A robust tech startup partnership requires that you follow a few ground rules for a successful outcome. Nowadays, apps impact our daily interactions and the way we conduct business. That means users have become accustomed to using apps but also have specific expectations.
And given the high volume of apps available, your app idea must be good enough to cut through the noise. That’s a significant challenge, so you must work with a developer who can realize your app idea. But what shape should your tech startup partnership take — do you hire a freelancer or a studio?
If you’re serious about the long-term prospects of your app, you must team up with a reputable studio. While it’s not difficult to find a studio, don’t rely on guesswork to pick the right one for your needs. Here, we provide a few steps to help you make a well-informed decision.
Define All The Aspects Of Your App Idea
Have an outline or project brief of your app idea that’s as holistic as possible. You don’t need to know everything about the app development process, but knowing some key details will help you define your app idea more clearly. Here’s what you need to include in your outline or project brief before establishing a tech startup partnership:
- The app’s purpose: What makes your app unique, and what problem is it meant to solve?
- Features: Which features and functionality must your app have to offer a satisfactory user experience? Don’t forget to include features you may want to roll out after your app’s launch.
- Audience: Ideally, you should research the market to understand your app’s potential audience. Don’t forget to include a customer profile. Sometimes, you may need more than one when targeting various demographics.
- Supported devices: Include all the platforms and the operating system (OS) versions your app must support at launch.
- Technical requirements: Add your app’s requirements, such as the type of back-end database, user interface (UI), and payment processor integration.
- Budget: Be clear about how much you will spend on this project.
- Time: Clarify your project’s time constraints and when you expect deliverables.
Search For An App Developer
Now that you have your outline or project brief, it’s time to seek out an app developer. You can begin your search in your local area, but consider using Clutch.co since it’s a trusted business-to-business (B2B) site. It connects businesses — including startups — with service providers like app developers.
Carefully peruse the reviews and ratings of app developers. Then, view their websites and galleries of projects they’ve worked on previously. Shortlist all the app developers who seem to have handled projects similar to yours.
Begin The Interview Process
Conduct interviews with the most promising app developers on your shortlist. Be sure to share your outline or project brief, but don’t include any intellectual property (IP) or trade secrets. With each studio you interview, communicate with the team lead to determine whether the studio has the staff and know-how to complete your project.
Don’t forget to discuss the project methodology like Agile, Lean, or Scrum. And the payment procedures that best suit your startup, such as establishing an escrow account for additional peace of mind.
Conclude the interview process by picking the candidate that fulfills all the criteria you’ve set out. You will need to sign a legally binding contract agreement, but that’s also the beginning of your tech startup partnership.
The Bottom Line
Picking the right app developer for your project will play a significant role in boosting the stature and success of your startup. Building a long-term tech startup partnership is worthwhile, especially if you plan to work on additional projects in the future.
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