Let’s say, you are not a software company but something opposite. Accounting, headhunting, business consulting or else. The point is that you have a software idea to provide more customer value, distinguish yourself in the market competition or simply to lubricate an internal process. What you do not own is software development expertise.
Therefore, in the phase of ideation, you need a consulting partner who guides you through the first baby steps in the world of software and helps you create a prototype very quick. After you successfully validated your idea, you still need an experienced partner to design sustainable software architecture, down-to-earth development agenda, and realistic budget.
Some months later, having the MVP (Minimum Viable Product), it’s the time to scale up the team to provide manpower for the widening scope of the development. And it is a decision point! You can continue the software innovation in the so-called custom software development model, or you can have a partner build an out-staffed team for you. The out-staffed model gives you the chance to take over some innovation management functions from your partner. It can be an important step on the path lead to a software company being.
Ready? Okey-dokey! Let’s go on! Let’s start coding! It is crucial to building your software product onto a solid foundation which can be provided only by a really senior software developer team. Because you don't have one, you need a partner again.