Last Updated on 2024-10-11
Building your software product involves a lot of problem-solving and hard decisions. Learn all about software development and what to expect in the process.
With the onset of the digital era, companies are rapidly transforming their processes into more software-driven operations. In fact, spending on IT projects is expected to reach $4.6 trillion in 2023. Companies are acquiring, building, and using technologies that can increase their productivity and improve their quality of work. As a result, the number of software development projects has dramatically increased in recent years.
However, software development is not a walk in the park. It involves a lot of risks, and there’s a high chance of failure. If you’re venturing into software development, there is a list of things you may have to learn and unlearn.
Let’s discuss the common misconceptions and right expectations in software development.
What to Expect in Building Your Software
If you’re a business owner building your software product for the very first time, then it’s important to set the right expectations. It’s especially tricky if you’re a non-technical founder. You’ll need to set reasonable and achievable goals while considering all the potential threats to the project. Here are some important things to keep in mind in building your software:
The Software Development Team
One of the first factors to consider in building your software is the team that will develop it. If you’re not very familiar with how the IT industry works, this may cause problems from the get-go. So, here are some things to consider about assembling your software development team.
1. Finding talent
The common misconception about software experts is that there are plenty of them in the industry. While it’s true that the number of IT graduates has increased in recent years, it’s not enough to meet demands. In reality, there’s an ongoing IT talent shortage in the US.
With the rapid advancement of technology, IT professionals must constantly upskill to keep up. This makes it difficult to qualify for tech-specific roles that are required for certain projects. Businesses have a hard time scouting the right expert for their projects, leading them to delay their development timeline.
Fortunately, other recruitment options like outstaffing have become popular in recent years. Companies can now look into other locations to recruit IT talent for their project. Outstaffing firms like Full Scale make the hiring and management process convenient and affordable.
2. Managing your team
Another challenge with software development teams lies on the management side. Managing a software development team is a unique experience. It’s especially challenging if they’re in a remote setup. Some specific practices in managing a remote team may not apply to a traditional office setup.
Working with software experts requires a lot of flexibility in schedule, methodologies, and work arrangement. Keep in mind that writing code is a creative process that takes time and focus. The development process also involves a lot of testing and troubleshooting, which takes up a significant amount of time and resources.
Overall, you’ll have to keep an open mind in working with tech experts. Take the extra initiative to provide a great work culture and environment. We have a blog on how to keep your software engineers happy.
3. Scaling your team
Finally, when you’re planning to expand and scale to a larger team, you may find it challenging. As mentioned, there’s already a shortage in finding suitable professionals that match your project. So, it’s going to be challenging to add new members to the team. It also gets complicated when there’s a high learning curve for new developers in the project.
If you’re planning to scale your team in the future, ensure that you have good technical documentation. A well-kept and detailed documentation will make it easier for new hires to review and study the existing code. Encourage the team to always document all the changes and updates they’re adding to the codebase.
Software Development Process
Now that we’ve set the right expectations for the software development team, it’s time to discuss the actual process of building your software.
Development timeline
A common mistake in software development is setting up the wrong expectations of timelines. One thing to note about any software project is that deadlines can easily change. From the completion date to the actual product launch, a lot of these set timelines can be affected by several factors.
- Resources—There may be certain tools you need to acquire along the way, or perhaps you need to hire another expert in the team. If the unexpected costs are beyond the budget, it can put the entire project on hold.
- Vendors—Depending on your application type, you may have to collaborate with third-party vendors. They may take a long time to respond or deliver their services.
- Project Complexity—Certain features might be more complicated than expected. Your team may need more time to study and strategize a new approach.
- Errors—Errors are inevitable in developing a program, whether it’s a wrong line of code or the results of testing. Bug fixing and enhancements can delay the entire process.
Maintenance
Lastly is software maintenance. Keep in mind that the work doesn’t stop after launching the product. The development team typically oversees the performance of the program. And users are bound to send feedback that may require changing the features or fixing certain bugs. You may end up with minor changes or drastic overhauls as needed.
Conclusion
Building your software product starts with a great team. You can avoid a lot of trouble in development by having skilled and seasoned professionals on your team. Choose your experts wisely and foster a great environment for them to thrive.
Build Your Software Development Team with Full Scale
Would you like to grow your software development team? You can find the best IT experts in the field with the help of Full Scale.
At Full Scale, we take care of all the time-consuming tasks involved in hiring, onboarding, and managing remote workers. To discover the best software specialists for your project, we’ll work with you. To put the necessary management and communication solutions in place, we will work with your local team. The employment procedure is swift, simple, and reasonably priced thanks to Full Scale.
Together, let’s expand your team and business. We have a strong desire to see business owners prosper.
Contact us today!
Matt Watson is a serial tech entrepreneur who has started four companies and had a nine-figure exit. He was the founder and CTO of VinSolutions, the #1 CRM software used in today’s automotive industry. He has over twenty years of experience working as a tech CTO and building cutting-edge SaaS solutions.
As the CEO of Full Scale, he has helped over 100 tech companies build their software services and development teams. Full Scale specializes in helping tech companies grow by augmenting their in-house teams with software development talent from the Philippines.
Matt hosts Startup Hustle, a top podcast about entrepreneurship with over 6 million downloads. He has a wealth of knowledge about startups and business from his personal experience and from interviewing hundreds of other entrepreneurs.