Your role is not to judge the code; it is to know what the product must do and to decide. A good developer takes responsibility for the technical side and makes it understandable.
What you can do well
- State the goal and the users. Why the product exists and who uses it.
- Set priorities. What matters most when time or money runs short.
- Review real results. Try the working version as a user would and say what confuses you.
- Decide promptly. Delays in answers are a major cause of delays in delivery.
How to keep it clear
- Ask for explanations in everyday words, and for the reason behind each recommendation.
- Ask what the options are and the effect of each on cost and time.
- Write down decisions and changes, and share the notes.
- Agree how often you will meet and what you will see each time.
Protecting yourself
- Hold accounts and domains in your own name.
- Ask for documentation and a copy of the source code regularly.
- For large decisions, consider a short, independent technical opinion.
The best projects are partnerships in which each side respects what the other knows. If you ever feel talked down to or kept in the dark, take that seriously.