How to find the perfect development team for your software project?

The very first steps of software development

So you are looking to hire a development team that will help you bring your project to reality? Considering the abundance of choices present on the software development market today, this is no easy task.

Maybe you are looking to bring your very own creative idea to life. Or perhaps you want to build a piece of software that should solve your business needs. No matter your reasons for embarking on this complex journey, the importance of choosing the right partner cannot be understated. You are going to need a group of people who will work with you every step of the way: starting from the very beginning, mapping out the entire journey for you, and, finally, building your solution from scratch. But where do you actually start and how do you minimize the risks associated with choosing the wrong team? There are certain steps you can take that will help you make a wiser choice. So let’s have a look at what they are.

Project analysis

As every experienced professional in the tech world knows, one of the most important aspects of any project is the planning phase. This is when you take the time to analyze your requirements, understand your users' needs and create a development roadmap. By taking the time to do this upfront, you can avoid many common pitfalls and ensure that your project is successful. Of course, no plan is ever perfect, and you will inevitably need to make some adjustments as you go along. However, having a plan to start with will give you a much better chance of delivering a high-quality end product. 

In this stage, your team should be able to support you and provide guidance for analyzing your idea. This is essential in order to create a clear specification for the software they will be using later on. Without a clear understanding of the problem, it is all too easy for the development team to get sidetracked. That would result in producing something that does not meet the needs of the user. Additionally, a good analysis will help to identify any potential risks associated with the project. Avoiding many of the dangers that can lead to costly delays and errors in the development process is. Simply take the time to carefully analyze the problem.

Define your requirements

The very initial stages of your project can make a lot of difference in its success and implementation later on. You will most likely need a team of professionals that doesn’t consist only of developers. In order to execute every detail to perfection, the team needs to include various roles. Functions such as project manager, UI/UX designer, and QA engineer will make a difference to your project. For those unfamiliar with the typical software development cycle, these professionals work alongside developers to break down the process into phases, help to develop a consistent visual style, and ensure the proper functioning of the software.

Clear and concise requirements are crucial to be established before development starts. The requirements document should be clear and concise, and it should be reviewed and approved by your development team before being handed over to you. The document should also be revisited throughout the project to ensure that it remains accurate and up-to-date. Defining requirements is an essential first step in any software project. It will help to ensure that the final product meets the needs of the users, as well as your expectations.

When defining your requirements, some areas you need to consider are:

• Features: What does the product actually do? How will it work?
• Workforce: How big of a team will you need? 
• User experience: How will users interact with the product?

Define your budget

When creating a budget, it is important to be realistic. You should not underestimate the costs or the amount of time it will take to develop your product. There are a number of factors to consider when defining a budget for your project. Creating a high-quality software product requires a significant investment of time and resources. However, development costs can quickly spiral out of control if they are not carefully managed. Defining a budget for your software project is essential to ensuring that it stays on track and doesn't break the bank.

To ensure that your budget is realistic, it's important to consult with experienced developers. With their experience, they can help you understand the costs associated with different choices. Once you have even the most basic idea of potential costs, you can start assessing your options. It could be a good idea to check out your options based on location, as development costs can vary immensely depending on where your team of choice is based. The most expensive choice usually includes the US, while European development companies typically offer a better rate for the same quality of output.

Look through their portfolio

Before you go ahead and hire a company as your partner, it's important to take a look at their previous work. This will give you an idea of the kind of projects they're capable of doing. You will get an insight into whether or not they could be a good fit for you. A company's portfolio should showcase its team’s strengths and highlight the projects they're most proud of. It's also a good way to get an idea of their design sensibility and see if their style is compatible with your own. The case studies can also give you insights into their creative process and the way they approach problem-solving.  

It’s especially beneficial to look for projects similar to the idea you are looking to develop - some companies specialize in certain industries. Others have a more generalized approach, so don’t be afraid to do a detailed search of their website. Explore the different solutions the company has worked on. Even if the portfolio doesn’t ideally match your expectations regarding previous experience, sometimes it’s enough to know that the team can pull off projects of a certain size and complexity. Bear in mind though, privacy can sometimes be an issue. A lot of clients tend to ask for a non-disclosure agreement for their product. That means that the prospective partner can not always present all of their work in their portfolio. Keeping this in mind, you can always reach out to the company directly and ask if they have any previous experience that they are not able to showcase publicly.

Read the client reviews

Another good place to start is: reviews from previous clients. Their comments can give you an idea of what they have experienced with the company and whether or not they were satisfied with the services. Ideally, you will look for objective reviews not curated by the company itself. Try looking outside of the company’s official website. Search in places where you’ll be able to read some real criticism (if there is any). There are many company walls such as Clutch, or Upwork, where objective feedback is easy to find. Obviously, if you see a consistent pattern of negative feedback, it's probably best to look elsewhere. 

However, you should not focus only on the reviews commenting on the quality of work. It is only one piece of the puzzle. Try to read up on the company’s culture and how they treat both employees and clients. Good communication will be crucial once you start your journey with the chosen partner. Even the best of skills cannot make up for poor communication and decision-making.

In the end, taking the time to read reviews can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Making the final decision

While the final decision will not be an easy one, it's important to remember that this is a long-term investment. You will be working with this team for months (or perhaps longer), so it's crucial that you take enough time to find the right partner. It is important that you entrust your idea to a team you can rely on. If this seems like plenty of information to take in all at once - don’t worry! Start slow and go step by step. Evaluate each agency based on the specific criteria that we outlined for you above. If you miss a step - just go through this blog again and tick all the boxes.

As we already mentioned, communication is a key factor, so make sure to get in touch with companies that seem like a good fit. It is always helpful to connect the faces to the work you have seen, and speaking with a company representative will give you just that. It will also provide you with a chance to ask for some answers that are not present on their website. You will actually get some free advice in the process, so what have you got to lose?

If you have any questions about how the K7 Tech team can help with launching your software development project, you can book a free consultation. One of our experts will be happy to assist you in outlining the project cycle. We can walk you through all the stages that are awaiting you and give you some valuable tips and tricks. All of our advice is based on two sources. Our development team relies on our vast previous experience with a variety of products we helped launch. We also never stop learning and keeping up with industry trends.