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Non-Technical Founder’s Guide to App Development | a.k.a. Tech Innovation Roadmap

Non-Technical Founder's Guide to App Development

Previously called: Tech Innovation Roadmap

Building a digital product is exciting—but it’s also filled with expensive pitfalls that can derail your vision and drain your budget. This guide walks you through the critical steps from idea validation to launch, helping you avoid the costly mistakes we’ve seen too many entrepreneurs make.

Whether you’re building an app, MVP, or custom software, you’ll learn how to validate your idea, choose the right development partner, and fund your project strategically.

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1. Validating Your Idea

There are two ways to validate your idea in the real world: a prototype or a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

Prototype

A prototype is a rough, early version of your app that shows how it will look and work—but it’s not fully functional yet. Think of it like a practice model with clickable screens that look real but don’t actually save data or do the heavy lifting.

  • Finding problems before you waste time and money on the real thing
  • Showing users and developers what your idea will look like
  • Trying different versions and picking the best one

A prototype is an essential first step, ensuring your concept has the right user flow and look before committing to costly development resources.

A prototype is a visual *model* that doesn’t save data or function, while an MVP is a working *product* that can be used by real customers.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

An MVP is the simplest version of something that actually works and that people can use.

Instagram started as an MVP that could only do one thing—post square photos with filters. That’s it. No stories, no reels, no direct messages. Once people loved that basic feature, they added more stuff.

If your app handles any sensitive information—like payments, medical records, or financial data—you need to meet security and compliance requirements from day one. The good news? Doing this before you begin development means you only pay between $600-$1,000 instead of $30,000+ after the MVP is built. We have vetted industry experts we can recommend to help with this.

One client came to us with a very detailed plan to build her app. She took for granted that the developers don’t have the same industry knowledge base as she does. This resulted in extra time and money going back and forth trying to understand exactly what she was wanting for her app.

2. Deciding Who to Hire to Build Your App

There’s a lot to consider when determining who to hire to build your app. We’ve seen many expensive mistakes and want to steer you in the right direction.

Partnering with New Idea Machine (NIM)

Pros (NIM)
  • ✔ You’re never locked in. You own your code from day one.
  • ✔ We build for your independence. You maintain control.
  • ✔ Strategic guidance that saves you money (security/compliance experts).
  • ✔ We price for your success (must-haves vs. nice-to-haves; bill for time/materials).
  • ✔ We build software that evolves with you.
  • ✔ Oversight and quality assurance by a team.
  • ✔ Same timezone, same language.

Slightly higher upfront cost than independent developers or overseas companies. However, often costs less in the long run.

Shannon Phillips, founder of Unbounded Thinking, needed to digitize his business to scale—but he was discouraged by six-figure quotes and 12-month contracts. When he discovered New Idea Machine’s founder-friendly approach, he hired us and we worked closely together to bring his vision to life. Today, Unbounded Thinking is scaling globally.

Shannon’s video testimonial

Hiring an Independent Developer

ProsCons
  • ✔ Can be less expensive
  • ✗ If your developer disappears, you have no way of recovering your code and zero recourse
  • ✗ Zero oversight—you’re trusting the developer is actually incorporating industry-best practices
  • ✗ Zero guidance—NIM recommends industry experts at the right time, which saves you thousands

One entrepreneur hired a developer they knew. Unfortunately, after about a year of delays and many thousands of dollars later, the developer disappeared and they had no way of recovering what was already built. This set their market launch back by one year and cost them far more to rebuild from scratch.

Partnering with a Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

ProsCons
  • ✔ Can be less expensive than hiring an agency
  • ✗ Since this is an unpaid position, development can delay entry to market
  • ✗ Lack of skill—a ‘full stack developer’ may not have all the skills required
  • ✗ Zero oversight—you’re trusting your CTO is actually incorporating industry-best practices
  • ✗ If the relationship fails, your partnership needs to be severed legally

One entrepreneur partnered with a developer as his CTO. He hired us to build a portion of his application that his CTO lacked the skill to build. However, they had a falling out and he had to use the budget he allocated for development to now pay a lawyer and buy out his CTO.

Hiring a Company Overseas

ProsCons
  • ✔ Cheaper hourly cost
  • ✗ Budget overruns—often balloons to more than you would have paid locally
  • ✗ Unexpected delays—communicating across multiple timezones takes time
  • ✗ Development is often in a non-North American language, making local maintenance challenging
  • ✗ Intellectual property theft & Ghosting

One of our clients hired a Canadian project manager to manage a team of developers in Ukraine. However, when she would suggest changes to the app, the developers would simply implement everything she suggested. They failed to advise her on whether or not her suggestions made sense, how they would change the user experience, and most importantly, how much time and money they would take. After one year of developing overseas, her project was delayed, over $100,000 was spent, and she had serious security issues to repair. Salvaging what was built by the team in Ukraine caused even more delays and investment.

3. Funding Your App Development

Self-Funded (Bootstrapping)

ProsCons
  • ✔ No dilution of equity
  • ✔ Complete control
  • ✔ No lengthy application processes
  • ✗ Requires personal capital or savings
  • ✗ Higher personal financial risk
  • ✗ May limit how quickly you can scale

Grants ($10,000–$100,000+)

Grants are non-dilutive and don’t need to be repaid. They are competitive and tied to specific goals.

ProsCons
  • ✔ No repayment required
  • ✔ No equity given up
  • ✔ Can provide significant funding
  • ✗ Competitive application process
  • ✗ Requires 25% cash contribution upfront
  • ✗ Reimbursement-based (you pay first, get reimbursed later)
  • ✗ Tied to specific goals or milestones

Loans

Repay the amount with interest but keep full ownership of your business.

ProsCons
  • ✔ Keep full ownership of your business
  • ✔ Funds available quickly once approved
  • ✔ No dilution of equity
  • ✗ Must be repaid with interest
  • ✗ Personal liability (may require personal guarantee)
  • ✗ Can strain cash flow in early stages

Investor Funding

If you’re seeking investment, you’re trading equity (ownership) in your company for capital. Investors often want to see an MVP or prototype and some early user feedback. This is why we recommend starting small—prove there’s demand, then you’ll have real data to show investors instead of just projections.

ProsCons
  • ✔ Can provide significant capital for scaling
  • ✔ Brings expertise, connections, and mentorship
  • ✔ Shares the risk with you
  • ✗ Dilution of ownership and control
  • ✗ Investors expect significant returns
  • ✗ Time-consuming pitch and due diligence process
  • ✗ Need traction or validation before most will invest

Ready to De-Risk Your Software Journey?

The path from idea to launch doesn't have to be treacherous. We've seen the mistakes—now let's make sure you don't repeat them.

Send us a message for a complimentary consultation. We'll discuss your project, answer your questions, and see if we're the right match to work together.

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Resource Guide

Grants Available to Albertans

Loans Available to Albertans

Validation Resources

Support Resources (Alberta Regional Innovation Networks - RINs)

Pitching Resources

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