What does our development process look like?
Our business involves two separate processes.
- Client Onboarding
- Project Development
Client Onboarding
Introductory Call
The first thing we do when engaging with new clients is have an “Introduction” or “Discovery Call”. This call enables us and the client to get familiar with each other. It enables both us and the client to see if we would be a good fit to work together. During the call we discuss the project overview, state of the project, teams involved, urgency and the project’s roadmap.
Scope of Work
Following the introduction call, we ask the potential client to deliver a project roadmap or scope of work (SOW) to us. We like to have the potential client jot down the problem they are trying to solve, the features they want their application to have and the technology they want to implement. If the clients cannot answer these questions, they are not ready for development. In this situation we do a design sprint with the client (see What is a design sprint?).
T-Shirt
Once we receive the client’s SOW or roadmap, we build a t-shirt. A t-shirt is a rough cost estimate of what it will take to get the project to the clients desired stage, whether that be a proof-of-concept (PoC) or a market ready product. The cost estimate takes the form of a cost range because it is very hard to put a fixed price on software development, especially web3 development.
The t-shirt also dives into a description of the project’s technology. We list the tech the project needs and investigate unknowns that we will uncover during paid engagement with the client.
Call Number 2 — T-Shirt Review
We regroup with the client for a second call after the potential client has a chance to review the t-shirt, formulate opinions and come up with questions.
Signing Contracts
If the t-shirt looks good, we sign contracts.
The image below is a visual representation of our process.
Project Development
Kickoff Meeting
Our project development process starts with a kickoff meeting. During the kickoff meeting our team members get acquainted with the client and their team members. We determine the best way to communicate: Slack, Discord, email, etc. We set how often we will do standup meetings.
Development Methodology
Once we begin development for a client we build fast via agile methodology. Due to how nascent web3 development is, aspects of development like writing smart contracts have to take a more waterfall approach.
A Point of Value
We like to get to a point of value without being affected by scope creep.
Scope creep is when additional features are added to a project. It is important to reach the first defined milestones before you begin to add additional features. Adding additional features delays the development timeline and can be costly. It is best to get to a finish line / a point where the app has success or a use case before features are added.
Maintenance
No software project is ever 100% complete. Projects need continued maintenance. We engage with clients on an hourly, as needed basis to perform maintenance and support.
We hope this helped you learn about our business processes. If you have questions or want to work with us, shoot us an email: contact@pineappleworkshop.com
