What is agile app development & SCRUM?
It seems everyone is using the term “agile” these days, but did you know that it was developed to make software development work more efficiently? Back in 2001, a group of developers wrote the Agile Manifesto. This outlined practices that eventually lead Gartner to state:
“Agile development is essential for mobile application development”
The suggestion was to create a cyclical process to help speed up development and allow software to be developed with the user at the center of the process. By focusing on the user, you are able to bring them value and by limiting the time to release, you are able to keep them coming back for more and more. This has led to a revolution in software development that we can thank for bringing us updates to our apps, keeping our experience improving over time.
The problem with this method is it required a “co-located team”. Back in 2001, this was true, but in 2017, there are enough tools to effectively manage teams at a distance and the entire world is going to more of a remote work lifestyle. Remote work is projected to comprise 50% of all employees by 2020. Couple this with the predictions of a $6.3 Trillion app industry & the fact there is a projected shortage of over 1 Million coders by 2020, finding the team you need is highly competitive. Blast Off Apps has found a solution to this in the cloud.
Each piece of functionality creates different possibilities with code. Therefore, development input is essential and integral to the agile development process. You can think something seems “simple” but it is really very complex with code. Even a splash screen (loading screen) has functionality that has variables.
Want to see exactly how variable the cost is with development?
What team members are needed?
- Development
Of course you need coders to develop an app. However, there are multiple specialties and no one person holds all of these skills. Therefore, it is important to have a well-versed development leader that can input when needed during the planning phases and act as SCRUM master during the development sprints & testing to keep the process moving forward as it must in agile.
2. Product owner
This is the boss of what goes in and doesn’t in an app. For context, in our process this is our member. When development quotes the number of hours needed to complete (also know as the “size” of development), the product owner makes cuts to keep the process from backing up with features requested by all the different stakeholders.
3. SCRUM Master / Team lead
Developers and non-technical people need to get things done and this position makes sure everyone has what they need to get the job done. The SCRUM master is given the responsibility of keeping the meetings moving, keeping everyone with everything they need and explaining things to make sure the whole team is on the same page and working to optimal capacity.
4. Product development
This is a very important role in the process. The plans for your development are mapped out in an agile document called a backlog commitment list, which is basically a fancy priority list. In this, you are able to state in very fine detail what you would like in the app. Through SCRUM meetings and other agile ceremonies such as “Yesterday’s weather”, which is a retrospective meeting
5. Stakeholders
This can be anyone from users to team members. Basically, it is the person that is impacted by the task in question. Your users drive your whole business, so they are normally very high in priority, but there are also needs from development and other teams that depend on the others. It is a cycle and if just one piece starts to lag, the whole system begins to lag and eventually you end up with an unmanageable situation.
6. Domain experts
Every app is unique and has unique expertise needed. You may need different experts for any number of sub specialties that arise from time-to-time. This is completely up to the team.
Try our services to cover these positions affordably
We have found a way to give you all of these to our members for $495/m and through the backlog, give them complete control over their development hours. Come talk to us free or give us some details and we can give you a glimpse of what to expect from membership, free of charge with no commitment. You only pay when you say you are ready to develop your app. Then we join your team!
