Software Product Planning Done Right?

[Raja]

Hi Fastlaners,
Some of you may know, I am starting my first business that is a Marketplace for Apps in my niche. Consider it amazon for apps.

need is verified by a third-party selling them(like verifying need of medicines after seeing them on amazon and are selling good, then I am going to make a marketplace for medicines. Just an example)

I have and can learn the technical know-how on how to build. I am super firm on this idea, even though will have branches but not like a completely different thing.

the Problem comes with planning,

• I don't have any experience in that
• Just a developer, not a project manager
• don't have deep pockets to hire a project manager, all I can do is hire interns. (though I am thinking of doing paid consultation with Experienced Project mangers after I build a plan)

short story
I am big on planning as my experience in my internship took us 3 months to do the task which can easily be completed within a month and also was not perfect. why because of poor planning and leadership, the requirement change by the day even though was not required.

so back to the question, how to plan for building a software product?

@eliquid would love some of your wisdom here. I have gone through your AMA thread, there was no clear path mentioned. also, I didn't ask this in ama as I don't know that this does belong in that thread.

Therefor I am not properly planning out tech beforehand for each MVP. Why do all that work and spend months on it if it doesn't make money?

Not talking about Months of planning, talking like at 1 - 2 weeks of planning at max.

I also have the intention to stick to the plan, Requirements are also not changing(I believe).

P.S. I am a sole developer as of now

I am also building an organization chart so I can delegate effectively later(mentioned in some thread, I forgot)

regards
Suryapratap

 

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[Kid]

MVP is your target.
Also building web app is easy, finding clients is less.

So if i were in your shoes i wouldn't plan much but i would spend time
figuring out how you will bring people to your marketplace.

 

[Raja]

MVP is your target.
Also building web app is easy, finding clients is less.

So if i were in your shoes i wouldn't plan much but i would spend time
figuring out how you will bring people to your marketplace.

I am thinking if course funnel, giving and teaching for free and building recognition.
Initially I will also make apps for the platform.
Building community.

There is also a very small chance that a huge company gives a shoutout.

Some affiliate stuff.

Influencer marketing

Worst case, this will fail and be part of my portfolio to funnel client to my app building agency.

I am not thinking this too deep as I don't have anything else to do. Cost for 1st year will at max be 100usd.

I would love you take in this.

 

[alexkuzmov]

Hi Fastlaners,
Some of you may know, I am starting my first business that is a Marketplace for Apps in my niche. Consider it amazon for apps.

need is verified by a third-party selling them(like verifying need of medicines after seeing them on amazon and are selling good, then I am going to make a marketplace for medicines. Just an example)

I have and can learn the technical know-how on how to build. I am super firm on this idea, even though will have branches but not like a completely different thing.

the Problem comes with planning,

• I don't have any experience in that
• Just a developer, not a project manager
• don't have deep pockets to hire a project manager, all I can do is hire interns. (though I am thinking of doing paid consultation with Experienced Project mangers after I build a plan)

short story
I am big on planning as my experience in my internship took us 3 months to do the task which can easily be completed within a month and also was not perfect. why because of poor planning and leadership, the requirement change by the day even though was not required.

so back to the question, how to plan for building a software product?

@eliquid would love some of your wisdom here. I have gone through your AMA thread, there was no clear path mentioned. also, I didn't ask this in ama as I don't know that this does belong in that thread.

Not talking about Months of planning, talking like at 1 - 2 weeks of planning at max.

I also have the intention to stick to the plan, Requirements are also not changing(I believe).

P.S. I am a sole developer as of now

I am also building an organization chart so I can delegate effectively later(mentioned in some thread, I forgot)

regards
Suryapratap

A task/bug tracker is a MUST (my guess would be that you already have one)

These are pretty good:

1. Trello
2. YouTrack: The Issue Tracking and Project Management Tool for Teams

My advice is to write out an architecture plan for the MVP which consists of:

1. Intro - short description of the product, what it`ll do, who is it for, whats its purpose, what problem does it solve etc.
2. Scope - outline your MVP, what do yourr clients want (benefits for the client over features of the product!!!!), how will the product get to them, sales stuff.
3. Tech stack - define what you`ll be using, down to the IDE
4. Version control and CD - make sure to automate this first, right from the start.
This is a real time saver if you can deploy changes with a simple push to a repo.

