Soumik Majumder

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About Soumik Majumder

Soumik is a technical content writer at Turing. He’s experienced in creating content for multiple industries, including B2B, Healthcare, Tech, and Marketing. Beyond that, he loves Formula 1, football, and absolutely anything tech-related.

Enterprise Microservices Benefits, Implementation, Best Practices
Custom Engineering

Enterprise Microservices: Benefits, Implementation, and Best Practices for 2024

An in-depth guide to understanding enterprise microservices: what they are, how they enhance business agility and performance, their implementation, and more.

As enterprises continue to navigate the complexities of today’s tech landscape, three things are of utmost importance: how they address their employees’ needs, their customers’ demands, and their industry changes. As such, enterprise microservices are designed to help with each of the three areas. 

So, what are microservices? Why are they becoming more popular, and more importantly, why should you implement them? This blog aims to answer these questions and explain microservices business benefits, implementation methods, and best practices.

Let’s dive in!

What are enterprise microservices?

Microservices, aka microservices architecture, is an architectural style that structures applications as suites of independent and small services that can interact with one another over a specified network. 

When employing the enterprise microservices approach, companies break down their services into smaller, loosely-coupled business services. These microservices can work together, and companies can deploy them autonomously and independently. This simplifies the designing, developing, and delivering of complex software systems as companies can maintain individual services without impacting the entire system, ensuring maximum flexibility and scalability. 

Talking about the structure, each microservice has its separate codebase and data management model, managed by a small development team. These developers typically write and maintain the microservice, which communicates with another microservice over network protocols through the appropriate APIs. 

Enterprise microservices are created around business capabilities. An enterprise can independently deploy its microservices through fully-automated deployment procedures, which expedites software development. For instance, if a company has a shopping app for both mobile and web, its microservices can include catalogs, the in-app shopping cart, the ordering section, discount content, etc. 

What is the driving force behind enterprise microservices

One of the major microservices business benefits is their ability to push organizations toward better development and application deployment. Since each microservice is developed and maintained by an autonomous team, the microservices approach is potentially the most scalable option for software development, leading to its massive popularity today. 

Using microservices, businesses can develop applications faster, scale them better, experience tech innovation, and accelerate the time-to-market for new in-app features. Here’s a broader look into the driving force behind microservices: 

  1. Microservices are promising for enterprises

    • Given the independent nature of microservices, they can easily improve developer flexibility and productivity, while also enhancing application resiliency. Hence, when implemented well, enterprise microservices can potentially boost business responsiveness and innovation by: 
      • Facilitating incremental and rapid app changes
      • Speeding application delivery
      • Optimizing production costs
      • Ensuring resiliency when scaling
      • Allowing developers to use the best tools and technologies
        Moreover, an online survey conducted by TechRepublic Premium has also shown that companies adopting microservices are already experiencing some of their advantages. As per the survey, organizations that have implemented microservices have seen faster service deployments (69%), higher flexibility to adapt to changing business conditions (61%), and a better ability to rapidly scale new application features (56%).
  2. The critical microservices business benefits

    More often than not, developers and business authorities disagree when it comes to the software application’s framework. While the development teams highlight the importance of architectural framework and elegance, business heads deny their real-world implications and prefer allocating resources elsewhere.

    However, the enterprise microservices architecture is one that both sides seem to favor equally. The microservices approach enables companies to build applications from various independent services that update on their own. This helps to simplify replacing or adding application features which is often the case in an evolving business environment.

    Here are some of the biggest benefits of incorporating microservices for enterprises:

    Biggest benefits of incorporating microservices for enterprises

    Biggest benefits of incorporating microservices for enterprises


    • Multiple technology stacks: Conventional application architectures often include relational databases that support the entire app. Such an architecture is written on a codebase requiring common data models and technology stacks. Most developers find this traditional approach restricting as they are bound to use the technologies suitable for the architecture. If there are better applications for certain components, developers cannot use them.

      One of the biggest advantages of microservices is how they free developers from this restriction. Developers can choose the approaches and technologies they deem best for creating enterprise microservices, from containers, Kubernetes, and dockers, to serverless models, API gateways, and tools like Consul, Oracle Helidon, REST, etc. 

    • Cost-effectiveness: As mentioned earlier, every service in microservices is independent, as they have their own database and data model. Hence, developers can make any necessary tweaks or upgrades over time without affecting other components, making microservices extremely cost-effective for enterprises in an ever-changing business landscape. 

    • High scalability: Scalability is inherent in enterprise microservices, thanks to their modular structure. When traditional monolithic applications are scaled, their lack of modularity causes negative effects on the overall application structure.

      The microservice architecture frees organizations from this by allowing them to split the application into microcomponents that can be scaled independently, based on unique business objectives. Hence, enterprises that aim to expand and grow in the future will benefit the most from microservices. 

    • Effortless integration: Given how microservices are built on well-defined APIs, developers can easily integrate them with third-party services through modern integration techniques.

      APIs form the communication layer between enterprise microservices and third-party services. Following standard protocols like GraphQL or RESTful principles, a microservice exposes the required endpoints to enable seamless data exchange with external systems, making them fairly simple to integrate for development teams. Some of the most popular third-party services you can integrate with microservices are: 
      • Payment gateways like Square, PayPal, and Stripe
      • Cloud services like Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, or AWS (Amazon Web Services)
      • Authentication and authorization providers like OAuth or SSO (single sign-on) providers 
      • Email and communication services like Mailgun or SendGrid
      • Social media platforms, through social media APIs
      • Monitoring and analytics tools like Mixpanel or Google Analytics
      • Messaging services like WhatsApp API or Twilio 
      • CRM and marketing tools 
      • Geolocation services like Mapbox or Google Maps

    • Independent deployment: As mentioned earlier, microservices are independent in nature. This breakdown of a single service into smaller components expedites and simplifies deployment, as developers don’t need to change the entire application codebase to add a feature to it.

