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Project Discovery Service For Software Development Projects

The software product discovery phase can deliver several benefits, including reducing costs, improving user experience, identifying risks, and learning more about the niche. This “step 0” does not require a huge budget or time commitment, but the results will serve as a foundation for every subsequent step as you move further into the development process.

What is the discovery phase in software development?

The software development discovery phase consists of substantial research that is done prior to any significant design and development. During the discovery phase, stakeholders, investors, and business owners define the scope of the work, deadlines, the main goal of the project, and the target audience.

Why opt for the discovery phase?

  • To build a product validated by the market.

  • To design a perfect user experience.

  • To set clear goals and deadlines.

  • To provide your team with market context.

  • To get a detailed project estimate and scope.

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Why opt for the discovery phase?

  • To build a product validated by the market.

  • To design a perfect user experience.

  • To set clear goals and deadlines.

  • To provide your team with market context.

  • To get a detailed project estimate and scope.

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Without the software discovery phase:

  • You will get a product that nobody needs.

  • Your budget will be wrong.

  • You will not meet the deadlines.

  • Your team will feel lost.

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Without the software discovery phase:

  • You will get a product that nobody needs.

  • Your budget will be wrong.

  • You will not meet the deadlines.

  • Your team will feel lost.

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You need the discovery phase service of a software project if:

The project discovery phase will allow you to clearly define your business goals, set realistic expectations about your future product, and create the first UX/UI wireframes and prototypes. These will play a significant role during your negotiations with investors.

Suppose you already have an established business and want to optimize your processes or look for new niches. In that case, the software product discovery phase will serve as a solid foundation for change. The discovery phase will result in the necessary documentation, tech stack, and budget estimate.

If you want to develop a new product to support your business ecosystem, a discovery phase will help you identify if your initiative is worth the risk. If it is, you will have all the necessary tools to start full-scale development.

It may happen that the product you already have is underperforming or has some issues that you need to fix. With the help of a thorough discovery research phase, you will be able to identify bottlenecks and examine the opportunities for change.

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Benefits of choosing a software discovery phase service

The discovery phase of product development has several major benefits that will boost the chances of your solution succeeding in the market.

Risk reduction

A discovery phase will provide you and your team with the necessary data to decide whether to continue development. You will know about possible risks and be prepared for them.

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Risk reduction

A discovery phase will provide you and your team with the necessary data to decide whether to continue development. You will know about possible risks and be prepared for them.

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User validation

When you have a clickable prototype on your hands, you can do more than just show it to stakeholders or investors; you can also beta test groups of your target audience to receive real user feedback.

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User validation

When you have a clickable prototype on your hands, you can do more than just show it to stakeholders or investors; you can also beta test groups of your target audience to receive real user feedback.

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Cost reduction

The discovery phase in software development is not costly compared to the full-scale process, so if you decide that the idea is not worth the risk, your final expenses will be minimal.

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Cost reduction

The discovery phase in software development is not costly compared to the full-scale process, so if you decide that the idea is not worth the risk, your final expenses will be minimal.

Read more

Transparent goals

A discovery phase will give your team a clear understanding of the project. They will know why each feature is needed and what user pain point it solves.

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Transparent goals

A discovery phase will give your team a clear understanding of the project. They will know why each feature is needed and what user pain point it solves.

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Who is involved in the discovery phase services of a software project?

The discovery phase of a software development project requires the following project team:

Project Manager

Organizes the team, controls the processes, and communicates with the client

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Project Manager

Organizes the team, controls the processes, and communicates with the client

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Business Analyst

Evaluates business data, analyzes the market and competitors, and visualizes the results

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Business Analyst

Evaluates business data, analyzes the market and competitors, and visualizes the results

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UX/UI Designer

Draws the Mind Map, creates wireframes, and assembles a clickable prototype

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UX/UI Designer

Draws the Mind Map, creates wireframes, and assembles a clickable prototype

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Software Architect

Analyzes the feasibility of the solution, determines functional requirements, and builds the logic

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Software Architect

Analyzes the feasibility of the solution, determines functional requirements, and builds the logic

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Software Engineers

Creates the Technical solution proposal, lists the tech stack, and estimates the necessary time

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Software Engineers

Creates the Technical solution proposal, lists the tech stack, and estimates the necessary time

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The discovery phase of a software development project: How we work

The discovery phase of a project is a well-structured process. The structure helps you and your team see clearly what you should do and why you should do it.

Stages of the discovery phase

What our software discovery process looks like:

Background/business research
Mind Map creation and data structuring
Writing high-level project requirements and building the first interactive prototype
Getting feedback from potential users on your side
Defining the project’s tech stack
Preparing the final proposal

The discovery phase of a project: Deliverables from Yellow

When the discovery services for software development are finished, you will receive the following project discovery phase deliverables to move on with your idea:

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Choose what your project needs: Pricing plans for the discovery phase at Yellow

Yellow offers two pricing options for its software product discovery services.

Light
Complete

From you:

  • Introductory data based on the brief

  • Feedback on intermediate results of prototyping and user stories

Team:

  • Project Manager

  • Business Analyst

  • Designer

From us:

  • Two calls to collect requirements

  • Analysis of incoming data (up to 8 hours)

  • Creation of user stories

  • Gathering feedback from Yellow's internal team

  • Up to three rounds of client review

  • Creation of a clickable prototype (desktop or mobile)

You get:

  • A clickable prototype (10 main screens)

  • User stories descriptions

From you:

  • Introductory data based on the brief

  • Feedback on intermediate results of prototyping and user stories

Team:

  • Project Manager

  • Business Analyst

  • Designer

  • Lead of UX/UI

  • Software Architect

  • Software Engineers

From us:

  • Three calls to collect requirements

  • In-depth analysis of the customer's brief, domain, and market

  • Competitive analysis

  • Creation of User stories and Buyer Personas

  • Creation of Technical solution

  • Mind Map building

  • Gathering feedback from the internal team.

