Communicating business goals is a walk in the park for an entrepreneur. But, it’s not always as easy when you’re dealing with software creation. With a minimal background on technical matters, a lot can fall into the cracks. But if you give the software developer complete control over the process, the result may not meet your expectations or match your vision. As such, effective communication is critical in every stage of software development.
Effective communication, especially when it involves highly technical matters, requires using a variety of tools and strategies. From mock-ups, flow-charts, to prototypes of the resulting software, you’ll need to visualize your concept to get your message across. Let’s discuss some of the tips that will ensure, or at least improve how you communicate with your developer.
Visualizing the Concept for Your Software Developer
Developers use computer language to create software. Since there is a significant disparity between this language and the words you speak, the best way to bridge the gap is through visuals. For instance, a flow chart that depicts the user experience will help the developer determine whether your concept is feasible or not.
Part of your success as an entrepreneur is the ability to adapt when your developer advises taking a different route. Remember that in developing software, your vision is ideal, but you also need to be more realistic about your expectations.
Finding a Common Language with Your Software Developer
Software developers aren’t known for being too expressive with words. While this stereotype isn’t always true, you might want to account for the different communication strengths of every person in your software development team. The following are some tools you can use to communicate with your team even when in-person meetings aren’t possible:
Related Content: Top 4 Programming Languages to Learn for Recruiting Dedicated Software Developers
Emails
A good old email is one reliable way to check-in with your team. Make sure that your emails are concise, on point, and demands action. This way, your development team understands the urgency of sending a response.
Messaging Apps
Informal messaging apps will help you keep tabs on the progress from time to time. However, proprietary information shouldn’t be shared in public messaging apps with dubious security protocols.
Video Conferencing
This tool is excellent, especially when you’re traveling. Developing software is tedious and time-consuming. But being able to touch base with your team, at least through video calls, will help bring to light any potential concerns that need an immediate solution.
Social Media
You can take advantage of social media tools to create a page or channel for your team. It’s an interesting way to communicate, and it allows for open sharing and collaboration. But, if security is a concern, you might want to rethink whether this option is ideal.
Related Content: Top 10 Interview Questions You Must Ask Software Developers in 2019
Main Takeaway
Using a variety of channels to communicate with your software developer is crucial to avoid dealing with problems later on. You need to encourage transparency through a method that’s comfortable for them and for you. This is especially true when you’re outsourcing the task to a third-party provider. It’s more efficient to identify issues early on in the development stage than have to come up with an emergency solution shortly before the software’s launch.
