Where to start with a startup? Idea2Specs in 10 steps!
So you got yourself an amazing startup idea and are ready to set off on this adventure? The first part of your journey is turning this idea you have in your mind into a well defined product specs. And yes, we are agile, we’ll be adjusting as we move, but it doesn’t mean you don’t need a solid ground to take off from.
Talk to your potential users and make sure they indeed have the problem you are trying to solve. Also, make sure they don’t have a bigger one that they prefer to pay to solve.
Have a chat with the domain experts: fintech, edtech, healthtech, legaltech… All the tech is based on a domain that the tech people don’t have an expertise in. Think about it.
Don’t wait to build the product to talk to the marketing, branding, sales peeps. Make sure from the beginning that your stuff is sellable.
Take a step back. What exactly are you solving and how? How are people solving or attempting to solve it right now? Why is that not good enough? What is so special about your offer?
Map the identified problems with the defined high-level features of your product. If they don’t map quite well, re-define your features before it gets inconvenient.
Place your high-level features breakdown on a storyboard and then drag out of your MPV (minimum viable product) release section everything that is not absolutely necessary for your product to function and convey your UVP (unique value proposition).
Get tech input on feasibility, risks, costs, timeline etc. for your high-level features. Based on the tech input, you might decide to go without some less achievable features, or include some low-hanging fruits .
If you are still not sure whether to drag in/out a certain feature, go back to talking to your potential users.
Prove traction leveraging your community (fx manually close transactions)
Create your roadmap for implementing and launching your product.
Congrats, you have your journey planned out! Now get the team together (in-house employees / full-package agency / fractional CxOs and on-demand freelancers), iterate your dev and launch your startup!