The Last 10%

29.11.2016 |

Episode #10 of the course How to build an online business by Crew

 

You made it! Well, almost.

Now we come to the final part of any project: the end.

After spending years helping to build thousands of apps, websites, and other digital products at Crew, we’ve found that you should plan on spending about 50% of your time on getting through the last 10% of a project.

 

Why is the last 10% so hard?

You and your team will be excited to finish (and launch!) your project. However, with the finish line in sight, those last few steps can feel like a slog. And without the proper motivation, you might as well be running in place.

Much of this is because we’re no longer working on the fun and exciting elements of the project but rather menial tasks that, while absolutely essential, can feel laborious for a creative mind.

This is the final 10%. This is the point where your project lives or dies.

 

What to do when you’ve reached the final 10%

Some of the typical tasks that will bring you down in the last 10% of a digital design or development project might be:

• Spell-checking the copy throughout
• Testing for broken links or bugs in the code
• Cross-platform testing the application

While these can seem like “boring” tasks, the thing to remember (and use to keep you motivated) is that you’ve just created something out of nothing. There are bound to be a lot of loose ends to tie up and details to sort out to make sure everything works properly.

This is when you as the one leading the project really need to shine.

Start making lists
One of the most effective techniques to use when managing lots of smaller tasks is to start creating lists. We’ve helped complete thousands of projects, and based on our experiences, we put together a basic task list to help you get through the final 10%.

Always be testing
Once your project is done, you may not have your team available immediately for minor fixes.

No matter how good a designer or developer is, it often takes a set of outside eyes to find errors and bugs. This is why there are entire companies dedicated to just “quality assurance” testing.

Especially in the final stages, small fixes to one thing may break something elsewhere.

Some good resources for testing are:

• for web projects: CrossBrowserTesting

Allows you to easily test on the browsers that your customers will be using. You can grab screenshots and compare your site side by side on various browsers. You can also do mobile web testing.

• for emails: Litmus

Allows you to test your email campaigns across 40+ real email clients, including mobile, web, and desktop applications.

• for iOS apps: Testflight

With Testflight now being built into Apple’s developer tools, you can easily install your beta application on various devices without releasing it in the iOS store.

• for android apps: HockeyApp

Android’s answer to Testflight, HockeyApp allows you to easily deploy test code to various devices for testing and send crash reports back to you and your team.

• hire a team: Global app testing

When you want to be 100% sure you’ve squashed every bug, it can be a good idea to hire a QA team to go through your project.

Be patient
Most importantly, be patient. You’re building something amazing. Give your team the time to sort out all the final details. Don’t set a deadline that’s too tight to allow for this level of clean-up.

Enjoy the process. You’ve earned this.
Crew

 


Ready to start building your online business? If you’re looking for world-class freelance designers and developers, Crew has got you covered. We have a 99% success rate and will connect you with an acclaimed creative professional or small studio, and our smart project management system was created specifically for design and development projects.

Learn more


 

Recommended reading

Our You launched. Now what?

 

Recommended book

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” by Peter Thiel, Blake Masters

 

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