<p>At the outset, when the team is still small, all interaction is based on personal contacts. But as the team grows, these contacts are interrupted. Over time, the question arises, ‘How to maintain synchrony in architecture, technology, standards, and process tasks?’ The answer is to implement the <strong>Community of Practice</strong> approach.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-primary-color has-gray-50-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>💡 <strong>Communities of Practice (CoPs) are professional groups regularly collaborating to exchange information, develop competencies, increase productivity, and strengthen general knowledge in their domains.</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p><strong>Specialized CoP teams act as processes and standards synchronization centers, accumulate knowledge, and develop competencies within Rocketech.</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/48.png" alt="The Community of Practice team members are holding puzzle pieces as a symbol of teamwork and efficiency." class="wp-image-5431"></figure><p>We prepared our guide on developing a <strong>Community of Practice in a remote team</strong> and the main mistakes in implementing this project. Our approach can help business owners avoid these mistakes and discover unique opportunities for their employees to influence company development.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><strong>Creating a Community of Practice: Basic Mistakes</strong></strong></h2>



<p>Like many teams, we started creating the Community of Practice on a <strong>volunteer basis</strong>. Recognizing the need for specialists to share their experiences, we suggested that <strong>team leads undertake the project themselves</strong>. However, this turned out a common mistake, as assigning responsibility for community management and development to just one leader is not ideal.</p>



<p>Moreover, it is not enough to merely offer your employees a chance to share experiences. It is crucial to <strong>endorse this concept and establish an environment fostering its growth</strong>. At the start of the project, you need the resources for launching and organizing systematic community work, implementing community-generated ideas, and ensuring meetings’ regularity and format.</p>



<p><strong>This is how our Scrum masters’ time became such a valuable resource. They were involved in the project and took over the management and support functions.</strong></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Scrum Team Contributions</strong></h3>



<p>To improve efficiency and productivity, our Scrum team worked on various initiatives. Here are some of the results:</p>



<ul><li>The Community of Practice concept;</li>



<li>Development of the structure and number of communities within Rocketech;</li>



<li>Methodology for work planning within the community;</li>



<li>A list of the company’s priority tasks (at the launch period), which each community could take on.</li>
</ul><ul><li>
</ul><p>The start of the project showed that the decision to increase the resources and invite the Scrum team to manage the project was the right one. It made it possible to ensure systematic and regular community work. Sometimes, you should invest extra time and effort to get a functional product.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Communities of Practice 3.0: Rocketech’s Blueprint for Building Stronger Teams</h2>



<p>Communities of Practice are based on the initiative of people willing and able to share and transfer knowledge. We keep this principle despite our communities shifting from self-management to Scrum-team management.<strong> The mission of the CoP project is to create a space that encourages people to develop professionally and help others to do so.</strong></p>



<p>As for now, we have launched four specific communities:</p>



<ol><li>Scrum;</li>



<li>Backend;</li>



<li>Business Analytics;</li>



<li>Quality Assurance.</li>
</ol><p>Our short-term plans include launching the OS community.<br><strong>All communities follow the global goal — to ensure the highest quality level when executing projects.</strong> “Quality” in the project context means:</p>



<ul><li>The development and implementation of standards and ensuring compliance with them for each competency.</li>



<li>Devising the competence working principles.</li>



<li>Organizing your work by creating libraries and directories, setting up a repository, and adding specific problem cases to the database to standardize your workflow and accumulate practical experience for future projects.</li>



<li>Introduction of mentoring and support practices.</li>



<li>Developing the culture of learning and mentoring within the company (including workshops, case studies, and joint work on complex tasks as part of the Communities of Practice).</li>
</ul><figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-gray-100-background-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>The whole community idea is based on two main functions:<br>📌 <strong>The project function </strong>is knowledge systematization and workflow standardization.<br>📌 <strong>The current function</strong> is to become a shared knowledge center where team members can receive mentorship from experienced developers and managers, seek advice, and share their own experiences.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><div class="wp-block-blog-quote wp-block-quote"><div class="wp-block-quote__text"><p>“The emotional component of Communities of Practice is the opportunity for developers to feel that they are not alone in the challenges and difficulties of their project. The community will ensure the chosen solution is correct and help people avoid feeling lonely and isolated. It is crucial for remote work and projects without large teams and many specialists of the same profile.”</p></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__aside"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__image" style='background-image:url("https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/natasha-chistyakova.jpg")'></div></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__content"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__name"><strong>Natalia Chistyakova</strong></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__info">Lead Scrum Master</div></div></div></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Positive Impact of Communities of Practice on Working Conditions</h2>



<p>The initiative added several regular meetings to the project participants’ calendars and made their lives more colorful. The reason is simple: they personally create a new reality and influence changes in the company.</p>



<p>All the community work implies a <strong>specific algorithm</strong>. First, each group sets goals for the month. They present these goals to the CoP team lead (as mentioned above, this person is not a community member but a Scrum team representative).</p>



<p>The criterion for choosing a goal is the impact on improving the quality of our work. It refers to the quality of code, processes, and team interaction — <strong>the overall quality at every project development stage</strong>.</p>



<p>According to the task volume, the participants agree on the working meetings’ frequency and format. During these meetings, the teams discuss interim results and form the backlog for the next one.</p>



<p>Working meetings take place once a week. Moreover, the community gathers at a set time to present the monthly results.</p>



<p>Let’s take our CoP tasks for July 2022 as an example.</p>



<ul><li><strong>The CoP Scrum Master</strong>: Developing a shared understanding of customer-oriented service for the whole team.</li>



<li><strong>The CoP Business Analytics</strong>: Standardizing the processes to improve interaction with the customer and increase service quality.</li>



<li><strong>The CoP Back</strong>end: Updating the standards for the initial development project stages.</li>



<li><strong>The CoP Quality Assurance</strong>: Updating the standards for working with bug maintaining documentation to improve testing quality.</li>
</ul><ul><li>
</ul><p>Based on the goals, we determined the tasks for each specific area and could quickly see the first results. For example, CoP Scrum Master implemented a new approach to working with customer expectations.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/49.png" alt="The Community of Practice team members are putting their hands together as a symbol of efficient teamwork." class="wp-image-5433"></figure><div class="wp-block-blog-quote wp-block-quote"><div class="wp-block-quote__text"><p>“It is vital to organize effective interaction between the customer and the team at the initial stage. We plan to conduct continuous reviews between the product owner and the team to move in sync. We are proud of this block as it will positively impact the entire project.”</p></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__aside"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__image" style='background-image:url("https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ajzhan-bermanova.png")'></div></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__content"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__name"><strong>Aizhan Bermanova</strong></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__info">CoP Scrum Master</div></div></div></div>



<p></p>



<p>The CoP Business Analytics also quickly proved effective. The team created Development Standards for projects and interviews with candidates for a BA position in the company. The next improvement point is the <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Discovery process</a>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-quote wp-block-quote"><div class="wp-block-quote__text"><p></p><p>“The Community of Practice is the Dedicated Team’s key component. The more well-developed internal competence we have (for example, BA or QA), the more competitive we are and the better service we offer to customers. Thus, the successful CoP launch and the development of quality improvement approaches in all areas are crucial for us.”</p></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__aside"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__image" style='background-image:url("https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/sasha-roket2.png")'></div></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__content"><div class="wp-block-quote__author__name"><strong>Alexander Rocket</strong></div><div class="wp-block-quote__author__info">Co-Founder of Rocketech</div></div></div></div>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-gray-100-background-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Main Community Principles</strong><br>✔ The CoP is voluntary — we don’t require participation. However, it is mandatory to follow the standards and processes developed by the community and attend the meetings at the end of the month to learn more about the implemented changes.<br>✔ The company pays for all tasks and project meetings.<br>✔ There is no command or task distribution. The communities themselves decide what needs to be done to improve the processes within their competence.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><ul><li>
</ul><p>Specialized communities act as a classic hub where <strong>participants exchange experience, mentor newcomers, and discuss solutions and questions on current and new projects</strong>. It is where you can always find support and ask a friend for help</p>



<p>Our decision to create internal communities of practice has revolutionized the way we work, resulting in improved efficiency and quality across the board. By promoting a culture of collaboration and shared learning, we have seen a significant increase in the engagement, motivation, and satisfaction of our employees. We are proud to say that this innovative approach has enabled us to deliver outstanding results for our clients, and we will continue to embrace this philosophy to achieve even greater success in the future.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Any questions about our approaches to process management? We are happy to answer them.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>

How to Create a Community of Practice for Your Team

<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Introduction</h1>


<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-photomix-company-887751-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-242" width="359" height="240" srcset="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-photomix-company-887751-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-photomix-company-887751-158x106.jpg 158w" sizes="(max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px"></figure></div>


<p>With around 5 million mobile apps being developed for different platforms like iOS and Android, do you ever wonder how an app is actually made? Well, here we are to answer all your questions regarding how to seamlessly start developing your mobile apps in 2021.</p>



<p>First things first, while building anything, for instance, a building, where do you need to start? By creating the frame right? That is the case with a mobile app as well; you will need a mobile app development framework, to begin with. </p>



<p>This framework provides the foundation for developing your code and enhances the efficiency of your development process. When you have a framework, you don’t need to create your app from scratch, making things much simpler.</p>



<p>With too many mobile app development frameworks available in the market, it might get difficult for you to make a decision. For that matter, we have brought you the best frameworks of 2021 along with their highlighting features so that you can choose the one that works the best for you. Go ahead and browse through our shortlisted frameworks to get started with developing your robust mobile app this year:</p>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">What is a Mobile Application Framework?</h1>



<p>Mobile apps have become an integral part of the marketing strategy for businesses today. These apps help you reach out to your target audience while strengthening your user base. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.fatbit.com/fab/list-best-mobile-app-development-companies/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.fatbit.com/fab/list-best-mobile-app-development-companies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mobile app development companies</a> are, therefore booming as well as creating exceptional and creative apps. Developing an app isn’t a rocket science anymore; you don’t even need to be an expert in any complicated programming languages. </p>



<p>You need a good mobile app development framework and basic command in web-based languages like CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. The framework acts as a foundation or platform with all the components ranging from compilers and coding interfaces to debuggers and toolsets. </p>



<p>In a nutshell, you just have to write your app’s source code, and the framework will render the app using the various components.</p>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Types of Mobile Application and Frameworks</h1>



<p>There are three major types of mobile app out there:</p>



<ul><li>Native Apps: These apps are developed for a specific platform such as Android, iOS, and Windows and may use the features of the device such as camera, RAM, etc.</li>



<li>Web Apps: these apps function by using the interfaces of the browser.</li>



<li>Hybrid Apps: these apps are the combo of both the above apps.</li>
</ul><p>These apps are developed using native app frameworks and hybrid app frameworks. </p>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Top Mobile Application Development Frameworks 2021</h1>


<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-lisa-1092671-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-243" width="535" height="356" srcset="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-lisa-1092671-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pexels-lisa-1092671-158x106.jpg 158w" sizes="(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px"></figure></div>


<p>We bring you the top 5 mobile app development frameworks to help you develop apps in 2021 effortlessly.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Swiftic</strong></h4>



<p>Swiftic tops our list for being the ultimate DIY mobile app development framework for the iOS platform that enables and empowers its users to develop customized apps for their business needs and goals. Its interface brings effortless navigation. The reason for its popularity is that it allows you to import your existing online content so that you don’t have to start from scratch. Its user-friendly approach, exceptional guidance, and simple user interface are some more reasons that render this framework versatile and favorite among users. Swiftic incorporates the latest trends, such as app promotion, push notifications, and social media feeds.</p>



<p>What makes it even more exceptional is it’s 30 days money-back guarantee option. Not to forget the amazing ‘6-months success guarantee scheme’, which means in case you don’t get your desired results the service for 6 months will all be FREE!</p>



<p>You can create, develop, and publish your app from a SINGLE control panel! What more can you ask for? Here are a few of the highlighting features of Swiftic:</p>



<ul><li>App Promotion</li>



<li>Push notification</li>



<li>Social Media feeds</li>



<li>Menu and Ordering</li>



<li>Mobile store development</li>



<li>Loyalty cards and scratch cards for loyal shoppers and winning prizes, respectively.</li>



<li>In-app coupons</li>



<li>Effortless interface</li>



<li>Straightforward Communication</li>



<li>Advanced Analytics</li>



<li>Customer Engagement</li>



<li>Guidance for App Creation, Development and Publication </li>



<li>Third-party integration</li>
</ul><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>React Native</strong></h4>



<p>Next on our list is the React Native app development framework launched by Facebook in 2015 for the cross-platform development. Would you like to know why it has become the most used JavaScript frameworks in the app development industry? Because not only is it cost-efficient but also time-efficient with a very smooth learning curve for the developers.</p>



<p>Many businesses and startups have used it for their cross-platform app development needs. Its objective ‘learn once, write anything’ hold true till today. The developers are empowered to create mobile apps for both the iOS and Android platforms with their native feel and look. The framework even has modules for specific platforms. Its low code or single code repository is what makes it a cross-platform framework. You wouldn’t need to develop different apps for different platforms; just one development team for one app and it will function across all platforms. </p>



