David Cummings on Startups

Entrepreneur With an Idea but No Software Engineers

Written by

David Cummings

in

,

Earlier this week I talked about the 3 Next Steps for an Entrepreneur Without an Idea. Now, the next logical topic is what entrepreneurs should do when they have an idea but don’t have any software engineers to help with a minimum viable product (assuming market demand has already been confirmed with eager prospects ready to sign up).

With an idea, committed prospects, and no software engineers, an entrepreneur should build wireframes using Google Drawing with Morten Just’s wireframe kit template (Balsamiq and Mockingbird are good choices as well but more specialized). Here are some items to keep in mind:

  • Make a Google Spreadsheet with all the product screens including hierarchy, links, notes, etc
  • Consider the minimum viable product and keep the screens simple
  • Include as much detail as possible on each wireframe via notes but don’t clutter the user experience
  • Share the wireframes with potential prospects to get their feedback
  • Don’t set anything in stone and make changes in an iterative process

So, as a next step, an entrepreneur with an idea should start building product wireframes in Google Drawing and make the idea more tangible.

What else? What are your thoughts on next steps for an entrepreneur with an idea and no software engineers?

Comments

7 responses to “Entrepreneur With an Idea but No Software Engineers”

  1. Osman Sheikh (@OsmnShkh) Avatar
    Osman Sheikh (@OsmnShkh)

    David, you’re awesome. Thanks for all the valuable posts.

    Reply
  2. Osman Sheikh (@OsmnShkh) Avatar
    Osman Sheikh (@OsmnShkh)

    Also, I’d add a an item to your list: start blogging. Blog about the industry you’re in, things that appeal to your target market, or just things that appeal to you. Blogging is also a good way to test if you can stick with the idea and build an audience.

    Reply
  3. takelight Avatar
    takelight

    I am facing exactly this scene in my journey. Thanks for the advise which is so timely for me. Is there a platform where entrepreneur and software engineers come together? Much appreciate your insights.

    Reply
  4. Dinesh Agarwal Avatar
    Dinesh Agarwal

    The next step would be to find a partner who would join your team to realize the product. There are different ways that entrepreneurs go about it. You can hire freelancers or an organization to do it, but it is either frustrating or prohibitively expensive. One can learn to code and build it, but it is time consuming and the quality will not be what is preferred. There is also a new concept called startup-as-a-service where we do discounted development for equity (check http://prostart.me/). This ensures the long term interests are aligned and the cost is minimum possible. I would love to know what others think of this idea.

    Reply
  5. vineetganti Avatar
    vineetganti

    Good post ! Being an entrepreneur myself, it will be a help to follow these points

    Reply
  6. Megan Holbrook Avatar
    Megan Holbrook

    Though it’s a small investment, you might also want to look into Axure for building interactive wireframes. Very easy to put together a demonstration that prospective funders and engineers can review.

    Reply
  7. Brent Weber (@spinuplabs) Avatar
    Brent Weber (@spinuplabs)

    I think that too many “startuppers” focus on digital tasks. I think the best way to move forward if you have a tangible idea is to sit down and draw out your wireframes and flow. It is too easy to get caught up in what tool to use and procrastinate. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen takes less then 30 seconds and you are ready to start creating value.

    We need to teach people to focus less on the tools and more on the process/value.

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More posts