Planning Stage
Planning & Design × Agile Development = The key to sustained success
What is the Planning Stage?
What matters even more than coding
Whether in architecture or interior design, countless discussions shape a blueprint everyone agrees on.
Then, no matter who executes, the outcome should meet expectations.
Software systems are no different.
Strive to do the right things, rather than merely doing things right.
What does the planning stage usually include?
Turn vague concepts and sparks of inspiration into a concrete blueprint.
The following scope is typical (varies by project size).
- Requirements Analysis: Stakeholder interviews; user scenarios/behavior descriptions (User Stories) documentation.
- Process & UX: UI/UX design docs, wireframes, and UI flows.
- System Architecture: Infrastructure diagrams, load analysis reports, and infrastructure cost analysis.
- Security Review: Static code analysis and web/app vulnerability scan reports.
- Operations Strategy: Business model analysis, data-flow mapping, cash-flow mapping, and core pain-point analysis.
- Brand Strategy: Five Forces analysis, promotion mechanisms, brand positioning docs, and target audience lists.
Avoid common development pitfalls
It’s prudent—and a competitive edge
Unlike the common approach of quoting, taking a deposit, and rushing into coding,
we insist on thorough interviews, planning discussions, and design first.
Jumping straight into development is often where trouble begins.
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Keep your options open—timewise
Major decisions deserve caution, and products will be used for years. Proper planning avoids getting locked into the wrong direction due to unfamiliarity with software/design, or the inability to judge a new vendor’s quality.
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Set the right development direction
Solid planning has greater impact than great coding. With a completed plan, even another team can execute in the right direction—and seasoned engineering teams will go even faster.
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Reduce risk and cost dramatically
Compared with the opportunity cost of going off-course, upfront planning and design significantly lowers downstream development risk and expense.
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Documentation as insurance
Handover and maintenance docs are too often prepared last-minute—time-consuming and context-poor. If work is interrupted unexpectedly, finished designs can become “orphans” that no one can pick up.
A concrete example
Even a “simple” shopping flow touches a wide range of concerns:
- Display rules: Is it time-bound?
- Purchase rules: Restricted by time, identity, or limited quantity?
- Pricing: Varies by time, promotions, or member tier?
- Variants: Size, color, accessories, or custom specs affecting price?
- Inventory: Reserve stock? Deduct on add-to-cart or on payment? Separate per variant?
- Product images: Multiple images, reordering, variant-specific, zoomable?
- Buying actions: Add to cart vs. direct checkout
- Quantity: Constrained by stock or unlimited?
- Promotions: Coupon code, site-wide discounts, single-item discounts
- Discount types: Fixed amount, percentage, free shipping, buy A get B
- Add-ons: Based on category or item relations? Discount percentage?
- Flash sales: Limited-time/quantity? Traffic and concurrency capacity?
A sobering thought:
How many heartbreaking cases
came from rushing into “construction,” skipping planning and consensus on details—
squandering founders’ precious time and lives.
Just like architecture, it’s hard to quote a house without details.
Site size, space, materials, finishes, foot traffic—all change the plan.
Design is one phase, construction another, and operations yet another.
Only after understanding the details can we estimate properly.
Within constraints, fulfilling as many needs as possible—that’s what we do best.
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