<p><strong>Some of the highlighting features of React Native include:</strong></p>



<ul><li>Supports both Android and iOS</li>



<li>Low code</li>



<li>Immaculate performance</li>



<li>Reusable components</li>



<li>Third-party integration</li>



<li>DeclarativeAPI that supports predictive User interface</li>
</ul><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Framework7</strong></h4>



<p>Next on our list is the Framework7 which is an exceptional framework as it enables the developers to build all the apps ranging from iOS to Android to desktop and that too with the look and feel of native apps.</p>



<p>Framework7 is an open-source framework that is free and user-friendly and easy to learn and use. All you need to start developing exceptional apps with Framewrok7 is the proficiency in languages like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.</p>



<p>It brings in an amazing set of the user interface elements such as the action sheet, popup, side panels, list view, layout grid, and a lot more. Not only that, Framework7 brings added support for React, Svelte, and Vue.js.</p>



<p>In short, the mobile app development using this framework is a piece of cake, very fast and absolutely convenient! <strong>Some of the highlighting features of Framework7 are:</strong></p>



<ul><li>Brings in a rich set of elements with templates, icons, and plugins</li>



<li>Easily customizable</li>



<li>User-friendly interface and easy maintenance</li>



<li>An exceptional prototyping tool</li>
</ul><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ionic</strong></h4>



<p>Ionic is our next favorite mobile app framework that is employed all over the universe and has climbed the ladder as a favorite of the developers a little too quickly. The platform is free and uses a blend of the CSS3, HTML, and JavaScript languages to develop all three types of apps: native, web, and hybrid.</p>



<p>Ionic framework is the perfect choice when it comes to the development of hybrid apps or agile web apps that use HTML5 language. The hybrid apps created by this framework have all the qualities of both the web and native apps, from a uniform design to enhanced performance. Plus, these apps are supported across all platforms. The apps that are developed using this framework can be sent to multiple app stores and can be installed on any device using Capacitor/Cordova.</p>



<p>Its unique features have made it popular in the world of mobile app development so rapidly. <strong>Some of the highlighting features of Ionic include:</strong></p>



<ul><li>A very consistent and intuitive user interface and components</li>



<li>Cross-platform App development</li>



<li>Optimized Performance</li>



<li>Faster and convenient development</li>



<li>Potent development platform</li>



<li>User adaptability for ultimate control over the app development</li>
</ul><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flutter</strong></h4>



<p>Last but not least, on our list is Flutter. If you are looking to develop aesthetically pleasing mobile apps, then Flutter is the ultimate framework to do it. It includes a 2D graphics library called Skia that helps to take the visual aspect of any app to the next level.</p>



<p>Flutter incorporates striking animations, material designs, and intuitive widgets alongside an interactive UI, ensuring an exceptional experience for mobile users.</p>



<p>However, the amazing aesthetics and visuals don’t compromise the performance of the app at any cost. You will feel the seamless performance of the app, similar to a native one while scrolling and navigating. The icons and fonts will all appear like that of a native app. What makes it exceptional is the coding in dart language that you can use in more upcoming tasks. Plus, the fact that Flutter is backed by Google is reason enough to go try it with trust.</p>



<p><strong>Some of the highlighting features of Flutter include: </strong></p>



<ul><li>Faster Cross-platform Development</li>



<li>Built-in material design</li>



<li>Eye-catching and Interactive visuals</li>



<li>High Performance like Native</li>



<li>Built-in Cupertino widgets</li>



<li>Supports both iOS &amp; Android</li>



<li>Excellent widget support</li>



<li>Rich motion APIs</li>
</ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bottom Line</h2>



<p>Our curated list of the top mobile app development frameworks has been created after weighing in factors like development time, aesthetics, operating systems and a lot more. The mobile app development is evolving with every passing day with the introduction of cross-platform apps and single-platform apps. We need to keep up with these technological changes to stay relevant in our businesses by creating up-to-date apps. Go on and explore <a href="https://www.rocketech.it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rocketech</a> for some exceptional development products and the latest news on development!</p>

Best Mobile App Development Frameworks in 2021

<p>SaaS stands for <strong>software as a service</strong> and refers to cloud-based software users can access through a website or a web app. Slack, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Shopify are just a few examples of cloud-based, software-as-a-service products.</p>



<p>Is SaaS development still a solely big players’ prerogative? Can startups enter this market? We summed up the most important points and explained how to build SaaS applications and solutions in this guide.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="624" height="301" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/saas-intro.png" alt="SaaS app development" class="wp-image-4292"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SaaS app development</figcaption></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">SaaS Development Overview: What is a SaaS Solution?</h2>



<p>SaaS, or <strong>software as a service</strong>, refers to the use of the cloud to deliver licensed software that users can then pay for on a subscription basis. In other words, these are cloud solutions accessible through a web interface or a mobile app.</p>



<p>To work with such software, <strong>users</strong> <strong>don’t need to download and install anything on their computers</strong> or connect to an isolated corporate network. All you need to do is open it in an Internet browser. SaaS products can be anything from simpler office tools to complex enterprise-level software.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-primary-color has-light-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><em>SaaS is a business model for subscription software distribution. Users pay a set amount each week, month, or year and receive the service. </em></td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">What is SaaS?</figcaption></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading">SaaS Product Types</h3>



<p>One of the reasons why the SaaS concept became so widespread is its <strong>versatility</strong>. Software-as-a-service products are now a big part of business ecosystems in nearly any field. Most often, they are grouped by <strong>industry</strong> or <strong>purpose</strong>. Here are the largest and most well-known types with examples.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/saas-product-types.png" alt="SaaS app development, developing SaaS applications" class="wp-image-4286" width="600" height="1500"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SaaS product types</figcaption></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading">Six Benefits of SaaS Solutions</h3>



<p>SaaS cloud platforms steadily replace conventional software installed in on-premises infrastructure. We summed up <strong>six main reasons</strong> why businesses choose to develop SaaS applications.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#1 Easy to Set Up</em></h4>



<p>SaaS applications are <strong>web-based</strong>. It means users don’t have to configure them in a complicated way. Companies also don’t need to purchase infrastructure resources to run these cloud-based services.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#2 Scalability</em></h4>



<p>As the business expands, companies can easily scale the SaaS solutions. This allows them to <strong>handle growing workloads and accommodate more users</strong>. In the case of traditional software requiring on-premises infrastructure, scalability often becomes a challenge.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#3</em> <em>Convenient Payment</em></h4>



<p>The fee is <strong>included in the monthly (weekly or yearly, alternatively) operating costs</strong> and is easier for most companies to pay than an expensive software license. The subscription increases as the platform scales, naturally. However, the customer business doesn’t have to invest in additional infrastructure capacity.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#4 Instant Updates</em></h4>



<p>Users benefit from SaaS <strong>software updates as soon as they are deployed</strong>. For comparison, when using conventional software, organizations have to purchase and install new versions to keep it up-to-date and access enhanced and additional features.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#5 Accessibility </em></h4>



<p>Companies can use any SaaS application literally<strong> anytime and anywhere</strong>, as long as the Internet is available. It makes it easier to organize remote work, keep better control, and establish communication with stakeholders regardless of their physical location or time zones.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>#6 Trial Versions and Basic Plans</em></h4>



<p>Most SaaS products allow users <strong>to try them before making a decision</strong>. Instead of investing in an application that may not meet expectations blindly, users can test the features and see if they meet their needs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How to Build a SaaS Platform in Six Steps</strong></h2>



<p>Here’s <strong>our six-step guide</strong> on how to create the software as a service.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 1: Discovery</h3>



<p>Successful projects start with a thought-through roadmap and good planning. To that end, startups use methods of product discovery or a <a href="https://themanifest.com/app-development/blog/discovery-phase-definition-benefits#stages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">project discovery phase</a>. It revolves around <strong>three</strong> <strong>main aspects</strong>.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Your Business Idea</em></h4>



<p>The first step towards creating your own SaaS solution is to understand exactly what you want to do, which problem, and how you want to solve it with cloud technology. In the case of SaaS application development, it’s usually making things easier to work with or moving software or your service to the cloud.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="940" height="788" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/saas-business-concepts.png" alt="SaaS business models, SaaS examples" class="wp-image-4288"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SaaS business concepts</figcaption></figure><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Market Research and Analytics</em></h4>



<p>A comprehensive market study is essential to understand what your target customers need. Examine your competitors: design, features, marketing and advertising, pricing, and more. It will help you grasp how other startups implemented a similar idea, what worked well, and what can be improved to get a competitive advantage.</p>



<p>Conduct in-depth <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/the-guide-for-perfect-customer-development-problem-interview-checklist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">problem interviews</a> with your potential users. It’s the quickest, relatively inexpensive, and most secure way to find the product-market fit. Combining the data from your customer research and analytics allows you to define the basic functionality.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Requirements and Documentation</em></h4>



<p>put, you need to create it so that managers would always understand the business requirements of every release, developers would plan every iteration and choose the right SaaS development tools, and QA engineers would test the right parts of the software.</p>



<p>It is also the stage when the requirements management process starts. It involves identifying, documenting, analyzing, and prioritizing project goals. In the case of a third-party service provider (a SaaS developer, for instance), it also registers obligations and liabilities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 2: Prototyping and Interface Design</h3>



<p>The next step in developing SaaS solutions is creating a <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/prototype-poc-or-mvp-what-will-work-for-your-product" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prototype</a>. It should catch and <strong>convey the future product’s business logic schematically displayed</strong>. Although most likely you will make many changes at later development stages, a prototype can help define and readjust first features and, in some cases, already attract first investments.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 3: Software Development and Building an MVP</h3>



<p>It’s the largest part of any software development project. It’s complex and often broken down into <strong>shorter iterations</strong>. Each iteration should create an increment — value for the end user. The iterative process usually starts with creating a <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/prototype-poc-or-mvp-what-will-work-for-your-product" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">minimum viable product</a> (MVP).</p>



<p>The MVP has limited functionality (sometimes, just one feature), which is yet ready for a market release. This way, you can collect valuable feedback from the first users and plan and develop further features accordingly.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-warning-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Let’s discuss your business ideas.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-warning-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback" data-tags="funnel">Book a call</button></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 4: QA and Testing</h3>



<p>QA stands for <strong>quality assurance</strong>. QA engineers don’t just test software for bugs but maintain <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-set-up-qa-process-on-short-term-projects-that-rocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">product standards</a> in the long run. Their main task is to prevent software defects and, as a result, ensure the high quality of the development process and its outcome.</p>



<p>Many startups with limited resources try to save up on the QA stage and required specialists. In reality, poorly organized QA processes lead to much bigger financial losses — from hiring specialists to fix badly-written code to losing customers due to a poorly functioning product.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Step 5: Scaling and Maintenance</h3>



<p><strong>Development is never over with the full-product release</strong>. Successful ideas evolve, and profitable businesses expand. There are many strategies for scaling digital products. But it’s important to remember that (like with any other software type) for SaaS, programming doesn’t stop when you make it available in the market. For example, <em>Salesforce</em> <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/the-history-of-salesforce/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">developed</a> machine learning, AI-based products to upsell them to existing customers and grow into new areas like social media marketing and advertising.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Building a SaaS Product: Monetization Models</h3>



<p>Similarly to other software types, there are several ways to monetize a SaaS project. The choice of a pricing model depends on several factors, including <em>target audience</em>, <em>industry</em>, <em>feature number</em>, and <em>complexity</em>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/saas-monetization-models.png" alt="SaaS monetization models, SaaS business models" class="wp-image-4290" width="600" height="1500"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SaaS monetization models</figcaption></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts on SaaS App Development</h2>



<p>Although the idea of creating your own cloud-based product may seem unrealistic, more startups nowadays launch successful services in niche markets. However, there’s a catch. If your budget doesn’t include hiring an in-house tech team, you’ll need a trustworthy tech partner to support your business throughout the entire journey.</p>



<p>At Rocketech, we have <a href="https://rocketech.it/cases/saas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hands-on experience</a> with the SaaS development process from ideation to product launch and scaling. We offer our clients not only full-cycle software development services but also provide them with business advice and market expertise. Do you have a SaaS product idea? <a href="https://rocketech.it/contacts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contact us</a> to discuss its potential.</p>

Developing SaaS Applications for Startups: How to Build a Successful Solution

<p>When you want to build a tech product, there are two ways. You can hire your own IT team and do it yourself or come to a professional vendor. Many people are scared to cooperate with agencies, and we understand why. I will try to explain how misunderstandings happen, what’s behind them, and how we solve them at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=blog" target="_blank">Rocketech</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sign-a-contract-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-4818"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Agencies Have Major Focus Issues</h2>



<p>Many agencies focus on sales performance and try to manage everything — marketing, design, development, HR services, and much more. We started several years ago and quickly understood that agencies must focus on <strong>services</strong>. The smaller the focus is, the easier it is to scale your business. From the customer’s perspective, it is better to choose a specific agency that works in your domain zone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Third-Party Teams</h2>



