Velocity Labs
What Makes A Successful Software Project?
Velocity Labs has several decades worth of experience building software projects for single person startups, 10 person small businesses, publicly-traded multi-billion dollar corporations, and everything in between. Here are some things we've found that help make a software project successful.
Communication
We believe in a very high-level of communication. That's why we speak with our clients every day in our daily standup. In addition, the tools we use, like Trello, allow us to have text discussions around a particular piece of functionality. Of course, if needed, we can always jump on a conference call.
Transparency
We are more than just software developers. We are trusted consultants that advise our clients to the best of our ability on their business. We let them know our thoughts on ideas, as well as coming up with our own suggestions. Ultimately, the direction of their business is up to them, but we always let our clients know what we think.
Simplicity
One of the biggest killers of software projects is unnecessary complexity. Clients should remain focused on business goals and keeping things simple. By avoiding complexity, we're far more likely to create software that meets our clients' needs, as well as staying within budget and timeframe.
Flexibility
As a client discovers more about their customers and business, it may be necessary to adjust the priority of what we're working on, scrap some ideas, or add entirely new ones. This is a natural part of the software development process. Don't get locked into what comes out of the story workshop, as software is constantly evolving.
On the other hand, it's easy to allow flexibility to lead to unnecessary complexity. Stay focused on business goals, and remember to keep it simple.
Early Feedback From Customers
This is one of the most overlooked activities in software development. Many people believe they know exactly what their (future) customers will want. After all, they have all of the requirements, right?
Unfortunately, it doesn't usually work out that way. We know it can often feel embarassing to show a potential customer an incomplete, ugly, work-in-progress. Find trusted customers who are willing to provide unfiltered feedback, and who understand that the product is not finished. Allow them to see it as it solidifies, and as their feedback is incorporated, then reward them when the product launches.
Client Participation
Of course, software development wouldn't be complete without our client's participation. We expect a lot from our clients. After all, we're building this software for them.
At a minimum, there are 4-5 hours of planning, standups, and demos per week. Additionally, we expect our clients to be responsive when we have questions that need answers. The longer it takes to get a question answered, the longer it will take to develop that piece of functionality.
As we complete story cards, we also ask our clients to review them and provide feedback. The faster this feedback loop happens, the faster we can incorporate changes.
So, if you're ready to successfully develop your next project, contact us now!
Need help with your project?
We specialize in Ruby on Rails and JavaScript projects. Code audits, maintenance and feature development on existing apps, or new application development. We've got you covered.