What you actually need before talking to a developer
You have an idea for an app, a tool, or a platform. You're ready to talk to someone who can build it. But you're not sure what to prepare, and you've heard stories about projects going sideways because "the brief wasn't clear."
You don't need a technical spec. You don't need wireframes. You don't even need to know what programming language to use. Here's what you do need.
A one-page description of what it does
Not how it's built. What it does. Write it from the user's perspective:
"A customer opens the app, searches for available courts nearby, picks a time slot, and pays. The court owner gets notified and the booking shows up on their dashboard."
One paragraph. If you can explain it to a friend at dinner, you can explain it to a developer.
The mistake people make is trying to sound technical. You don't need to specify databases, frameworks, or APIs. That's the developer's job. Your job is to describe the experience.
A prioritized list of features
Write down everything you want the product to do. Every feature, every screen, every "wouldn't it be cool if." Get it all out.
Then sort it. Star the ones you absolutely cannot launch without. Circle the ones that would be nice. Cross out the ones you'd love but can live without in version one.
This gives the developer a clear picture of scope, and it forces you to think about what matters for launch versus what can wait. Most first versions need 3–5 core features. If your must-have list has 20 items, you're probably describing version three.
Who uses it
Tell the developer: who are the users? Consumers, businesses, or both? Are there different types with different permissions? Buyers and sellers? Admins and regular users? Clients and staff?
The number of user types directly affects complexity and cost. An app where everyone sees the same thing is simpler than one where three roles need three different dashboards.
What tools you want to connect to
You don't need to know the specific services. Just mention the functionality: "Users need to pay online." "We need email confirmations." "I want a map with nearby locations."
The developer figures out whether that's Stripe, SendGrid, or Google Maps. But knowing upfront that you need integrations helps them estimate accurately.
Your budget range
Nobody likes talking about money first. But a developer can build the same product three different ways at three different price points. Knowing your budget lets them recommend the right approach.
"I have around €10,000" is more useful than "how much would it cost?" The first lets the developer say what they can build for that. The second starts a guessing game.
You don't need an exact number. "Between €5,000 and €10,000" or "under €20,000" is enough to work with.
Your timeline
Is there a deadline? A conference, a launch date, a seasonal window? Or is this "whenever it's ready"?
Timelines affect decisions. Tight deadline means simpler architecture, fewer features in v1. Relaxed timeline allows more polish. Neither is wrong, but the developer needs to know.
What you don't need
You don't need wireframes. Rough sketches are fine if they help you explain, but polished mockups aren't necessary yet.
You don't need a technical architecture. "React or Vue?" is not your problem. Describe the product, not the technology.
You don't need a business plan. The developer needs to understand what to build, not your revenue model.
You don't need to have figured out everything. Good developers ask good questions. Gaps in your brief are starting points for conversation, not failures.
The checklist
Before your first call or email:
- [ ] One-page description (from the user's perspective)
- [ ] Feature list with priorities (must-have vs. nice-to-have)
- [ ] Who the users are and how many types
- [ ] Integrations you need (payments, email, maps, etc.)
- [ ] Budget range
- [ ] Timeline or deadline
- [ ] Examples of products you like the look of (optional but helpful)
That's enough for a productive first conversation. Any decent developer can take this and come back with a proposal, a timeline, and a price.
At Datahivemind, we build custom software from a one-page description. Fixed prices start at €4,900. Tell us your idea →