Your App Nearly Choked To Death

January 20, 2012

By Jeremy Vaughan 0

Blog Photo by: JD Hancock

So you’re thinking of a new product-based startup, adding new features to an existing platform, or starting a new product to "plug-in" to your already successful business.

Big ups to you!

Try not to get choked up, disoriented and mesmerized by your classic constraints:

"I don’t have unlimited funding, there’s too many features, there’s not enough time.”

Don't just accept these limitations, with a tad shift in our thinking we can change the way we approach situations, drive innovation and force focus in building the right software.

Constraints Are Advantages in Disguise

Everyday we’re presented with barriers to achieving our goals. AN-Y-THING worthwhile is affected by obstacles that are out of our control and it’s how we handle them that makes the difference.

It’s our first and natural inclination to avoid and fight our limitations at all costs, but instead, let's embrace them and turn them into creative solutions...

Leveraging constraints allows for projects to establish the best requirements, preventing the creation of bloated products, eliminating wasted time and money.

“In software product development you can lower your cost of change by always building less software. Build just enough features to solve problems and then get out of the way!” -37Signals.com

NEGATIVE, Ghost Rider, The Triangle is Full

Software projects are HARD.

Open communication to understanding priorities grants a successful project. Communication between PARTNERS is always constant, open and transparent.

To scope accordingly, Requirements Discovery communication and collaboration starts wayyyy before the project has even begun. That way, and to avoid the "every project plan is a triangle" conversation, you can work with the team to discuss the limitations you’ve been given... allowing creativity and prioritization to take over.

There’s a formula for every project and the process of collaborative goal setting is about being flexible in discussing priorities so we can all agree on the BEST formula for success. If done adequately, we can BLAST that darn symmetrical triangle once and for all!

triangle