New products and updates are being released at a much more rapid pace these days. It's no wonder that the global spending on software products is set to reach an incredible $800 billion by 2028! Businesses of all sizes, developers and even solo entrepreneurs are constantly looking to launch products. A key ingredient that separates the products that go on to succeed and those that don't take off is the process.
We've successfully worked in this space for over 10 years and can vouch that it's important to stick to a well-defined process. Where do you begin?
Here, we'll share the same process that mints all the successful products we see around, no matter if they were created in-house or outsourced. The Twitters, Facebooks, and Whatsapps of this world — name it. All pass through this process.
This guide is a must-read for you who is looking to bring your product dream into the real world.
Also Read: Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing software development
What is a product development life cycle?
A product development life cycle is the set of stages used to develop a product that meets user expectations. Each phase has specific deliverables and milestones associated with it. The timeline of each phase will depend on the nature of the product being developed — while some products may move through these stages quickly, others may require months or even years of development before you can release them for use. The goal is to develop and introduce new products efficiently.
In the context of software development, we talk of the software development life cycle (SDLC). SDLC outlines the stages involved in the creation, deployment, and maintenance of software products. In other words, it provides a structured approach to the development and management of software products.
A structured process is important for several reasons:
- Meeting needs: A defined process allows developers to gather and incorporate the necessary requirements and feedback from users at each stage of development. This ensures that the final product is user-friendly, and aligned with the needs of the target users.
- Prevents scope creep: A defined process keeps the development team focused on the agreed-upon features. It also helps prevent the addition of unnecessary or unrelated features, which can lead to scope creep and delays in the project.
- Risk and cost management: A structured process enables developers to identify and mitigate potential risks early on in the development process. This can minimize or eliminate costly rework or delays later in the project.
- Quality assurance: Ensures that the product meets the necessary quality standards before it is released.
The product development life cycle: main stages
The lifecycle of software product development follows a widely accepted concept, from the start all the way through to maintenance. Every stage can bring its own unique set of challenges and possibilities that need to be managed in an informed, concentrated manner.
All parties involved in the development should go through these stages, but not just as a formality. You must make sure that what you are creating fits user requirements.
Of course, these stages can differ from project to project, but generally speaking these are the most crucial stages in regard to software product development:
Stage 1: Ideation
The idea stage is initiated by the customer; this may be an organization's executive team that wants to create a new product or feature in-house or outsource the project to a software development firm. It could also be an individual looking to create their own product, or even a software developer who seeks to develop something like an app, SAAS product, or system that can be sold to the public or organizations. The range of possibilities is broad, but it all comes down to whoever conceives the idea and has the funds available for development.
It's here that all the iconic products we see around are born. Some of the greatest products in the world were imagined and created by single individuals who then went on to sell them to big companies. Some were imagined within big companies, some within small and medium companies, and some even by accident.
Here are some examples of applications that were created by individuals or small groups and later sold to larger companies:
- Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and was later sold to Facebook for $1 billion.
- WhatsApp was created by Jan Koum and Brian Acton and was later sold to Facebook for $19 billion.
- Slack was created by Stewart Butterfield and his team at Tiny Speck and was later sold to Salesforce for $27.7 billion.
Also Read: What should you consider when purchasing an application?
The next steps can be categorized further to three broad phases namely planning, execution and post execution phases. The planning phase runs up to stage 3 (Design), the execution phase begins from stage 4 all the way to stage 6, while the maintenance stage forms the post-execution phase.
Stage 2: Terms and requirements
If the customer wants to outsource the project, then they are going to reach out to multiple software development companies until they find one that they like. They’ll then meet the chosen software development company's product owner or project manager. They will discuss terms, sign a deal and activate the project.
Further Reading: Outsourcing software development vs. In-house development
Even if the product is being created in-house, this is a pivotal stage — whether you're a single developer, an entrepreneur, or a small business.
The customer and the product owner will meet to plan the requirements for the product. Here are some common, basic examples of such requirements.
- Landing page
- Registration
- Login
- Logout
- User profile area
- Account settings
- Both web and app version of the product
- Etc.
They can also agree that new requirements will be evaluated and accommodated as they emerge.
It is essential to identify all requirements here. Even a single developer, entrepreneur or small business must assemble an extensive list of requirements. This is the key thing to remember in this stage!
Requirements analysis
In the requirements analysis phase, the developers, product owners and software testers will hold sessions to define each listed requirement and plan it out in finer detail. For instance, under registration, they would need a username field, password field, terms of agreement box with a checkbox to accept the terms and a submission button. The ability to save the details in a database will also be necessary. This exercise will be done for all items on the list.
Once everything has been analyzed and planned accordingly, the product owner will use the defined requirements to generate tickets in a project management system. With that done, let’s move on to the design phase.
