The App trail is something everyone embarking on product development must be familiar with. If you are an enterprise CIO overseeing numerous in-house development teams you will be familiar with most of what we are about to tell you. Alternatively, if you are a startup entrepreneur with limited product development expertise you are in the best chapter of your life, so to speak. Why you ask?
Connecting the Dots: New Needs Breed New Methods
We have already introduced you to changes sweeping through the world of software development – the agile-lean methodologies, devOps and Cloud computing. These changes reflect the changes in IT environment as a whole. Cloud computing has democratized cutting-edge technologies that allow applications to be launched quickly and cheaply. This has sparked off an app race. The market is witnessing new and interesting use cases that debut new services or service old problems in new ways. Most of these new products are launched by startups headed by first generation entrepreneurs. The traditional heavy methodologies cannot serve this new clientele. So what software development model matches startup needs?
Agile-Lean Model: Development that sparks Discoveries
The startup clientele is a mixed package, a combination of creative abundance on one side and resource crunch on the other. Also, a startup idea is usually hazy atleast on some of the details. Understandably so, given that founders are not always experts in the particular domain or market. In such cases, the optimum product-market fit is not clear at the outset and is usually achieved after a few iterations. The development process has to aid this discovery. Agile-lean, devOps and cloud computing paradigms are best suited to such dynamic development contexts.
Where it begins
It begins with the quest to build the ‘Right Product’
The Premise
Before you give wings to your startup dreams, test your idea. Product validation through market analysis and concept testing is crucial. This is because even the most brilliant ideas are not immune to the vagaries of the market.
Solving the Outsourcing Dilemma: End-to-End Product Development
Does it mean cost concerns weigh higher than quality for most enterprises and startups? It’s never that simple. True, outsourcing is a significant cost and time saver. But, attracting the best IT talent with all the different skill sets required for end-to-end product develop- ment is not easy or necessary. In a world where technology and skills become obsolete quickly, it is not prudent to spend time building teams whose skills may not serve you for long. It is easier to hire a firm providing end-to-end product development services. This is why OPD will continue to shine.
Why end-to-end product development?
An integrated design and development model where the development partner is brought onboard early on helps in clear understanding of the business objectives as well as user goals. This solves the quality issues and communication headaches inherent in outsourcing model.
‘New’ Engagement models: Emphasize Collaboration and Co-Creation
‘New’ Software development methodologies
Super Teams: ‘Empowered’ + ‘Agile-Lean’
Dedicated cross-functional teams to work on a client’s product through its entire lifecycle
Now to the stages…
Stage 1: Discovery Workshops
This stage usually brings the client team and the vendor together for intense brainstorming sessions. All the requirements are identified. Once the feature set is identified, a product roadmap is built. The roadmap unifies the features and release schedules onto a single timeline. This visual product roadmap is communicated to all key stakeholders. Developers and testers must be made a part of planning, because their input will help identify technical limitations and opportunities.
Deliverables: