Taking on external projects through a software house introduces a completely different dynamic compared to building open-source tools or personal SaaS products. When you are writing code for yourself, the specifications can evolve organically. When you are locked into a contract, scope creep is your worst enemy.
I recently initiated a new development contract, which served as a great reminder of the importance of early-stage project management. We spent the first week doing nothing but defining boundaries, deliverables, and exact tech stacks. Setting up a project dashboard to visualize progress for non-technical stakeholders is critical. If they can't see the commits, they need to see the milestones.
Ultimately, a successful contract relies 20% on the actual programming and 80% on communication, expectation management, and strict adherence to the agreed-upon architecture.