These are your pillars lets say.
Write them out, split them into tasks, add them in your task manager, set the priority and code code code.
Dont forget the clients offcourse, anything the clients want goes inside the task manager with priority.
Clients over MVP!!!!
If someone is willing to pay you, dont just stand there, take their money! ( this is advice which @eliquid gave me)

 

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[Raja]

A task/bug tracker is a MUST (my guess would be that you already have one)

These are pretty good:

1. Trello
2. YouTrack: The Issue Tracking and Project Management Tool for Teams

My advice is to write out an architecture plan for the MVP which consists of:

1. Intro - short description of the product, what it`ll do, who is it for, whats its purpose, what problem does it solve etc.
2. Scope - outline your MVP, what do yourr clients want (benefits for the client over features of the product!!!!), how will the product get to them, sales stuff.
3. Tech stack - define what you`ll be using, down to the IDE
4. Version control and CD - make sure to automate this first, right from the start.
This is a real time saver if you can deploy changes with a simple push to a repo.

These are your pillars lets say.
Write them out, split them into tasks, add them in your task manager, set the priority and code code code.
Dont forget the clients offcourse, anything the clients want goes inside the task manager with priority.
Clients over MVP!!!!
If someone is willing to pay you, dont just stand there, take their money! ( this is advice which @eliquid gave me)

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Andreas Thiel]

I don't think it is easy at all. Creating a marketplace? I would not approach such a project with no funding and a team of less than 10 people.

That said, if I did start working on such a project I would not start with SCRUM right away.

I'd create the classical "Functional Documentation" first - with a focus on the Mockups, then the "Technical Documentation" describing the technology stack, architecture and security requirements.
I'd do sandbox projects for each aspect in the Technical Documentation that needs some discovery / validation.

Once the infrastructure for a test environment has been set up, the code repositories have been created and the basic functionality (for example the communication between deployables) has been implemented, then I'd create a backlog of actual User Stories and work on those in Sprints.

Attempts to use SCRUM for initial development and infrastructure tasks (especially with discovery aspects) never went well when we tried it.
$100? Not enough even in the early stages.

 

[Raja]

I don't think it is easy at all. Creating a marketplace? I would not approach such a project with no funding and a team of less than 10 people.

Thanks for your reply.
I say lets try, I don't have anything to loose, not even time because if I am not doing this I am not doing anything else in its place.

I will go all in after I make 1st sale.

 

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[eliquid]

I see so many things wrong here, I am not sure where to begin.

This is not an insult or a dig at you, but the whole mindset behind this is a bit wrong.

I don't want to nitpick, but I know no other way to dig into this.

Will update more on my next post while I think this out.

 

[eliquid]

I am thinking if course funnel, giving and teaching for free and building recognition.
Initially I will also make apps for the platform.
Building community.

There is also a very small chance that a huge company gives a shoutout.

Some affiliate stuff.

Influencer marketing

Worst case, this will fail and be part of my portfolio to funnel client to my app building agency.

I am not thinking this too deep as I don't have anything else to do. Cost for 1st year will at max be 100usd.

I would love you take in this.

This is no easy task.

Do you know how to give and teach already? Do you know how to build a community?

Can you do affiliate marketing yourself? Do you know how to run a program successfully?

What about influencer marketing? Have you done 2-3 campaigns before successfully?

If you can not do these, do not build something. I have seen 100's of great SaaS/Apps that failed because the founders could not market them.

When you say you are not thinking this too deeply, you are correct. While I advise everyone to build and throw away a lot of the planning, that is based on ALSO my comments that you build what you are an authority to as well. It doesn't sound like you have authority in this marketplace for apps niche, or else you would already know where your market is and could easily go to them right now and sell them on it.

Thanks for your reply.
I say lets try, I don't have anything to loose, not even time because if I am not doing this I am not doing anything else in its place.

I will go all in after I make 1st sale.

Wrong.

Time is the most precious thing you have. While you might not be working on anything else, that is merely because you are not applying yourself which is also wrong.

To say you are not wasting time because you are doing nothing else, shows me this will fail for you before you even start because of your thinking pattern.


I would go back and reread my thread. However, I would ponder on every post.. and every post after another post. Really read between the lines and take notes ( not saying you didn't ).

Authority is behind a lot of my posts, without it.. the throwing away the planning, the MVP focus, and everything else is just fodder that can be mis-read.

Where does your authority lay right now? That's what you build to.

 

[Raja]

To say you are not wasting time because you are doing nothing else, shows me this will fail for you before you even start because of your thinking pattern.

I understand your point, how should I improve.


Thank you @eliquid for reply

 

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[Raja]

Where does your authority lay right now? That's what you build to.

should I build authority first?
can it be simultanius?


sorry, I misread your post earlier. English is not my first language.