What is the correct technology for a specific job before getting your hands dirty with code. It depends on multiple factors and you should get the checks right, before going on wrong path that will waste time, energy, reputation and more.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the different technologies
Professional Individuals tend to over-value the technologies that they have the most proficiency in. Some software development stack may have the optimal performance and features itself, but it may not fit in a business case. Such use cases may be in areas where open source platforms already exist.
Use Cases
Pricing and business models – according to the job
What is the consumer – End User or another Business? Is the product in a high price area? In general, the smaller clients tend to want to pay less or for expensive things – only once. Whereas, in general – business may be able to pay more.
There is the option to span the price to a longer period of time and make a subscription business model. This makes product seem less expensive. This is how Patreon works or how GSM Providers offer their services and packages.
None technology agnostic payer
Answer the following questions:
- What is the domain area of the payer?
- Does the client comes and has knowledge on technology.
- The other option is – is there any team member on his side with such expertise.
If you negotiate a software delivery to non-tech individual, you will most probably walk on thin ice.
Acquire Business Requirements, Long-Term Plans and Visions
Before you start to code, you should
- Acquire long term vision of the product or service.
- Have an idea what will be the market
- There is no sense to go in complex software development – for regional or local site for example. Choose WordPress, put a theme, extend a little bit the template according to the desires and you’re done.
- Write up a detailed document of the envisioned features. The ACs should be as detailed as possible. Otherwise, you will overwork yourself and the client will seem like – he is right / has paid for all the deliverables/.
DRY – Don’t Repeat Yourself or Reinvent the Wheel
Technologists tend to go into custom software development. This is very wrong choice. Writing custom code could be an option for:
- Clients that are technologists
- Clients that specifically require it
- Niche area where nothing similar yet exists. In such case you have a Start-Up on your hand