Before you start development you should have a clear idea of what you are trying to build and what you are not trying to build. Having this early will help in all aspects of you app from coding to happy customers in the end. So for each potential idea that I have I fill out this positioning form from one of the marketting books above:
- For (target customer)
- Who (statement of the need or opportunity)
- The (product name) is a (product category)
- That (statement of key benefit–that is, compelling reason to buy)
- Unlike (primary competitive alternative)
- Our product (statement of primary differentiation)
Example:
"For IBM PC users who want the advantages of a Macintosh-style graphical user interface, Microsoft Windows 3.0 is an industry standard operating environment that provides the ease of use and consistency of a Mac on a PC-compatible platform. Unlike other attempts to implement this type of interface, Windows 3.0 is now supported by every major PC application software package"
I also find a google unique (or close to it) descriptive name for the application, along with a tagline that will furthure describe the app.
Refining this description is an ongoing process that will continue through the life of the product, but I think it's important to get something good on paper before you start coding. If you can't come up with a short clear description of your apps place in the universe it is likely that your idea need more work.
Copyright © 2008 Jesse Grosjean. All rights reserved.
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