5 Questions to answer as a non technical founder starting an app

If you’ve been thinking about an app to develop, and you’re a non-technical founder, it can be a daunting task to figure out how to go from the idea in your head to an app that people can use. There are a lot of risks involved, but getting it right during the planning stages can help mitigate those risks. It is more than just how the app should work or what it should do.

May. 17, 2023 946 words non-technical ·

It is more than just how the app should work or what it should do. If you’re working with a good developer, they will be more interested in your why for the app, than the tech stack that would be used to build it (In fact a great developer will realize that they are the expert with the tech and will not put you to sleep talking about that stuff).

The 5 Questions

When we start talking with a new prospect, there are 5 questions that we ask. This gives us a basis for the project and better determine if we can be helpful.

Why now?
Who is your target audience?
How do you plan on measuring the project’s ROI?
Why is your idea different that what is already on the market?
Have you considered what your Minimum Viable Product would look like, if so what, if not lets discuss it?

Breaking down the questions

I understand that not all of the terms, phrases, and acronyms will make sense to everyone. It is important to us, as you work with us, that you don’t get lost in the jargon. The tech industry is full of complex ideas and ways to talk about those complex ideas.

1. Why Now

If you’re now comfortable reaching out to a developer, there has probably been some changes in your business or you idea itself that has got you ready to take the next step.

2. Who is your target audience

The best way to gain traction with your app, is to know who it is for. This will inform the decisions made throughout the entire development process. The more fully you understand your target audience, the better the end experience will be in meeting their needs.

Something to consider, you could very well be your own target audience. Are you running a business, and could use some efficiency or performance improvements? Great, you’d be your own target audience, this would help tighten the feedback loop and improve the development workflow.

3. How do you plan on measuring the project’s ROI

At High Creek Software we want to improve your bottom line, not be a negative impact on it. Part of this is starting with a clean idea of your Return On Investment.

This ROI could mean a handful of different things, for example:

Direct sales of the software (SaaS or native apps)
Given away for free as a loss leader to bring prospects into your door
Improve your efficiency as a company, thus saving you money

There isn’t one size fits all for this question, but it is important to know what it is for your app project before started. This knowledge will help inform important decissions throughout the process.

4. Why is your idea different that what is already on the market?

At the core of this question, it is important to understand that there is nothing wrong with working on an app that has apps like it on the market already. In fact that is good, it means there is already an addressable market. An addressable market lowers the overhead of marketing effort.

Why then, do we ask this question?

We’re trying to understand the competitive advantage in your idea. Maybe you’ve been using software X for a while, and it doesn’t quite work right in situation Y. If you could improve on situation Y, it would help meet your needs or you potential user’s needs more effectively.

5. Have you considered what your Minimum Viable Product would look like, if so what, if not lets discuss it?

First, what is a minimum viable product? Let’s say you’ve been thinking about an app for awhile now. As you’ve been thinking about it, you really want 5 features. However, to build these 5 features it could be expensive and potentially represents a lot of risk to your Return On Investment.

Upon discussing your project, it is determined that 1 main feature could be built that would be well within your budget and help minimize risk, meat the initial need of your app, and help you onboard your target audience providing value to them.

By picking a smaller feature subset, you can get an app, that provides value but does not cost as much thus minimizing risk and testing your ROI strategy. If this is possible for your app idea, I would recommend it. With the thought of all of your features in mind, this could make the development process modular from the beginning, and easier to expand in time.

Learning from you

At the core of these questions, we want to know if we can provide value to your investment (because we should all know by now that app development can be expensive). Some developers out there will be glad to take your money, string you along for a few months, and then have nothing of value to deliver. Not cool!

If you look at each of these questions, there is a common trend. They help you to make the best decisions possible throughout the development process. Which actually helps manage expectations between you and the developer you choose to work with.

When working with us, if you can answer these questions accurately, we will quickly be able to determine if we can help you on your app development journey.