From Concept to Completion - Our Guide to Project Management for Software Products
Today’s industry standard is agile management, which supports changing market realities and allows for fast iteration of ideas. It’s the perfect solution for startup founders and innovators.
What is it like from the inside? Download our book and find out.
We explore many aspects relevant to agile project management, from preparing the product vision for development, through starting a new project and setting up a team, to avoiding common pitfalls and, if need be, starting over. The goal of this book is both to help clients better understand our process and share our tried-and-true techniques with all project managers out there. If you’re just starting out, this ebook is a good introduction to the field.
Before Work Can Begin
Jumping right into developing your software project might be the worst possible course of action. If the idea is very simple, it can work, but we still believe it’s almost always better to take the time for proper planning. You need to consider several aspects of the project: the time it will take until completion, the cost you’ll need to contend with and the scope you want to cover.
At Netguru, we recommend going through a Scoping Session and/or a Product Design Sprint to establish the business realities of a client’s vision. It’s very important for everyone involved with the project to understand what they need to achieve and how they can do it. The first section of our ebook deals with preparatory work required for a project, setting up an outstanding team and the 7 stages of a new project. It also covers estimating costs and creating user stories.
The Process
Most software products require great flexibility in the development stage. Trends change, the competition never rests and new opportunities present themselves as time passes. Stakeholders may learn things that change their perspective, or there might be new stakeholders on board with their own ideas for the project. The Agile methodology was developed for this exact reason: to help companies adapt to change quickly.
The second section of our ebook outlines the process of mapping out a project while taking into account flexibility, reaching product goals and using feedback. It also goes into detail on the actual process of developing a software product, from using proper quality assurance procedures to understanding iterations.
When Things Go Wrong
Some mistakes are unavoidable, but often it’s easy to learn from the bad experiences of others. The last section of our ebook goes through the most common problems and crises that occur during software development, including issues that a software development agency might have (and how to spot them), and project management strategies that do more harm than good. Finally, we offer insights into the worst case scenario. We explain the difference between rewriting an application and refactoring bad code, and give advice on when one or the other is the better solution.
The ebook ends with a short description of the process we use at Netguru, but if you’re curious about how we work, just drop us a line in the comments or contact us directly. And, of course, download our ebook!
