When it comes to improving an existing mobile team, or to build one from the ground up, you have a lot to consider. It’s not enough to just hire some developers and expect them to seamlessly work together as a team—you need the right people on board with the right skill sets in order for your project to succeed. But what are those skill sets? And how do you go about finding them?
Worry not fellow app development enthusiasts. Here, our Head of Mobile will walk through everything you need to know about hiring for your mobile team. We’ll be discussing the time you need to invest in finding good candidates and what kind of qualities they should have (and how exactly they can help build your app). We’ll also cover the basics of agile development and agile design workflows so that when people join your teams they know exactly what they’re stepping into!
Define Your Mobile Strategy
When you’re building your mobile team, it’s important to start with a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. You need to define the problem before starting on a solution.
In order to do this, you should set goals for your mobile strategy. Goals are specific statements of what success looks like and how you will measure it–for example: “We will increase our app downloads by 20% over the next 6 months,” or “Our website conversion rate will increase by 5% in 12 months.”
Your goal doesn’t have to be ambitious; it just needs to be attainable within whatever timeframe makes sense for your company and its resources (or lack thereof). The most important thing is that expectations are clear. Be transparent about project goals, timelines, and milestones, and make sure everyone agrees upon what success looks like so they know when they’ve achieved it–and how much work remains until then!
Establish What Your Team Needs
First and foremost, you need to identify what you’re looking for in your mobile team. Are you looking for experts in a specific mobile technology, such as iOS or Android development? Or are you looking for developers with a specific skill set, such as UI/UX design or backend development?
The easiest way to establish this is to know what type of app you want to develop, how it will look, what functions it will perform, and on which platform it will be distributed. After getting the nitty gritty ironed out, you will naturally have a better notion of skill sets you’ll require to form a specialized collaborative team.
Determine Your App’s Target Audience and Use Cases
Before you can begin building your mobile team, you need to determine the target audience for your app and what use cases it will fulfill. Who will be using it? How will they use it? Are there any other apps that are complementary with yours, or does this one have standalone functionality?
How do you plan on reaching out to these potential customers? Are there specific platforms or media outlets where they congregate online, such as Reddit or Facebook groups. Do some research into how other companies have marketed similar products before making any decisions about how yours should be marketed.
Make the Most of the Available Resources
It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of building a new product and forget about the resources you already have at your disposal. Make the most of the resources you have available by using what you have to your advantage.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, either from other teams within your organization or external partners who can provide additional expertise and insight into what it takes to build an effective mobile app. When you’re ready to begin development, it’s important to have a plan in place. This will help you avoid the common pitfalls that often derail new projects before they even get off the ground.
Development, Testing, Deployment
The first step in the mobile app development process is to set a timeline for development, testing, and deployment. This will help you know exactly when to start each stage of the process so that you can stay on schedule with your project.
Setting up a timeline also helps keep your team accountable for their work–if they know they have deadlines to meet, they’ll be more motivated to complete tasks in a timely manner and avoid procrastination or delays that could throw off your entire project schedule (and budget).
It’s important not just for keeping things organized but also because it allows you not only see how long each step takes but also gives insight into potential issues such as dependencies between stages (e.g., if one stage takes longer than expected or requires more resources than anticipated).
Develop Agile Strategy for your Business Needs
An agile strategy is a plan for how you will develop and maintain your mobile team and app. It’s important to have one because it helps you understand the best way to build your app, while also making sure it meets the needs of your business.
Why do you need an agile strategy?
A good agile strategy will help foster a culture of collaboration, so that all members of your team are working toward a common goal. It also allows everyone on this project (from developers all the way up through executives) to stay updated of the progress, share ideas and expertise, as well as gauging how much work still needs to be tweaked before launching.
How do you develop an agile strategy?
There are many ways in which companies can achieve these goals through different types of processes; however there is no single “best” approach that fits every company since each company has unique needs based upon its size/industry verticals etc..
That said, if you’d like to know how teams at Snappymob develop our own agile strategy and handle projects collaboratively, our talented project managers are here to help.
Snappymob’s Mobile Team Structure
It’s essential to understand what you’re paying for when creating a mobile app. Having a clear understanding of the mobile app development team structure can make all the difference in selecting the right partner, specifying your project accurately, and ultimately succeeding in the market.
Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the complexity of modern app development. Gone are the days of the “guy in the basement.” Today, creating a successful app requires a team of experts to bring it to life.