Stage 3: Design
In the design stage, we take all the defined requirements and plan the product. This could include aspects such as business rules, the user interface layout, color schemes, what programming languages to use, frameworks, server design, database relationships, architecture of the product, mobile aspects, supported browsers, etc.
All these items can be categorized into two components: technical design and user experience design. Technical design is usually done by a system architect or engineer, who produces a design document that describes how the product will work in detail. The design document is then used as the basis for creating actual code modules. On the other hand, the user experience design involves taking into account the needs and wants of users, as well as the constraints of the system in which the application will be used.
The main purpose of a designer is to make the product easy to use, balancing both functionality and visual esthetics.
Stage 4: Development
This is the stage where everything starts to become fun. It starts by the operations team setting the development environment including all the resources required for development work to start.
Developers will start writing the code. Designers will continue planning the user flow. The testers will start building test cases for their test plans — they start to imagine the usability of the application and see how everything flows together. Sometimes while writing test cases they can discover things that don't make sense and help redesign fundamental flaws in the early stages of the product.
Overall, these are the key roles that will bring this stage to life:
Designers | Responsible for creating visually engaging graphical user interfaces to improve user experience. Additionally, designers help to develop feature specifications that match business objectives and achieve the desired outcomes from end-users. |
Coders | Responsible for writing the code. They must have an in-depth understanding of computing languages, methodologies, algorithms, data structures, and other programming elements. They also need to have excellent problem-solving skills, since coding often involves evaluating options and coming up with creative solutions. Coders also need good communication ability so they can work effectively with other team members such as UX designers and software testers. |
Testers | Responsible for ensuring that the final product works without detrimental glitches.They take the software through rigorous testing procedures before it is released to the public, reviewing everything from individual components to larger systems. They bring a critical eye to design changes throughout development, working closely with designers and developers to identify any issues that need to be addressed before the product launch. Their attention to detail leads them to uncover key insights about user experience that might otherwise remain unnoticed. |
Project manager | Responsible for keeping the team on track, ensuring requirements are being met and communicating progress to stakeholders. Project managers are often the bridge between management, customers, and developers; they must be able to not only recognize potential problems but also develop strategies to solve them. It's up to the project manager to ensure that everyone adheres by the established timescales and standards of excellence. It's a demanding job requiring specific skill sets but it can ultimately make or break the success of the product. |
Product owner | Acts as the link between stakeholders and developers. They ensure that all requirements are met and make sure that the results fulfill the needs of all stakeholders involved. It's a huge responsibility which requires a deep understanding of the project demands, its purpose, and the technology employed. At their best, product owners are able to identify potential problems early on in development before too much time or money has been wasted. |
Also Read: How to outsource software development
Stage 5: Testing
Why is testing so important? Let's use a simple example — say developers have coded the log in and log out features, but when a user logs out, their session doesn't end. This means someone could get hold of the «logged-out» user's device, click the login button and have access to their account. Now imagine if the product we are working on is a money transfer app for a bank. It'd be terrible if the product is released with this bug — someone could gain access to another customer's account and start transferring their money! That's why it's essential to catch these issues beforehand; even one missing comma in code can disrupt the whole product!
So, what does a tester actually do during the testing phase? After developers finish coding a product or feature, they invite testers to log in and start executing the test cases they created earlier on. The main objective is to verify that all requirements have been met, make sure all the features are working as expected and identify as many bugs as possible. All errors found by developers are then reported into a bug tracking system, which is then assigned to the developers to rectify the bugs. Once developers are done fixing these bugs, they assign them back to testers to make sure everything is now functioning properly. This continued testing process follows its own lifecycle known as the bug life cycle and it can be lengthy or short depending on the product. The testers must be thorough and utilize test cases and test plans for guidance.
It's impossible to completely eradicate bugs, and we have seen that bug resolution is an ongoing process. So, testing at this level aims to guarantee that the product is suitable for deployment. Will it function once released? Is anything likely to break? Could there be any surprises? These are some of the questions the testers will focus on.
There are two main types of testing: functional and non-functional. Functional testing is more technical and checks the functionality of features, with common subcategories including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, regression testing, user acceptance testing and more.
- Unit testing: Isolates small sections of code in order to identify any problems
- Integration testing: A verification of how interconnected components are functioning.
- System testing: Checks software as a whole to make sure it works properly and does what it was designed for.
- Regression testing: Determines if changes made caused unexpected results or introduced new issues.
- User acceptance testing: Requires users to assess the product’s features and functionality against their predetermined requirements.
Non-functional testing is anything beyond the functional line — things like scalability, security, availability, mobility and autonomy.
Consider utilizing automation where possible to quicken the testing stage.
Stage 6: Deployment
Once all components are tested, approved and fine-tuned, the product or feature is ready for packaging and shipping.
The operations team will mirror the staging or development environment that we've been testing in and get them ready for production. They could for example install new hardware such as brand new servers (if not using serverless technology), and have everything scalable for production. This also includes things like setting up the databases for real users, syncing up with the development teams and release managers.
