Iterate and Never Assume

Iteration is your best friend. Often, things won't be perfect the first go-around. Furthermore, you won't always be able to do everything you want in the first version, as some things are complex and require a foundation to be built first.

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Basically, this means you need to be patient. Iteration is key when it comes to development, slow and steady, get it right and build upon what you've got. Start small, build up, iterate, iterate, iterate. Did we mention you'll need to iterate?

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Never assume

It's bit cliché, but never assume anything. If you're 99% sure your development team understands what you want but 1% of you feels doubt, then speak up! Ask your development team to tell you in their own words what they are going to build.

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If you don't like something about your product, don't assume it'll be fixed in the final product. Once again, staying silent can be taken for tacit approval, so be explicit and fuss over the seemingly minor details.

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It's rare for a startup or small business's very first software experience to be a good one, but don't let that scare you. Many people jump into software development projects without preparing themselves properly, and by reading this playbook you'll already be ahead of the crowd by a mile.