      Moreover, enterprise microservices offer high flexibility to the organization adopting them, as different teams can work on the same application, each team utilizing its specialized knowledge to work on a relevant component. Ultimately, this combination of independent components and multiple teams decreases the deployment time and ensures the best possible technology stacks are being used.

    • Strong security: Since microservices communicate through APIs (application programming interfaces), they automatically prioritize security. Even when microservices are integrated with third-party services like payment gateways and cloud services, tight security is maintained. This is because a microservice communicates the native application’s data securely, both externally and internally, avoiding any security risk whatsoever.

      Hence, enterprises, especially those dealing with crucial customer and business data, must implement microservices to ensure maximum data integrity and security.

    • Elimination of departmental silos: Businesses often face departmental silos that stem from dividing departments into individual units. Not only does this hamper business efficiency, but also obstructs customer experience improvements.
      Thankfully, enterprise microservices have proven to be an effective counter to departmental silos. Here’s how: 

      • Decentralization: The microservices architecture entails separate teams developing and maintaining each service. As such, dependencies on specific teams are reduced, enabling each department to operate seamlessly and focus on its specialized area. 
      • Standardized APIs: Since microservices communicate through well-defined APIs. these APIs act as integration layers. These standardized APIs allow different teams to interpret each other’s needs and interact without requiring an in-depth understanding of their internal workings.
      • Clear service boundaries: Microservices are designed as per specific business capabilities. This defines clear service boundaries, encouraging teams to stick to their domain expertise and avoid conflicts or duplication of their efforts, which are common in monolithic application architectures. 
      • Cross-functionality: Enterprise microservices require companies to divide teams based on specific business abilities, instead of departmental lines. As a result, cross-functional teams are formed that work together towards common organizational goals and foster a shared sense of ownership, breaking down silos.
      • Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD): The modular nature of microservices enables teams to ensure rapid development and deployment through CI/CD practices, leading to better communication, reduced response times between teams, and frequent updates.

    • Resilience and agility: Apart from flexibility, agility and resilience are also some of the major microservices business benefits. Since each service is independently developed, managed, and deployed, any service failure doesn’t necessarily impact the rest of the application negatively. Plus, this independent nature also enables faster development timelines as teams remain agile by developing and testing single services. Hence, implementing microservices is an excellent way to ensure both application agility and resiliency during development. 

Challenges to keep in mind before implementing enterprise microservices

Challenges to keep in mind before implementing enterprise microservices (2)

Challenges to keep in mind before implementing enterprise microservices

While microservices offer an array of benefits for better enterprise operations, there are certain drawbacks to keep in mind before implementing them. These include: 

  • Network latencies

    Given that microservices operate on the multiple-service model approach, they depend on strong interservice communications. Hence, if the chain of services is too long, microservices can often experience network congestion or latencies, which can delay the overall development cycle.
  • Problem resolutions

    As microservices include several smaller services working in tandem, there are vast amounts of data logging involved. Sometimes, this large data logging can lead to data inconsistency and difficulties in monitoring and solving issues.
  • Higher complexity

    As lucrative as enterprise microservices are, they are highly complex too. Compared to traditional monolithic architectures, microservices involve multiple services communicating with each other and several development teams working on each service. As a result, both the development and maintenance of the application become more complex, and your organization may need to hire additional expertise and invest in more resources to get the job done. 
  • Distributed system hurdles

    As mentioned above, network latencies are a common challenge companies face when adopting microservices. Latencies occur due to the distributed nature of such microservices, which may also cause complexities in terms of handling failures and data consistencies. However, organizations can tackle these by implementing robust mechanisms for load balancing, inter-service communication, and service discovery. 
  • Operational overhead 

    With enterprise microservices, companies may sometimes face an increased operational overhead as they need to manage, deploy, and scale multiple services. Plus, teams must be allotted, who can monitor each service independently. If an enterprise comprises DevOps teams, they may need more effort and expertise to tackle these tasks efficiently to ensure the timely development of the application. 
  • Testing challenges

    With several services running independently in a microservice, monitoring, testing, logging, and debugging can become more challenging. Your organization will need to implement robust, well-defined logging practices and monitoring tools to understand system behaviors effectively and make appropriate changes seamlessly.

    While there are certain limitations to be aware of, microservices business benefits often outweigh them. Hence, an increasing number of companies are adopting microservices to better navigate today’s technology landscape. If you’re aiming to do the same, then let’s take a look at how you can properly implement microservices in your enterprise. 

Implementing an enterprise microservices architecture 

Implementing microservices in an enterprise involves two major facets: the implementation tools and technologies, and the deployment methods. Depending on your business goals and application structure, you can choose which tools and deployment paths suit your objectives best. To help you with that, here are the key tools and deployment methods to consider: 

  1. Tools and technologies

    Tools and technologies for implementing enterprise microservices

    Tools and technologies for implementing enterprise microservices

     

