When you first develop a product for your startup, it is easy to get carried away and fantasize about how it will take over the world. Naturally, while there is nothing wrong with having high hopes, there is undoubtedly a long way ahead of you. A remote discovery workshop can help and we will explain why in this post.
This complex journey will be filled with questions and risks that may make or break your business. Hence, before you make decisions instrumental to the future of your startup, you should verify all of your assumptions. Here’s where startup consulting comes into play.
In this article, we’re going to guide you in your decision of engaging in a pre-launch remote discovery workshop. We will be bringing up three topics, namely:
Points to look out for in IT management consulting companies
What kind of product development services they should provide
What an effective workshop should include.
Let’s dive right in!
How do I know if I need startup consulting services?
There are many telltale signs that can indicate whether you’d benefit from startup consulting. Here are the five signs to look out for:
You’re looking to expand but need someone to evaluate your concepts and assess the resources
For instance, you might have already made the decision to digitize your business, but you lack the right competencies and resources. When you decide to engage in startup consultations, not only will you receive a plan and cost estimates, but might also get support in project execution.
You need help in drafting up a list of features for your product prototype
It’s much easier to get funding for your business if you can provide potential investors with a tangible product – even if it’s just a simple wireframe. By participating in a remote workshop, you can get help in creating a list of core features that the intended prototype must have to bring value to customers.
You have an idea but lack the implementation know-how
Let’s assume you have an Android app, and would now also like to start targeting Apple users. Unfortunately, you don’t have any iOS developers on board.
Instead of wasting your time and resources on recruitment, you can reach out to a startup consulting company that will help estimate the development costs and will tell you what product development services you’d need to bring the iOS app to the market.
What to look for in a startup consulting company?
Here are the five characteristics you should keep an eye out for when searching for a company offering product development services:
Experience with similar clients or solutions
One of the requirements you should look for while working with a company that offers product development services is experience with similar clients. It’s always a plus to work with a software company that has worked with clients from your industry. However, you should primarily look for consultants that have experience in developing technological solutions similar to what you are looking for.
The best software consultants can leverage their previous experiences from various industries to help you develop products that strictly align with your needs. With their knowledge and resources, they are able to “connect the dots” and provide innovative ideas and solutions for your product.
The right technological know-how
Let’s assume you’re looking for Objective-C experts to discuss your app idea with.
Ask yourself – do the consulting companies you’re looking at have a deep understanding of the language? Search for brands that specialize in these particular product development services – through their own experiences, they will help you avoid potential mistakes and will suggest the most effective solutions. Engaging in such a workshop will not only help you save money but also cut your time-to-development.
They are in the same time zone as you
If you want to organize remote discovery workshops, pay attention to where the consultants are based. If there is, for instance, a 9 hours’ time difference, organizing an effective workshop might be challenging. While it’s early morning for you and you’re feeling fresh, your consultants might just be about to finish their day and might not be at their best cognitive performance.
They understand your culture
The ability to understand your culture is another important factor while choosing a partner for your product development services. An effective partnership should take into consideration and respect the other party’s culture and values. It is important for the consultancy companies that you have shortlisted to display values such as empathy while maintaining high ethical and working standards.
They have positive reviews on Clutch.co
Clutch reviews come from independent reviewers who have previously worked with a company (for instance, engaged in their product development services). As it takes weeks or months to finalize work on software projects, when you’re perusing Clutch profiles, you should focus not on the number of reviews the company has, but on what they actually state about a business.
For example, here is the profile of one company on the platform with a objective review:
Summary
Now that you know whether startup consultations and a remote discovery workshop is a good idea for your business, you can prepare the initial input for a such and decide with which professional startup consulting partner you will go forward.
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