You have that great idea for a new software project but are stuck at the first hurdle. How do I turn my ideas into reality? It’s something I’ve been asked a lot over the years. And today, I wanted to take you through the first few steps of the collaboration process with a software house.
From the first meeting to onboarding and everything else along the way. The intention here is to bring everything together into one place.
Let’s jump in then, from start to finish, and answer the question: How do you start your collaboration with a software company?
Initial contact
The first contact is as important as any part of the process. It’s all about answering any questions you might have and starting a conversation. But more than that it allows us to start doing our homework and prepping for the next stage. Which happens to be the discovery meeting.
Discovery meeting
Discovery meetings are like a fact-finding mission, where both sides get to share their thoughts and insights.
The main aim of a discovery meeting is to uncover your goals and objectives. At the same time, you get a chance to assess if we’re the right partner for you. It’s all about getting to know each other and ensuring that we’re a match.
Read also: Why a Discovery Meeting is Crucial for Finding the Right Software Solution
In the discovery meeting, we normally cover a few different areas. To make it flow better, you should come prepared with a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Bringing examples or small illustrations can greatly help build a better idea about your project. Additionally, consider sharing the following information in advance:
- Key insights and findings from your user research.
- Expected complexity and essential features of your product.
- Examples of existing platforms that align with your vision.
- Your growth expectations and scalability considerations.
- Detailed specifications outlining your project requirements.
- Information about the technologies you currently utilize.
- Future goals and expectations you have for your project.
- Any technical challenges you are currently facing.
But what are the outcomes of the discovery meeting, and what happens next?
Proposal development: crafting your perfect blueprint
After the discovery meeting, expect a swift follow-up in the form of a summary email, recapping all the details. Once the team has gathered all the project insights, it’s time to create a proposal.
This document is like a blueprint for success. It outlines our recommended approach, project plan, deliverables, estimated costs, and all the nitty-gritty terms and conditions. Also, expect relevant case studies. We leave no room for surprises—everything is laid out on the table.
Contract signing
With the plans in place, it’s time to make the process more concrete and that means signing a contract. There are a few important topics to cover in the contract signing. One of which is linked to Intellectual Property rights. To save time, there’s already a more detailed guide to software intellectual property protection. It covers the important questions relating to IPR and NDAs.
No project is the same, and as a result, all contracts are unique and based on the type of work and scope of the project. So we have the great “it depends” pop-up once again. But expect to find the following contract parts:
- A statement of work – expect a detailed breakdown of what you are ordering, including the type of cooperation or product. As well as a more in-depth breakdown of what to expect.
- The team composition – including the names, levels, and job roles of the different members.
For a look at how we approach building a team you can find the details here:
How We Compose the Right Software Team for Your Project
- A time frame – detailing the start date of the project and the expected delivery date.
- Scope of work – Expect details about the type of technology used and how it will be implemented, along with all relevant usage information.
With the contract signed the project can start to become a reality as we start with preparing and prepping resources to get your project off the ground.
Onboarding
Depending on the model of cooperation, mobilization, and onboarding may take different routes. But I will cover that in a little bit. What is always the same though, is a Kick-off call with a team leader.
The kick-off call with the team leader is there to understand the value and need for each feature of your project. In short, what is expected from us?
It’s also the time when we detail the onboarding procedures, including setting up communication channels, sharing documentation, and establishing clear collaboration tools.
There’s also an internal kick-off call to make sure the team is fully aware of the scope of the project and what is expected from them.
There’s also the topic of equipment. For a few reasons, clients can request that we work on specific equipment. Either internal or that has been sent to us. In the cases where the client sends us the equipment to work on, there are additional steps. This is often linked to how we will receive the equipment and the set-up procedure.
In cases where we are offering team augmentation services, there are a few additional onboarding steps. Including introducing the team to your side making sure they have full access to all relevant applications and networks and checking if the team has received their credentials from the Client. Often the communication in the early stages is performed by the KAM, helping to guide you through any additional issues.
Later, the KAM is responsible for regular communication with the Client in the form of Status meetings and Feedback sessions. In our other article you can learn more about leadership strategies we use to improve developer’s performance.
Conclusion
You’ve now reached the conclusion of our journey, from initial contact to onboarding. We hope that this overview has provided you with valuable insights and guidance on how to turn your ideas into reality.
If you’re ready to embark on your software development journey or want to explore further details about each step, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for software consultation. We are always here to assist you in transforming your ideas into reality and achieving your goals.
