Have you ever had an idea…a vision…a concept that just might make a difference in the lives of others? I imagine that everyone at some point has had an idea that would improve life in general or make a difference for others. Americans have been great at producing innovative ideas that started in a garage. Not every idea is as successful as the light bulb…and some ideas may only touch the lives of a few. Isn’t it wonderful that we all have the capacity to dream and some who dream actually attempt to design…develop… and create that dream into reality. We see it watching “Shark Tank” on TV.
Dreaming, designing and developing is not for the faint at heart. That is what I had always heard and now I know it to be true. It requires great Determination. This week, I will release the first of two mobile apps into the App Store. I have been working diligently on them for a long time. My idea looked and sounded easy at the outset, but like life I quickly learned nothing is ever easy. There have been times when I felt it would never happen…the costs were too high in all areas of my life…time…effort…and financial. Thank goodness for the determination not to give up or throw in the towel. Determination honed so many skills that will benefit me in every walk of my life.
1. Dream Phase – Determined to improve the workflow of mobile email for business and education institutions set the wheels of my mind churning. Determined to sell the concept, I learned that confidence in my idea brought me tremendous support from key people who believed in what I wanted to build.
2. Design Phase – Determined to learn how to design a concept, I found the importance of giving attention to details. Moving too fast cost me money and took more time to redesign.
3. Input Phase – Determined to see if my idea was of value to others. Input and feedback are so important whether working on a dream or meeting with your team. It helps keep you grounded as you listen to what others think.
4. Development Phase – Determined to get the product finish and out the door! Lack of communication can derail any project. Development of a dream requires everyone to be on the same page. I found that patience….listening…and waiting 10 minutes before responding to any email is a great strategy. Being the first to share where I dropped the ball helped us all work toward the goal of getting back on track. I became more aware that I was on a learning curve and needed to ask more questions.
5. Testing Phase – Determined to find the flaws…I discovered that I need to trust my instincts. I would let some things slide believing I was overthinking and I wasn’t as knowledgable in app design and building. I learned that feedback is my friend. Criticism/feedback isn’t personally about me…but how I can improve on what I designed. Always listen to your gut.
6. Time to Release – My determination not to quit produced EduMail, Mail Mule and a Pending Patent for a concept no one had yet developed. So this strong word Determination, has improved a number of strategies that make me a better business woman – giving attention to details, becoming a better communicator and listener, recognizing that feedback is my friend, trusting my instincts, never losing faith and understanding that developing a dream requires a team…I could not do it alone.
You might wonder how I have so much determination…I call it FAITH. If you believe in what you are to accomplish…you must have faith and I believe faith keeps that determination alive when the going gets very tough. That is a life lesson we all can learn.
Release date: Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 – EduMail (iMovie Trailer)
Release date: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013 – MailMule (iMovie Trailer)
Visit http://appsolutely.org for the Getting Started Videos
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