We all know that building tech can be fulfilling, the rewards etc amazing.. but what is the reality behind building your own tech idea?
If you are an innovator, or someone with an idea to create a tech product, you will need to have some this that and everything behind you, supporting you… well that is what we are told, but that is certainly not the reality for many.
Have you ever had an idea, a dream and thought, “Hey, I’m going to do this!” to then begin doing some research, or have a chat to someone who starting reeling out all the reasons you shouldn’t? Well I’m not here to do that.. AT ALL!
I love innovation, I love ideas, I love dreams and we should all aspire to turn our ideas into reality.
Today I really felt compelled to write this short blog, because there seems to be too many people I come across with amazing minds, who are disheartened to do what they love most. When I set out to create WISDOME™️, I was following a passion I had in both learning and helping others in business. I was of course looking to solve a problem for my self, which is often the case for those who have a “lightbulb” idea moment. In essence though setting out to create a tech product requires a fair understanding of how to problem solve. Because anyone out there who creates, does have to problem solve.. we all do! Just some are quicker than others, some are clearer than other and some simply have more drive to solve that problem than others.
The truth is, if you are looking to create a product there is that process to follow;
- What is the pain?
- What is the barrier?
- Why should we eliminate the barrier?
- How will the solution help?
- But the best part is… 5. How can we evolve the solution?
Now I’m not here to share the how to, etc. I am more so wanting to let you know that, if I can go out and create a product that I am creating, then you certainly can too. However I do want to point out the best way to go about doing so it to ensure you last the journey.
I do want to put it out there also, I am not a millionaire, I am someone though who believes we need to listen to ourselves in balance between our “intuition or gut” and our “fact finding brains”.
Do your homework
With both intuition and your fact finding brain, you will have likely worked out there is a problem to solve. But I do suggest some time to sit down work out the WHY’s , WHEN’s, HOW’s and WHAT’s. The main aim here is to point out that you will need help in many areas, so be real with yourself and when you plan, you will see that areas better in which you will need help.
The reality is if you sit down and plan, then your life will be so much easier when setting out to develop any tech. Did you know that there are many, many stages to developing tech before you even type one bit of code?! Well these days, yes there are solutions out there that assist us with creating a “dummy” tech product without code so we can get a visual on it. This is pretty important in today’s day and age, as it’s never just about the function, it is also about the look and feel.
There is a bit of planning involved, however to do so, please know it is more so a “review, revise” situation. Tech is ever evolving and so is the needs and wants of your audience. Back to the planning when starting out though, be realistic with who you are and what you wish to achieve and when. (I’m only planting seeds here, just thoughts to think about.. I won’t go into them in detail in this blog)
Look at what you can and cannot do....
This isn’t a time for self reflection on your life etc, this is an exercise I really believed helped me decipher what I was good at and what I was not good at. Most obvious one for me was – I was not a developer, nor did I understand code and work involved. What I knew was the product I needed to create and the functionalities it required to help those who would in the end use it. As you are likely doing now, as you are reading this is, researching what is needed or steps to creating your own tech product. Good on you for doing so!
What you really need to do first is after planning what you think needs to be done to get the “ball rolling” is to be real with yourself and see what you can and cannot do to achieve a quality product. Not everyone can afford consultants, so I am suggesting if you fall within this category, to then find a way to, either by doing all or at least some of these;
Do a lot of writing and research
Talk to potential users, do the foot work as this just involves you communicating with people.
Present your idea to gain interest or investment on paper
Get confirmation
Once you have this “confirmation” then the next part is simply working through the motions to work out HOW TO GET HELP with what you cannot do. I know I mention this alot, however many of us seem to miss the areas of help we may need.. hence planning out the whole process is important:
IDEA
DESIGN
BUILD
TEST
MARKET
EVOLVE
What and Who Do You Need?
There will be tech solutions out there to help you with processes; such as marketing email, social media etc. However there may also be a need to appoint a developer to build your tech, if you are one, then lucky you… although you may need UX/UI designer, and if you can do that too.. then why are you reading this? LOL. Anyway, appointing someone to build your vision will be the costly part of the project you are endeavouring to create. Do not stress at this point though, because there are many ways in which tech founders look for capital to help build their ideas. You just need to ….. PLAN! You may or may not be able to do it on your own and to save you grace, I truly believe in INVESTING IN YOURSELF…. by this you can learn more, or in reality it is likely best to INVEST IN AN EXPERT….. 
Having these experts or teams on board to help your vision become a reality is all very nice however appointing one must take careful consideration. Give it time, ask questions, get referrals, ensure you both understand what is involved. No time is wasted when both parties know and understand the project requirements. I have been to many seminars, spoken with many other tech founders and we all agree that doing your research is paramount when appointing a developer, a designer etc. TAKE TIME
BIG STEP HERE – Even though I’m not telling you the steps…
YOU CAN DO:
Write out a brief
Write out a goal, vision, mission summary – end goal, end goal… end goal
YOU CAN DO / OR LOOK TO GET HELP
Create wireframes – how you wish the tech to flow, from page to page etc.
YOU MAY NEED HELP HERE
Start making it pretty and try and see how the user will use your tech – what functions will it need? etc.
Now try and get your tech simulated and”display” only MVP (minimal viable product) to showcase. This is where it looks like a functioning app / platform, however it is really just sharing the idea, look and feel.
This is where a UX / UI designer will come in handy. So ensure you invest in this type of service if you cannot do it yourself. The reason is, they will understand possible limitations to flow, functionalities etc. Although limitations is something you can really question with your developer when you go to building stage.
Research and Be Patient
In the tech world I have learnt that being patient is a necessity, not just for the fact it can take time, but also for your own blood pressure! Mine is fine 😉
When it comes down to creating a tech product, you do need to research a lot, and to be honest you have to take time when researching on many levels.
Take time finding your team
Take time finding your designer / developer
Take time testing inhouse in and in the market
Take time planning your road map to delivery
Take time growing
You Can Achieve Your Dream -
Just Be Realistic
Be kind to yourself and to those who are helping you achieve your dream. There will be times where frustration’s kick in, and times where things just don’t seem to be going the way you need and you wonder “will it ever be”.. But all I can say is trust yourself to keep going and if in doubt, relook at what you can do and what you can’t do. Be patient with the teams you work with, and be patient with yourself.
There are a lot of steps in creating tech and time really does play a part in developing a tech product. Taking time and being patient will help you get through each individual one, yes there is sometimes catching up to do, however be honest with yourself at all times and be transparent with your team when you begin creating one. They will thank you in the long run and you will thank yourself.
My biggest piece of advice is to INVEST IN WHAT YOU CAN’T DO
