What is software product development and how does it differ from software development?

While both processes revolve around software deliverables, they differ in goals, stages, and even team composition. The software product development strategy is anchored in customer needs. This often involves creating prototypes and running market analysis to determine the viability of the future product. Hence, along with traditional design and development steps, software product development stages also include product ideation, prototyping, and pilot production.

Software product development challenges that shackle your project

Building a consumable product is the ultimate challenge of the software product development process. The thing is, it implies a myriad of other significant roadblocks that might imperil your undertaking right from the get-go. 

How to decide on a software product development team structure?

The right software product development team structure will determine how well your product is built. But although you need a cross-functional squad of software professionals, a mixed assembly of characters doesn’t automatically drive you to success. Here’s how to select your team members strategically.

Typical software product development team

To facilitate a dynamic development process, you’ll need to have the following professionals on board:

• Product Owner — holds the voice of the customer and keeps the team backlog aligned with customer and stakeholder needs (usually on the client’s side).
• Delivery Manager/Scrum Master — caretakers that ensure the project is delivered on time and within budget, while also enforcing the best Agile practices.
• Development Team (Developers, QA, Designers, Solution Architect, DevOps specialist) — hands-on front players that turn requirements into a fully functional software product