Software is something people use every day, and almost all the time. Whether they’re browsing their phones, playing a game, or connecting with friends on social media, there often is a complex software solution allowing you to accomplish even the most simple tasks. When developing this software, a team of developers is often assembled to create, test, and deploy the software from concept all the way to release.
Where Does Software Development Begin
The first step in software development is an idea. What can this software be used for? Who will be the audience? What problems will it solve? No two pieces of software are exactly alike and often work with very defined goals and audiences in mind. Therefore, it is imperative that these questions are answered before a project can get off the ground. Typically, businesses and clients will maintain a heavy amount of communication during the planning stage to define the goals that the project will set out to achieve.
Since software, especially a SaaS platform is a complex build, it requires extensive planning and budgeting to ensure that the goals can be met. Typically the business leaders, managers, and clients will agree on a concept and begin to work with the development team to bring it to life. One role critical during the concept stage is the role of the chief technology officer, our CTO, who interweaves the programming and business aspects of a project together to ensure that it can be feasible. For newer businesses, learning how to find a CTO is a crucial step in ensuring the success of not just their current project, but future endeavors as well. They are the ones who outline the vision of the project and ensure that the project manager and development team can complete it to quality standards within the given timeframe and budget.
The Most Critical Aspects of Development
The CTO manages members of the software development team which can comprise the project manager, software engineers, programmers, and quality assurance teams. The most important part of determining if a project will find success is whether or not the team is able to fulfill the expectations of their respective roles. Throughout the process of software development, the CTO and development team create new software solutions to fulfill project requirements and determine where and when changes need to be made. When a concept or specification is crafted for software, the development team ensures that the product meets their determined quality standard by checking and eliminating scoping out any defects that they find.
The most critical stage of software development often occurs right at the beginning of development, which is why startups and big businesses alike take special care to ensure the pre-production phase is free of any complications that could compromise the project down the road. Filling out critical positions, setting realistic deadlines, and crafting a detailed roadmap of development are the most important steps that a project needs to take in order to ensure that it can be completed on time, fulfill every goal, and ensure that the software will be embraced for a long time to come.
