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How to work with developers if you are not technical

| Article: 2 min read | Team

Working with developers without a technical background does not mean learning to code. It means being able to say clearly what should change for the buyer, agreeing on how you will check it, and seeing what is happening with the project. Ordinary management skills are enough.

What you need to be able to do, and what you don't

You don't need to know a programming language. You need to be able to:

  • describe the result, not the solution: "the buyer sees the Nova Poshta delivery status in their account" instead of "build an API integration";
  • say why it is needed and which number should change;
  • agree on acceptance criteria: what you will use to say "done";
  • understand what to check: the form, payment, the mobile version, emails.

How to set a task

  1. One sentence on the goal and the problem it solves.
  2. Who needs it (buyer, manager, accountant).
  3. How it should work, step by step, with an example of a real order.
  4. What we count as done: a list of checks.
  5. What is not part of the task.

For big changes, write a technical specification and agree right away who checks what.

How not to depend on one person

  • Access (domain, hosting, code, analytics) must be registered to the company.
  • The code lives in a repository you have access to.
  • Changes are frequent and small, not one big handover every six months.
  • There is a test environment where you review changes before publishing.
  • Decisions and explanations are written down, not only spoken.

Developers and AI

Developers already use AI widely. According to the DORA 2025 report (almost 5,000 technical professionals surveyed), 90% of respondents use AI, and 30% have little or no trust in generated code. The report's main conclusion: AI amplifies what is already in the team. Cohesive teams gain in efficiency, fragmented ones only get more problems (Google, DORA 2025). For you this means: don't ask "do you use AI", ask "how do you verify the result". More on the limits: vibe coding and technical debt.

Common mistakes

  • Giving a task verbally with no written record.
  • Changing requirements mid-work and being surprised by the timeline and cost.
  • Not looking at interim results until final delivery.
  • Not asking what happens to support after launch and who pays for it (cost of ownership).
  • Measuring work in hours, not in results for the buyer.

FAQ

How do I know a developer is telling the truth about timelines? Ask them to break the work into small stages with a visible result and review them every week. A single stage is much easier to check than an overall "80% ready".

What if I don't understand the technical terms? Ask them to explain using a buyer's order as an example. If a person can't explain it simply, that is a signal.

Do I need my own technical consultant? For big projects (a new platform, migration) it may pay off. First check whether a good specification and acceptance testing will be enough.

Sources

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