Why we do not start software projects with code

“We need an app.” Or “We need a customer portal.”

That is the kind of thing many companies come to us with. And often there is already a concrete idea behind it of how a problem should be solved.

This is exactly where we at xappido deliberately start a step earlier.

Understanding the problem first

Before we talk about features, technologies or designs, we want to understand which problem is to be solved in the first place.

Because the first idea is not automatically the best solution.

That is why we start our projects with a workshop. Together with our clients we analyse existing processes, question established routines and look at the challenges from several perspectives. The point is not to present a solution as quickly as possible, but to ask the right questions.

Why workshops matter so much

A workshop creates clarity.

It helps to

• recognise the actual challenge,
• bring differing expectations onto common ground,
• understand processes better, and
• create the basis for well-founded decisions.

Often the original idea is confirmed. Sometimes a better solution grows out of it. And sometimes it turns out that no digital solution is needed at all.

That, too, is a valuable result.

A good solution does not start with the technology

Software should make processes simpler – not more complicated.

So we do not simply build what was originally asked for. We build solutions that create real value and work in the long run.

For us, successful software development therefore does not start with the first line of code, but with an open conversation and the right questions.

A look behind the scenes

In the video, our project manager Loredana describes how a workshop like this is prepared at xappido and why this phase matters so much to the success of a project.

Because good software does not happen by chance. It grows out of a shared understanding of the challenge.