There are an infinite amount of new ideas for tech projects as people’s needs are changing every day, but what does it take to bring these ideas to life? It’s perfectly fair if you don’t know the first thing about starting a project that you hope to grow into a business one day, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the most essential steps in building a project from the ground up.
Build something you are motivated to do: This can stem from a personal necessity, something you feel is missing from the ever-expanding world of web development. Once you realize your idea from countless nights of waking up wondering why this doesn’t exist yet and how you can turn it into reality, you know you’re ready to bring it to life.
Whiteboard: This is square one. What is this program going to look like? How will you make it stand out from the rest while keeping it realistic and easy to use? It’s time to pull out the whiteboard and start drawing mock-ups: What specific features will this program have? How will it flow from page to page? What would you include to ensure that this program provides every necessity in its field? You need a visual representation to present to others when you start searching for your team members. Showing developers a visual model is the best way to persuade them as opposed to another dull PowerPoint presentation.
The Business side: You may know how to design and implement a cutting-edge software program, but without the right business tactics, your dream will never see the light of day. This presents a daunting challenge as you may not have a formal education/background in business. That is ok. You don’t need a degree from Harvard business school if your idea is strong enough to draw people in. However, you’ll need to learn the basics. There are ways to learn how to draw up a business model without a four-year degree.
– Force yourself to teach yourself: There are countless books and online resources to learn how to start a business and communicate effectively in a professional environment. You should also research different kinds of businesses and start-ups so you can see in real-time what methods work and which ones don’t. The business end is only one side of the coin. Aside from what you’re learning in the classroom, it’s up to you to learn different technologies that can assist you in forming a functioning company.
– Expand your network: You can’t take on this endeavor alone. You’ll need a motivated team with a wide array of different skills to fill in the gaps of your experience to create a sustainable business model from development to marketing, graphic design, etc. You might have to go as far as meeting with dozens of different marketers and business developers to learn about all the different parts of a high-functioning business. You need to listen to different experiences and lessons; what methods have been successful and how mistakes are made and can be avoided. This part is all about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
– Experience is the best teacher. It’s one thing to soak up as much information as you can from books, scholarly articles, Ted talks, etc., but the best way to learn is by getting involved. If you’re a student, this means joining clubs and participating in other people’s projects so you can see firsthand how it’s done. If you’re not a full-time student, that’s ok, too. You can still get involved by joining online communities and finding other projects to work on through any popular online networking programs.
Challenges:
Most tech CEOs will agree that one of the toughest (and most obvious) challenges of sustaining a high-functioning business is communication. It’s easy to fall off the grid for a day, fall off track, and ultimately derail. Luckily, there is a simple solution: stay in constant contact with your team members. Make sure that everyone is up to date, knows what their task is at the moment, and check in on them periodically to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Finding and maintaining team members: Finding team members is one thing, but making sure they stay on the project is a whole other bag. You should find people who are motivated to see this project through to the end and align with the company’s goals.
Marketing skills: Another great challenge when starting a new business is finding out how to get people excited about your program. There are millions of ways to accomplish this through marketing/publicity tactics, but there are a few basic principles to keep in mind. You should find new frameworks to promote your company within, build an online community, and constantly evolve in terms of campaign strategies.
Launching: You did it. You’ve developed the final model of your program and you are ready to launch. What happens now? Now you have to run an actual functioning company on a day-to-day basis. You’ve found a sizable audience to participate in this new venture, so now the challenge becomes how to retain people for that software. The best way you can accomplish this is by constantly gathering feedback. Find out how people interact with the program and what it’s missing. You’ll need to plan for new updates, so you can constantly improve upon what you, your team, and your community have worked so hard to create.
What is Prajix?
The best way for you to master the world of coding is by placing that world at your fingertips. Our mission is to empower developers worldwide to revolutionize the future we wish to have through online collaboration.
We allow developers to create or join project ideas on our platform, where they can find like-minded individuals to team up and collaborate within our collaboration rooms.
We are striving to build the most valuable network of programmers, coders, and developers from around the world into one place, creating a technological powerhouse that will help individuals and communities all over the globe.
If this sounds interesting to you or you want to learn more, visit our website at: www.prajix.com