    • API gateways: While microservices communicate directly with one another, you will need to implement API gateways as your microservice-based application grows. You can use API management platforms like Apigee, Kong, AWS API Gateway, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, and IBM API Connect to use API gateways for seamless app functioning. Alternatively, if your team uses Kubernetes or containers to implement the microservices architecture, service mesh tools like Consul, Linkerd, or Istio can be used for API gateways.
    • Containerization: One of the most popular containerization tools, Docker, allows developers to package a microservice and its dependencies into containers, ensuring consistency across environments. Enterprises also implement Kubernetes, a highly-used container orchestration platform, to automate the deployment, management, and scaling of microservice-based containerized applications. 
    • Service mesh: Apart from implementing API gateways, a service mesh like Istio, Consul, or Linkerd, can help organizations perform seamless traffic management, load balancing, service observability, and service discovery. These help simplify the management of communication between enterprise microservices
    • CI/CD tools: As mentioned earlier, CI/CD is one of the best ways to eliminate departmental silos when working with microservices. Companies often use CI/CD tools like GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, or CircleCI, for automating the process of creating, testing, and deploying a microservice, ensuring reliable and faster releases. 
    • Message brokers: For implementing microservices, enterprises must also use message brokers like RabbitMQ or Apache Kafka to enable event-driven architectures and communication between microservices. These message brokers help teams to decouple services and facilitate asynchronous communication. 
    • Centralized logging: Tools like Graylog or ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana) are also important when adopting microservices. These tools help aggregate and analyze logs from different microservices, allowing teams to conduct seamless debugging and auditing. 
    • Distributed tracing tools: Tools like Zipkin and Jaeger are also integral to microservices implementation as they facilitate distributed tracing, which helps development teams understand how requests flow through various microservices. Using distributed tracing tools, teams can simplify the process of changing configurations whenever needed, without redeploying a service. 
    • REST: REST (representational state transfer) is another popular tool that helps enterprise microservices communicate directly through HTTP. Teams often use REST to create RESTful APIs, where responses and requests are handled via standard formats like JSON, HTML, and XML. 
    • Spring Boot: Spring Boot is a Java framework that provides collaborating components to help companies build large-scale systems using simple architectures. Given how teams can easily integrate Spring Boot with other frameworks, as its control is inverted, it’s commonly used by enterprises implementing microservices in their applications.  
  2. Deploying enterprise microservices

    Once you finalize the tools required to implement microservices as per your enterprise goals, you can choose an appropriate deployment method. Some of the best deployment paths for microservices include the following:

    • Serverless deployment: AWS Lambda is one of the best technologies for serverless deployment. Development teams can package various microservices into a ZIP file and release it on AWS Lambda. This approach automates the process of running instances and handling requests, making the deployment seamless.
      AWS Lambda can be implemented in four ways: 
      • Implementing automatically to respond to events generated by an AWS service, such as Kinesis, DynamoDB, Simple Email Service, or S3
      • Using a web service request to invoke the AWS Lambda function directly
      • Periodically following a cron-like schedule
      • Managing HTTP requests from the application’s clients via AWS API GatewayToday, AWS Lambda is one of the best possible ways to deploy enterprise microservices. Lambda supports Python, Java, and Node.js services, and provides request-based pricing. This pricing method is a major advantage as it lets organizations pay for the actions their services perform, empowering their teams to focus on application development instead of tackling IT infrastructure concerns. 
    • Server instance per container: This approach involves deploying a microservice’s instances on its containers. Each container has a port namespace and dedicated root filesystem, enabling teams to limit the container’s CPU resources and memory. Teams often use Docker and Solaris Zones to implement containers, but many also use Marathon and Kubernetes to manage container placements to align them with the required resources for a host.

    • Service instance per VM (Virtual Machine): The service instance per virtual machine approach involves teams packaging every service as a virtual machine image, like an Amazon EC2 AMI. A real-world example of implementing this approach is Netflix, where they use the service instance per VM pattern to provide their video streaming services. Netlfix’s teams’ package services as EC2 AMIs through Animator and release the services as EC2 instances.

      Currently, there are various tools to create VMs, like Jenkins, Packer.io., and Animator. This service instance per VM approach is an excellent way for teams to leverage mature cloud infrastructure. Leveraging this allows teams to avoid worrying about exhausting CPU memory and other resources as services run independently, making deployment more reliable and straightforward. 

Best practices for enterprises implementing microservices

Best practices for enterprises implementing microservices

Best practices for enterprises implementing microservices

Implementing enterprise microservices is quite lucrative, but only when it’s done right. Since this is a relatively new concept and is still complex, here are a few proven best practices you can follow to adopt microservices in the best possible way. 

  1. Adopting a decentralized approach: Since the entire framework of microservices is based on a decentralized model, implementing it will work best when your organization adopts a decentralized approach to building an application. This way, teams with specialized skills can work on services best suited to their abilities, without sharing data structure and codes, and ensure application success.

  2. Avoiding shared data storage: Building on the previous point, storing data independently for each microservice is key to avoid control issues that may occur during later stages of development.

    In a traditional monolithic application, a service directly calls data from the database to use the same data from another service. However, this can cause several issues in an enterprise architecture. While making changes later, teams can face difficulties and lose the very flexibility microservices offer. Hence, avoiding shared data storage is one of the cornerstones of effective microservices implementation. 

  3. Aligning services with enterprise capabilities: One of the best ways to adopt enterprise microservices is to make the best of your existing and functional systems. You must align microservices with your organizational capabilities, identifying which services would go best with a particular business ability. For example, a logistics company may need shipment tracking, delivery management, and transportation management, and align its microservices with these areas to get the best results. 

  4. Loose coupling services: Lastly, when your company implements microservices, it must stick to the core principle: loosely-coupled services. The microservices approach is designed to offer loosely coupled services that can operate and be managed independently.
    If you couple one service tightly with another, any change in one will make it compulsory to fix other services too. Hence, it’s best to package services loosely to ensure maximum agility and resiliency when creating microservice-based applications. 

The takeaway

Enterprise microservices have become an attractive architectural approach for most modern businesses. Adopting microservices will enable your organization to maintain maximum scalability, agility, resiliency, and technology diversity when creating software applications. Moreover, the microservices approach also encourages cross-functional collaboration, allowing teams to adopt continuous integration and deployment practices to seamlessly scale applications and ensure their optimal performance. 

Turing’s enterprise application development services are designed to cater to unique business needs, including microservices adoption. Our extensive experience with creating enterprise microservices solutions for fast-scaling startups and Fortune 500 companies has put us at the forefront of tech innovation, with over 100 companies trusting Turing to achieve business transformation. 

Book a call with us today to leverage our cutting-edge solutions and adopt tailored microservices, hassle-free. 

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By Aug 7, 2023
ROI-Driven Mobile App Development Strategy Maximizing Business Value
Application Engineering Services

ROI-Driven Mobile App Development Strategy: Maximizing Business Value

Everything you need to know about creating a robust mobile app development strategy: what to consider, development planning, implementation, and more.