Here’s something you won’t want to miss. We had our head of mobile – Fei to share some exciting insights about Snappymob’s overall mobile team structure, the tools that they use on a daily basis and helpful tips to create the perfect mobile team.
Overall structure of mobile projects
The project team structure varies based on the project, but a complete project usually involves Project Managers, Designers, Backend Developers, Mobile Developers, and QA Engineers. Let’s learn about these roles and how they work in the dev environment.
Project Managers
Regardless of the nature of the project, a successful development team requires a project manager to oversee its outcome.
They are the ones who:
- Work closely with the clients to establish clear objectives, budget, and timeline.
- Coordinate communication among team members via sprint meetings.
- Gathering requirements and resources to tackle problems.
- Serve as the main point of contact with the clients.
Designers
In mobile app development, the roles of a designer and a developer are often misinterpreted. They may seem similar to software beginners, but they have distinct responsibilities.
They are responsible for:
- shaping an app’s appearance and atmosphere in terms of UI and UX.
- create various visual and audio components, such as graphics, color schemes, animations, music, and sound effects.
- maintain close communication with the scrum master to ensure that assets are delivered on time and in the correct order for app iteration.
Backend Developers
These developers are the backbone of any app project that powers their functionality. They are the unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the app runs smoothly and efficiently.
They work to:
- Develop APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow mobile apps to communicate with servers and databases.
- Ensuring the optimization of an app’s performance, integration and security.
If the scope involves only mobile apps, with no web-based components like CMS or Frontend, then a talented Backend Developer is an absolute must-have.
Mobile Developers
AKA coders, lay and do the ground-level work of crafting an app.
They are responsible for:
- Building the user interface (UI) based on the designs provided by the designers, and meshing it with their coding skills.
- Consuming and integrating APIs from the backend developers, ensuring that the app’s features are aligned with the requirements of the project.
QA Engineers
Quality is key, and it is one of the values our teams uphold with passion. Even if the project is small, skipping quality assurance is NOT an option.
These engineers work to:
- Establish an effective testing process that quickly and accurately identifies bugs and other issues.
- prioritize testing on areas important for the upcoming iteration.
- test mobile applications, ensuring their functionality, performance, UI conformance, and much more.
- Perform manual and automated testing to identify bugs and shortcomings.
Our teams favourite magic tools
Let’s not forget about the tools here. They are the ultimate gold mines to a successful business process. Whether they be used for documentation, communication, or any other process automation, tools are undoubtedly a great assist for efficiency. Here are some of the tools our mobile teams use on a day-to-day basis.
- JIRA for agile project management & ticket assignments
- GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket for Version control (source code management)
- Slack & Zoom for meetings and communication
- Notion for documentation
A piece of advice from our head of mobile
“Look for people with a good eye for detail when putting together your mobile team.” In order to make a mobile app, you need to know how different devices, platforms, and screen sizes work. Small mistakes can have big effects on how the user feels, so it’s important to pay close attention to the details.
Sourcing for team members with technical expertise is not enough; they must also be diligent, thorough, and devoted to producing high-quality work. This may involve things like extensive testing, finding and correcting errors, and making sure the UI is straightforward and simple to use.
Leadership of the mobile team entails a wide range of duties, such as delegating work, keeping everyone informed, and running regular meetings. Here’s how it can be done:
- Delegating tasks: You should have a firm grasp of each team member’s capabilities and limitations. Use this information to assign tasks to the right team member. Make sure everyone is on the same page with regards to goals and deadlines, and that they have access to everything they need to succeed.
- Communication: The foundation of a powerful mobile team is open lines of communication. Make sure everyone is on the same page by scheduling regular team meetings, individual meetings with team members, and frequent check-ins. Suggest that people talk to one another openly and honestly about any problems they may be having.
- Meetings: Have scheduled meetings to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and plan out next steps. Make sure they are well-organized, fruitful, and promote teamwork.
- Lead by example: You need to set an excellent example as the mobile team leader. Put in extra effort by pitching in with your coworkers. Exhibit diligence, curiosity, and dedication to producing excellent results.
Wrapping Up
By making sure you have a clear strategy and making smart decisions about who to hire, you’re taking a step towards building a successful mobile app that people will love using and the team will enjoy making.
We hope this guide has given you some ideas on how to build your mobile team, as well as the tools to make those decisions. Mobile apps are an essential part of any business’s strategy and deserve a lot of attention–and thanks to the resources available today, it’s easier to get your app developed than ever before!