In this digital world, tech partners are often the key catalysts in the success of many startups. Technology partners are responsible for bringing the range of tools together to work to enable and empower the vision of the startup founders.This partnership helps startups accelerate go-to-market, respond to customer demands, and meet business objectives.Technology partners, often referred to as development partners, help startups build a strong ROI.
Given the impact the right partner can deliver to the future prospects of startups, the choice of partner is a crucial one.
What is the size of the problem?
A competitive edge in any field determines success or failure. This is especially true for startups in crowded spaces (aren’t they all!). Startup leaders usually have a clear idea of what they want their product to be or do. They reach those conclusions by carefully analyzing the product-market fit and figuring out where it needs modification to stand out. They know product success depends on balancing long-term strategy and short-term agility. Several factors determine the effort required to build the product.
- Unique value proposition (UVP) of the product
- Product’s core features
- Required technology to enhance performance
- Visual add-ons for the appeal
- Unique prepositions
- Market trends
While many of these areas are the core domain of the startup, others are often beyond their understanding. This is where a strong development partner can play a critical role in ensuring the vision of the startup founders can see the light of day.
What should start-ups look for?
When choosing a tech partner, companies need to analyze if they align well or not. Following are some of the most important criteria that startups can use to make the right decision.
1. Specialized services
First and foremost, the startup should identify the type of tech partner they need. Whether they are looking for someone with a wide range of skill bases or true expertise in one or two specific areas?Startups need to weigh their tech partners against their perceived needs.
A generalist type team should be preferred when developing a multi-faceted product, whereas specialist partners are often beneficial in solving specific or targeted tasks.
But in software development, the ideal tech partner is a combination of both. This is sometimes called a T-shaped skill set. It represents a system where the top horizontal line is a set of generalized tech support, and the vertical line represents specialized professionals. For instance, your partner needs generalist skills to build the core of a consumer application but may need specific UI/UX skills to create a compelling mobile app.
2. Flexibility and scalability
Innovative solutions in technology fluctuate significantly with time. The ability of a tech partner to react to these changes and demands determines the success or failure of a startup. This empowers agility and enables responsiveness.
The right technology partner for a startup is the one that continuously invests in product modification to give it a competitive edge in the market. They should be able to modify the approach whenever necessary. They should also understand the feedback of the market. It is important to bridge the gap between what the company offers to its customers and what is feasible to deploy within the technology platform. And with time, when there is a need to scale up the tech, tech partners should be able to offer solutions for seamless up-gradation.
3. Alignment in terms of goals and vision
The tech partner should work towards solving visible issues in the short term but also make recommendations on how to improve the product in the long term. Tech partners should understand the long-term goals and vision of the startup and continuously add value to achieve the same. They should also have a deep understanding of the specialized tech stacks best equipped to deliver innovative solutions in the real world.
4. Project goals and transparency
According to a report, 29% of projects fail due to poor communication. Startups require transparent visibility into the state of development to ensure they are working towards positive progress. The right development partner will ensure that at all times. Especially in instances where the startup’s founders are “non-tech”, ensuring transparency of goals reduces anxiety and drives productivity.Transparency means that all the stakeholders are involved in the strategy design, planning, and execution. It keeps the process on track to minimize deviation from plan.
5. Scope evolution
Defining an evolution protocol is as important as association criteria. Companies should target creating a long-term relationship with their tech partners. This means defining and planning for various kinds of skills and services required at different stages of product development. For instance, early-stage products may demand greater agility from the development partner as the MVP rolls out. Post that, development may settle into a more planned scale-up, trending later into product maintenance and sustenance. The cycle could switch over then to new product versions.
Conclusion
Tech partners can have a huge impact on the success of a startup as they tackle frequent and varied challenges.
ZingWorks provides high-end software technologies to help you choose the right tech, build great UX, and define the right strategies for your business. ZingWorks offers tailored solutions for digital transformation that will save you money and help scale your business. Having gone through the journey of building our products, we understand the nuances of startup operations. If you are looking for a tech partner that goes beyond the MVP level and helps you build a solid foundation, do connect with us at ZingWorks.