In 2023, corporate digital transformation is well underway. Companies are increasingly investing in innovation, especially when it comes to mobile app development strategy, to streamline business processes and meet evolving customer demands. One of the key reasons behind this is the power of mobile technology to enhance customer experience and optimize workforce productivity at the same time.

However, as powerful and innovative as mobile apps are, they entail unique development challenges. To get things right, you need to implement a robust mobile app development strategy that factors in your business objectives, customer expectations, competitor actions, and more.

This blog post covers the various aspects of creating an ideal mobile app strategy that helps you maximize business value and unlock business transformation hassle-free. Let’s look at how your organization can achieve these.

Creating a mobile app strategy: What businesses must consider

Before creating a full-fledged plan of action, businesses must consider some essential factors to avoid rushing into development and building an end product that barely fits the bill. The three main areas enterprises must consider before building their mobile app development strategy are business goals, integration, and choice of platform. 

Let’s take a deeper look at these.

Business goals

One of the first things to consider before creating mobile app strategies is why your enterprise needs the app. Before diving into the details of UI/UX, app features, deployment options, etc., you must first define your business goals and how your enterprise mobile app will help achieve them. Ask yourself questions like:

  • What are the business objectives? 
  • What is the company’s vision? 
  • What is the company’s competitive advantage? 
  • What is the scope of the mobile app strategy?
  • What tools can be used to achieve the business goals?
  • Will the mobile app be more efficient and impactful than the solutions already employed by the company?

Once you can answer these questions, you must start thinking about the end users of your mobile app, both employees and customers. You must ideate how they will use the app and what features it must include, which will be based on your business goals and intended users. All in all, your mobile app’s long-term success will depend on how clear your business objectives are and how well the app aligns with them. 

Platform 

When creating your mobile app development strategy, you must also consider which platform it will be used on. For those who didn’t know, apps created for a specific platform, such as Android or iOS, are built using a specific programming language, which is different for both operating systems. This is the case for native mobile apps, which only work on the intended OS and devices. 

In today’s scenario, where businesses aim to capture the largest possible user base, ensuring that a mobile app works well on both iOS and Android is essential. Hence, most businesses choose to create hybrid or cross-platform mobile apps. Instead of native app development where you’d need to build two separate native apps for both platforms, cross-platform development would allow your team to create a single app that works on all types of targeted devices. 

Again, this is where your business goals will come into play. If your enterprise wants to target a specific platform’s users, creating a native mobile app would be beneficial. Native mobile apps offer the best user experience and interface as they utilize OS-specific features. However, if you want to target a broader audience that is available on both platforms, your mobile app development strategy must be geared towards a cross-platform app.

Also, read: Cross-platform vs Native Mobile Development: What Should Enterprises Choose?

Integration 

Another important aspect to remember before building your mobile app strategy is what integrations it must include. Enterprises often use third-party software and technologies such as CRM (customer relationship management) for daily task completion, data management, and other requirements. If your business has similar needs, you may need to integrate other tools and technologies into your mobile app for maximum workforce productivity. 

Therefore, when you’re planning your mobile app, account for all the other software, technologies, and applications that your company uses and how you’d like your app to integrate with them. A key point to remember here is that the more business processes you can integrate, the more productive your employees can be. 

5 Steps for building an ROI-driven mobile app development strategy

5 Steps for building an ROI-driven mobile app development strategy

5 Steps for building an ROI-driven mobile app development strategy

While the intricacies of your mobile app strategy may differ based on business goals and chosen platforms or integrations, the overall framework will be the same. From competitor analysis to user persona creation, data decisions, KPIs, and more, here is everything a well-aligned digital mobile application strategy must contain. 

Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Defining your business strategy and analyzing your customers and competitors

Building an efficient mobile app development plan starts with laying the foundation right. Here, you must focus on four key areas – ensuring a well-defined company strategy, conducting competitor analysis and customer analysis, and determining the development budget. Here’s a deeper dive into these:

  • Having a well-defined company strategy: Your company’s strategy puts forth an extensive course of action that will enable it to empower itself financially and meet the desired goals. Identifying your company strategy at the start of your app development planning will help you ensure that the development is aligned with the company’s objectives, accelerating it toward success.

    Apart from the questions we mentioned earlier, you can also consider critical questions that will help define the company strategy, such as: 
    • What is your company’s mission?
    • What results does your company wish to achieve in the next five to ten years?
    • What are your company’s annual KPIs? Will they change in the future?

      Additionally, considering the business strategic direction will be helpful in creating a mobile app development strategy that results in a mission-critical app catering to evolving business needs, consumer expectations, and enterprise growth. For this, you can consider strategic factors like gaining market share through niche investments, providing cutting-edge products to differentiate yourself, following market leaders, etc. Identifying these business strategies early on will help you visualize the development strategy your mobile app will pursue. 

  • Understanding your customers: After establishing your company strategy, the next step is to dive deep into research. Creating a successful mobile app that maximizes business value depends on understanding your target audience. Therefore, you must clearly know your target customers, their expectations and requirements, and how your mobile app can address their needs.

    Customer analysis is one of the most impactful areas of your mobile app strategy. You will need to analyze and understand the customer journey, their behaviors, trends, intentions, and demand in using mobile applications, their lifetime value, and other relevant metrics like services they often use, total purchases, and so on. 
  • Understanding your competitors: Once you’ve understood your intended audience well, the next step of the mobile app development strategy is competitor research.

    Delivering value is the only way your mobile app will succeed, irrespective of how well-built it is. Hence, you must study your relevant competitors and specify your customer base by analyzing who their applications serve. Plus, their strategy will outline the best practices your app must incorporate to be a winner in the market.

    While studying what works for your competitors and what doesn’t, you may also find things they aren’t doing at all. Capitalizing on these areas can help your enterprise differentiate itself in a competitive market, achieving better sales, customer loyalty, and app longevity.

