Concrete advice on how non-technical founders can survive a tech product launch

Photo credit: Emile Perron.

Technology can be transformational. Smart, beautiful, well-built applications have given us power that was previously unthinkable. Great ideas can come from anywhere.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a chef, firefighter, student, stay-at-home mom, or economics professor. If you have a clever way to meet a real human need (or want), you can create a compelling product.

But when you have a brilliant idea with little to no technical ability, crossing the canyon between concept and completion can feel impossible. Even coding can seem like a form of wizardry, practiced by caffeine-fueled 20-somethings in headphones.

Don’t let intimidation stall your project before it gets started. You don’t have to know the difference between SQL, Java, and Python to create something incredible. Instead, let’s talk about how to work effectively with a freelance team or software development firm that can bring your vision to life.

I want to share my insights from the other side, as co-CEO of a software development firm called Appster.

Each stage of your project will bring common pitfalls. Here’s how to avoid them.

Planning and documentation

I can’t overemphasize the importance of upfront project planning.

Software development is not like hiring the neighbor’s kid to mow your lawn; it’s more like a desert trek with a series of dangers and irritants that will inevitably pop up along the way.

The best way to de-risk that trek is to have a thorough understanding of what you’re trying to build before you build it.

Pitfall 1: Calling up a dev firm or contractor, describing your idea, and asking for the cost

If someone can give you an exact price tag or timeline after a five-minute phone call or a single email, they’re setting you up to fail.

If they’re ready to dive right in, that’s also a massive red flag. Every digital product has a huge range of functional and nonfunctional elements that must be mapped out from the start.

No one wants to have a conversation that includes, “Of course, it was supposed to handle over 10,00 users per day!” A strong upfront planning process is the way to avoid this crash-and-burn scenario.

Testing and prototyping

Quality assurance

Other important considerations

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