概述
Planning a custom software project requires aligning business goals, technical feasibility and user needs. Unlike packaged tools, custom development offers full flexibility, but also demands clarity of scope, architecture and delivery strategy. This page outlines how to initiate, structure and de-risk a successful custom project.
Phase 1: Product Discovery
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Clarify business goals and success criteria
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Identify core user flows and pain points
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Map existing processes and infrastructure
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Prioritize value-adding functionality
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Produce wireframes or prototypes
Learn more about Product Discovery
Phase 2: Architecture & Technology Planning
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Define system boundaries and responsibilities
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Choose architectural patterns (monolith, modular, microservices)
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Select core technologies, frameworks and hosting model
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Plan data model and integration points
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Align with scalability and maintainability goals
Phase 3: Team & Delivery Structure
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Establish product owner and stakeholder roles
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Choose team composition (in-house, remote, augmented)
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Define delivery model (Agile, Scrum, Kanban)
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Set sprint cadence and communication rituals
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Create roadmap with MVP and future milestones
Risk Mitigation
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Validate assumptions early via prototypes or MVPs
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Budget for discovery and refactoring time
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Include QA strategy from the beginning
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Monitor technical debt and delivery velocity
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Ensure documentation and knowledge sharing
Common Planning Mistakes to Avoid
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Starting development without discovery
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Over-scoping the MVP
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Delaying architecture decisions
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Ignoring integration complexity
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Underestimating QA and maintenance
Related Context