<p>A very common working model for agencies is outsourcing to some third-party companies. We understood it wouldn’t work if we wanted to establish long-term partnerships. With this approach, founders simply overpay for an agency’s “brand” and often encounter a conflict of interest on the development side. This way, the “brand” often lacks quality control.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><strong>At Rocketech, we collaborate only with our own developers who follow our standards. And this is the value we offer to our customers.</strong></p>
</blockquote>



<p>My advice to founders looking for a custom software development agency: look at the candidate-company LinkedIn page and the employee list. Check out their other social network profiles. It will help you understand who is communicating with you and who is going to be involved full-time only in your project.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Value You Get Every Hour</h2>



<p>We participate in different tenders around the globe and understand what is included in every hour of development. In the end, quality depends on the person delivering the service. </p>



<p>For example, we provide maximum value even for limited budgets. It means all our employees have a minimum of 5-6 years of experience (8+ years for business analysts and DevOps specialists). Besides, we don’t charge for recruitment and employee bonuses — it’s already included in hourly rates.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><strong>Every company has a unique process and working standards. Sometimes it takes time to understand what makes the price. </strong></p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Methodology of Delivery</h2>



<p>Most software development agencies follow either the <strong>Fixed Price</strong> or <strong>Time and Material</strong> (T&amp;M or outstaffing) collaboration model. They have specific discrepancies. Besides, the concept may vary from vendor to vendor. Here are the classic differences between the two approaches summed up.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td><strong>Time &amp; Material</strong></td><td><strong>Fixed Price</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Compensation</strong></td><td>Hourly</td><td>By phase (a specific part of the project)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Code transfer</strong></td><td>Full access during development</td><td>Upon the payment</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Team management</strong></td><td>Typically performed by the customer; the agency can provide some management, but control over the project depends on the customer</td><td>The agency’s responsibility; one single manager is assigned to communicate between the customer and the service provider</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Task</strong> <strong>management</strong></td><td>Done by the customer all the time</td><td>Fixed in the technical requirements document bound to the contract and inflexible during development; only extra annexes are possible</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Working process</strong></td><td>To be designed by the customer or already designed for the team to just follow it</td><td>No need to dive into it; the whole process happens internally; the customer only works with the project manager</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Budget</strong></td><td>Flexible and changes all the time; the product owner takes responsibility for it</td><td>Fixed at the beginning and can be changed only after the work is done</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Risks</strong></td><td>The customer is in charge of risks and risk management</td><td>Belong to the agency; it results in overcharging for every feature</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Changes</strong></td><td>Upon request and typically costs a few hours</td><td>After agreeing on everything and registering it in the annexes; typically expensive</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Technical requirements document</strong></td><td>Not vital and can be changed at any time</td><td>Created by the project’s product owner</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clear Requirements</h2>



<p>Regardless of which kind of project you delegate to a custom software development service provider, always try to be as clear as possible about what needs to be done and what you expect as a result.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><strong>The more detailed your tasks are, the easier and quicker the team will implement them.</strong></p>
</blockquote>



<p>We have different approaches to idea evaluation and testing based on our experience and business expertise we happily share with our customers. Naturally, building a marketable digital product is a challenging task, and founders come to agencies to get the best out of this cooperation. However, successful business owners are also product owners. Understanding and translating what needs to be done allows them to create products that skyrocket.</p>



<p><a href="https://rocketech.it/contacts">Contact us</a> for more details about our processes and collaboration models.</p>



<p><strong>Let’s make great digital products together!</strong></p>

Signing a Contract with an Agency: Pitfalls and Industry Insights

<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default">
<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/istockphoto-1220744928-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-822" width="408" height="272" srcset="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/istockphoto-1220744928-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/istockphoto-1220744928-612x612-1-158x106.jpg 158w" sizes="(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px"></figure></div>


<p>In this article, I’m going to talk about the main methods of developing mobile applications in 2021. Unfortunately, I will mention only the most common options in the startup market. The main reasons are the cost of development and the speed of building a team. Young companies need the most effective, inexpensive, and time-tested solutions.</p>



<p>There are two basic approaches to mobile app development:</p>



<ul><li>Native</li>



<li>Cross-platform.</li>
</ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Native </h2>



<p>The native approach to the development of mobile applications implies that the company/startup implements applications for each platform separately and in different programming languages. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">iOS</h3>



<p>All native iOS apps are implemented on Swift or Objective-C. All new applications are developed exclusively in Swift. Objective-C is used only to support legacy code and libraries, which are very expensive to refactor in Swift. iOS developers of the “new school” are often familiar with Objective-C just superficially. In order to work with the old code base, to work with Obj-C classes there’re bridges to Swift.</p>



<p>In short, the situation with native iOS development is more than clear, you need Swift. This Isn’t surprising, Swift was originally developed by Apple, specifically iOS and macOS development.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Android</h3>



<p>The Android apps are mainly developed with Kotlin or Java. Kotlin is backward-compatible with Java. To all that is written in the same language, you can address from another one. It works both ways. Developers are in no hurry to finally switch to Kotlin, but increasingly prefer to develop applications from scratch with it. But, unlike iOS programmers, who don’t actually need Obj-C, Android developers are absolutely required to have experience with Java.</p>



<p>Kotlin was created by Russian students of ITMO University specifically for Android development needs. The language is easier to learn and easier to access in the Android SDK. That’s why its community is growing so rapidly.</p>



<p><strong>Benefits of native development</strong>:</p>



<ul><li>The application is integrated into the system’s UI/UX. The user of each platform has their own behavior patterns and habits. The native approach allows you to make the application as familiar and convenient as possible.</li>



<li>Performance. The development uses tools for a specific platform to the maximum, thereby ensuring the performance of the application. Native code works perfectly with hardware, and even complex applications, with the right approach, will work the same way as pre-installed ones. We can guarantee maximum responsiveness of the interface and a good user experience.</li>



<li>Quality. As a rule, there are much fewer bugs and crashes in native applications. Of course, developers are responsible too, but developing for one platform usually is much easier.</li>



<li>There are no restrictions. All pre-installed applications and a large number of OS elements are developed with the same tools that the platform holder provides to you. The native code has access without any problems to the camera, microphone, GPS, accelerometer, notifications, and so on. </li>



<li>Native applications are more flexible and scalable. You can safely expand the functionality and don’t be afraid that the application will be slow and work with failures. Native development tools actually have no limit to the possibilities.</li>
</ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cross-Platform</h2>



<p>The cross-platform approach uses specialized tools that help you develop an application for several platforms at once. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><sub>PWA</sub> </h3>



<p>PWA (<em>Progressive Web Application</em>) is a cross-platform web application. This application can be opened on any device, but it uses the browser engine to work.</p>



<p>Google is actively promoting PWA and is quite successful in integrating this technology into Android. Android can already execute all JavaScript code and work with the capabilities of devices almost without restrictions. If Google continues to lobby for PWA at the same pace, then it will definitely take some part of the mobile apps market.</p>



<p><strong>BUT! </strong>I strongly advise against developing mobile applications using PWA at the moment. There’re some reasons below:</p>



<ul><li>Unlike Android, Apple restricts this technology a lot. Without native code and plugins, you won’t be able to release them in the Appstore. Despite Apple has given support for PWA in Safari, they are still hostile. Your app has to pretend to be a native.</li>



<li>The performance is worse. Mobile operating systems handle machine code much better than JavaScript.</li>



<li>All browser restrictions apply to PWA as well. Especially in iOS.</li>
</ul><p>In short, PWA is a new interesting philosophy that may push native apps out of stores in the future, but so far there are more questions than answers. Companies like Google can invest huge resources in the development and support of applications, but for everyone else, it is quite risky and unpredictable.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hybrid Apps</h3>



<p>Hybrid apps are more of a cross-platform approach to native app development. Hybrid applications are developed using the same technology for several platforms at once but are assembled into separate native applications. Such development is usually built on libraries that somehow have native code on the inside.</p>



<p><strong>Pros</strong>: </p>



<ul><li>A common code base for most of the functionality. For some functionality, such as accessing the server API, platform developers write almost the same code. In a hybrid approach, this functionality can be made into a separate code that is common to all platforms. Working with such code takes twice fewer man-hours as in the case of native development. </li>



<li>Resources optimization. As a rule, simple projects are built a little faster and only by one developer. This is probably the main advantage of this approach to application development. </li>
</ul><p><strong>Cons</strong>:</p>



<ul><li><strong>UI/UX Design</strong>. All platforms have their own guidelines regarding the design of applications for them. These guidelines are made so that the application doesn’t break out of the style and does not annoy the user. In cross-platform you have to design for all platforms once or develop a design for each OS separately. But it takes a lot of resources and cross-platform loses its meaning.</li>



<li><strong>User experience</strong>. Performance, interface responsiveness, and operation speed in cross-platform apps are much worse than in native ones.</li>



<li><strong>Functionality</strong>. Almost every cross-platform solution has some restrictions. Some technologies don’t work well with cameras, geolocation, offline operation, and device memory. There’s a big risk of features that are very difficult to implement. It means you’ll have to develop natively.</li>



<li><strong>Quality</strong>. The cross-platform approach is a compromise between resource savings and the quality of the final product.</li>
</ul><p>In a nutshell, the main problem if you’re developing a quite complex product, you’ll have to support and extend actually 3 codebases, instead of 2, as with native. All the restrictions on functionality and performance can be solved, but it’s not easy and two more developers will be needed. There’s a risk of reaching a dead end. Getting out of it may become more expensive than developing the application for two platforms separately from the beginning.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hybrid Technologies</h3>



<p>The most popular hybrid solutions at the moment are <strong>React Native</strong> and <strong>Flutter</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>React Native</strong> was developed by <em>Facebook </em>and is actively used in its apps. <strong>Flutter </strong>was invented by a team inside <em>Google</em>.</p>



<ul><li>React Native is older; development takes longer but imposes fewer risks.</li>



<li>Flutter is more progressive; it’s possible to build an MVP faster, but due to the fact that the technology is new, the risks are still high.</li>
</ul><p>In the foreseeable future, Flutter could capture a large part of the mobile app development market due to the fast-growing community and the huge support from Google. </p>



<p>Both technologies have the risk of very expensive and complex support and development. As the functionality grows, it becomes more and more difficult for the application to keep its quality and performance high. So, for example, Airbnb abandoned React Native. However, they did it not in favor of Flutter but of the native code. But for a long time, they worked with React Native and made a huge contribution to the RN community.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



<p>At the moment, cross-platform applications are far inferior to native ones in terms of performance, user experience, interface responsiveness, and UI/UX. On the other hand, technologies such as Flutter and React Native, and even PWA, can decently save your resources on simple projects. Founders just have to decide on priorities either quality or saving resources for marketing as an option.</p>



<p>We always recommend looking out for the requirements and the situation in your market. At the discovery stage, based on your requirements and plans, our team will be able to select the appropriate tech stack and talk about the risks associated with each of them. The decision is always yours.</p>

Mobile Development Trends and Approaches

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/danielle-macinnes-IuLgi9PWETU-unsplash-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42" width="350" height="232" srcset="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/danielle-macinnes-IuLgi9PWETU-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/danielle-macinnes-IuLgi9PWETU-unsplash-158x106.jpg 158w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px"></figure></div>


<p>The concept of “Minimum Viable Product” (MVP) has been widely popularized in the development world through the Lean Startup model. An MVP is a basic version of a product that can be launched on the market to get validation right from customers during its early stage.</p>



<p>As a kind of “fail fast” approach is cost-saving in that it allows flaws to be identified before time and money are abundantly invested in the development. Early adopters are used to identifying cases when the product wouldn’t succeed or identify how the course of development should be adjusted.</p>



<p>MVP can be structured differently depending on the field and the purpose of a certain product. But one thing is essential in this work: any idea of a product should go through meticulous research of the target audience and the competitors long before customer validation on the market. </p>



<p>The efforts put into this phase bring immense advantages of understanding why the product should exist, what forms, visuals, and essential features can help create an emotional connection with the audience, and what is necessary for successful launching on the market. This preparatory research can drastically shape the process of defining an MVP of the product.</p>



<p>However, even that work can’t completely insulate the process from some surprises when the product falls within Utility tools. The picture between what the product should be and what the product could be can change considerably after beginning work with a development team.</p>



<p>Here are the popular difficulties we are facing when developing this kind of product.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. The Backend Service Behind a «Simple» Functionality</h2>



<p>Some features that might look simple on the surface may have a grand backend service behind them. This service can take months to build and/or turn into a network that serves the simple button on an application or a website.</p>



<p>It is not always obvious what stands behind some technologies we are taking for granted and what data is available to easily get from the system or the Internet network through an application or a website.</p>



<p>It might run counter to what an MVP should be especially when time or budget-limited.</p>



<p>For example, a product that shows in a given moment the actual speed of the Internet should virtually measure the speed of data transfer. That product should know where to pass data and a receiver should accept it and measure the time of transferring. This process repeats in reverse order to calculate both download and upload speeds.</p>



<p>The service that maintains this possibility possesses a lot of quality attributes, located on multiple servers to provide real-time high-fidelity measures for many customers across the world.</p>



