7 Important Things We Learned in 7 Years in Custom Software Development

For 7 years in custom software development, we at Lvivity have built solutions to solve the widest variety of problems and worked with different customers. We have had our ups and downs, but we have also learned a lot and understood a lot.

The most valuable life experience is the one that you can share with others. Therefore, we have decided to tell you about the lessons we have drawn from our own experience in custom software development.

Many of you will find them helpful when developing your own software projects. They will allow you to avoid common mistakes and save time and money.

Start Small and Use Short Iterations

It is always challenging to build a new product from scratch. There are too many things you have to think over and take into account. Moreover, you will have to make further amendments and corrections to the product during the development process or completely remake things from scratch. So, our advice is to start with an MVP, the product version that includes just the most essential features, and to add others gradually. Consequently, you will not waste resources on developing features that no one needs.

Another piece of advice is to apply Agile project management practices. That is an iterative development model, allowing you to adapt to changing requirements and conditions during the entire project lifecycle. Furthermore, if you develop your product using short iterations, you will effortlessly reveal errors, eliminate them, and get a better product as a result.

Each Project Requires an Individual Approach

Even though you use similar technologies, tools, and development techniques when building a product, it is important to take customers’ individual needs and capabilities into account. No doubt you will always have some differences in functional or non-functional requirements.

You can use exclusively off-the-shelf frameworks or other elements, but you will have to combine them differently depending on the project. That is why we always carefully discuss important points with our customers and select the optimal solutions for them, based on the information received.

Custom Software Development Is a Continuous Experience

No matter how long you have been working in software development, you will always have to learn more. New technologies, efficient process management, correct use of tools, communication techniques — all these points are critical for successful project completion from a product idea to its very release. Moreover, things that proved workable under certain circumstances may refuse to be so under others.

That is exactly why it is so important to select the appropriate technology partner. A sufficiently experienced development team will manage to teach you all the necessary subtleties, saving you time and money.

Never Neglect Competitor Research

If you are not going to develop a product for in-house use but for a wide audience, you should think of your competitors not just like the rivals with whom you fight for the market. You can also learn a lot from them both before you start working on the product and during its development process.

If you research your competitors, you can:

• adopt interesting technical solutions;
• find functions relevant to your target audience;
• know things you have to avoid.

Moreover, using this analysis to your advantage, you can find out what weak points your competitors have when it comes to solving peculiar problems and make these features better in your own software.

Time Matters

It takes time to build a quality product. So, when you prioritize deadlines and a wide variety of functions, the software quality will inevitably suffer. Never do that. If the development team says the work will take 8 months, you had better not try getting it all done in just three.

Yet, the development time can be reduced. If work planning is perfect, you start with a limited set of functions and use some off-the-shelf solutions (API, frameworks, UI kits), you can save a lot of time.

Test the Parts before the Whole

A modern IT product is often a combination of several parts or modules integrated into a common whole. Please read our article to know more about how it all works: “What Is Microservices Architecture and What Are Its Benefits?”

When you use this approach, it is worth testing separate modules before you combine them in a single system. Thus, you can reduce the number of possible errors occurring during the integration process to a minimum, and if new ones appear, you can easily find them.

The Value of Communication and Relationship Building

Communication plays a crucial role in the service business. Problems related to this particular area are the main reason for misunderstandings, irrational use of resources, and even project failure. At the same time, good communication management can save it.

Building a trusting relationship between a customer and a development team is a vital prerequisite for high-quality communication. At Lvivity, we see our customers primarily as partners. We also take differences in time zones and other essential points into account as well.

Any development is always a collaborative effort. So, it is necessary to comprehend each other’s goals, needs, and capabilities very well.

To Summarize

Lvivity has been engaged in custom software development for over 7 years. Within that time, we have gained extensive experience in working on projects for various business domains and have learned to arrange work processes, allowing our customers to receive the best solutions that fully meet their needs.

If you are looking for a team to help you develop a digital product for your business needs, contact us, and let us discuss the details!