Don’t we love apps? We have dozens of them downloaded on our devices to make our lives a little more enjoyable and easier. There are millions of developers working on those little square icons, and there are hundreds of new companies getting ready to launch their products. According to Statista.com, as of July 2015 approximately four million apps are floating on today’s market. What makes one of them more successful than the others? The idea of course. But the idea itself is not enough.

I had an interview with one of the most successful young entrepreneurs, Firat Parlak; the founder of Awesome. According to him, there are three basic steps you need to consider before quitting your job with the hope of creating the next big thing.

FEASIBILITY

You cannot iron a shirt with your iPhone! (Not yet). When you have that light bulb, make sure it is doable. You may have one of the brightest ideas, but before putting countless hours into developing your project, you have to make sure the technology and your dreams are aligning. Depending on what you come up with - the more complicated the business model will be, and the more expensive the cost of your app will be. Nevertheless, you will need to work on the cost estimation of the project. That’s where the investors come in the picture. Your investor will require an excel sheet on the time and the capital needed. If you are the investor, you have to make sure you have enough funds until you launch your product.

Mr. Parlak encourages developers to ask these questions to themselves;

Is the app needed? If yes, who is your target demographic?

Are you the first/only one who came up with the idea?

Do you have any experience in the field?

Who are your competitors? What will differentiate your app from others?

If you have valid answers to these questions, you may continue to the next step.

DESIGN

“Ummmm I don’t know what I am doing here” should not be the response from the users when they open your app. The UI (user interface) design is the most important step for your way to the success. UX (user experience) goes hand in hand with UI. If you are not familiar with this part of the business, working with an experienced company who will understand your idea is the best way to go.

Good UI and UX designers do not only think about making things look pretty, but they also think about the psychological state, intelligence level, educational background, and geographical location of the users. In other words, they create layouts that are intuitive and user-friendly for your targeted market. That’s why a good design will cost you. However, if you want your app to have the desired simplicity and needed optimization, it will be worth it.

Your design team will work with you to answer these questions,

What is your design and business concept? Do your design idea and your business model conflict/align?

What are the most important two features you will be focusing on?

Can the users reach what they need by pressing less than three buttons?

Is your design intuitive and clear?

How many unique users do you have? How often will they use it? What is the user duration?

Here is what designers do.

EXECUTION

Teamwork? You may have amazing programmers, sharp designers and a well known PR company. However, how good your team members are at their job is almost the secondary when it comes to a startup. Having the same vision and inspiration with the people you work with is the most important. That’s why you need to convey your thoughts and share your ideas clearly with your team members from the beginning. Having said that, to eliminate future complications and frustration, the scope of everybody’s work need to be written and signed by the members. The continuity and the success of the project mostly depends on the support and the maintenance, as the founder, you will need to be on top of those.

At this point, you may want to ask yourself these questions:

Is everybody on the same page? Do your members trust each other?

If you have an investor, can he/she show enough funds until the app is out?

Are your employees experienced? Do they have enough time?

Are your team members speaking the same language?

How often can you have a team meeting?

Is your PR team communicating effectively?

Yes, we love apps and what they provide us. However, creating one is more challenging than one may think. However, once your vision, design and team are in harmony not only you will succeed but you will also have the financial and emotional satisfaction of your work. Good luck!