<p>The network of these servers itself is a great product on the market and can be evaluated separately.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. New Technologies Required</h2>



<p>Some features may sound like a good idea, but there is no technology yet to bring it to fruition. It could require up to years of kind of scientific work to create this technology. It might be greatly rewarded after all but there is no guarantee of getting a result in a certain timeline.</p>



<p>For example, a new technology of interactions is to be created to get some specific technical information from surrounding devices a user doesn’t have any physical access to.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Related Area Involved</h2>



<p>Some features go hand in hand with solutions in related areas. What may seem limited to digital products sometimes is involved with other technical fields. So getting a product done consisting of those features requires having subject-matter experts in a developing team who can take care of those solutions. However, there aren’t many outsourcing software development companies staffed with those experts permanently, restricting their ability to make estimates on those types of projects and work on them.</p>



<p>For example, features that involve working with analog signals instead of only digital ones require having specific experts. If a product should obtain data from temperature sensors, photocells, or light sensors, we can say for sure that it won’t be something ordinary from the developing perspective.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Apple Limitations</h2>



<p>Sometimes some attractive features are forbidden for iOS applications due to Apple policy, so developers can only work with the public APIs provided by Apple. Sometimes there could be workarounds that still solve the customer’s problems but worsen their experience with an application.</p>



<p>Those workarounds might not be so obvious and difficult to discover if no one has ever done it before. After discovering one, the next difficulty is assessing whether or not a customer’s need impels them to use the workaround and pay for it. </p>



<p>An MVP may become a risky undertaking.</p>



<p>To frustrate matters further, Apple’s policy can change, leaving uncertainty in development. </p>



<p>For example, in 2020 Apple didn’t allow access to calls of users for applications, and iOS applications that offer call records provide a recording line that should be merged with a user’s call into a conference.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Integration with Third Parties</h2>



<p>Fortunately, most listed difficulties can be solved by other ready services which were developed before and maybe even for other needs. So the work of a development team simply boils down to integration with service and implementation of the desirable «button» in a product.</p>



<p>There are only a few cons:</p>



<ul><li>dependency on the performance of a third party;</li>



<li>possible limits of service.</li>
</ul><p>Despite that, using a third party instead of doing it on one’s own is fully under the MVP concept.</p>



<p>Speaking of Utility tools, it is important to invest in research and initial grooming of technical features with a development team before handing off something to development. This is to avoid waste and be able to adjust the product concept in the early stages.</p>



<p>In the end, we see the tendency that there is nearly always a way to build an MVP of a Utility tool that earns an approbation on the market.</p>



<p>We at Rocketech create MVPs for different industries, please check our cases <a href="https://rocketech.it/cases" data-type="URL">here</a>.</p>

How to Avoid Difficulties Building an MVP for Utility Tools

<p>One of the biggest project management challenges starts before the main work, namely at <strong>the estimation stage</strong>. No matter how well a tech vendor does the assessment, the client will most likely have complaints during the development phase because something will not go as planned. </p>



<p>Experienced project managers know it takes time and practice to learn how to estimate software development. And even when you think you’ve reached a mastery level, that one project will show you new horizons of the unknown. <strong>Agile estimation challenges and risks (if not calculated right) can ruin the most promising projects</strong>. As phase zero provides only a preliminary assessment, it often leads to the client’s false expectations. There are, however, ways <strong>to minimize misunderstanding and start the project on the right note</strong>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/avoiding-project-estimation-mistakes.png" alt="Team members discuss the cost and time frames at the project estimation phase" class="wp-image-5685"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How to Do Agile Estimations Wrong</strong></h2>



<p>Although <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html" target="_blank">Scrum</a> and the agile approach to software development are widely adopted globally, many companies practice framework variations and skip some stages. It leads to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/what-is-scrumbut-and-why-should-you-avoid-it" target="_blank">ScrumBut</a>, ScrumAnd, or similar techniques. And such deviation from the rules starts already at the project estimation stage. </p>



<p>Let’s imagine planning a <a href="https://scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html#the-sprint" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sprint</a>. The Scrum Master (SM) has an Excel spreadsheet with a list of elements for assessment and planning. Going from top to bottom, the SM is telling the developers what each item implies. If the Product Owner (PO) is also present at the meeting, they give comments and answer questions.</p>



<p>After reading through the requirements, the assessment begins. The SM asks each developer and the analyst how long it will take them to finish each element — in hours. The answers go to respective spreadsheet columns like “analytics”, “frontend”, “QA”, etc.</p>



<p>The Scrum Master’s only goal in this approach is to “utilize” the hours assigned to each team member for the upcoming Sprint rather than calculate risks and encourage a constructive discussion. The estimation process is completed when the spreadsheet is filled in.</p>



<p>Although this way of doing things may seem familiar to many, it raises critical project estimation <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/agile-project-estimation-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">challenges</a> and leads to multiple mistakes that affect the entire project at later stages.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Common Project Estimation Mistakes</strong></h2>



<p>The point of project estimation is clear — <strong>to tell the client how long it will take to bring the idea to life and how much it will cost</strong>. There are different <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/what-are-story-points-and-how-do-you-estimate-them" target="_blank">project estimation techniques</a> you can choose from depending on the project type, size, and complexity. However, due to many internal and external factors, it’s impossible to provide the final numbers in the early stages. And just a few strategic planning mistakes are enough to significantly complicate an already tough task.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/project-estimation-mistakes-1.png" alt="Infographic: The list of the most common project estimation mistakes" class="wp-image-5680"></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#1 Estimating Without Understanding the Requirements</strong></h3>



<p>Before answering the question “How much will it cost?” <strong>the development team should understand what exactly needs to be done</strong>. Broad, ambiguous requirements end up in much bigger budgets in most cases. The same applies to brand-new technologies the team has never used before. Even if the project manager is sure it’ll work fine because it did for another team, most likely, it won’t.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#2 Relying Solely on the Client’s Requirements</strong></h3>



<p>The team’s goal is to realize the client’s vision. However, many founders and project managers come from non-tech industries and don’t have enough experience with development nuances. <strong>If the project doesn’t have a skilled PO “translating” the idea into the developers’ language, it may end in a much bigger project</strong>. An insignificant detail for the client may turn into two months of work for developers.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#3 Not Controlling Requirements Change</strong></h3>



<p>If the company doesn’t manage changes at the implementation stage, any estimation will be initially wrong. In the end, <strong>project estimation is about assessing limits</strong>. Without requirements change management process, projects typically go beyond agreed budgets and timeframes.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"> <strong>#4 Assuming an “Ideal” Working Day</strong></h3>



<p>A typical mistake made by both clients and vendors is to base estimation on an “ideal” 8-hour working day. <strong>There are always forced breaks for coordination and approval of interim stages, other meetings, and emergencies</strong>. First of all, developers are people — nobody can code or test for eight hours straight. Besides, people quit or get sick.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#5 Not Having an Established Estimation Process</strong></h3>



<p>To properly evaluate a project, there must be a set-up process for it. <strong>Whether relatively simple or complex, it must be a dedicated assessment procedure with documented steps and follow-up reports</strong>. Without creating a proper system and a knowledge base of past projects, businesses end up in a situation where different people chaotically evaluate future work following various approaches and standards.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why You Need Risk Assessment</strong></h2>



<p>Risk assessment certainly helps provide the client with more accurate and realistic estimates. However, it’s also an effective way to accumulate a base of potential risks that may arise in the future. In other words, the more you analyze the problems of completed projects, the more troubles you can predict for upcoming ones.</p>



<p>Simply put, this knowledge base is a <strong>list of possible problems that may occur</strong>. And when you take on a new project, you look at the list of likely risks and analyze which of them may be relevant specifically to this project. Did you have to find a way to bypass iOS blocking the app from launching the alarm from external software? Did you spend more time than initially planned testing an integrated voice call system? To name a few examples, now you can estimate similar risks more accurately.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why Discovery Phase Is Crucial</strong></h2>



<p>No successful project comes out of the blue. The very first stage enables the executives and other stakeholders to draw up a plan according to the current market situation, available resources, and the client’s goals.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="500" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/what-is-a-discovery-phase-4.png" alt="Infographic providing the discovery phase definition" class="wp-image-5697"></figure><p>If done right, a <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discovery phase</a> speeds up the process for the development team and introduces significant benefits for the client. Here are some insights from the Rocketech business analysts’ <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-create-a-community-of-practice-for-your-team" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-create-a-community-of-practice-for-your-team" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">community of practice</a>.</p>



<ul><li><strong>A better understanding of how the team works</strong></li>
</ul><p>At Rocketech, we present the client with a discovery demo showing how the development process will go.</p>



<ul><li><strong>Evaluating the project’s prospects</strong></li>
</ul><p>When presenting the Discovery results, the team offers the client several options for the project development, describes the cost of each step, and explains what the results will be. Moreover, we replace single feature estimation with <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/project-management/epics" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer">epic</a> estimation. All functions are grouped in blocks to create epics. One epic can include one or more features.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><em>The evaluation process is based on the </em><strong><em>company’s experience with similar projects</em></strong><em>. This approach gives a more comprehensive overview of the project and the team’s direction.</em></p>



<p><em><strong>Oleksii Zherebnykh, Business Analyst, Rocketech</strong></em></p>
</blockquote>



<ul><li><strong>Avoiding unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings</strong></li>
</ul><p>Our approach to a discovery phase increases the transparency of each development stage and its cost to the client.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><em>Saying “We’ll need </em><strong><em>from</em></strong><em> 80 hours” </em><strong><em>instead</em></strong><em> of “We’ll need </em><strong><em>up to</em></strong><em> 80 hours” helps minimize the negative response in case of delays.</em></p>



<p><em><strong>Oleksii Zherebnykh, Business Analyst, Rocketech</strong></em></p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Established Process</strong></h2>



<p>Software development project estimation is often the first point of communication between a client and a service provider. Any misunderstanding and inaccurate estimates can have fatal consequences. On the other hand, it’s another step towards improving the service quality and a perfect way to demonstrate the vendor’s expertise and maturity.</p>



<p><strong>Everybody understands why project estimation is important, but not every developer can do it accurately and efficiently</strong>. At Rocketech, we strive to become a trustworthy tech partner to all our clients. And an established project evaluation process helps us form the right expectations and build effective communication with our customers.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Need help to estimate your project?<br>Share your business idea with us.<br>We’ll take care of the hard part.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>

How to Avoid Common Project Estimation Mistakes

<p>Imagine you’ve invested a lot of effort and resources into your brainchild. Inevitably, you reach the moment when your project grows and evolves. It’s the time to expand, level up, or change the development team.</p>



<p>But amid this crucial phase, you find out that the access to GitHub repositories belongs to that one developer you had to fire a month ago. On top of that, parts of the project documentation are missing. Does this sound familiar? <strong>It’s a frequent challenge of intellectual property transfer faced when changing the development team</strong>.</p>



<p>What do business owners need to know about assigning IP rights? How can startups protect themselves before the potential IP handover during the team migration? What are effective ways to handle intellectual property in a startup? We answered these questions in our guide.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1748" height="1240" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ip-handover.png" alt="A human is protecting a copyright sign symbolizing intellectual property safeguarding in startups" class="wp-image-5641"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Happens When Businesses Ignore IP Protection Guidelines</h2>



<p>While replacing development teams usually means evolution and advancement, it also poses critical risks to a business. When startups are initially launched, founders often overlook the significant potential pitfalls that may arise as the new company progresses and transitions into a fully-fledged business.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lost Access to Source Code</h3>



<p>Imagine your startup decides to switch development teams, but (for whatever reason) the former team refuses to grant access to the source code. Maintaining and improving the existing project becomes a daunting challenge. Bugs become harder to fix, new features are nearly impossible to implement, and progress comes to a grinding halt, leaving your venture in a race against time to regain control.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Who Owns the Source Code?</h3>



<p>Ownership disputes over the source code happen all the time. The previous development team may claim ownership. In the worst-case scenario, they will get the power to restrict your startup’s ability to make changes or monetize the software. Legal conflicts drain resources, stall development, and bring uncertainty and vulnerability.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Restricted Access to GitHub and Bitbucket Accounts</h3>



<p>Your startup is ready to move further, but the previous development team owns the GitHub or Bitbucket account used for version control. Metaphorically speaking, they can hold your project hostage — they can alter, delete, or deny access to the repository.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Missing Specialized Knowledge</h3>



<p>Imagine transitioning to a new development team, only to find that critical specialized knowledge held by the previous team is no longer accessible.</p>



<p>Their insights into the software architecture, unique problem-solving approaches, and domain-specific expertise vanished. Restoring the knowledge essentially means starting all over again.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Catastrophe of Intellectual Property Transfers</h3>



<p>In a nutshell, mishandling IP most likely will result in a disaster that can cost you your business. Not documenting or executing ownership or licensing rights properly always leaves startups vulnerable to legal disputes. Competitors claiming infringement, breaches of contract, or misappropriation are just one example of IP implications especially when switching development teams.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Laying the Groundwork: The List of Transferable Intellectual Property Assets</h2>



