Archive for the ‘Web Apps’ Category

How Much Time Do You Need To Build A Web App?

Monday, March 30th, 2009

I am constantly battling with how do I fit in the time to build my app?

Some people have funding to work on their app full time, but for most of us we do not have the time to build our application during the day as we have other commitments. I have a full time job, a young family, and I am studying for various qualifications so time is very precious.

Recently I have stopped watching TV in the evening, after my son goes to bed, and instead I use the time to build my web app. I work from 8.30pm to 11.00pm or so and I get so much done as there are no emails or phone calls.

I watched a great video from start up school recently that mentioned that Base Camp was built in one year working 9 hours per week. That inspired me a lot so I have decided to devote 10 hours per week after hours to this project at a minimum.

I have also set a very detailed project management plan, with milestones and deadlines. I am treating this like a paid project, it just so happens that I am the main contractor. I started work on this project last Monday and in less than a week I have a working wireframe, with all pages and fields. It is amazing what you can achieve when you have tight deadlines and a small amount of time, it really keeps you focused.

I think everyone has the time to build their own app, the question is how do you organise it and do you make it a priority in your time planning.

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Analyse The Competition

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

When you are developing software that is evolutionary and not revolutionary, it is important to look at what is already on the market, learn from them and find ways to improve on their offering.

Most web apps have free trials, or it is even worth paying a small fee to see the competition’s software and “borrow” ideas.

I think the following is a good way to analyse what they do well and not so well:

  • First impressions – do not read the help guide, go onto the first page and see how intuitive it is to get started
  • Navigation – see how the navigation is arranged, can you find things easily?
  • Colours and styles – does the design and layout wow you?
  • Speed of use – does it take you ages to find what to do?
  • Typography – does it look slick and fit with the style of the site?
  • Shortcuts and signposting – can you find the actions you need quickly?
  • Consistency – is the navigation and actions consistent across the app?
  • What do they do well?
  • What annoys you about the system?

It is good to have a look around on the forums, and see what the users are saying and to see what they are suggesting that the application improves on.

It is not enough to copy what others are doing, but research gives you a good feel for the competition and can generate ideas. I like to make things as easy as possible and go back to first principles when designing the user experience. You need to make something that is materially different, or targets a new untapped market.

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The Idea – Talk About It

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

Following on from my post on The Idea Comes By Solving A Problem, we have found several issues in our business that we are going to solve with a web app.

We use a range of tools to manage our business, basecamp, lighthouse, sugar crm, as well as custom built internal apps, and none of these really integrate. So we are going to build a suite of apps to help manage your business. Nothing revolutionary but it will be a one stop shop for small business owners.

Some people will be saying so why have you told everyone your idea, do you not want to keep it secret?
The answer is no there is no need to keep your ideas secret; because telling people your idea does not matter.

The more you talk about your idea, the more you will understand it and be able to articulate it when you start the marketing drive.

As you talk about your idea with people, people will give you feedback, advice, offer ideas, make sure you listen, but do not let negative people deter your from your vision. Also talking about your idea will create a buzz surrounding it, that will keep you energised in the tough times.

This idea is solving a need in my business that needs to be addressed, so if someone else beats me too it then that is great.

I also think I can build this tool better than anyone else, and even if I don’t there is more than enough businesses to target so there is more than enough pie to go round.

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The Idea Comes By Solving A Problem

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

The best web apps come out of a real need, if you have a problem in your business or your life, chances are others have had the same issue. Building a tool to solve that need can then be very profitable.

The best problems to solve are ones that you face often and really annoy you. We run a small business and it is very hard to keep on top of everything. So building a tool to help us with this would be a great idea for an app.

Also building an app to solve your own problems means that when you start using it, you will be able to refine the tool so that it really works.

Don’t invent the wheel though, make sure there are no tools out there that already solve your problem.

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Building A Web App Team

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

The right team will make or break your web app business, and it is so important to get it right. Treat it like a business, which means having all the main management disciplines covered.

