Will you sign an NDA?

Yes, routinely and without fuss. I have a mutual one ready if you do not have your own.

Why mutual matters

A one-way NDA protects you and leaves my working methods, pricing structure and the fact that we spoke entirely unprotected. Mutual is standard, and any reasonable counterparty accepts it.

What I will happily agree to

• Not discussing your business, your data, your plans or your numbers.
• Not naming you as a client without written permission — including in case studies, on the website, and in conversation.
• Handling your data under a proper processing agreement, separately from the NDA.
• Ensuring anyone who works on your project is under the same obligations, back to back.

That last point is the one people forget. An NDA with me is worth much less if the developer writing your code has signed nothing.

What I will push back on

Broad non-compete clauses that would stop me working in your entire sector. I work with energy, construction and industrial businesses — if I could not work with anyone in your industry, I could not work.

I will not use your ideas or your data for anyone else. But "we build quoting tools for manufacturers" is not your confidential information, and a clause that treats it as such is one I will ask to narrow.

On the practical side

If an NDA takes six weeks through your legal team, tell me at the start so we can run it in parallel with early conversations rather than losing a month.