    What stands out to you about your competitors? Are they doing something you haven’t ever seen before? If so, why? You must consider these questions when building your mobile app strategy. These questions will give you a better idea of how your competitors are operating and how you can create a mobile app that outperforms them. 

  • Determining your budget: The last step before you begin working on your mobile app development strategy is to determine your app’s budget. Based on the findings from the customer analysis, competitor analysis, and company strategy, you must come up with a number to perform the desired development process.

    To determine your app development budget, you can consider key aspects like the app’s overall sales funnel, operational costs for areas like recruitment and technology selection, and application goals like downloads, sales, revenue, engagement, etc.

Step 2: Defining the mobile app development plan

Now that you know your customers, and competitors, and have a potential budget to begin development, you can start establishing your mobile app strategy. This will include determining the app’s must-have features, KPIs, creating its user personas, choosing the intended platform, and more. Let’s take a broader look at what this step will entail:

  • The must-have features: One of the first things to establish your mobile app development strategy is defining the features your app must include. Here, you can implement the ‘MoSCow’ prioritization method that lets you categorize app features based on what they offer, into should-have, could-have, and won’t have. This will help you define the features that the app’s first version should contain, and later determine the features that can improve the user experience.

    Let’s take a banking mobile app as an example. Here are some of the features that can be categorized based on the MoSCow method:
    Features that can be categorized based on the MoSCow method

    Features that can be categorized based on the MoSCow method


    When creating a mobile app for an enterprise, it’s essential to include features that enhance security, usability, and productivity. Here are some of the key features you can consider when building your mobile app development strategy:

    • User authorization and authentication: Authentication mechanisms like MFA (multi-factor authentication)
    • Secure data storage: Secure technologies and protocols to ensure app data integrity
    • Offline mode: Letting users use the app even when there’s no internet connection
    • Enterprise system integrations: Integrating the app with current organizational software like a
    • CRM, HR (human resources), or ERP (enterprise resource planning) system
    • Push notifications: Sending app notifications to users regarding updates, messages, new tasks, etc.
    • Document management: Letting users access, share, and upload documents securely
    • Offline data sync: Ensuring data sync after the app reconnects to the internet after being online
    • Customizable UI: Letting enterprise users customize the app’s interface as per the branding
    • Notifications: Providing real-time alerts and notifications to the app users

  • Creating user personas and mapping your customer journey: After deciding your app’s features, it’s time to set up its user personas. By this stage of your mobile app strategy, you will already have the required customer points ready, such as their pain points, behaviors, intentions, etc. Using them, you can build user personas within your potential customer base. Mobile apps often have various user groups, and to ensure success, tailoring the customer experience to each group is integral.

    You can build user personas by determining key factors like customer background, demographic, mobile preferences, unique identifiers, and interests. Once these are identified, you must categorize them based on in-app content, app branding, functionality, platform choice, features, and other important aspects to resonate with your target audience.

    Once you have your user personas ready, you can map the customer journey to progress in your mobile app development strategy. This will involve creating visual representations of possible customer touchpoints and brand interactions at every stage of a customer action. These can include app stores, ads, in-app customer journeys, landing pages, emails, etc., along with any interaction with the customer support and sales teams.

    Mapping customer journeys is a critical step to ensure the app’s success after deployment. Mapping their journey, you can step into the end user’s shoes and gain their perspective of your organization. This will help you strategize effectively and ensure appropriate action at every stage to nurture customers and encourage them along their journey in your mobile app. 

  • Native, hybrid, or web applications – which is better?: Native, hybrid (cross-platform), and web application development are the three main approaches to choose from when building your mobile app. Making the right choice is essential to ensuring a timely development process that accommodates your app needs and uses resources wisely. Here is a detailed comparison of the three to help you understand which development approach would best suit your vision.
    Native, hybrid, or web applications Detailed comparison

    Native, hybrid, or web applications: Detailed comparison

  • Choosing between iOS and Android: Once you’re locked in about your development approach, you must think about which platform’s users you’d want to target – Android, iOS, or both. Deciding this will help you define your mobile app development strategy better and allocate resources accordingly.

    Many organizations choose iOS as its the easier environment to develop a mobile app. iOS development typically involves a shorter timeline, lesser costs, and easier app maintenance. Moreover, Swift, Apple’s native programming language, requires less coding and is largely convenient.

    However, Android currently holds the majority of the mobile OS market share – 70.79% – which is why you must choose between market size and development ease before building the app. However, if your business goals and aailable resources are better suited for cross-platform app development, you can create an app that captures users on both platforms.

    When choosing platforms, you must also ensure that developers choose the right tech stack. For instance, if your organization wants to target Android users, developers must use Kotlin or Java and IDEs like Android Studio and VS Code. For iOS, they must use Swift or Objective-C, along with IDEs like Flutter and Xcode. Selecting the right tech stack during your mobile app strategy will ensure that your development team builds and maintains the app, continually meets user needs, streamlines the development process, and guarantees app success. 

  • Defining KPIs: Monitoring your app’s success is key to ensuring its longevity. Hence, establishing KPIs (key performance indicators) must be a part of your mobile app development strategy. Your KPIs must clearly exhibit your strategy’s value to the organization and should include metrics like: 

    These are just some of the many KPIs you can consider for your mobile app. Measuring KPIs will help you observe how well your app is performing, if it’s on the right track, if you’re getting the desired results within the desired timeframes, etc. Moreover, you can use all this information to change your mobile app development strategy to better align with the KPIs and ensure application growth.
    • Customer lifetime value (CLV)
    • Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
    • Customer retention rate
    • New users
    • Lead-to-revenue ratio
    • Revenue growth rate
    • Active users (segregated into daily, weekly, and monthly)
    • Customer satisfaction
    • App rating
    • App downloads
    • Session length
    • In-app purchases
    • Average revenue per user (ARPU)
    • Geographic distribution
  • Making data decisions: Before hiring developers and initiating development, you should also consider making data decisions. Once your mobile app is publicly available, your team will begin collecting large amounts of data. To use the data to your advantage, you must specify in your mobile app development plan, what you wish to do with the collected data. You must establish how you will leverage app data to influence enterprise decisions.

