3. Architecting the Idea
When beginning a project this summer, we did not write or touch a line of code on the first day. The first day spent creating wireframes, user mapping, and figuring out what we needed to code, but more importantly, what not to code. When working on apps and websites you can be working on them for years and they still won’t be complete. There are always be additional features that can be added or designs that could be tweaked. Having a good picture or what needs to be created for your MVP (minimal viable product) is a crucial skill that all project managers and/or founders need to learn. This teaches you how to optimize your time and resources for what is needed right now. It will save you from wasting hours on a feature going nowhere, hundreds of lines being coded for no reason, and, most importantly, valuable time getting to market.
This summer has shown me how to always be optimizing for the most efficient methods and iterate upon that in order to be able to be able to get to market and gain a user base while the iron is hot, rather than spending time working on “the perfect piece” that ends up coming out too late.