Last time, we introduced you to various technologies and their pros and cons. Now let's have a look at the timing side of things.
We now know a little more about what choices we have. But take a simple example: a landline and a mobile phone. What problem do both devices solve? Instant connection of people over distance. This basic use case will always be met, that much we can rely on. However, mobile phones are the result of the development and increasing demands of the users. It also costs more than a fixed line, both in terms of acquisition and operation. And it's the same with mobile solutions. It all depends on which stage you and your product are in.
Do you have a mindblowing idea you need to validate? Do you have a solution to a problem and a bunch of unsupported assumptions? Why spend money on something you don't know will work? It is worth thinking about what I need to do to ensure traction for as little money as possible and to mitigate as many risks associated with my solution as possible. In this article, we write about a limited selection of solutions for the mobile platform. But keep in mind that there are simpler solutions than a web application. To get started, try building a landing page, sending out a newsletter, or directly asking your potential users to evaluate it.
Did you succeed in approaching early adopters? Have you tested your hypotheses? Are people interested in your solution for their problem? It's time to start raising funds, to reach out to investors and move on to the next level. Ask for funding right from the start! At this point, we can move on to the next stage in mobile solutions based on our key factors. Service monetization is key, as is the ability to turn users into paying customers.
Your first stable paying users! Good job, you are starting to generate revenue. Let's ensure that our solution is even better and craft the perfect experience for our users. Maybe it's time to modify our design, expand the functionalities. We need to ask our users and maintain a feedback loop because if we lose touch with them, it is easy to start heading in the wrong direction.
Are we able to secure ROI? Perfect, it means that we can finally calm down a bit and focus on further development of our service. If this has not been necessary so far, it may be time to finally move onto native development. Users do not feel safe using our PWA solution, and now is the right time to do something about it. We need to shift our business to the next level.
These are the four basic product phases which we will focus on in the following paragraphs. You will learn what steps you can take given the stage you are at and what your key factors are.
There is no miracle solution
Were you looking forward to getting to the end of the article to find out what to do? This might disappoint you a bit, but there is no one specific approach to mobile platforms and digital innovation. Just like no one will tell you how to manage your startup. The reason is plain, it's simply because there are too many variables to consider. You can draw parallels here with infinite games. All we're trying to do is to mitigate the risks to keep everything running. Therefore, we are not talking about finite games in which the goal is to win.
Despite everything mentioned above, I will try to guide you a little. We discussed the key decisive factors for the selection of solutions, we also dealt with the individual phases of the product. So how is it all connected? I will try to answer that using the table below. It will provide you with tips for different mobile solutions depending on key factors and the stage your product is in.
None of the solutions are all-encompassing, each of them is suitable for a specific phase and a specific key factor. The problem comes when there are more of these key factors, or when decision making takes on another dimension. Subsequently, we always try to minimize the risks because it is no longer easy to choose which way to go.
Different solutions are suitable for different product phases, so it is necessary to accept that when you’re moving from one solution to another, you might need to start the development process again. That is--from a programming point of view--to start from the ground up. But do not worry, this is not always bad news. Situations like this are the perfect opportunity to reflect seriously on what brings core business value to our solution and transfer only that, as well as what we’ve sufficiently validated with our customers, to the new one. Product work does not end with the MVP, quality product work is a never-ending cycle of ideation, sketching, validation and development. A product without feedback from customers (and paying customers) is doomed.
When all is said and done, don't go looking for a cookbook for mobile (or any other) digital product development. This is a process that is far more complicated. Brainstorm, define, share, validate, make informed decisions, and ultimately take a little risk.
Webinar When, Why, and How to Go Mobile
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Questions?
Anything else you’d like to know? Or just interested in discussing your application and how we can help you out with it? Drop me a line at jan.hauser@applifting.io.