<p>First things first: to <strong><a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/intellectual-property-checklist-for-startup-founders" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/intellectual-property-checklist-for-startup-founders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protect your IP assets</a></strong>, you need to understand what they are. Often, startups forget that <strong>intellectual property extends beyond patents</strong> and includes elements like <strong>logos</strong>, <strong>names</strong>, <strong>designs</strong>, <strong>interfaces</strong>, and <strong>code</strong>. It is crucial to acknowledge and safeguard these assets accordingly.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Logo</h3>



<p>A logo is a copyrighted object containing images, graphics, or proper names. There’s often confusion between a logo and a trademark. Businesses can protect a logo similar to the way a trademark is protected. It means the creator can prohibit using their design and fonts (if they were developed for the logo). However, only the trademark holder can prohibit using specific words and phrases.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Design</h3>



<p>Design elements are protected by copyright and safeguard the visual representation. Similarly to the case of logos and trademarks, the copyright does not prohibit placing the elements but forbids placing them in a particular way.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Business Logic</h3>



<p>Business process flowcharts are essentially know-how under a trade secret. Its power is that it can serve as a basis for software patents. However, initially, you should protect it by copyright, describing it as a script.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Business Model</h3>



<p>A business model (instructions, regulations, checklists, scripts, and offers) is also an object of copyright. It’s the ‘fabric’ you build your operational management with. It’s also the subject of a license agreement for scaling the business and the basis for payment of royalties to the founder.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Device Blueprints</h3>



<p>Device blueprints, along with the external appearance of a product, are protected from copying and reproduction. Copyright and patent laws apply to safeguard schematics in a way similar to interface protection.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Computer Programs</h3>



<p>Computer programs are <a href="https://www.upcounsel.com/intellectual-property-software" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.upcounsel.com/intellectual-property-software" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protected</a> by copyright. They cannot be patented unless they involve business logic, which solves functional tasks and is not a conventional method of conducting business activities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Data</h3>



<p>Data is know-how under a trade secret. In fact, it can be any data that may be of commercial value. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are signed to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/07/23/10-effective-ways-to-protect-your-intellectual-property/?sh=ee6db0532e1a" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/07/23/10-effective-ways-to-protect-your-intellectual-property/?sh=ee6db0532e1a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protect data</a>. It doesn’t make much sense to sign an NDA regarding something else, as know-how does not safeguard other objects — only information.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Establishing Company Accounts for Intellectual Property Management</strong></h2>



<p>Setting up company accounts related to your startup’s intellectual property will help you avoid many mistakes and mitigate many risks at later stages. Besides, a developed account and documentation system will also help you streamline operations and ensure a smooth transition when transferring projects to different software development teams.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ip-handover-2.png" alt="A human hand is moving building blocks representing ideas and intellectual property transfer." class="wp-image-5653"></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#1</strong> <strong>GitHub and Bitbucket</strong></h3>



<p>Choose a reliable version control platform like GitHub or Bitbucket to store and manage your source code. Create a company account and establish a clear repository structure that separates different projects and ensures version control.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#2 App Stores</strong></h3>



<p>If you plan to release software applications, create accounts on relevant app stores, such as Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or Microsoft Store. Familiarize yourself with their submission guidelines and review processes to comply with their IP and copyright requirements.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#3</strong> <strong>Documentation and Knowledge Base</strong></h3>



<p>Utilize tools like Confluence, Notion, or Google Docs to create a centralized documentation and knowledge base. Categorize information related to your projects, codebase, API documentation, user manuals, and copyright notices to ensure easy accessibility and reference.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#4</strong> <strong>Task and Project Tracking Software</strong></h3>



<p>Implement a project management tool like Jira, Trello, or Asana to track tasks, assign responsibilities, and monitor project progress. Use clear labels and categories to distinguish projects and associated IP-related tasks effectively.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#5</strong> <strong>Trademark Registration</strong></h3>



<p>Research and register your company name, logos, and relevant trademarks with the appropriate intellectual property offices in your jurisdiction. Seek legal advice to navigate the registration process correctly and protect your brand identity.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#6</strong> <strong>Domain Registration</strong></h3>



<p>Secure your online presence by registering domain names relevant to your company, products, or brands. Choose a reliable domain registrar and renew your registrations on time to prevent unauthorized use.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#7</strong> <strong>Open-Source Software Usage</strong></h3>



<p>If utilizing open-source software components, maintain a comprehensive inventory and track licenses using tools like Mend.io, FOSSA, or FOSSology. Regularly update and review your open-source dependencies to ensure compliance with licensing obligations.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#8 Trade Secret Protection</strong></h3>



<p>Implement measures to protect trade secrets, such as restricted access controls, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and internal policies that outline how confidential information should be handled. Safeguarding trade secrets is crucial to prevent their unauthorized disclosure.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#9 Legal Consultation</strong></h3>



<p>While it’s possible to set up your startup’s IP management system, it may be overwhelming to do so single-handedly. Seek guidance from intellectual property attorneys to ensure compliance with IP laws and regulations. They can advise on creating appropriate agreements, reviewing legal documents, managing IP-related risks throughout the entrepreneurial journey, and protecting your IP when changing teams.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>IP due diligence checklist for Transferring a Software Development Project</strong></h2>



<p>The majority of problems occur because startups don’t establish the proper workflows for managing and protecting at the beginning stage. If everything is done right, the process of <a href="https://www.upcounsel.com/transfer-of-intellectual-property" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.upcounsel.com/transfer-of-intellectual-property" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">intellectual property handover</a> shouldn’t be a problem. We prepared a checklist of the essential steps to take when it’s time to change your development team.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ip-transfer-due-diligence-checklist-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-5651"></figure><ol><li><strong>Evaluate existing </strong><strong>contacts</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Review contracts with the current development team to identify provisions related to IP ownership, confidentiality, and non-disclosure agreements. Understand any restrictions or obligations that may impact the transfer process.</p>



<ol start="2"><li><strong>Assess ownership rights</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Determine the ownership of IP assets developed during the project. Ensure there are explicit agreements stating that the startup retains full ownership, regardless of the development team involved.</p>



<ol start="3"><li><strong>Examine third-party licenses</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Evaluate licenses for third-party software components and open-source libraries used in the project. Ensure compliance with license terms and understand any obligations or restrictions when transferring the project.</p>



<ol start="4"><li><strong>Gather documentation and source code</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Collect all relevant documentation, including design specifications, source code repositories, and version control records. Verify that documentation is well-organized and up-to-date to facilitate a seamless handover to the new development team.</p>



<ol start="5"><li><strong>Confirm confidentiality measures</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Assess the existing development team’s implementation of confidentiality measures to protect the startup’s sensitive information and trade secrets. Check for access controls, non-disclosure agreements, and data security protocols.</p>



<ol start="6"><li><strong>Verify code ownership</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Determine if the development team utilized any pre-existing code or frameworks. Ensure appropriate licenses and permissions are in place or validate that the code is original and owned by your legal entity.</p>



<ol start="7"><li><strong>Draft comprehensive transfer agreements</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Create a transfer agreement that explicitly states the transfer of IP ownership, confidentiality obligations, and any necessary warranties or indemnifications to safeguard the startup’s interests.</p>



<ol start="8"><li><strong>Include IP assignment and non-compete clauses</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Incorporate IP assignment clauses in the new development team’s agreements to ensure all intellectual property created during the project is transferred to the startup. Consider non-compete clauses to prevent competition in the same market.</p>



<ol start="9"><li><strong>Perform an IP audit</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Conduct an IP audit to identify potential risks, infringements, or gaps in IP protection. Address any issues discovered during the audit and take necessary actions to mitigate risks.</p>



<ol start="10"><li><strong>Consult with IP legal professionals</strong> ✔</li>
</ol><p>Engage experienced intellectual property attorneys to review contracts, provide guidance on IP transfer, and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations specific to your jurisdiction.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Navigating Intellectual Property in Startup Environments</strong></h2>



<p>Imagine a startup called TechSolutions. It has developed a groundbreaking software solution for efficient data analysis and is now seeking funding from VentureCapital Partners (VCP). However, VCP discovers during due diligence that TechSolutions lacks proper IP management and protection. The startup failed to file patents or register trademarks and lacks internal policies for safeguarding trade secrets. On top of that, VCP finds that TechSolutions has a loosely defined ownership structure, with an unclear assignment of IP rights from its founding members. This lack of clarity equals significant legal risks and potential disputes over IP ownership.</p>



<p>As a result, despite TechSolutions’ promising technology and market potential, VCP decides not to fund the startup, citing doubts about its ability to secure and capitalize on its intellectual property assets.</p>



<p><strong><em>A well-established and streamlined intellectual property system is a prerequisite for startups.</em></strong></p>



<p>Investors prioritize projects with well-managed IP. By demonstrating diligent IP management, founders signal to investors that they have a strategic approach to protecting their innovations, fostering trust, and increasing the likelihood of securing funding to fuel their growth and development.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Need a reliable partner to guide you<br>through the IP management processes?<br>Let’s discuss your concerns.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>

Protecting Your Intellectual Property: What Startup Founders Need to Know When Changing Development Teams

<p>The project management triangle combines three elements — <strong>scope</strong>, <strong>cost</strong>, and <strong>time</strong>. No project will be successful without a preliminary estimation of the three constraints that define quality.</p>



<p>How do you estimate a software project? Why is estimation important in agile environments? <strong>Is it possible to provide a customer with precise time and budget estimations?</strong> We outlined the main challenges development teams face at the product discovery stages and during early communication with the client.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/agile-estimation-challenges.png" alt="A development team in the process of project estimation." class="wp-image-5568"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Purpose of Estimation</strong></h2>



<p>Why project estimation is important? This seemingly simple question can cause much confusion and lead to failed plans and wasted money. Project work should be based on planned timelines and have systems of assessment and reassessment of resources. Otherwise, the working process turns into chaos with no clear goals and hourly pay for no results.</p>



<p>Most people think the objective of the pre-project assessment is to figure out how big the project is and how long it will take. Although it’s true, there are other influential reasons. Scrum.org <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/most-important-thing-you-are-missing-about-estimation" target="_blank">singles out</a> <strong>three main purposes of estimation</strong>.</p>



<ol><li>Estimations help the team understand if a goal fits a Sprint or needs to be broken down into smaller items.</li>



<li>Estimations allow business analysts and developers to forecast better.</li>



<li>And most importantly, estimations help you see if the whole thing is worth the investment.</li>
</ol><p><strong>The customer pays for the result</strong> but not for meetings, tech people’s time, or the project manager’s excuses. 13,000 hours of product development would not be worth the budget if the product is “raw” and barely functioning. The customer will only evaluate the product quality. <strong>The lack of a project assessment system always leads to implementation problems</strong>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>📌A <strong>project evaluation system</strong> is a set of processes and instruments used to assess, analyze and document the project’s scope and duration based on the requirements. It includes an evaluation of the project’s main stages and crucial elements.</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">What is a project evaluation system?</figcaption></figure><p>If the project costs as much as its result, and the result can be achieved in different ways, then the development team can significantly affect the final price by changing the way of project execution or practicing specific project management methodologies. But again, you need a thorough analysis to choose the most appropriate and efficient approach.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/challenges-of-agile-project-estimation-1.png" alt="Infographic with the seven challenges of agile project estimations." class="wp-image-5574"></figure><blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><strong>The purpose of the estimation is to determine a deadline</strong>. Customers often want an estimate like, “We’ll work on this feature for two weeks, and your app will be ready in a month”. However, we work in the <strong>complex domain </strong>(according to the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/" target="_blank">Cynefin framework</a>, a conceptual decision-making model) <strong>with low predictability</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>The purpose of the estimation is to discuss all the risks</strong> we may have, how difficult the assessment is and how big our task is. Even after discussing all this, we have every chance of making a mistake because we live in an unstable, ever-changing environment. We may have new requirements from external regulators, change the team’s composition because someone suddenly fell ill, or our vendors may not provide the delivery on time.</p>



<p><em><strong>Anastasiia Musil, Scrum Master, Rocketech</strong></em></p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Absolute Estimation vs. Relative Estimation</strong></h2>



<p>Imagine you have a new restaurant open in your neighborhood. It offers large and small portions of chips. Most likely, you’ve been to restaurants like this many times and can order the right amount of food without asking how many grams of potatoes are in the big portion. You might ask the server how big a side salad is and watch them spreading their hands demonstrating the size of the dish. In such situations, you place an order <strong>based on a relative rather than an</strong> <strong>absolute size</strong>. You’d order “a big portion” or “a large soda” rather than “400 g of soda and 170 g of potatoes”.</p>



<p>Similarly, you can evaluate user stories or features in an agile project. When ordering a large soda at a restaurant, people usually don’t know the exact size they’ll be served. But they know that a large soda is twice as big as a small one. What you need to know for a software development project is <strong>whether a specific story or function is bigger or smaller compared to other stories or functions</strong>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>💡 One of the main challenges of this approach is <strong>how to determine the project’s complexity</strong>. Is washing a panda bear at the zoo more complicated than washing a cat at home? Which factors come into play?</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">How to determine the project’s complexity</figcaption></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hours vs. Story Points </strong></h3>



