Any competent, experienced custom software developer should be able to help you build whatever product you imagine. However, the process will be simpler, smoother, and less expensive if you have a good working relationship with your custom software developer.
How are you supposed to build and reinforce this relationship?
Why Your Relationship Matters
Why should you care so much about the relationship you have with your custom software developer?
- Collaboration and mental unity. It’s much easier to collaborate with someone when you share the same ideas and perspectives. Obviously, intellectual diversity is important, as it can help you see different perspectives, but you need some kind of shared ground and shared vision if you want to be able to work together effectively. A good relationship with your developer means you’ll be working toward the same objectives with the same motivations.
- Communication and issue prevention. Bad communication is a primary cause of issues in working relationships. If you have a better relationship with your software developer, you’ll be able to communicate more fluidly and consistently, ultimately preventing the majority of issues you would otherwise encounter. You’ll have far fewer hiccups and headaches in the long journey toward the final delivery of your software.
- Conflict resolution. Things can and probably will go wrong during software development, but if you have a solid relationship with your software developer, you’ll have a much easier route to conflict resolution. You and your developer will like and respect each other, and you will both work harder to find a compromise that works for both parties.
- Ease and comfort. There’s a subjective aspect to software development as well. Maintaining a better relationship with your developer means you’ll feel more comfortable and at ease communicating with them throughout the process.
How to Foster a Good Relationship With Your Custom Software Developer
What steps can you take to foster a better relationship with your custom software developer?
- Communicate clearly and concisely. Focus on your communication. It’s ideal to communicate clearly and concisely at all times. Don’t bury your meaning in ambiguity and don’t waste words; say what you mean to say and say it as simply as you can. There’s nothing wrong with making small talk and getting to know the people you work with, but when it comes to practical discussions, keep things focused.
- Encourage contact consistency. Consistency is also important for building a good relationship. Ideally, there will be one point of contact on each side of this relationship; for example, a project manager on one side can talk to a team lead on the other. Additionally, there should be some kind of consistent basis for communication: for example, you might choose to meet once weekly to evaluate progress and recognize any potential new obstacles. The more consistent the pattern of communication is, the stronger the relationship will become.
- Set goals expectations early. Shared goals and a shared vision can make any two parties collaborate more closely and effectively. Accordingly, it’s important to set goals, milestones, and expectations as early as possible. You and your software developer should have a shared agreement on how often you’re going to communicate, the timeline for deliverables, the most important milestones, and how issues are going to be handled. Be upfront and clear about these matters, or you risk any of them jeopardizing their relationship.
- Check in often (but not too often). Outside of regular meetings, it’s not a bad idea to check in. It shows interest and dedication while simultaneously providing an opportunity for discussing important points. However, it’s also important to avoid checking in too often; micromanaging software developers isn’t going to make them develop your product any faster.
- Focus on solutions to problems. It’s common relationship advice to shift the focus of a disagreement from “me vs. you” to “me and you vs. the problem,” and that is good advice here as well. Instead of treating your software developer as a separate party, treat them as a collaborator and work with them to find mutually agreeable solutions to any conflicts you encounter. This will likely involve mutual compromises, so be prepared for that.
- Plan for the future. Finally, prepare for the future. You’ll be much more successful in building and maintaining a good relationship with your developer if you do so sustainably for the long term.
Having a stronger, more resilient relationship with your software developer is going to help you build a better product and enjoy the process along the way. Like any professional relationship, it’s probably not going to be perfect, but that shouldn’t stop you from making a concentrated effort to continue improving it.
