10 Important Steps to Succeed with your Software Idea

1. Get a detailed estimate to get an idea of the total cost. Be sure to review the scope multiple times and get all the use cases included in your estimate. Add 15% extra cost to factor in the margin of error. We use Quick FPA to create such estimates.
2. Divide your cost into multiple phases so you can launch the minimum viable product quickly and start the marketing activities in parallel while the rest of the software is being developed.
3. Use a good UI framework to build the user interface for your product. Do not get lost in designing an amazing user interface from the beginning. The goal is to create a simple and usable interface for your product. You can always redesign and improve the product if the users like the job its doing. We recommend using Bootstrap or UIKit for web based applications.
4. Be sure to understand the architecture of the software. Even if you are a non technical person, ask your developer to explain the architecture using block diagrams. It is important to have an architecture that would support the growth of the product as its user base grows. We use JSON Platform for developing scalable cloud based products.
5. The initial release of the product should be free so you can get more and more users to signup and evaluate your product. Having a freemium model works great.
6. Have a good build and release management process in place. This is one of the most important aspects of product development. Use a good version control system such as Github.
7. Create a release schedule for your product and start releasing updates on a frequent basis. Use automated build scripts to make this process efficient and manageable. We use ANT based programs to manage this process. Be sure to notify the users upon every release to increase the user engagement. This must be done on a weekly basis at the least. DO NOT stop the development upon initial release.
8. Create a clean and responsive website that can frequently be updated with new features and releases. The message or the description of your software must be as clear as possible. Including videos is a great way to market your software. You can use Camtasia to create these videos yourself or use the services of video makers on Fiverr as a great inexpensive solution.
9. Develop reward programs for the expert users of your software. These experts will help market your software to other users if your incentives are attractive. There are many different variations of these reward programs depending on the nature of the software product.
10. Create newsletters on a frequent basis and educate your users on topics related to the use of your software. We use Sendgrid integration to manage newsletters and ensure maximum deliverability.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I can be reached through LinkedIn or through my company website https://www.comnez.com.