Last week, we were thrilled to see that MindSea was again ranked as one of the top app developers in Canada. We were honored to be included in this list of some of the top Canadian mobile app developers in the industry—it’s always exciting to be recognized among peers. But even more important is the validation from our clients, whose reviews on Clutch.co contributed to our spot as one of the top mobile app developers in all of Canada.
When we caught wind of the list, we took some time to reflect on how we got here, and the insights we gained from the many great colleagues, clients and partners who have walked through our doors.
Now we want to share some of these insights with you, so that you can apply the lessons we’ve learned to your own professional journey. Whether you’re an app developer or an entrepreneur in another tech field, we hope you can take away something valuable from these five things we’ve learned about succeeding in the app development industry:
Processes Don’t Have To Limit Creativity
Some people think that processes hinder creativity.
But we’ve seen firsthand that processes allow a quality service company to operate at scale while also delivering work that clients adore and the market responds to. Processes ensure that deliverables are being met, quality is consistent, and the right people are working on the right projects.
Our processes are defined enough to ensure structure but flexible enough to allow for ideation and creativity. The key is establishing a process that lives on top of a consistent, reliable flow of communication.
It’s OKAY to Challenge Each Other – And Your Clients
It’s important at MindSea that we challenge one another. Everyone at the table knows their opinion matters and that titles do not determine whether an idea has merit. We push ourselves to challenge the status quo in our own thinking … and our clients’.
But it’s not always easy to give a client pushback on his or her opinion.
In fact, some app agencies will do everything they can to ensure that no client ever receives pushback from an employee. At MindSea, we work with clients who embrace a true partnership, an open dialog between them and us. It’s our job to help our clients produce apps that will gain traction. We’ve learned through trial and error what it takes to create an app that sticks, so to do our job right, we have to communicate those lessons to our clients.
Every Product Plan Changes Once In The Wild
For the last few years, we’ve been helping clients establish a clear product plan using our blueprint model. A blueprint is a strategic resource that arms a team with everything they need to build a perfect mobile app and take it to the market, from UX wireframes and prototypes to a product roadmap and development plan.
One key lesson we’ve learned from launching apps is that users will share ideas and uncover use cases that could make your app ten times better. While having a clear product plan is critical, it’s also important that you stay agile and embrace flexibility during the launch.
Shared Knowledge Is Stronger Than Individual Knowledge
I’ve learned more from my colleagues and peers over the last few years than I did throughout my entire education. From Lunch and Learns to shared articles in Slack, our team swaps information as habitually as the sun rises and sets.
It’s this constant exchange of information amongst our team members that sets us apart from other agencies. We’ll be the first to tell a client when we don’t know something; we’ll also be the first to go out and find an answer backed in research and data.
When Your Team Is Passionate, Magic Happens
Each day when I walk into the office, I encounter passionate people. Sure, sometimes that passion is being directed towards a board game in the lunchroom, but for the most part, I see a passion for doing great work. It’s a passion for helping clients solve their problems. It’s a passion for building cutting-edge technology. It’s a passion that has allowed us to create apps that are downloaded by millions of people.
We’ve intentionally built MindSea around a group of people with a wide range of passions. Some of our team members are passionate about running, some are passionate about Star Wars and some are passionate about art. While all these passions might not directly relate to app development, they lend each team member a unique perspective that can unlock powerful insights.
Over the last few years, we have seen some significant changes in our business and in the app industry as a whole. As much as we’ve enjoyed the journey so far, we’ve never been more excited about what’s on the horizon for MindSea and where we’re going next. Thank you to our partners and clients for helping us be considered and named one of the Top App Developers in Canada – We’re so grateful!
I hope you enjoyed this article – If you’re interested in staying up to date with more of the things happening at MindSea be sure to follow us on Twitter @MindSea.
