk about building software” conversation and trying to figure out what questions they should ask, what information they should bring, and what a good partner should sound like.

So here it is. These are the top questions I hear on almost every initial call, along with the honest answers we give at APAX. If you are thinking about a custom website, web app, mobile app, or internal platform, this should help you warm up, feel more prepared, and get a glimpse into how we work before we ever meet.

A quick note about APAX: We are a regional custom software company based in Kentucky. We build for organizations that need real outcomes, not just a shiny launch. That means strategy, design, development, and long-term support, all working together.

1) What does APAX actually do?

The simplest answer: we design and build custom software and digital platforms that solve business problems.

That can look like:

• Custom software platforms and internal tools
• Websites and enterprise content management systems
• Mobile apps
• Data-heavy web applications
• Integrations between systems that do not naturally talk to each other
• Long-term support, maintenance, and continuous improvement

What matters most is not the category. It is the reason you are building it.

On calls, I usually ask something like:
What is the pain you are trying to remove, or the outcome you are trying to create?
That answer tells us whether the right solution is a new build, a rebuild, a modernization, or sometimes just a smarter workflow.

2) Who do you typically work with?

We work with organizations that have a real business problem software can solve and a team that cares about getting it right.

A lot of our clients live in industries like:

• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Higher education
• Associations and nonprofits
• Information-driven professional services

If your organization has a process that is currently handled by spreadsheets, email chains, or a system nobody likes, you are usually in the right neighborhood for a conversation.

What we look for is not a perfect spec. We look for a clear problem, a willingness to collaborate, and leadership that wants a solution that will still work a year from now.

3) How long does a typical project take?

This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you are building, how complex it is, and how quickly decisions can be made.

A practical way to think about it:

• Smaller projects can take a few months
• Larger platforms often roll out in phases over six to twelve months

Most successful projects start with a discovery phase. Discovery is where we define scope, confirm what success looks like, and build a plan you can trust. In the market, it is widely recognized that skipping discovery is one of the fastest ways to build the wrong thing correctly.

If you want a more useful answer on your first call, here is what helps me the most:

• Your desired timeline (and why that date matters)
• What is already in place today (systems, vendors, constraints)
• Who needs to be involved in decisions
• What would make this project feel like a win

4) What does it cost?

This is the most important question and also the one that is easiest to misunderstand.

Custom software is scoped individually, so there is no single price list that works for everyone. But to give you a real starting point: projects typically start in the mid-five figures and go up from there based on complexity, integrations, and the level of ongoing support required.

When people ask about cost, what they usually want to know is one of these:

• Can you give me a budget range so I can plan internally?
• How do you price projects and manage risk?
• What makes cost go up or down?

On our side, we try to keep pricing tied to reality. In the industry, the two most common approaches are fixed price and time and materials, and each changes how risk and flexibility are handled. Many modern teams prefer flexible models for complex builds because requirements evolve, and rigid scope can create expensive friction.

What I promise on a first call is not a magical quote. It is clarity:

• what we think you actually need
• what we would do first
• the likely scope range
• and whether we are a fit before anyone wastes time

5) How do we get started?

You request a consultation, and we do a quick, human, low-pressure first conversation.

On that call, we will ask about:

• your goals and what is driving the project
• what you are currently using
• the timeline you are working with
• what a win looks like for your team
• and any constraints like compliance, integrations, or content ownership

Then we will tell you what you really want to know:

• whether we think APAX is a good fit
• what the best first step would be
• and what we would need to put a real plan together

Sometimes that plan is discovery. Sometimes it is an audit. Sometimes it is a phased rollout. And sometimes we tell you honestly that you do not need custom software yet.

If you take nothing else from this post, take this: a good first call should make you feel clearer, not sold to.

A simple way to prepare for your first call

If you want to get the most out of an initial conversation with any custom software partner, bring answers to these three questions:

1. What is the business problem, in one sentence?
2. Who feels the pain today, and what does it cost in time, money, or risk?
3. What would success look like 90 days after launch?

That is enough to start an excellent conversation.

Closing

If you are exploring a custom website, software platform, mobile app, or enterprise content system and want to pressure-test your idea, we are happy to talk.

Request a consultation and we will help you figure out the next best step.