Before You Start Building Your App
Do you have an idea for an app that you believe could change the market? Or maybe you want to introduce new software in your company that could give you a significant competitive advantage?
Before you jump straight into development, it’s worth stopping for a moment and thinking through the entire process. In this episode, I explain how to approach app development step by step, what decisions you should make early on, and how to significantly increase your chances of success.
A Few Words About Me and This Episode
Hi, my name is Kamil Tarczyński. On a daily basis, I help companies use technology so they can operate more efficiently and grow faster.
Today, we’ll talk about what to do if you want to build an application, whether you are a technical founder or not.
Step 1: Validate the Idea
The very first and most important step is idea validation.
There is no point in building an app — even if you have access to AI, no-code, low-code, or strong programming skills — before you validate the idea in any meaningful way.
Why Friends and Family Are Not Enough
One common approach is to write down the idea and share it with friends or family. Let’s be honest — this is rarely reliable. They will either discourage you or tell you the idea is amazing and guaranteed to succeed.
A much better approach is to identify a real problem in a specific industry and talk directly to people who actually experience that problem.
Simple Validation Instead of Expensive Research
You don’t need complex market research at the beginning. Today, early versions of products can be built cheaply and quickly — sometimes using nothing more than Google Forms, landing pages, or manual processes.
At the start, you won’t have a large number of users anyway, so many things can be simulated manually.
Step 2: Define Your Target Group and Build an MVP
Once you start talking to potential users, feature suggestions will naturally appear. This is where discipline becomes critical.
At the beginning, your goal is simple: solve one core problem as well as possible.
Do not try to satisfy everyone. Users will always suggest features that are convenient for them, but that doesn’t mean those features are essential for your product.
Cut everything that is not necessary. Rarely used features can be handled manually — via email, forms, or simple requests.
Step 3: Choosing the Right Technology
Only after you clearly define:
- the problem,
- the target group,
- and the MVP scope,
should you think about technology.
What Determines the Technology Choice?
It depends on what you are building:
- a web application,
- a mobile app,
- an automation,
- or an AI-based agent.
Every solution needs some form of interface — even automation tools.
Code, AI, No-Code, and Low-Code
If you have technical skills, AI can dramatically speed up development and give you full control over the codebase.
At the same time, no-code and low-code platforms are excellent choices even for technical founders. They offer ready-made infrastructure, security, GDPR compliance, fast development, low maintenance costs, and a low barrier to entry.
With no-code and low-code, you can build both web and mobile applications.
Step 4: Go Live, Testing, and User Feedback
After launch, the most important phase begins — talking to your users.
You must regularly collect feedback:
- what works,
- what doesn’t,
- what could be improved,
- and what users value the most.
This feedback shows you where the product should go next and helps you define your unique selling points for marketing and sales.
Growth and Scaling
Scaling a product is not just about adding new features. It’s also about building strong relationships with your users.
Creating a feature backlog and even letting users vote on priorities can increase engagement and loyalty.
The Most Common Mistakes When Building an App
“It Must Have Many Features or It Will Fail”
This is a myth. A great example is the Psinder app we built.
At launch, it had only one simple feature — browsing dogs available for adoption. Filters were minimal, yet it solved the core problem: finding dogs to adopt easily.
In less than a year, the app gained nearly 10,000 users.
No Clear Target Audience
Building an app without talking to users is a fundamental mistake. Without understanding the industry, it’s easy to choose overly complex or expensive technologies.
Poor Technology Choices
Not every technology is suitable for an early-stage product. Some stacks are expensive to maintain and slow to develop. Often, simpler solutions allow you to launch faster and scale more efficiently.
No Marketing or Sales Plan
No marketing and no sales means no business. Even the best product won’t succeed without a clear go-to-market strategy.
Choosing a Technology Partner Based Only on Price
If you are a non-technical founder, selecting the right technology partner is critical. Price alone should never be the deciding factor.
Always check experience, past projects, technical approach, and how well the partner understands your business goals.
Final Thoughts
Before you start building an application:
- validate demand,
- understand your target audience,
- choose the right technology,
- build a focused MVP,
- collect user feedback,
- and iterate step by step.
Remember — the idea is only the beginning. The real value lies in execution and in how you approach the entire process.
