Two Approaches to Software Development: Which Is Best?
Reading time 3 min
- Team Growth
- SaaS
The costs of software development can vary significantly, often influenced by the stage a company is in and its understanding of the market. In this article, I discuss two approaches: pioneering development and scalable development. Both have their merits, but what are the differences, and when should you choose one over the other?
What Is Quality?
At PAQT, we frequently discuss quality. But what does that truly mean, and what benefits does high quality offer? Quality can mean different things to different people. Take a Volvo, for example: a student might be content driving an older model, while a family may prefer a newer Volvo for added reliability and safety. Both choices are qualitatively good but cater to different needs.
The Pioneering Development Route
In software development, a similar perspective applies. You aim to deliver quality. Broadly, there are two routes to consider: pioneering development and scalable development. With pioneering development, you start with a good idea and a single full-stack developer.
This approach has its advantages:
- Lower costs
- Less coordination required
- Flexibility to adapt quickly
- Faster results
However, there are also disadvantages:
- Lower quality standards
- Lack of scalable modules
An Excel file might be the ultimate example of pioneering development: quick but error-prone and not suitable for extensive use. Yet, it can adequately meet your initial needs.
The Stage of Your Company is Determinative
The choice strongly depends on the stage of your company. In the market fit phase, where you are still exploring what customers want, pioneering development is ideal. You experiment with low-code tools and standard systems to test quickly without making large investments.
The goal is to keep things as simple as possible and test your idea with your first users as soon as possible.
Discarding vs. Scaling
In the market fit phase, you are essentially building to discard: built to scrap. Once you understand what users want, you need to scale: built to last.
- Pioneering development, built to scrap: Testing and searching for the right version.
- Scalable development, built to last: Scaling up once you know your customers.
Some companies continue pioneering for too long when they should already be scaling, which can lead to stagnation and having to start over. Timing is crucial—if you keep pioneering while you already know what your customers want, you’re essentially wasting money.
The reverse is also true: if you don’t have customers yet and don’t know what they want, it would be a big mistake to build scalably. You’d spend a lot of money with a high risk that it was all for nothing.
Of course, there are also intermediate forms. There’s no such thing as 100% pioneering or 100% scalable development. Scaling has multiple steps. It’s a cycle you continuously go through. Building software for 100 users is different from building for 1,000 or 10,000 users.
From Pioneer to Scalable Building
If you start with pioneer building, a rebuild is often necessary when scaling up. Only if the foundation is solid can you rebuild parts of it. If you use the wrong foundation, you’ll have to tear everything down and start over.
Think of it like a house being completely stripped down: this is only possible if the foundation is solid. But if you’ve used the wrong foundation, chosen the wrong framework, or none at all, there’s nothing you can do with it. In that case, demolition and a full rebuild are your only options.
A Clear Target Audience in B2B
For B2B software with a well-defined target audience, I always recommend scalable building. You know your audience and what they want. At PAQT, our Rise methodology includes extensive preliminary research specifically for this purpose. If you don’t yet fully understand your audience and want to use your product to figure it out, then pioneer building is the best place to start.
The Additional Benefits of Scalable Code
Scalable code has more benefits than just improved user experience. It also makes it easier to attract talented developers, reduces the need for extensive support due to better usability, and increases the appeal of your software for potential investors in case of an exit.
Pioneer building is the perfect way to kickstart a great idea. But as soon as you know what your customers want, every euro spent on continued pioneering is essentially wasted.
Want to Know More?
At PAQT, we work with companies at all stages of growth and often help them transition to the next phase. We do this not only as a tech partner but also through investments via our collaboration with Partinc Capital.
Curious about how we can help you move forward?