    Here, it’s imperative to define data security protocols and integrate them into your mobile app development strategy. Any app, be it for an enterprise or a startup, won’t survive for long if it has poor data security. Before you begin development, you must define and incorporate security measures to protect both user and organizational private data.

    Once development is underway, implementing these data protocols will protect your mobile app from malware, hackers, and other digital threats that can compromise sensitive data. Some of the most common data security practices to consider are SSL (secure sockets layer), data encryption, secure logins, TLS (transport layer security), SQL injection, and user app transport security (ATS), among others.

Step 3: Decide between in-house or external development 

After clearly defining your mobile app strategy, you can decide whether to develop the app in-house or outsource developers. Moreover, you can even outsource the complete development process or only some of its areas. 

There are two main things to consider at this stage: expenses and readiness. Hiring new in-house talent is both timely and expensive, as you will have to spend on sourcing talent and paying their full-time salaries. Plus, if this is your first mobile app development strategy, getting your in-house talent (both new and existing) up to speed will be time-consuming. In such cases, it’s better to get external expertise through reputed platforms or consultancies that offer high-quality development talent for outsourcing. 

Having said that, if your in-house developers are already experienced in creating mobile apps, then you don’t need any external assistance. In such circumstances, you will only need to outsource development if you want to undertake tasks your current team is unfamiliar with. For example, you may need external help if you want to enter a new app market with fairly new or different user personas and want to redefine your app development plan accordingly.

Step 4: Implementing the mobile app development strategy 

At this stage, you will have enough information and the required talent to implement your mobile app strategy. Here are the four important steps to efficiently implement your strategy and ensure its success:

  • Building an MVP (minimum viable product): The MVP of your mobile app is its first version with the bare necessities to fulfill the needs of early adopters and get their feedback. This helps accelerate the development process by collecting valuable information and making changes accordingly. Since you already have a list of must-have features for your app, you can release it sooner and within the budget with an MVP.

    For those creating a mobile app for the first time, having an MVP is extremely helpful. The MVP approach allows companies to develop the best possible app with a modest budget and timeline. What’s more, creating an MVP, whether it’s your first mobile app or not, also allows you to conduct early testing and iron out the bugs before it’s too late. 
  • Determining the testing strategy: Defining the testing strategy is one of the most crucial parts of your app development plan. Having a clear testing plan established before development begins is key to increasing your SDLC’s testing efficiency and the overall quality of the mobile app.

    Typically, your testing strategy must contain key factors like:

    • Features of the app you want to test
    • Scope of testing
    • Testing methods you will use (functional testing, usability testing, security testing, accessibility testing, etc.)
    • Test cases you want to evaluate 
    • Testing environments you want to implement 

      Additionally, you must identify which areas of the app must be tested automatically and which ones need to be tested manually. This will help you decide early on during the mobile app development strategy if you’d want to invest in testing automation tools, which will further streamline the testing process. In case you do, some of the most popular testing automation tools include Appium, XCUITest, Selendroid, TestComplete, Selenium, and Espresso. 

  • Using cloud technology to make the mobile app faster: While cloud-based app development is fairly new, it’s revolutionizing development, especially for enterprises. Compared to desktop-based tools like Xcode and Android, cloud technologies like Google’s Firebase, AWS Mobile Hub, and Microsoft Azure Mobile Apps make development easier.

    Cloud tools are designed to better suit modern mobile app strategies. They eliminate all the hard work involved in creating apps for multiple devices and platforms. Cloud technologies enable real-time collaboration through easy online access, handle maintenance activities automatically, seamlessly integrate with CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment, and offer robust backup and recovery solutions.

    Hence, selecting suitable cloud technologies for your mobile app development strategy can expedite development and deploy a more cutting-edge product. The right cloud tool can standardize your app to make it faster, interoperable, scalable, and highly secure. Plus, you can decrease operational costs as cloud technologies use a ‘pay-as-you-go’ system. 

  • Choosing project management tools for the app development process: When you put your mobile app strategy into action, you must not forget to choose the right project management tools to ensure seamless development.

    For example, numerous organizations use project management tools like Trello and JIRA to track development progress, its duration, identified bugs, updated backlogs, and other important information. Additionally, project management tools can also help track and document production issues after the app launch, ensuring quick fixes and a better customer experience.
    Popular project management tools

    Popular project management tools


    Some of the most popular project management tools include: 
    • JIRA
    • Asana
    • Basecamp
    • Trello
    • Clubhouse
    • Azure DevOps
    • GitLab
    • Monday.com

Step 5: Conducting mobile app optimizations

Fully implementing your mobile app development strategy is a major feat in itself, but the hard work won’t stop there. After app deployment, it’s imperative that you conduct continuous optimizations to refine the app’s performance, implement user feedback, and establish a loyal user base. These activities will ultimately push your mobile app to maximize business value consistently and ensure its longevity. 

Here are five tried-and-tested methods of ensuring ongoing optimization for mobile apps:

  • A/B testing: A/B testing is an excellent way to test if a particular mobile app strategy will work for most of your intended users before you get things rolling. A/B testing typically involves comparing two different versions of the mobile app to assess which one performs better in terms of conversation rates, and user engagement, and check if new features have a positive impact.

    A/B testing usually involves steps like hypothesis creation, data collection, creating variations, statistical analysis, and implementation. You must outline your A/B testing details in your mobile app development strategy itself to ensure that the desired aspects, like UI, UX, push notifications, etc., are tested well in advance. Moreover, A/B testing is an iterative process, and you can continue testing and refining the app for performance enhancements and meet evolving customer needs.
     
  • Analyzing user pain points: Tracking and working on user pain points is another proven method of optimizing mobile apps for business success. Assessing your customers’ specific needs and wants will enable you to deliver an app that offers true value, solves real problems, and gains immense customer loyalty. Here are three significant ways to identify your app’s end-user pain points:

  • App analytics: Using app analytics data will help you identify user pain points by determining where users are struggling or dropping off from your app. 