<p>The classic waterfall project methodology in software development doesn’t allow for beginning a new stage before finishing the previous one, creating a linear progression. Organizations using the waterfall approach usually have a strict division into departments: development, design, analytics, etc. The requirements specification gets more and more details as it passes through each department.</p>



<p>In the past, such estimations would provide clients with “man-days” and a particular number of hours each specialist would require to finish their part of the project. Many companies still believe that this approach allows them to make precise forecasts.</p>



<p>As the industry developed, leading professionals had to come up with more progressive ways to better assess complex, multi-level projects. That’s how <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/what-are-story-points-and-how-do-you-estimate-them" target="_blank"><strong>the story point approach</strong></a> estimation appeared. </p>



<ul><li><strong><em>Story points</em></strong><em> are relative units measuring the total size of a user story, function, or other parts of a project. When using this size unit, the development team assigns a certain number of points to each element.</em></li>



<li><em>A two-point story must be twice as large as a one-point story. It should also be two-thirds of a three-point story.</em></li>
</ul><p><strong>The purpose of using story points calculation in Agile</strong> <strong>is to compare tasks with each other based on existing knowledge and previous experience</strong>. You look out the window and focus on neighboring buildings. It’s much easier to define which buildings are tall, short, or mid-size rather than trying to figure their height in meters in your head. </p>



<p>The biggest challenge of this part of the journey is that customers typically don’t understand the concept and force the team to make rough hourly estimations nonetheless. Some specialists <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/story-point-vs-ideal-hour-it-generation-gap-issue" target="_blank">believe</a> it’s a matter of the generation gap and consider the waterfall and hour-based approaches outdated.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="500" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/hours-vs-points.png" alt="An infographic explaining the difference between absolute estimates in hour sand relative estimates in story points. " class="wp-image-5570"></figure><blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>Story points are not about fashion trends. Estimating hours of work is even more inaccurate. When we say a task will be completed in three hours, we can’t know that there will be no electricity or an emergency within these three hours.</p>



<p>To avoid this unpredictability, many teams move to the story point estimation. It considers <strong>risks</strong>, <strong>complexity</strong> and <strong>scope</strong> — the three factors used for comparing tasks.</p>



<p>And if we know that during the past Sprint, we were able to close 20 story points, we can plan the same number for the next Sprint. We make a prediction based on a comparison of the three factors. But some teams start converting the estimates into hours for old times’ sake, saying that two story points equal a day of development. And here’s the problem: what takes a day of work for a mid-level developer will take only a few hours for a senior specialist. The same task will occupy a junior for a week and may involve the rest of the team helping the newbie.</p>



<p><em><strong>Anastasiia Musil, Scrum Master, Rocketech</strong></em></p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Estimation Equals Commitment</strong></h2>



<p><strong>One of the biggest challenges and sources of misunderstanding between customers and custom software companies is a misconception of estimates</strong>. Some tech vendors try to assume all possible risks up to an alien invasion. This approach usually leads to longer planned times and larger budgets. Although customers are happy to get the product quicker and for less money than expected, there are better ways to do it.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>Estimation equals commitment. Unfortunately, it’s not how it works, especially when starting a project from scratch. When the team is just starting, we don’t know our speed yet. We don’t know the product and the difficulties that may arise. The estimation’s purpose is to discuss a particular user story, what’s expected and how to do it with the Product Owner and the team. This way, we make a forecast. But it’s approximate. We improve our ability to predict with each Sprint because we see how much we actually manage to realise in the previous sprints.</p>



<p><em><strong>Anastasiia Musil, Scrum Master, Rocketech</strong></em></p>
</blockquote>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Overcoming Uncertainty</strong></h2>



<p>What are the biggest challenges in software development project management? The very first difficulty many companies meet is accurate project estimation. Simple as that. Most clients want to see precise numbers like “X months” or “X thousands of dollars/euro/pounds” without realizing that any forecast is only approximate and involves much more factors than just “a five-people team will be working for 248 days”.</p>



<p>However, it doesn’t mean you’ll get a vague quote with no liability. At Rocketech, we know that <strong>experienced teams leverage different project estimation techniques</strong> <strong>and understand the value of the client’s time</strong>. Agile story points estimation methods fit our approach best as we base our expertise on years of experience working on diverse projects across industries. While collaborating exclusively with professionals of the Middle+ and Senior levels, we have built an effective project evaluation process aimed to minimize uncertainty and mitigate possible risks.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Do you have questions about our approach to project estimation? We are happy to answer them.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>



<p></p>

Agile Project Estimation Challenges

<p>In media, booming startups are often associated with marketing gurus and gods of sales. Overnight success stories make fresh founders hire an expensive marketer from day one, expecting some magic on day two. The reality is, however, more prosaic: there’s a long way from ideation to creating a startup marketing strategy.</p>



<p>The Rocketech experts have decided to dispel the popular myths about <strong>early-stage startup marketing</strong> and analyze the most common mistakes that can lead to dramatic consequences.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/early-stage-marketing.png" alt="Human hands are typing on a laptop while marketing-related icons are symbolically floating around." class="wp-image-5524"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why Startups Fail</strong></h2>



<p>Since 2018, the market intelligence platform <strong>CB Insights</strong> has been collecting <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-post-mortem/" target="_blank">startup failure post-mortems</a>. Their analysts summed up <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-reasons-top/" target="_blank">the top twelve reasons why startups fail</a>. Expectedly, most of the new businesses that didn’t make it simply ran out of cash. However, the second frequent reason is <strong>no product-market fit</strong>.</p>



<p>Many startup marketing mistakes don’t begin with wrong strategies but with a lack of understanding of the target audience’s needs. In today’s people-centric business environments, <strong>it’s all about the customer</strong>. But when you launch a new product (in this case, the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/startup-funding-explained-investment-rounds-and-sources" target="_blank">pre-seed and seed funding stages</a>), you simply don’t have this customer yet. </p>



<p>This misunderstanding often leads to failure. Young founders hire marketers who can’t adjust the strategy to non-existing customers. <strong>People just don’t need the product</strong>, as the product is the result of the market need.</p>



<p>Moreover, it’s vital to understand <strong>how well your product will fit the existing ecosystem and environment</strong>. If we have one phone, we’ll have nobody to call. But the entire network’s value increases as the number of applications or sold units grows. If the network effect becomes more complex, the product can take off quickly.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Startups vs. Established Businesses</strong></h2>



<p>Some founders believe they need a full-scale marketing strategy before the journey begins. But such elaborate plans fitting established businesses don’t work for startups. Here’s why.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Traditional Businesses Have Certainty</strong></h3>



<ul></ul><p>There are step-by-step guides (even in the public domain) on opening a beauty salon, grocery store, or pizzeria. <strong>Traditional businesses have defined rules and can use collective knowledge</strong>. They have already explored the target audience, found the identity idea, and established the positioning to distinguish themselves from the competitors. They can even predict the revenue fairly accurately.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Startups Have No Ready Solutions</strong></h3>



<ul></ul><p><strong>Launching a startup is like treasure hunting when you don’t know where and sometimes what you are looking for</strong>. It’s all about hypothesis testing and generating more ideas to test. Predicting what will work out is difficult: early-stage startups are looking for the very formula that will allow them to scale in the future.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="500" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/pivot.png" alt="Infographic: Navigating startup pivots: Understanding the transformative nature of pivots and the need for adaptable marketing approaches in the evolving startup environment." class="wp-image-5526"></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Unfinished Products Don’t Need Branding</strong></h3>



<p>Founders establish the startup marketing budget and rush to choose the logo, slogan, and communication strategy when they don’t know the customers and their needs yet. There’s only a “raw” product to show investors and introduce to consumers. </p>



<p>This early positioning may confuse customers as <strong>the product will inevitably change</strong>. If done right, it will grow and adjust to changing customer needs. Some features will be replaced or altered to the extent that the final version will have little to do with the initial idea. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Great Expectations</strong></h2>



<p>How much should you spend on marketing as a startup? Short answer: it always depends. On the industry, niche, product, and even ambitions. But what’s most important is to remember that <strong>marketing should develop as the product (or idea) evolves</strong>. In the early stages, many variables create a great deal of uncertainty.</p>



<p>To address this uncertainty, many founders want to hire an experienced marketer who will build a long-term strategy. Many create an entire marketing department at the beginning and expect immediate results.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">We help startups tackle uncertainty. Learn more about our strategy.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>



<p>The tricky part is that even the best marketers’ skills won’t help founders save time or money at this point. It’s not yet the time for launching scaling campaigns, determining segmentation, or designing creative branding promotions. Instead, it’s the showtime for founders and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/key-responsibilities-every-po-should-take" target="_blank">product owners</a> for project discovery and proper market research. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Discover Your Product</strong></h2>



<p><strong>The most important task is understanding which product you should build and who needs it.</strong> A startup that releases an irrelevant product will quickly fail. And it doesn’t matter why the market isn’t prepared for the new offer: customers’ pain may not be there yet, or the target audience may not be ready to change consumer behavior.</p>



<p>Here’s a striking <strong>example </strong>of such irrelevance. A customer doesn’t understand which of their needs the product will address in the future — the marketing team failed to find the audience and target it.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>The biggest risk of an early-stage startup failure is to discover that the problem your product can solve either doesn’t exist or interests only a fraction of the market. That’s why <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/discovery-phase-why-is-it-crucial-for-your-project-success" target="_blank">product discovery</a> is the first and foremost priority for early-stage startups</strong>. It’s a dynamic and crucial process that can be done even with limited resources.<em> </em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>Many founders have a perfect picture, for example, of a mobile app and want to spend money on creating flashy designs and catchy features already at the beginning. In reality, users don’t pay much attention to design and color schemes if the product solves their problem. <strong>And the best (and easiest) way to discover customer pain points is to ask them directly</strong> by following the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://guides.co/g/how-to-build-a-startup/3010" data-type="URL" data-id="https://guides.co/g/how-to-build-a-startup/3010" target="_blank">Customer Development</a> approach.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="500" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cd-4.png" alt="Infographic: Exploring Customer Development (CD): Discovering customer needs, pain points, and expectations through market research, competitor analysis, pricing, and market readiness for startup product development." class="wp-image-5536"></figure><p>This stage centers around conducting <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/the-guide-for-perfect-customer-development-problem-interview-checklist" target="_blank">problem interviews</a> and assessing potential profitability based on the answers. It may involve creating prototypes to demonstrate to focus groups or in-depth interviews. The latter may unexpectedly give you a competitive advantage if done right. <strong>The main point is to focus on the customer rather than the product itself.</strong></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Importance of a Strong MVP </strong></h3>



<p>The customer needs analysis then becomes the basis for a <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/when-to-launch-an-mvp-7-scenarios-where-its-crucial" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/when-to-launch-an-mvp-7-scenarios-where-its-crucial" target="_blank">minimal viable product</a></strong> (MVP), a powerful tool for <strong>hypothesis testing</strong>. Although this version has limited functionality and sometimes only one (the most important) feature, it’s already the project’s face. </p>



<p>At this stage, neither investors, customers, nor competitors can see anything but the MVP. Certainly, the stakeholders will listen to the pitch and read any provided documentation. But it’s a short moment for the startup to show the seriousness of intentions and entrepreneurial maturity.</p>



<p>There are only two critical requirements: <strong>the MVP must function flawlessly and reflect the product’s features</strong>. Sounds easy. However, people always remember if they don’t get the promised functionality and quality. </p>



<p>Although some entrepreneurs may include CD in the overall startup marketing strategic plan, the product discovery doesn’t require a team of hardcore marketers — there’s no product to market yet. </p>



<p>By carefully collecting and analyzing the first customer feedback from the released MVP, startups can plan further features and adjust the product to address the market needs directly. Successful scaling of the initial limited product should gradually lead to the full-fledged product being ready for monetization. <strong>That’s where you need the marketing team</strong>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Choose Your Strategic Partner</strong></h2>



<p>If early-stage startups don’t need marketing departments, then how can they do it right? In an ideal world, at the very beginning, nobody will do a better job than the founder. These are the people who should “feel” the product, know the market, and understand the problem that needs solving.</p>



<p>Although people can do a lot on enthusiasm and ambitions, it’s strategically reasonable to find a trusted tech partner if your idea includes developing a digital product. Since 2015, we’ve been partnering with innovative and creative startups and guiding them throughout the entire journey from product discovery to an established and successful business.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Do you have an idea? Let’s bring it to life together. </div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FAQ</strong>: <strong>Startup Marketing</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Q1: Do I need a marketing team for my early-stage startup?</strong></p>



<p>Not necessarily, it depends on your resources and priorities. If you have limited funds or prefer to focus on other aspects of your business initially, you can explore alternative options like outsourcing marketing tasks, hiring freelancers, or implementing lean marketing strategies on your own.</p>



<p><strong>Q2: How important is a startup marketing plan?</strong></p>



<p>A well-defined marketing plan is crucial to guide your efforts and maximize results. It helps you identify your target audience, set goals, outline strategies, and allocate resources effectively. Having a clear roadmap ensures that your marketing activities are purposeful and aligned with your overall business objectives.</p>



