Choosing who to work with on something important is worth a little diligence, whatever kind of advice you're looking for. Here are a few questions that tend to matter more than they first appear.

• How do you communicate, and how often? Some relationships need frequent check-ins; others just need to know someone is paying attention.
• What happens after the first meeting? A good next step should be concrete, not vague.
• How are you compensated? Understanding this up front avoids surprises later.
• What do you do when something doesn't go as planned? How someone handles the unexpected tells you a lot.

We're always happy to answer these directly — feel free to ask any of them when we speak.