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Project guidelines

Some guidelines on project execution for future me.

Principles

  • Keep it simple. Both in design and features.
  • Make something people want.
  • Have fun while making it.

Idea

  • Solve a problem. Don’t search a problem for an idea.
  • Meet a business need. Consumers don’t spend on software unless there is a buzz or this is a big market (iOS app for example).
  • Make a global software not limited to a country.
  • If country-specific, it can be an idea import from the US or anywhere OR meet a country-specific need.
  • Do no follow hype. We can think that all people are looking at the hype and its consequences but there is a lot of problems to solve in more niche market (or non fun one). The number of business relying on Excel is a proof.
  • Keep the idea to a minimum, think only of the minimum a business will pay for and that will solve their problem.
  • Don’t put too much pressure on the idea (like bloating it with imagining how the idea can be pivoted into another big market later one). Keep it close to the core idea.

Execution

  • Validate an idea before ‘doing’ it.
  • Keep design to a minimum during MVP, people will not use the product by its design (code simple as well).
  • No more than 2 weeks to prototype a thing.

Marketing

  • Communicate early on about the project. Tease and create appetite within your audience.
  • Be authentic. Do not over-think messages or posts, it will be seen as fake.

Pricing

  • Price below the limit where people need to ask purchasing departments (~500€).
  • Don’t be too low as it’s a sign of low-quality.
  • Good pricing is something between 50€ and 500€.

Design

  • Go to the point, have a great UX.
  • No need to be beautiful to be functional.
  • Keep the number of clicks to perform an action to a minimum.

Technical

  • Use boring stuff.
  • Keep a simple architecture. Do not over-engineer.
  • No need for containers, a big machine is good enough until there is a need for scale.

TLD and product name

  • Great domain name ends with .com.
  • If it's not available and you are in specific market (such as a tech one) you can go with .co or .io.
  • Sometimes it's just better to find another name that have a .com available.
  • Somes letters such as X, Y or Z can be good in name as you remembers them. Not too much of these. I read it on internet but I forgot where.
  • Don't spend too much time searching for a perfect name, nobody cares.
  • Ask people related and unrelated to your market their views. Listen them.
  • Is it easy to spell? To pronounce? To write? It must be otherwise nobody will talk about it.