How to Prepare for Building Business Software or an App

Speaker: Maxwell Walters

Building software and apps has become a fundamental aspect of business growth and success. Whether you're a startup entrepreneur or a seasoned business professional, the decision to embark on a software development journey is a critical one. It requires careful planning, consideration, and understanding of the entire process. In this article, we'll dive into the insights provided by Maxwell Walters of Revelry during a recent presentation. Maxwell shares his valuable knowledge on how to prepare for building business software or an app, breaking it down into the before, during, and after phases.

Before You Start: The What, Why, and How

Maxwell emphasizes the importance of clarity before venturing into software development. This phase involves:

• Defining objectives and identifying problems: Understand what your organization needs to improve, both internally and externally. Focus on how the software can make a positive impact.

• Metrics for success: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of your software. This data will be critical in assessing the effectiveness of your application.

• Build vs. buy: Decide whether to build your software in-house or purchase existing solutions. Consider the cost, time, and long-term implications.

Additional Considerations:

• Analog vs. digital solutions: Assess if the problem can be solved with analog tools or processes before investing in digital solutions.

• Prioritization: Decide which features are essential and align with your core objectives.

• Core loop: Identify the essential functionalities that drive user engagement and success.

• Short-term vs. long-term thinking: Choose a development strategy based on your immediate goals and long-term vision.

• Internal vs. external development: Decide whether to build a dedicated internal team or outsource the project to external partners.

Deciding to Build: A Long-term Commitment

Once you decide to build, you are committing to an ongoing journey. Key aspects to consider include:

• Understanding constraints: Determine your budget and resource limitations. This information will guide your development team's approach.

• Starting simple: Begin with minimal viable features before adding bells and whistles.

• Prioritization: Focus on essential features and functionality that align with your objectives.

• Core loop: Concentrate on the primary functionalities that offer immediate value.

  
  

During Development: Collaborative Efforts

During the development phase, it's essential to collaborate effectively with your development team. Key considerations include:

• The development process: Understand your development team's workflow and how they convert ideas into working software.

• Transparency: Ensure open communication and transparency between you and the development team.

• Tooling: Know what tools and technologies your development team is using to build the software.

Development Process:

• User stories: Break down features into user stories to clarify and simplify the development process.

• Approvals and planning poker: Get involved in discussions about the complexity and effort required for each user story.

• Sprint-based development: Work in fixed time frames (sprints) to achieve specific objectives within the project.

After Launch: Maintenance and Growth

The journey doesn't end after your software goes live. You'll face ongoing challenges such as:

• Addressing bugs and enhancements: Be prepared to resolve issues, make improvements, and handle technical debt.

• Technical debt: Ensure your software remains sustainable and up-to-date.

• User feedback: Continuously analyze user feedback and incorporate improvements to enhance the user experience.

• Expanding functionality: Plan for future development to meet changing user needs and objectives.

Support and Maintenance:

• Internal or external team: Decide whether you have the in-house capacity to support and maintain your software or need to retain the external development team.

• User feedback: Create a mechanism for processing and acting on user feedback to make your software more effective and competitive.

• Expanding functionality: Be prepared to evolve and expand your software as your business needs change.

Conclusion

Building business software or an app is a multifaceted process that requires strategic planning, effective collaboration, and ongoing maintenance. By following the guidelines provided by Maxwell Walters, you can navigate the complex world of software development more confidently. Software is a long-term investment in your business's success, and understanding the entire process from start to finish is essential for achieving your goals. If you're embarking on a software development journey, always seek out expert guidance to ensure your project's success.

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Q&A

Q1. What are the top metrics for software developed for customer-facing versus internal-facing applications?

It depends on the type of software. For internal-facing software, focus on efficiency metrics. Ensure that your team can complete tasks more efficiently. For customer-facing software, track daily active users and assess if they are deriving value from your product or service.

Q2. How many full-time equivalents (FTEs) should be allocated to software support after installation?

The allocation of FTEs depends on the nature of the software and its anticipated enhancements. Consider the complexity of your software, your update cycle, and user feedback. The key is to align your FTE allocation with your long-term vision for the software.

Q3. What do you think about using no-code tools for initial development? Will this lead to problems in migrating to a more robust solution as needs grow?

Using no-code tools for initial development can be a viable option, especially for startups with limited resources. However, you should be aware that scalability may become an issue as your needs grow. It's a trade-off between speed and long-term scalability. As your business grows, you may need to invest in more robust solutions.

Q4. How should I vet a development team in terms of process transparency and tooling?

Look for teams that are willing to show you their current projects and processes. Transparency is key. Check if they have an established system for working, like public communication channels (e.g., Slack) to review their work. Ask for referrals and talk to previous customers about their experiences.

Q5. How much work should I expect a development shop to do without payment for scoping out my project?

The level of free work a development shop will provide varies. Larger shops may offer more upfront assistance in scoping out your project, while smaller ones might ask you to provide more documentation and input. It depends on the team and your project's complexity.

Q6. What is user-authorized testing, and what should someone new to software development expect during this process?

User-authorized testing involves the product owner using the application to complete tasks to ensure it meets the expected functionality. Someone new to software development should expect to test the software thoroughly to confirm it aligns with their requirements. The process may vary from team to team, but the focus is on user satisfaction and functionality validation.

Q7. What is the preferred way of tracking processes to ensure transparency and documentation among developers?

The method of process tracking isn't tied to specific tools but rather the culture of documentation and communication within the development team. It includes documenting code, issues, and conversations about problem-solving approaches. Transparency and clarity are key aspects of this process, allowing developers to understand each other's work and future teams to maintain the software efficiently.