Before the product is released, it goes through a process called beta-testing. This entails giving a select number of users access to try out the product, so that their feedback can be used to make necessary upgrades and enhancements. Alternatively, you can also choose to make the product available to all users as a beta version, which will give you a more comprehensive range of feedback.
Once they've completed all of these tasks our product will be deployed in the production environment and go live to real users.
Check these items when deploying:
- Backup: Be sure to create a backup of the entire product or feature prior to deployment, so you can restore it if any errors come up.
- Business environment: How is the business climate? Are people feeling mostly optimistic about the economy? If you launch a product during an economic downturn in your target market, it could cause you to get off to a slow start and end up with less-than-ideal results.
- Politics stability: Politics can have an effect on the reception of your product in the market. If the political environment is unstable, then it may be wise to wait until it calms down before launching.
- License: Ensure that you have the necessary licenses to use and distribute the software.
Stage 7: Support & maintenance
Wow, we've released our product and it's doing so well — we're getting hundreds of thousands of users registering daily! We must make sure we don't disappoint the. We need to constantly monitor the servers so that more users can use our product without issues. This also means we might need to increase the capacity. Or maybe even improving speed if necessary. Maintenance is a big part of keeping things going — there might be bugs in production, or user emails with issues that we have to look into. That's what maintenance is all about!
The early days are key here, when users’ enthusiasm for the product (or their frustration at it) is very vocal — it’s one of the few times you’ll be able to capture such an accurate snapshot of the user experience. This feedback will prove invaluable in determining how the product should evolve in future iterations or versions – not only solving user issues now but also shaping future features that may otherwise have been overlooked.
More activities that normally characterize the maintenance stage:
- Bug fixes: Developers fix any issues or defects that are discovered in the product.
- Updates and patches: Developers may release updates to add new features, improve performance, or fix security vulnerabilities with patches.
- Performance optimization: The product may be fine-tuned to improve performance and efficiency.
- User support: Constant support to users who are experiencing issues with the product.
- Documentation updates: Documentation may be updated to reflect changes.
- Retirement: The current product may be retired and replaced with a newer version at some point during the maintenance phase.
In summary, these are the stages of the Product Development Life Cycle:
IDEATION STAGE
- Ideation
PLANNING STAGE
- Terms & regulations
- Design
EXECUTION STAGE
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
POST-EXECUTION STAGE
- Maintenance
Best practices to aid the product development life cycle
Pricing | Choose a pricing strategy that enables profitable sales while considering other important aspects such as scalability. |
Documentation | Always provide a clear and concise overview of the product, its features, updates and how it works. |
Continuous feedback review | Regularly assess feedback from customer or users and make the changes wanted for long-term success. |
Continuous performance optimization | A product that is constantly being optimized will use fewer resources, such as memory and CPU, which can lead to cost savings for the organization. It's also less likely to experience issues or crashes, which can improve its reliability. |
Goals | Identify short- and long-term goals as soon as possible; this creates a common understanding of objectives, reduces potential surprises, and ensures alignment over time. It also helps in deciding which sprints should or should not be taken on, preventing conflicts between different departments. |
Encourage innovation | Promote ownership of tasks so team members can be proud of their work. Let everyone feel part of a greater cause. |
Engage management | The active engagement of the company's top personnel gives clarity on roles, deadlines, financial limitations, and project objectives—all of which play a major role. Moreover, management can supply invaluable guidance related to the overall aims each team is working towards. But for management to get involved at a deeper level, they need to be just as familiar with the product as the development team is. |
Knowledge base | The expert developers need to make all information about the product available to everyone in the organization. Not only should it be accessible, but also reusable. Ask them to create resource centers with detailed information about the entire product. This is especially pertinent when the development team is outsourced, as it may be difficult to get their full attention after they complete the project. |
Use agile methodologies | Agile development methodologies, such as Scrum, Crystal, lean software development, and FDD, enable teams to swiftly adjust to changes and deliver working products promptly. |
Cost | Keep tabs on the budget and remain within the agreed cost of development, else the project can stall. |
Also Read: Agile compared to traditional software development
Conclusion
We strongly encourage all companies, developers and even solo entrepreneurs to follow this tried and true process to achieve the best results. From ideation to maintenance, each stage here plays a crucial role in the overall success of the product.
Remember, new requirements will come through. Please start the whole process all over again for each set of new features and requirements that need to be added to the product.
When resources, make the right improvements to wow your users, give more value, add more interesting features. Focus on what is already working well and build upon it. After all, the users already love some elements of the product – so tailor improvements to their existing preferences and needs to create an even more improved user experience that keeps them coming back for more.
Don't let feature-creep be the enemy of your success — strike the right balance between more features and better value. Take the time to really understand the users' wants and needs, then incorporate those into unique experiences.