At a minimum you will need, the following disciplines:

  1. Web developer
  2. Database developer
  3. Server administrator
  4. Interface designer
  5. User experience designer
  6. Marketing/ sales manager
  7. Finance manager
  8. Operations manager

Now that does not mean you need a team of eight people for your start up! I think the best number of people for a start up is between one and four, any more than that and you lose the special magic that can only come from a small, tight knit team.

The founding members of our web app team are:

  1. Arif Harbott (Me, The Naked CTO) – in charge of web development, database and server admin, finances
  2. Scott Sanders – entrepreneur, solutions expert and legendary web app designer and user interface specialist
  3. Mystery Partner – a senior technology executive in charge of operations and sales

It is such an important part of the business that we are all responsible for marketing; with these blog posts forming part of the marketing campaign.

We all work really well together and are very creative when we have meetings, so it is important that you all bring out the best in each other. It also helps as we have worked on projects together in the past.

We are a remote team, Scott has recently moved to Perth and as such we have regular meetings on Skype and email, so you do not have to all be in the same office, although it is preferable.

One last thing, if you are working on a project part time, then it is important to assign someone with overall control as a project manager. That person needs to be a finisher, someone who will work until the job is done. No surprises then, to find out that, that person is me in this venture, as I have the project management background and will work to get the finer details of the project completed.

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Start Up Business Philosophy

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

The philosophy of a web start up company is extremely important, and I think this should be set before you even start coding. I believe in lean, agile, pragmatic approach to business and this is reflected in the core philosophies of the venture:

Lean and mean, bootstrapping
No lavish offices, no expensive staff, everyone works remotely and keeps costs to a minimum.

Agile
Keep steering the ship, fast and agile. Less documentation and more prototypes, less guessing and more testing.

Revenue from day one
If there is no revenue strategy, or business model then it is not a business.

Features first scaling later
Think about the killer features that your customers want and need, worry about scaling later, prove the concept first.

Release early and quickly
Your product will never be perfect and it will never be ready, so just accept that and release. As soon as it is being used by real customers you will have to change it anyway.

Involve customers before the product is built
As developers we are always guessing what our customers want, so why not ask them. I like to build a wireframe of the site and involve customers when testing it.

Guerilla marketing
Clear brand message, be known as the best in one area, and customers will come to you.

Sound business principles
Prudent financial strategy, at least six months operating cash in the bank before profits are taken from the business.

Focus on businesses not consumers
Several web apps I have built have focused on end consumers and trying to get them to pay is almost impossible. Businesses are much more likely to pay for services if you can add value to them or save them money.

Fun and excitement
Make sure you are passionate about what you are building, and that you have fun working on it.

Part time work
This might be a contentious one, but until the business is making a profit then work on it in your spare time. 10-15 hours a week is enough time to build a web app in a few months.

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Is The Downturn The Best Time To Build A New Web App?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Is this the best time to build a new web app? Aren’t we in a recession?

I think this is the perfect time to start a new business; in a recession:

  • People are looking for ways to save money and time
  • People are more open to change
  • You have more time if you have less work coming into the office
  • Chances are there will be less competition as fewer people will be brave enough to start a business
  • It brings an element of fun and excitement at a time when there is doom and gloom
  • Once the recession ends you will be we placed to expand rapidly

And it is for these reasons I am going to be going full steam ahead with the business.

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Behind The Scenes Of A Web App Development

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Continuing on from the behind the scenes look at the life of a CTO, I thought it would be fun to detail the life cycle of a web application.

I have a huge passion for creating web apps and I have build more than my fair share in the past. So recently I have been itching to build one for myself. For me the first step to building a great web app is not the idea it is the passion, motivation and team. If you have those ingredients then you will find the idea.

The best web apps come out of a real need, if you have a problem in your business or your life, chances are others have had the same issue. Building a tool to solve that need can then be very profitable.

I will be detailing the steps I take in building my app, the challenges, decisions and the bumpy road along the way to the alpha release.

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