<p><strong>Q3: How much should I budget for startup marketing costs?</strong></p>



<p>Start with a conservative budget that aligns with your financial capabilities and gradually increase it as you see results. Consider factors like industry norms, competition, and the scope of your marketing activities to determine a reasonable allocation for marketing expenses.</p>



<p><strong>Q4: What are some of the best startup marketing campaigns I can learn from?</strong></p>



<p>Look into successful startup campaigns like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Duolingo for inspiration and insights. Study their creative strategies, unique value propositions, and customer acquisition techniques to gain valuable lessons that can be applied to your own marketing efforts.</p>



<p><strong>Q5: How can I effectively target my audience with limited resources?</strong></p>



<p>Define your target audience clearly, focusing on specific demographics, interests, or pain points that align with your product or service. Utilize data-driven strategies like social media targeting, keyword research, and customer segmentation to optimize your reach and ensure that your marketing efforts are directed toward the right people.</p>



<p><strong>Q6: When should I consider building an in-house marketing team?</strong></p>



<p>Once your startup has grown, validated its product-market fit, and has the necessary resources, you can consider building an in-house marketing team. This allows for greater control over your marketing activities, the ability to develop long-term strategies, and more efficient collaboration between marketing and other departments within your organization.</p>

Why Your Early-Stage Startup Doesn't Need a Marketing Team

<p>Intellectual property and its protection remain a sensitive and confusing topic for many companies, especially at the beginning of their business journey. Today, startups grow fast and transform into international enterprises. It complicates the matter as legislation systems vary depending on a region or a country. For example, while registering a trademark in the EU is relatively straightforward and <a href="https://www.boip.int/en/entrepreneurs/registration-maintenance/outside-benelux/eu-trademark" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">covers 27 countries</a>, the same process in the US can <a href="https://ryanswansonlaw.com/should-i-register-my-trademark-with-the-state/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vary from state to state</a>.</p>



<p>Despite all regional differences, there are universal aspects every startup should know about when concluding a software development contract focusing on intellectual property. Our experts summed up the most relevant points.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/intellectual-property.png" alt="Human hands are protecting a digital representation of the human brain as a symbol of intellectual property protection." class="wp-image-4712"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Basics: What Is Intellectual Property? </strong></h2>



<p>Intellectual property (IP) is <strong>the authors’ temporary exclusive right and personal non-proprietary rights to the result of intellectual activity or means of individualization</strong>. As the result of creative activity, IP can take any form: a work of art, invention, computer program, trademark, or other commercial designation.</p>



<p><strong>In the IT sector</strong>, <strong>IP is the core value</strong>. A startup may consist of 1–2 people with the only asset — an idea (partially embodied in the code). In today’s business environments, intellectual property has become a powerful instrument for attracting investments and generating profits.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ip-definition.png" alt="Infographic: Clear definition of intellectual property for startups, highlighting legal rights and protection strategies." class="wp-image-5476" width="680" height="377"></figure><p>It’s important to remember that any IP belongs to the first person who wrote the code or text or drew a design. Generally, it’s not a must to register the copyright separately. However, you must be able to prove the fact of creation. That’s why <strong>any employment contract implies “selling” those rights to use the author’s work but not the authorship</strong>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Startup Intellectual Property Checklist</strong></h2>



<p>In the competitive landscape of innovation and technology, protecting your intellectual property is paramount to securing a competitive edge and long-term success. Our guide explains the essential steps, expert strategies, and legal insights necessary to navigate the complex world of IP.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#1 Contracts and NDAs</strong></h3>



<p>When outsourcing software development, the intellectual property matter becomes crucial. Any project must start with a <strong>properly designed contract and a well-specified non-disclosure agreement (NDA)</strong> with precise references to the working tools and channels that this NDA covers.</p>



<p><strong>The more specific, the better</strong>. Abstract phrases that everything an employee does belongs to the company, in reality, have little legal value and can <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/pitfalls-to-avoid-when-drafting-and-8030949/" target="_blank">cause more complications</a>. Besides, in many countries, proving that your NDA has been breached is difficult.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#2 Strict Communication Policy</strong></h3>



<p>Simply put, <strong>everything work-related should only be communicated through the official channels</strong>.</p>



<ul><li>Use <strong>exclusively working communication tools</strong> (Teams, Slack, Asana, ClickUp, etc.) for correspondence. Messengers for private use allow users to forward any information in two clicks but fall under personal data protection regulations. It will hinder proving the fact of sharing in case of a dispute.</li>



<li>Only allow access to working tools through <strong>corporate email</strong>. For example, if you send access to critical information to an employee’s personal email, it stays there. You may not be able to prove it belongs to your company.</li>



<li>Keep the <strong>history of the entire development process</strong> in one place with a clear structure. In most cases, it’s enough to prove your property rights.</li>



<li><strong>Administer and define the access rights</strong> in all working tools. Consider strict separation of rights at different levels: teams, micro-teams, and positions. Shared access may cause a lot of damage.</li>



<li><strong>Be careful with Google Drive and similar services</strong> when handling sensitive information that needs higher levels of protection. Although they are convenient collaboration tools, they also pose potential <a href="https://digitalsecurityguide.eset.com/en-uk/using-google-drive-don-t-risk-any-data-leaks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risks of leaking data</a> and often become the target of hacker attacks.</li>
</ul><p>By clearly outlining guidelines and expectations, a strict communication policy establishes a culture of awareness and discretion, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential within the team. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of accidental leaks or unauthorized disclosures, safeguarding the startup’s unique ideas and innovations, and positioning it as a trustworthy and reliable player in the market.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#3 Additional Agreements and Clear Terms of Reference</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Separate agreements for each type of work</strong> can level up your intellectual property contract. Some companies even sign a contract with each employee for each monthly sprint. However, in most cases, a detailed report of completion indicating the fulfilled tasks is sufficient.</p>



<p>Each type of work also requires clear and elaborate terms of reference. This document is already a checklist recording the fact of your non-disclosure agreement.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#4 Country of Company Registration</strong></h3>



<p>Indeed, it’s better to register a company in the jurisdiction with a scrupulous attitude towards intellectual property. Today, opening multiple offices worldwide is common practice for many businesses. The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.internationalpropertyrightsindex.org/" target="_blank">International Property Rights Index</a> gives a good overview of regions and separate countries.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>#5 Intellectual Property Protection Types</strong></h3>



<p>Any IP checklist in a custom software development environment would be incomplete without covering this vital aspect. Generally, there are <strong>four main types of IP protection</strong>.</p>



<ul><li>Patents.</li>



<li>Trademarks.</li>



<li>Copyrights.</li>



<li>Trade Secrets.</li>
</ul><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ip-protection-types.png" alt="Infographic: Exploring the four main types of IP protection: copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets." class="wp-image-5478"></figure><p>In many countries, <strong>software (computer programs and databases) is an object of copyright and is equated with literary works</strong>. Although copyright is automatic, you can register software rights with a code signing certificate (<strong>software code protection certificate</strong>). Such a certificate can be conditionally called a <strong>software patent</strong>. If a legal dispute occurs, the registered code becomes the subject of examination.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-primary-color has-gray-100-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>❕ <strong>Why is it important?</strong><br><br>Imagine, you register your MVP code, present the product to investors (or launch it), and then discover that your competitor has created a product that looks suspiciously similar to yours.<br><br>If the examination shows that the code of both products is the same, the certificate will allow you to defend your rights to it and prohibit the competitor from using it.<br><br>Besides, it simply helps owners sell the rights to a product or software. <strong>Serious investors are unlikely to make a deal if the seller doesn’t have it registered</strong>.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What IT Solutions Can Be Patented?</strong></h4>



<ul><li>Software products.</li>



<li>Interfaces as a way to interact with the user.</li>



<li>Database management systems.</li>



<li>Mobile applications.</li>



<li>Geolocation programs.</li>



<li>Networking games.</li>



<li>Search engines.</li>



<li>Electronic payment systems.</li>



<li>Neural networks and artificial intelligence.</li>



<li>Mining farms.</li>



<li>Algorithms.</li>
</ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></h2>



<p>Often, intellectual property protection turns into a battle between employees and management. Software development agreements with outsourcing companies may complicate the matter even more. That’s why it’s essential to not only understand the mechanisms of IP protection but also find a trustworthy tech partner interested in your success. Moreover, without mutual understanding, these procedures may become meaningless.</p>



<p>One of our core expertise fields is process building. IP software development best practices are a vital part of our operations and workflow. On top of that, we provide compliance consulting services while guiding our Partners throughout the project’s every stage.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Interested to know more about our approach to legal matters? Let’s talk.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FAQ: Intellectual Property Checklist for Startup Founders</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Q1: What is intellectual property (IP)?</strong></p>



<p>Intellectual property refers to legal rights protecting creations of the mind, such as inventions, designs, trademarks, and creative works.</p>



<p><strong>Q2: Why is intellectual property important for startup founders?</strong></p>



<p>Intellectual property provides a competitive edge, safeguards innovations, and allows startup founders to monetize their ideas, attract investors, and build a strong brand.</p>



<p><strong>Q3: What are the different types of intellectual property?</strong></p>



<p>The main types of intellectual property are patents (for inventions), trademarks (for brands and logos), copyrights (for creative works), and trade secrets (confidential information).</p>



<p><strong>Q4: How can I protect my startup’s intellectual property?</strong></p>



<p>To protect your intellectual property, consider filing for patents, registering trademarks, implementing confidentiality agreements, and using copyright notices for your creative works.</p>



<p><strong>Q5: When should I start considering intellectual property protection for my startup?</strong></p>



<p>It’s advisable to consider intellectual property protection early in the startup process, ideally before publicly disclosing or launching your product or service.</p>



<p><strong>Q6: How can I ensure I’m not infringing on someone else’s intellectual property?</strong></p>



<p>Conduct thorough research to check for existing patents, trademarks, and copyrights that may conflict with your startup’s ideas or products. Consulting with an intellectual property attorney is recommended for a comprehensive analysis.</p>



<p><strong>Q7: What steps can I take to protect my startup’s trade secrets?</strong></p>



<p>Safeguard your trade secrets by implementing strict access controls, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with employees and partners, and maintaining clear policies regarding the handling of confidential information.</p>



<p><strong>Q8: Can I use open-source software in my startup without infringing on intellectual property?</strong></p>



<p>Open-source software licenses can vary, so it’s essential to understand the specific terms and conditions of the license. Adhering to the license requirements and respecting the intellectual property rights of others is crucial.</p>



<p><strong>Q9: What are the benefits of conducting a trademark search before finalizing my startup’s name?</strong></p>



<p>Conducting a trademark search helps identify potential conflicts with existing trademarks, reducing the risk of infringement claims and the need for rebranding in the future.</p>



<p><strong>Q10: What should I do if I suspect someone is infringing on my startup’s intellectual property?</strong></p>



<p>If you suspect infringement, consult with an intellectual property attorney to assess the situation and explore legal options, such as sending cease-and-desist letters or filing a lawsuit to protect your rights.</p>

Intellectual Property Checklist for Startup Founders

<p>Launching a product-based startup is overwhelming, and many aspiring entrepreneurs end up losing focus and burying seemingly brilliant ideas. The discovery phase (especially in the agile approach to software development) can help you stay on track, define your business goals, and find ways to achieve them.</p>



<p>Clients often approach custom software development companies with minimum information about what they want and why. <strong>The discovery phase helps both sides understand what the business actually needs and how different the real goals are from the client’s desires</strong>. Here’s what you need to know about the project kick-off and how to get maximum value from it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="874" height="620" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/discovery-phase.png" alt="A man holding a magnifying glass looking at a symbolic representation of Earth." class="wp-image-5055"></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is a Discovery Phase, and Why Do You Need It?</h2>



<p>Most Internet sources will explain the discovery phase definition as a “process of information gathering.” Although technically, it’s not wrong, an effective project initiation implies much more than just listening to the client’s wishes and desires and looking up what potential competitors are doing.</p>



<p><strong>The discovery phase in software development is a preliminary stage helping a project team understand the software project’s scope, requirements, goals, and objectives. </strong>The discovery phase’s purpose is to establish a shared understanding between the <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/dedicated-team-the-future-of-software-development" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/dedicated-team-the-future-of-software-development" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development team</a> and the stakeholders (e.g., the business, end-users, or customers). Ideally, everyone involved should know what the project will entail and deliver and how to meet the needs of all parties.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><em>The discovery phase is the first crucial development stage designed to set business goals and draw a roadmap toward achieving them. It’s aimed at defining the product, analyzing the market, and learning what the target audience needs. As a result, it helps all stakeholders understand each other’s expectations and establish efficient cooperation.</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>So, what is a project discovery? In real-life projects, this stage goes beyond simply discussing ideas and writing a technical specification. It helps the client and the service provider to:</p>



<ol><li><strong>Clarify project objectives</strong>: It helps identify and formulate project objectives to ensure that the software project will bring the desired results.</li>