  • User feedback:  Collecting user feedback is a proven way of boosting your app’s success by making the necessary adjustments. Hence, ensure that your app development plan outlines more than one method of collecting user feedback, such as an official email address for customer support, live chat, monthly surveys, app store ratings, etc. The more options you provide, the more feedback you can collect and make your app better than its competitors. 

  • User testing: You can also conduct user testing by getting real end-users in your target market to accomplish specific tasks in your app. This technique will help you identify UX and other performance issues you can avoid to gain a competitive advantage. 

  • App store optimization: App store optimization (ASO) plays a critical role in increasing your app’s position and visibility in the desired app store. In turn, this helps to boost user acquisitions, and hence, requires constant optimizations to keep your app at the top of the list. For this, you must not only focus on performance, but also visual elements like in-app screenshots, keywords, user reviews, and an appealing design that pushes a potential user to download your mobile app. 

  • Push notifications: Push notifications are a proven way of increasing customer retention. However, that’s only possible when push notifications are done right. If your app sends irrelevant notifications at the incorrect time, users may have a negative in-app experience and uninstall your app, leading to revenue loss.

    The key here is to understand which users you’re targeting with the app notifications. Through your mobile app development strategy, you can check which stages of the customer journey are ideal for push notifications, and using them, you can tailor messages to provide real value and ensure customer retention. This is also possible after app deployment; as you keep collecting user data, you can optimize push notifications to make them more accurate and relevant.
  • Routine placement optimization: Placement optimizations are integral to building app loyalty and customer base. Optimizing in-app placement involves strategically placing the app’s features, content, and elements like a paywall (that converts a non-subscribing user into a subscriber) to boost app performance and engagement.

    Even after app deployment, you must run routine placement optimizations to optimize the in-app layout, making it more user-friendly, enjoyable, and intuitive. The user behavior analysis and A/B testing you conduct as part of your mobile app strategy are already excellent ways to gather information and optimize placements.

    Additionally, you can personalize the in-app experience based on user data, optimize placements for different screen sizes and devices, and follow design principles to iterate optimizations and unlock your app’s full potential. 

In conclusion

Given the complexity of today’s mobile app market, offering a robust app and optimizing it continuously is key to acquiring users and maximizing your business’s value. This is possible when you devise a clear-cut mobile app development strategy before building your app. Having a strategy in place will enable you to streamline the development process, allocate resources efficiently, and have a competitive advantage even before your app is launched. 

Having said that, establishing a proper mobile app strategy is just one side of the coin. You will also need the required talent to implement the strategy and create an app well-aligned with your business goals. If you already have an in-house team with proven mobile app development skills, there’s no need to worry. If you don’t, Turing is here to help. 

Our mobile app development services are driven by cutting-edge tools and methodologies to deliver robust apps. Over 100 companies trust Turing to help make their applications amazing. Our industry experts use relevant frameworks, programming languages, and technologies to build mobile apps tailored to specific enterprise goals. 

Book a call with us today to leverage our managed tech services and deploy powerful apps that unlock maximum business value. 

 

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By Aug 3, 2023
Cross-platform vs. Native Mobile Development
Software Comparisons

Cross-platform vs Native Mobile Development: What Should Enterprises Choose?

Everything you need to know about cross-platform vs. native mobile development for enterprises: what each one means, their pros and cons, tools, and more.

There was a time when enterprises only focused on their products to achieve success. However, the technology age has pushed businesses to align with the latest software development trends as well, like cloud computing, AI, AR/VR, the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and more. Enterprise mobile apps are designed to help companies do just that, allowing them to enhance corporate efficiency, capture market opportunities, and gain a competitive advantage. 

However, to build successful mobile apps, enterprises must consider cross-platform vs. native mobile development: which is better, and why? In this blog, we’ll answer these questions by discussing what the two mean, how native vs. cross-platform app development compares in terms of pros and cons, and what you must keep in mind when choosing between the two. 

Let’s dive in!

Native vs. cross-platform: How to choose for enterprise mobile apps development? 

Given the many benefits of enterprise mobile app development, it’s only natural that businesses are increasingly adopting it. Those who are must ultimately decide which one to opt for – native or cross-platform mobile development

Native and cross-platform development are fundamentally different in the operating system you want your app to function for. Native mobile apps are built for a specific operating system, such as iOS or Android. Whereas cross-platform apps work on multiple operating systems, allowing businesses to target several platforms through a single source code.

Having said that, choosing cross-platform vs. native mobile development is imperative to business success. To help you decide what’s best for your organization, we’ll explore the two development processes, what they entail, and their pros and cons. 

Also, read: Progressive Web Apps vs Native Apps: What Should You Pick?

Native app development 

Let’s take a look at the basics of native app development.

What are native applications?

As mentioned earlier, native mobile applications are those developed to target a single operating system, either iOS or Android OS. Hence, depending on your desired operating system (both business and customer-wise), you would opt for native mobile app development that involves coding the application in the OS’s required programming language. 

Native Android apps are built using Kotlin or Java programming languages. For native iOS applications, developers commonly use Swift or Objective-C programming languages.

Some of the most popular examples of native mobile apps include WhatsApp, Spotify, Google Maps, and Pinterest, which were developed natively for iOS and Android.

Popular native app tools

Besides OS-specific software development kits (SDK), native app development also requires integrated development environments (IDE). For Android, the most prominent IDEs include Android Studio, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse with Android Development Tools (ADT). Popular IDEs for iOS include Xcode, Flutter, Visual Studio for Mac, and AppCode. 

Why choose native mobile app development for enterprises?

Why choose native mobile app development for enterprises

Why choose native mobile app development for enterprises

When considering cross-platform vs native mobile development, here are the benefits you can avail by opting for a native app.

