
Developing an application isn't something you can just wing. To succeed in this coveted domain, being well-prepared is essential. Unfortunately, a vast majority of large-scale digital projects fail due to inadequate preparation.
Discover here the 5 essential steps to launching your project.
1. Establish Realistic and Measurable Goals
This is the first essential step before diving concretely into the development of your application. What may seem like common sense is often overlooked or rushed.
Question yourself about the purpose of your application:
- What will it be used for?
- Who will it be aimed at?
- What results do you want it to achieve?
You must have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and what problem your product will solve.
Ensure that your goals are measurable and that you'll be able to measure your progress and results quantitatively. For example, if you want to improve team efficiency, you could measure the time saved per project thanks to your application.
These measurable goals will help you assess the success of your initiative once it's launched.
2. Conduct Thorough Market Research
Your application may be the best in the world, you're convinced of it. But what do your future users think?
Understanding their needs and validating that your product will meet their expectations is equally indispensable, because despite all your good intentions, you don't want to invest time and money in a software product that ultimately won't be used!
Analyze your target audience, identify their needs and preferences, and study the competition to determine your added value. What sets you apart from other players in the market? Gather data, conduct surveys... The more you know about your market, the better you can design an application that meets its needs—and the more likely you are to succeed!
3. Develop a Solid Strategy
At this stage of the planning phase of your project, it's time to develop a comprehensive strategy.
You'll determine:
- The application's features.
- The development timeline.
- The allocated budget (development, design, marketing, etc.).
- The detailed action plan.
This plan will guide the entire development process. It's crucial that it's robust, well-researched, and documented. Take the necessary time to do it: your future success depends on it!
4. Choose Your Allies
A crucial question arises at this stage: to embark on the development of your application, will you rely on your in-house digital experts or a specialized agency?
There's no right or wrong answer, as it all depends on your goals, strategy, as well as your financial and time constraints. You know the saying: time is money, and this has never been more true than in the current times.
So, think carefully: if you have the necessary resources and expertise internally, building your own team can be an interesting option, as on the one hand, it gives you total control over the development process, and on the other hand, it represents a long-term investment, as you're injecting new skills into your teams.
But while the idea may seem enticing, don't forget that setting up and managing a digital team comes with its challenges, especially if software development isn't at the core of your activities. Opting for the support of a specialized agency like Thirdbridge has the significant advantage of allowing you to collaborate with committed and motivated developers and other digital experts.
5. Establish Performance Metrics (KPIs)
KPIs allow you to track and evaluate the progress of your project, and measure its success once launched.
Identify these indicators based on your goals: for example, if you want to increase user satisfaction with your application, performance metrics could be user retention and satisfaction rates, and consequently, the impact on your sales.
Monitor these indicators closely as they'll help you adjust your application to achieve your ambitions.
Launching a successful application development project requires careful planning and strategic execution. By following these 5 key steps, you can maximize your chances of creating a product that meets the needs of your target audience, thus achieving your goals. However, don't forget to remain flexible and adjust your strategy as the project progresses to ensure sustainable success.
Other articles

Mar 31, 2025
Ratings & Reviews: Their Impact on an App's Success
An app’s success isn’t solely based on meticulous engineering or eye-catching designs. It’s crucial to deliver a product that is high-performing, accessible, useful, and user-friendly, alongside a go-to-market (GTM) strategy tailored to the digital product ecosystem.



.jpg)




Oct 15, 2024
Enhancing Product Management: Key to Success in Software Development
The distinction between product management and project management is essential for ensuring optimal productivity. It’s not enough to treat them as interchangeable concepts; it’s crucial to adopt a proactive approach to place the right resources in the right places.




.png)
Jun 14, 2024
Recruiting an In-House Team or Hiring an Agency for Developing Your Application?
When embarking on a project as significant and important as developing an application, a crucial dilemma quickly arises: choosing between a specialized agency or recruiting your own in-house team to accomplish the work. One thing is certain, both options present distinct advantages and constraints.

.png)

.png)







Oct 29, 2024
AI driving innovation: A new Era for Mobile Apps and User Experience
Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a digital transformation that impacts us all. This rapidly advancing technology, fueled by data analysis, not only enables informed decision-making and reliable forecasting but also allows for the completion of many tasks at a faster pace.


Oct 15, 2024
Pierre-Étienne Bousquet guest of "Les Affaires"
Our president and co-founder, Pierre-Étienne Bousquet, discussed with Jean-François Venne from Les Affaires the significant growth of digital technology in the retail industry and its impact on online sales, which are becoming increasingly crucial for revenue.

Sep 24, 2024
Cybersecurity and Mobile Applications: Choosing the Right Authentication Method
Mobile applications are essential tools that handle personal data, access sensitive information, and are part of our daily lives. However, in an age where the term cybersecurity is on everyone's lips, ensuring the security of these applications and the information they contain is crucial.






May 22, 2024
Optimizing Synergy with Your Software Development Partner
The digital realm, especially that of custom digital solution development, is constantly evolving—between fast technological advancements and changing consumer needs, it's quite challenging to predict what the future holds for web players.

.png)
May 3, 2024
Simplified Infrastructures for Enhanced Agility
At Thirdbridge, we believe that project-oriented teams deliver superior quality results, and do so more quickly. Given that they are responsible for the entire value creation flow, these teams can increase their velocity by eliminating bottlenecks themselves. Moreover, entrusting end-to-end flow responsibility to our developer teams makes their work even more engaging and motivating.