Starting at the very beginning is a great way to begin!

Sorry, Sprint What?Now?

Every effective development team, including ours, which follows a flexible agile process, uses Sprints for measuring progress. However, even before any code is written and the initial user story is created or a ticket is placed in Jira, there’s a crucial initial step in the process: Sprint Zero.

What sets Elastic Devs apart is our focus on a stage in product development, rather than just one industry. This means our developers and project managers are constantly learning. They might work on a quick commerce app for pick up & delivery one day, a new learning management system the next, or delve into Blockchain Technology after that. Our strength lies in merging our client’s industry knowledge with our product expertise, and Sprint Zero is the key to achieving that synergy.

We work closely with clients to help them define their product, understand how users interact with it, and create its visual design. This process includes regular Product and Demo/Feedback meetings, which take place twice a week over 2 to 4 weeks with the Elastic Devs Product Design teams.

After Sprint Zero, we come together to review a prototype of the product, usually created using InVision or Sketch. This allows the clients team to interact with and see their vision in action. Additional tools like Monday.com, Notion, Slack, Git, Jira, Trello?help you plan and track your progress, and keep things moving forward.

And We Do This?Why?

During Sprint Zero, entrepreneurs typically pursue one of two primary objectives: market validation or fundraising. For those who aim to bootstrap their startup, the emphasis often shifts towards market validation.

On the other hand, young entrepreneurs looking to secure funding have effectively integrated the Sprint Zero Prototype into their fundraising materials, including their pitch deck and a comprehensive use-of-funds document. This combination, along with our detailed cost estimates, has proven instrumental in attracting the necessary investment for developing and promoting their product.

And Then?What?

One key benefit of the Sprint Zero process is that it makes the product development phase more prepared. Many important product decisions, which would usually come up during development, have already been sorted out. Though designs aren't final, they're usually about 90% done. In most cases, enough fundamental design choices have already been made, allowing the development team to make informed guesses about how features should look and work.

The outcome of this streamlined process is increased development efficiency, faster product delivery, and a reduced variance between the initial product estimate and the final MVP or Version 1. Ultimately, this sets our entrepreneurs up for success in their product ventures.

Talk to us and get your project moving!