Buying software, whether that be finding a developer for a custom app, or figuring out which enterprise software solution to use, is tricky. Software isn’t tangible. Building it is actually a bit magical: you hire a bunch of nerds, they type something into their keyboards and all of a sudden – poof! – you have a working product.
How did that happen? What went into it? And how do you know if it’s any good?
At Shrine, we work with apps in trouble and software projects gone wrong on a regular basis. They all come to us with one common denominator: there was a lack of an ethical technical expert involved. The client bought the software from a salesperson, someone non-technical.
It’s almost never a case of malicious intent. Often the projects are oversold by the salespeople at other firms who made promises that didn’t match reality or the original technology team was more interested in building ‘cool’ software or demonstrating how smart they were. They either didn’t have the client’s best interests in mind, or they lacked the skill to get the project set up on a solid technical foundation.
So how can you avoid the same fate?
The solution is simply to talk with a trusted technical expert, someone who has a background in software development, before you sign on the dotted line. This is true whether you’re purchasing software off the shelf or selecting a team to build something custom. It should be someone with your best interests in mind and who understands the technical requirements needed to bring your vision to life.
Maybe that’s a friend with a technical background, or a development shop or freelancer that has a technical expert you can communicate well with and whom you trust. It could be someone here at Shrine. Even if you don’t end up building software with us, we’re happy to provide you with advice and guidance because we hate seeing good ideas become bad apps.
You’re building software to solve a problem, to help make people’s lives easier. If your software is broken, it can’t help anyone. To build a great app you need a great team, and that must include a trusted technical expert: someone who can answer the question, “‘what value does this software offer and what needs to be built to add value so it can help people”.
Need help selecting the right software for your next big idea? Shoot us a message, we’d love to help!