  • Up to five rounds of client review

  • Collection and analysis of feedback from potential users of the product

  • Creation of a clickable prototype (desktop or mobile)

You get:

  • A clickable prototype (25 main screens)

  • User stories descriptions

  • Buyer personas descriptions

  • Competitive analysis report

  • Technical solution proposal

Why choose Yellow for your discovery phase?

Business-first approach

Software product development involves more than just coding and design. Your business needs are our top priority, not just writing code and drawing lines.

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Business-first approach

Software product development involves more than just coding and design. Your business needs are our top priority, not just writing code and drawing lines.

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Product lab

We create our own projects from scratch, starting with the discovery phase, so we know the peculiarities of the software product lifecycle and apply this experience to your project.

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Product lab

We create our own projects from scratch, starting with the discovery phase, so we know the peculiarities of the software product lifecycle and apply this experience to your project.

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Security

Before any work starts, we sign a non-disclosure agreement, so all your data is legally protected. We also use the best security practices to ensure you are safe with us.

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Security

Before any work starts, we sign a non-disclosure agreement, so all your data is legally protected. We also use the best security practices to ensure you are safe with us.

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Experienced communications

Yellow has been developing mobile and web solutions since 2015 and has successfully finished 100+ software solutions in various industries, from communications to fintech.

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Experienced communications

Yellow has been developing mobile and web solutions since 2015 and has successfully finished 100+ software solutions in various industries, from communications to fintech.

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The discovery phase of a software project: Yellow case studies

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What people say

oppsites logo

The new features have been well received by users. Attentive and flexible, the team excelled at responding to stakeholders in a timely matter. Their technical expertise allows them to propose valuable solutions.

Ian Ross

Ian Ross

CEO, OppSites

famlicious logo

Engaged, supportive, and invested in project success, the team offered constructive criticism, creative guidance, and honest communication. Their user-centered approach resulted in a unique and reliable product that operates well on all systems.

Jim Barkow

Jim Barkow

Founder, Famlicious Inc.

separate-us logo

Because of marketing costs, the B2C application fell out of use in favor of a different B2B tool. Yellow was very focused on customer satisfaction, and they participated regularly in standups. They helped solidify features, and they thoroughly explained their process.

Sandro Tuzzo

Sandro Tuzzo

CEO, Separate.us

blackbird logo

We’re impressed with their loyalty and honesty. They were able to stay true to their original quote even though we needed to change and add a few requirements. They’ve done a lot of good work for us on all fronts, but it's amazing to see that they’re able to stick to what they initially promised.

Jon Shower

Jon Shower

CEO, BlackBird

qkss logo

Mainly, I go by client feedback to judge Yellow’s performance, and the clients have been very impressed with their work. The team is exact in what they do, their delivery has been good, and they’re on time and budget.

Adam Plager

Adam Plager

CEO, QKSS

coverium logo

Their performance was good. I didn’t expect that kind of performance from someone working offsite. I was happy that they completed the project ahead of schedule, so we had some time left to work on additional projects and improvements.

Max Abukhovsky

Max Abukhovsky

CEO & Founder, Coverium

hyvery-inc logo

When Yellow is working on a task, they understand how it will impact the product down the line. The team has provided great insight into our processes, making sure we don’t make small mistakes that will impact us in a larger way in the future.

Christopher Bianc

Christopher Bianc

CEO, Hyvery inc.

dealstryker logo

They were very accessible regardless of the time difference as well as communication was good. We had a couple bumps here and there regarding designs that were not originally discussed in our UX/UI designs but they were quick to find solutions as well as any needed changes we requested.

Bradley J. Humble

Bradley J. Humble

Co-Founder & CTO, DealStryker, Inc.

Yellow’s achievements

Best Website Design Agencies in San Francisco list by DesignRush

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Best Website Design Agencies in San Francisco list by DesignRush

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Top 1000 Global Service Providers for 2020 list by Clutch

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Top 1000 Global Service Providers for 2020 list by Clutch

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Top 100+ Software Development Companies in 2022 list by Techreviewer

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Top 100+ Software Development Companies in 2022 list by Techreviewer

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Top 1000 Service Providers for 2021 list by Clutch

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Top 1000 Service Providers for 2021 list by Clutch

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Twilio Partner for 5 years

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Twilio Partner for 5 years

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FAQs

How can the research and discovery phase benefit my business?

A discovery phase for software development will reduce the risks, provide you with market validation, minimize costs, and clarify goals.

What are the discovery phase steps?

The stages of the discovery phase include background/business research, Mind Map creation, data structuring, writing high-level requirements, building the first interactive prototype, collecting feedback from potential users on your side, defining the project’s tech stack, and preparing the final proposal.

How much does the discovery phase service for software development cost?

With Yellow, you will pay $1,900 for the Light plan and $7,900 for the Complete plan.

Why Yellow?

We create our own projects and apply the experience we’ve gained to the project discovery phase for your custom software solution. Your business needs are our top priority. Your data is secure with us.

Want to start? Download the brief

Fill it in and come back to us. We will discuss your idea in more detail and start the discovery!