The cheapest insurance in software costs an afternoon. Before a developer writes anything, open the accounts your app will depend on, in your own business's name, and invite the developer in. Owners who skip this step are the ones who later find their domain, code, or app store listing sitting in someone else's account.
Key Takeaways
- Every account your app depends on should be owned by your business, with the developer invited as a user.
- Use a business email you control, not one the developer created.
- Keep the billing on your card so nothing lapses when a developer leaves.
- Store passwords in a business password manager, and remove access when work ends.
The List
| Account | Why it matters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Your address on the internet | Your business should be the registrant |
| Code repository (GitHub, GitLab) | Where the code lives | Create an organization; invite developers |
| Hosting / cloud | Where the app runs | Owner account in your name, developers as users |
| Database and backups | Your data | Often inside the hosting account |
| Email sending service | Password resets, receipts | Tied to your domain |
| Payment provider | Your money | Always in your business's name |
| Apple Developer and Google Play | Mobile app listings | Enroll as your business |
| Analytics and error tracking | Knowing what happens | Easy to forget |
| Password manager | Where all of this is stored | Business plan, shared vaults |
Why the Domain Comes First
If a domain is registered in someone else's name, getting it back can be slow. Under ICANN's transfer policy, a registrar may deny a transfer within 60 days of a registration or a previous transfer, and a change of registrant can trigger a 60-day transfer lock unless the owner opted out beforehand (ICANN Transfer Policy). ICANN is working on changes to these rules, so check the current policy, but the lesson holds: register the domain in your business's name from the start. ICANN's guidance for registrants explains who controls a domain.
App Store Accounts
If there will be a mobile app, enroll your business yourself. The Apple Developer Program costs $99 a year, and a Google Play developer account has a one-time $25 registration fee. An app published under a developer's personal account belongs to that account, and moving it later is a process you do not want to depend on someone else's goodwill for.
How To Share Access Safely
- Invite, never share logins. Most services let you add users with their own passwords. That way you can remove one person without changing everything.
- Give the least access that works. A developer needs to deploy code, not change your billing.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for every owner account.
- Keep a list of who has access to what. The software project handover checklist has a template.
- Remove access when work ends, and rotate any shared keys.
What Developers Should Set Up for You
Some accounts are technical to configure. That is fine. A developer can set them up, but in your organization, on your card, with you as owner. On our own software factory projects, you own everything we build: code, designs, and documentation.
A Concrete Version
A yoga studio owner is about to start a booking app build. Before kickoff, the owner spends an afternoon:
- Checks whether the studio's domain is registered to the business or to the web designer from years ago. It is the designer's, so the owner starts the transfer now, weeks before it matters.
- Creates a GitHub organization for the studio and invites the developer.
- Opens a cloud hosting account on the business card and adds the developer as a user.
- Opens the payment provider account in the business's name.
- Creates a shared vault in a password manager.
Three months later, the developer takes a full-time job and leaves. The owner removes their access in ten minutes. The new developer is invited the same day and starts from the same accounts. Nothing had to be "handed over."
The Honest Counterpoint
Owning everything also means receiving the bills, security alerts, and renewal emails, and some owners find that overwhelming. If you let a trusted builder manage accounts for convenience, at least make sure your business is the legal owner and has admin access, and that the arrangement is written into the contract. What you want to avoid is dependency with no paper trail.
Frequently Asked Questions
My developer already set everything up in their name. What now?
Ask politely for a transfer now, while the relationship is good. If it goes badly, read what to do when a developer won't hand over your code.
Do I need to understand these services?
No. You need to be the owner, keep the billing current, and know who has access.
Is my idea protected if I own the accounts?
Owning the accounts protects your assets. Protecting the idea is a separate question. See how to protect your idea when hiring a developer.
Who should own the code legally?
You, through a signed written assignment. Read who owns the code a contractor writes.
The Bottom Line
Open the accounts in your business's name, invite the developer, keep the billing, and write down who has access. It takes an afternoon and prevents the worst software stories. If you are not ready to hire yet, start with the free honest read on your idea.
Roberto Espinoza is CEO of Ruzora, which builds custom software for business owners at a fixed price and places pre-vetted senior LATAM engineers with US teams. Get a free honest read on your idea.