<li><strong>Reduce project risks</strong>: By thoroughly defining the project requirements and scope during the discovery, businesses can reduce the risk of misunderstandings during the development phase. Miscommunication always leads to financial losses.</li>



<li><strong>Improve project efficiency</strong>: It helps predict potential technical challenges and obstacles early on, allowing the project team to plan and prepare accordingly, improving project efficiency.</li>
</ol><p>In other words, every piece of information collected during the discovery stage helps the tech vendor determine the scope of work and time frames and plan the project tasks. It has one big ultimate goal — <strong>to create a quality software product designed for the client’s needs</strong>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Project Discovery: What Is Included?</h3>



<p>While the initial activities are about planning, the first stage itself must be well-planned. The discovery phase steps typically cover the main aspects of project management, <strong>from ideation to the implementation roadmap</strong>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/dph-goals-infogrcs.png" alt="The infographics listing the main discovery phase goals." class="wp-image-5319"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Discovery Phase Objectives</figcaption></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Discovery Phase of a Software Development Project: Who Is Involved?</h3>



<p>Naturally, discovery teams may vary depending on the project’s size and complexity and the client’s specific needs. However, based on our experience, the following specialists make up the best combination.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Business Analyst</h4>



<p>A business analyst gathers and analyzes market- and product-related data and makes recommendations to decision-makers. Use cases, user stories, reports, and business processes are right up their alley. BAs bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders and ensure that the project’s tech sides align with the client’s business goals.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><em>For example, the client needs an online booking system integrated into the product. If the vendor starts with technical questions about the functionality, they may miss some crucial requirements. Why does the client need it? What does it solve? Here, the BA’s task is to listen carefully, build logical connections, and clarify controversies.</em></p>
</blockquote>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Solution Architect</h4>



<p>A solution architect is an experienced specialist who sets goals and objectives for the project execution, finds the best technical solutions, describes the software’s structure and behavior, and distributes functions between developers. They also consider cost, scalability, and compatibility with existing systems while making decisions.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Developers</h4>



<p>Software developers with diverse expertise help the discovery team make more precise <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-estimate-the-cost-of-sofware-development" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-estimate-the-cost-of-sofware-development" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimations</a>. Professionals who have participated in several similar projects (comparable functionality, the same frameworks, domains, product types, etc.) evaluate the project’s potential based on their hands-on experience.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">UX/UI Designers</h4>



<p>User experience and user interface specialists can create wireframes and clickable prototypes if those are part of the discovery. Their main task is to show what the future application will look like. However, they also help the team assess the project’s complexity.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p><em>For a B2C product targeting mainstream users, UX designers would be an essential part of the discovery team — user experience is crucial for such solutions. Now let’s take entirely technical projects focusing on professionals in a particular niche. Here, UX plays a secondary role, while purely technical requirements become the first priority. The discovery phases for these examples will be different.</em></p>
</blockquote>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Scrum Master</h4>



<p>The formula <strong>Business Analyst+Scrum Master</strong> proves to be more efficient than a single Project Manager who, in the end, takes on too many tasks and often loses focus. While the BA connects business and development, the Scrum Master is responsible for efficiency, transparency, timing, and evaluation.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="823" height="690" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/dph-team.png" alt="The discovery phase in agile software development relies on a well-organized and professional team.
" class="wp-image-5071"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Discovery Phase Team</figcaption></figure><h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Main Benefits of a Discovery Phase</h3>



<p>Successful project management and discovery must bring tangible advantages to all stakeholders. For example, businesses can predict risks and minimize financial losses in the long run. Here’s the list of the <strong>key benefits of a discovery phase</strong>:</p>



<ul><li>A better understanding of project requirements;</li>



<li>Defined project scope and evaluated project complexity;</li>



<li>Detailed and simplified budgeting and planning;</li>



<li>Project estimations based on the team’s hands-on experience;</li>



<li>Improved team efficiency;</li>



<li>Enhanced project alignment and agreement;</li>



<li>Improved communication and collaboration between all stakeholders;</li>



<li>Reduced and mitigated risks (first of all, financial);</li>



<li>The balance between business objectives and the market need;</li>



<li>A clear technical description;</li>



<li>Visualized product vision.</li>
</ul><p>The main advantage of any discovery phase is <strong>a detailed action plan</strong> created by people who will follow it. By taking the time to plan and communicate effectively, you and your tech contractor turn an abstract idea into a real roadmap based on your business needs, market conditions, and budget.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Can’t estimate your idea’s feasibility?<br>We can provide support and expertise.</div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Will Happen if You Skip the Discovery Phase Activities?</h2>



<p>In a nutshell, make a list of the things that can go wrong and imagine that most of them did go wrong. <strong>Lack of planning</strong> — and efficient planning is the purpose of any discovery phase — <strong>always has significant consequences</strong>. We’ve summed up the most common of them.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Misaligned Expectations</h3>



<p>Without a discovery phase, you may end up having a conflict of “three products”: what you expected, what the development team created, and what your target audience is ready to pay for. Most often, they are completely different.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Scope Creep</h3>



<p>Without a clearly defined plan, projects easily grow beyond the original objectives and goals. It leads to missed deadlines, increased costs, and often even wasted budgets.</p>



<p><em>Related article:</em> <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-avoid-common-project-estimation-mistakes" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-avoid-common-project-estimation-mistakes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to Avoid Common Project Estimation Mistakes</a></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Technical Issues</h3>



<p>The discovery phase helps you identify and address technical challenges and limitations before development starts. For example, different programming languages, libraries, or APIs are not fully compatible with each other. It requires finding alternative solutions or making changes to the code. Experienced developers will consider such issues and the time to solve them before encountering them.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Increased Project Risks</h3>



<p>Unexpected technical difficulties, lack of resources, changes in requirements, or miscommunication between team members lead to delays in delivery. In turn, every delay leads to increased costs and frustration among the stakeholders. Risk mitigation is one of the discovery phase’s main purposes.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Unclear Budget and Time Frames</h3>



<p>Imagine your development team increasing the bill after every iteration, while you are still not seeing the results. It’s a likely scenario in terms of budget and deadlines if you skip the discovery phase. The developers don’t have a well-articulated goal and can’t keep track of smaller objectives while the time is running out.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A Product Nobody Needs</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.failory.com/blog/startup-failure-rate" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.failory.com/blog/startup-failure-rate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">9 out of 10 startups fail</a>. Most of them fail because the founders think they know what their target audience needs and wants. In reality, they don’t. The discovery phase is an instrument devised to find product-market fit through customer development activities like <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/the-guide-for-perfect-customer-development-problem-interview-checklist" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/the-guide-for-perfect-customer-development-problem-interview-checklist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">problem </a>and <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/what-is-a-solution-interview-in-customer-development" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/what-is-a-solution-interview-in-customer-development" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solution </a>interviews and working directly with real customers’ feedback.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Discovery Phase Deliverables</h2>



<p>Many startup founders are skeptical about the discovery phase as it may seem like an abstract discussion of possible ways of doing things. However, by the end of this stage, <a href="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-choose-your-tech-vendor-the-insider-guide" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rocketech.it/blog/post/how-to-choose-your-tech-vendor-the-insider-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">your tech vendor</a> must provide you with actual and well-documented results. <strong>It’s a ready action plan</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>The discovery phase’s main outputs </strong>typically include:</p>



<ol><li>A clear and agreed-upon <strong>project scope</strong> that outlines the project goals and objectives, requirements, and constraints.</li>



<li>A detailed <strong>project plan</strong> that outlines the timeline, budget, and resources required to complete the project.</li>



<li>A high-level <strong>solution design</strong> that defines the architecture and technical approach to the project.</li>



<li><strong>Alignment</strong> <strong>and approval</strong> between the stakeholders, business, and development team on the project goals, requirements, and solution design.</li>



<li><strong>Identification and mitigation of potential project risks</strong> and challenges and the ways of solving them.</li>



<li><strong>Improved communication and collaboration</strong> between the stakeholders, business, and development team ensuring the project is executed smoothly and efficiently.</li>
</ol><figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><tbody><tr><td>Our most experienced specialists designed the three Discovery Phase Packages covering all project initiation aspects and devised for different budgets and levels of involvement.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="2500" src="https://wp.rocketech.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/dph-packages-infographics-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-5081"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rocketech Discovery Phase Packages</figcaption></figure><h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Discovery Phase with Rocketech</h2>



<p>At Rocketech, we start every project with a <strong>discovery sprint</strong> — a workshop with a seasoned business analyst experienced in the customer’s industry or niche. The BA gathers business requirements and helps the client prioritize tasks based on business goals and vision, build a development team, and make initial development investments as clear and relevant as possible. <strong>A discovery phase project plan with Rocketech is a thought-through roadmap to launching a successful marketable digital product</strong>.</p>



<div class="wp-block-blog-action wp-block-action has-light-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-action__text">Got a product idea but don’t know where to start? We can help. </div><button class="wp-block-action__button has-light-background-color has-primary-color" data-type="callback">Book a call</button></div>

The Discovery Phase: Why Is It Crucial for Your Project Success?

<p>For a month, the Rocketech Team has been trying to adjust to the horrifying impact of the unprovoked Russian military invasion of Ukraine. We are grateful for the understanding and support from our clients, partners, and friends.</p>



<p>With a significant part of our Team remaining in Ukraine, our first and foremost priority has been their safety and wellbeing. At the same time, we keep working on all current projects following our standard operating procedure and remaining the reliable partner to all our clients who stand with us for peace.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Emergency Operations Centre and Employee Support</strong></h2>



<p>From the outset of the crisis, Rocketech developed the emergency response plan to ensure communication and all possible support to our Team members and their families in Ukraine.</p>



<ul><li>We created an internal emergency operations centre to help our Team members trapped close to the front line relocate to Western Ukraine, the Polish border, or Poland. It is a volunteer initiative of our colleagues located in safer areas of Ukraine or residing in other countries.</li>



<li>Our volunteers assist the Team members and their families in relocation, provide food and medical aid, and help colleagues and their relatives who remain in the hot spots.</li>



<li>We search for lost relatives, organise temporary homes for pets, and look for other ways to support our colleagues and their families close to the front line.</li>



<li>Through the internal fund, the company provides financial assistance to those who temporarily cannot work until they can get back to their regular work routines.</li>



<li>With the help of the Team members residing in other countries, we organised a network of people and organisations providing information and help in Poland, Hungary, Iceland, Austria, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, and Turkey.</li>



<li>We organised psychological help with professional counselling free for our Team and 24/7 volunteer support to fight anxiety and emotional distress.</li>
</ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Business Operations</strong></h2>



<p>Rocketech is withdrawing from the Russian market to end direct or indirect support for the aggressor country’s economy. We have completely stopped cooperation with Russian banks and companies – we no longer transfer money and accept payments.</p>



<p>We have discontinued all marketing and advertising operations targeting the Russian market. Among other things, we have withdrawn from the top-rated companies of the Russian market on Clutch and closed the company’s visibility to users from Russia in search results on the platform.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Team</strong></h2>



<p>Currently, about forty of our colleagues remain on the territory of Ukraine. We contact each employee regularly to verify their location and safe conditions. From the 28th of February, we strategically reassigned the teams dedicated to all our projects to ensure that we fulfil all our contract obligations.</p>



<p>We had to adjust our recruiting strategy. Rocketech no longer considers applicants from Russia and Belarus as we do not support these countries’ economies. We, however, stand against any human discrimination and are willing to onboard new talents who make a decision to relocate to countries that do not support the war in Ukraine.</p>



<p>We value all our current employees, appreciate their professionalism and experience, and want to continue cooperation. In these complicated circumstances, we establish a dialogue with each employee from Russia and Belarus and discuss their personal and family situations to find solutions to keep them as our Team members.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Concluding Statements</strong></h2>



<p>We are shocked and deeply affected by the human tragedy of some of the darkest days in European history and condemn the military actions launched by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine. We are witnessing unprecedented and tragic events that will forever reshape the world.</p>



<p>In this new reality, we find it crucial to be united by the common principles and the company’s core values. At Rocketech, we are proud of our international and multi-language Team based on mutual respect, support, and trust. Having said that, we decry any bullying of Russian citizens who do not support their government’s actions. We stand against any act of aggression and discrimination on the ground of nationality.<br></p>

Software development practices blog

Top

The Discovery Phase: Why Is It Crucial for Your Project Success?

Rocketech Operations During the War

Popular

How to Create a Community of Practice for Your Team

Best Mobile App Development Frameworks in 2021

Developing SaaS Applications for Startups: How to Build a Successful Solution

Signing a Contract with an Agency: Pitfalls and Industry Insights

Mobile Development Trends and Approaches

How to Avoid Difficulties Building an MVP for Utility Tools

Latest

How to Avoid Common Project Estimation Mistakes

Protecting Your Intellectual Property: What Startup Founders Need to Know When Changing Development Teams

Agile Project Estimation Challenges

Why Your Early-Stage Startup Doesn't Need a Marketing Team

Intellectual Property Checklist for Startup Founders

How to Create a Community of Practice for Your Team

Get a bi-weekly email with the most popular stories

Tell us what you have in mind