This post is inspired by a reader’s comment in reaction to “Why
good software developers finish lastâ€
There are two kinds of developers.
Those with software that they’re having a hard time selling and those having a
hard time coming up with a software to sell. It does not matter which side you
find yourself on, any marketing problem you face can be solved.
If you have
a current product that you’re finding hard to market, you first need to look at
your strategy to determine if you’re well positioned in the marketplace. If it
happens that your app is yet another piece of software among similar ones, you
need to seriously find ways to make it stand out from the crowd. Once that difference
is discovered, you need to reinforce it in all your marketing communications.
Needless to say, the distinguishing element must be in sync with the user’s needs
and expectations.
If you’re starting a new software project, then your job
is actually easier since, in my opinion, launching a new project is easier than
changing the strategy of an established one.
Your job as a developer of a
new software is to look for a gap and fill it. The gap can be a target market,
a specialization area, a promotional channel, etc…
So what came first?
It depends when you decide to strategize. But since things tend to begin, well,
at the beginning, strategy should precede any coding to maximize your project’s
success in the marketplace.
