A great many projects are hatched by business owners everywhere, but they don't all become a reality. Just like not all businesses survive the first 5 years, not every project is executed in a way it can be successful. I recently gave a presentation to a group of small business owners about how Web apps are like houses. If you're scratching your head, then keep reading and I'll explain.
Application development and building a house have a great many things in common. Building a house requires a blueprint, good building materials, skilled laborers, and a brilliant project manager. Sometimes that project manager is the architect, sometimes it's a general contractor, but everything else is a must for the house to be built right. Web and mobile application projects are no different.
You can have the greatest plan in the world, but if you don't have the ability (or hire someone with the ability) to execute that plan, you're finished before you even start. The key person in the equation is the project manager - the person who is coordinating the effort between you, the business owner, and the highly skilled programmers that will work in the trenches to breathe life into your idea. Most often, this person will have a business background, however the best project managers have knowledge and understanding of the technology behind the idea and can communicate that to non-technical people.
Obviously, the goal is to create something that helps your business succeed. Doing that requires a plan, a blueprint if you will, and evaluating that the plan is working and you're getting what you need. It is possible to overthink this to the point that nothing ever gets done, but bear in mind that creating any Web or mobile app is an ongoing conversation with your project manager and their team. These types of projects aren't "fire-and-forget" - you can't expect the project manager to know every facet of the idea after only one or two meetings. There will be questions and the details obtained by asking those questions will impact how the application ultimately comes together. If the project manager isn't asking questions or plans to deliver a finished product after meeting with you only a few times, then it's probably time to find another team.
We work with our clients to build out their minimum viable product, or MVP. Once we have that, it's an on-going conversation and project to build out every facet of their idea. Sometimes, the MVP is just the prototype and it will take time to get feedback from their customers about what changes are needed (and they will be needed). Once we complete the MVP, we have maintenance plans available providing a varying number of development hours each month to accommodate clients' needs. If we can assist you in crafting your application platform, contact us for a proposal.