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Demand for software development has grown considerably, since almost everything we do today depends on technology interaction. It’s rare to see a company that still doesn’t use the digital environment to serve its customers.

Entrepreneurs often have questions about this—especially those who are starting a business—wondering whether it’s really worth building an application for the segment they plan to operate in.

The most important thing to know is that software can be built for many different business models and can become an important arm of social networks, public services, entertainment, management, and countless other categories that can help a company develop its core business.

So what is a software development process, after all?

Software development is complex work that involves creativity and knowledge in a constructive—and, above all, collaborative—process. It relies on a set of interdisciplinary, skilled professionals who use technical resources and appropriate tools to deliver value to the end customer, not just a simple product.

At this point you already know your company needs to be well positioned in the digital era. But for that to happen, it’s essential to make the best possible use of the information age.

And since knowledge is the foundation of everything—including this era—we’ve prepared a few tips so you can successfully start a new software development project.

#1 – Organize your ideas

What do you want from this project? What problem will it solve and what audience will it reach? Start describing the details of your software and make everything as clear as possible. Research other programs similar to what you want to build and check their features.

Another very important factor—one that should be a priority in your research—is the customer.

It’s impossible to get results from a project without truly knowing who it will serve. That’s a crucial point in software development. To solve it, you need to understand your customer better, because only then will you know how to make the program more efficient.

Involving your team in this phase is important so information can be shared and everyone can participate in building the project.

#2 – Financial analysis

Yes—you will have expenses related to software development.

The cost will depend on the complexity of the features involved, and for the project to be viable, all costs need to be measured. Beyond the expenses related to shaping the idea itself, there are development costs, investments in advertising, and a product improvement roadmap, which will be carried out based on feedback from your target audience.

To estimate costs, involve an IT specialist from your team—or a full qualified team (which can be hired in a “staff on demand” model). These are the people best suited to evaluate costs, timelines, and expected results.

#3 – Software architecture

When working on a project, it’s essential to dedicate time to building good software architecture, for a simple reason: this is the foundation of every IT project.

Software architecture is a plan that describes a set of important aspects and decisions for development. This includes considering requirement types (performance, security, etc.), system organization, how parts communicate with each other, whether there are external dependencies, implementation guidelines and technologies, and which risks must be considered, among other points.

In short, it’s an abstract representation of the system’s components, ensuring the final result matches what was planned.

#4 – Feature testing

No matter how much you plan, errors can happen. It might be, for example, a crash that closes a program or a failure that prevents saving a file. Anyone who has experienced this knows how unpleasant it is to rely on software that doesn’t work.

To address these problems, use software testing. It helps find potential errors that a newly developed program may present so it can be broadly available to end users.

Testing the software’s features is the last stage of building your project and aims to ensure the quality of the product that will be released to the market.

#5 – A practical path for your project

As we’ve seen, developing a software project isn’t easy: it requires market knowledge, understanding of the user audience, technical expertise, and time availability.

For an entrepreneur who is just starting in the technology market—and often doesn’t yet have a team—investing in a project like this can be risky for the budget of a company or startup.

To get out of a tight spot, the first step is to decide: either you take care of your company’s reason for being (your business, your core business), or you dedicate time to developing a software project.

Remember that if your team doesn’t have the technical background to lead the program, in addition to losing time you’ll waste money. Only people who truly understand the subject will find the right products and suppliers.

Finally, what no company wants is to damage its market image by launching software that doesn’t meet customer expectations.

A good solution is to hire a software factory. It will have all the capabilities needed to deliver your software development project properly.

X-Apps has professionals who execute planning within the desired timeframe, generating more savings and added value for a market that demands more innovation every day.

If you’re thinking about building software, get in touch with the X-Apps software factory. We have the right solution for what your company needs.