Product Manifesto: 7 Principles of a Modern SaaS Software

2013 was the year we started. Since then, we have been focusing on building products that provide a great experience for a user, not just when using a product, but also when they are not using it. The care we put in towards building a product is reflected in the way we treat our customers.

A great product does not stop with building and shipping a well-designed piece of software. It is also about how you make the customers feel, and what you do to make them successful.

Recently, I wrote down the principles that we follow at Skcript when building products. I thought it would be a good idea to share it with the world. So here it is.

1. Imagine. Step back.

When you set out to build something useful for the user, it is still an idea in your head. Just like any incredible movie, you gotta put down your imagination into words, and then take a step back. Take a lot of time to try to say no to your own ideas.

When you do this, you end up with an idea that is valid, and something that will be useful for your users. This is the first step towards building a great product. Your idea is now a screenplay. When you get your screenplay right, you end up making a great movie. A great movie, leaves a lasting impression on the audience. That’s what we want to do.

2. No dumb luck

There’s no such thing called a coincidence or dumb luck. Everything happens for a reason, and you gotta put a lot of care in what you do for the others to build a great experience for the user.

3. Sign your own work

You simply cannot put down your pen just because your task is complete. Not everything will be captured as a task in the project management system. Craftsmanship is about caring deeply about what you do, and going above and beyond to make your users get a great experience.

After all, you are representing your work, and your work is a reflection of who you are. So sign your own work only when you are proud of it. Nothing more, nothing less.

4. Ship in iterations

You cannot build a great product in one go. We understand that. Ship small features often, and ship the ones you are proud of. If something fails, it has to fail after you get them to the users. Not before.

5. Small is huge

Small teams build great products. Skcript believes in smaller teams, and bigger impact. Small teams allow you to move faster, and build tighter communication channels, and build a great product faster.

6. Technology is a tool

You cannot be bound to just one technology. Our focus is to solve a user’s problem. You use whatever technology that is required to solve the problem. Not the other way around.

7. Empathy

This is the only word that matters when you want to build a great software. Think about the user when building something. You are not building to please anyone within the company, or your close friends. You are building for the user, and empathy is the only way to build a great product.

Join the Empathy Lab sessions at Skcript to learn more about how we build empathy.

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I beleive that when someone embodies these principles, they will eventually enjoy the ride, default to caring for their users, and they get a chance to call themselves a craftsman at Skcript.