When starting a new software project, there are a series of questions that need to be explored before diving headfirst into the development cycle. At Atomic, we often spend time in what we call the “Research, Design, and Planning” phase of the project to do just that.
During this phase, we’ll seek to better understand the product, business, users, and overall project journey that we’re about to embark on.
Below I’ve outlined the core questions I target at the start of a new software project.
Custom software is not cheap. Be sure to evaluate why your customer is looking to dive into it in the first place. Create space for all stakeholders to respond, as there are likely many different perspectives behind “the why.”
Benchmarking what other products exist is a great exercise to do during a Research, Design, and Planning phase. Use this time to understand how this product will be different. What value is it adding that others are lacking?
Does the product include a wearable device? Does it need to tie into other internal or external systems? Integrations will shape both the design and development approach, so knowing about them from the get-go is ideal.
Will the product help with sales? Will it provide impactful data? What is the reason our business is seeking to create the software?
Understanding expectations is crucial. Work with your team to create a shared understanding of what success is and how you might measure it.
For example, is there a crucial integration that we need to work with IT on, but IT is booked out for 6 months? Is there a stakeholder who has the true vision of the product, but they’ll be on leave at the start of the project?
Use this time to map out who your stakeholders are and set expectations for how engaged you will need them to be. How might you ensure the project never gets blocked from a lack of stakeholder feedback?