My 2 cents: 1/ On your side, you need to make sure you know what you want (at the very least the big picture)with a rough idea on priorities and communicate it

My 2 cents: 1/ On your side, you need to make sure you know what you want (at the very least the big picture)with a rough idea on priorities and communicate it to your contractors well. Reserve some time for questions on their side and be generally open. In return, listen to their technical feedback and take it on account when weighting on decisions. After all, you hired them because they have some level of technical expertise that you don't have. 2/ On their side, your contractors must be comfortable with showing their progress on a regular basis. This is tremendously important so you can see how things are moving, catch problems before they arise and overall steer the whole ship if need be. It is also really important that they are able to explain what they are doing and why do they do it in this order as after all they are working for you. Finding this balance will essentially make sure the contractors have what they need to fill your expectations while making sure on your side you actually have what you are paying for.