  • Better app performance: Native mobile apps perform faster and better than most non-native and cross-platform applications. This is because native enterprise mobile apps are created and optimized for specific platforms, which also involves compiling them using the desired platform’s APIs and programming languages. As a result, native mobile apps are quite efficient, fast, and responsive to a user’s actions.

    Furthermore, a native mobile app is smaller in size and has direct contact between its source code and the underlying resources. Hence, the native app provides better performance and faster app store downloads. 

  • Better app stability: Apple and Google are known for their continued support and improvement for the iOS and Android mobile operating systems. For instance, both tech giants offer SDKs, interface elements, and other key development tools for iOS and Android developers to create and enhance mobile apps.

    SDK helps speed up app development and provides developers with access to the latest features. Due to this, a native Android or iOS app has high stability in terms of updates and maintenance. Plus, native apps are highly secure as they can access platform-specific in-built security features, which is a major aspect to keep in mind when considering a native app vs. cross-platform mobile applications.

  • Excellent user experience: Native enterprise mobile apps offer a seamless user experience. During native mobile app development, developers don’t need to worry about any dependency on the app version from various operating systems. As a result, a native mobile app is faster and simpler to customize or configure as per the enterprise’s preferred OS and business goals.

    Moreover, a native mobile app can access all the functionalities and features of the intended device, offering a highly-integrated and rich user experience. Native mobile apps can gain access to features like push notifications as well, which are essential for user engagement.

  • Enhanced app security: App security is another important factor to consider when discussing cross-platform vs. native mobile development. Native mobile apps inherently contain more robust and tailored security features than cross-platform apps. Plus, it’s typically simpler for native mobile app developers to implement intelligent fraud detection, file encryption, and other security elements through the intended platform’s resources and libraries. 

Disadvantages of native app development

Disadvantages of native app development

Disadvantages of native app development

While a native app is beneficial, it also comes with its drawbacks, which are the following:

  • Time-consuming and costly: If your enterprise wants to target both iOS and Android users, the development will inevitably become costly. You would need to deploy two development teams to create the same app for both operating systems.

    Plus, the two teams working in parallel and coordinating to align the app UI/UX will automatically lengthen the development cycle. As such, the development time becomes a crucial deciding factor for cross-platform vs. native mobile development, and enterprises often pick the former for faster deployment.

  • No code reusability: Building a native mobile app for two operating systems means developers have to write code that cannot be reused from one OS onto another. When compared with cross-platform apps that house reusable codebases, native enterprise mobile app development naturally involves more time, money, and effort.

  • Extra effort for app maintenance and support: While considering cross-platform vs. native mobile development, factoring in costs is essential. As such, enterprises must note that native app development entails a higher maintenance expense.

    Most businesses make the mistake of believing that application costs end after its release. However, a chunk of effort goes into the app’s maintenance and support phase, which also slows down bug fixes. If the development team identifies a bug and wants to push out an important update, updating the same app for both platforms will be more time and resource intensive.

Cross-platform app development

Here’s what you need to know about cross-platform app development. 

What are cross-platform applications? 

A cross-platform mobile application is developed from a single codebase and targets different operating systems through one development project. Such mobile apps are built on cross-platform frameworks that use a platform-specific SDK (iOS or Android) from a single API.

This helps developers easily access the platform’s various libraries and SDKs, making cross-platform development a popular choice for enterprise mobile app development.

Some of the most popular cross-platform frameworks include: 

  • React Native – created by Meta (formerly, Facebook), has JavaScript as its programming language
  • .NET MAUI – created by Microsoft, has XAML and C# as its programming language
  • Flutter – created by Google, has Dart as its programming language

There are various cross-platform mobile apps prominent today, based on these frameworks. The most common examples of such apps include Skype, Instagram, My BMW App, Airbnb, Fox Sports, and Walmart.

Popular cross-platform app tools

Creating a cross-platform mobile app for Android requires the Android SDK installed on macOS, Windows, or Linux. For iOS, the iOS SDK and Xcode are required, along with a macOS device.

Along with these, the relevant IDEs are essential for successful cross-platform development, which are: 

  • VS Code, Xcode, Atom, Android Studio, and WebStorm for React Native apps
  • Visual Studio for Xamarin or .NET MAUI apps
  • Android Studio, IntelliJ, and VS Code for Flutter apps

Why choose cross-platform development?

Why choose cross-platform development

Why choose cross-platform development

When considering cross-platform or native mobile development, there are many reasons to pick the former. Some key ones include:

  • Code reusability: One of the biggest reasons to choose cross-platform development for enterprise mobile apps is code reusability. Unlike native app development, developers can store the app’s complete codebase in one place to save time and effort. The unified codebase allows the development team to work on the Android and iOS platforms simultaneously, which ultimately saves expenses.

    What’s more, the shared codebase helps to avoid app issues in the UI/UX, security, or functionalities due to longer maintenance cycles. The shared codebase allows developers to make changes that instantly propagate to the required operating systems with little to no modification. 

  • Quicker development time: Since cross-platform apps involve a single development cycle to deploy them on different platforms, the overall development time is faster. Moreover, the app’s code reusability allows enterprises to eliminate the need for separate teams working on separate platform projects, which expedites the time-to-market as well.

  • Decreased development costs: As mentioned earlier, considering expenses for cross-platform vs. native mobile development is important. In this case, cross-platform is often the better choice as it entails a single development team instead of two, which automatically reduces development costs.

    Plus, for enterprises using tools like React Native to create both mobile and web apps, developers can use a majority of the code and other key assets to do so. This shortens the cross-platform development cycle, resulting in reduced costs and more importantly, higher value for money as the app begins gaining traction.

  • Wide market reach and easy maintenance: Since cross-platform development is faster and cheaper, enterprises can easily deploy an app on both operating systems. This is lucrative for businesses aiming to reach more users and collect data to test a prototype, hypothesis, or app idea on multiple platforms.

    Moreover, updating the cross-platform app is easier as developers have to deal with one codebase. This means, whatever changes or updates need to be made after obtaining user data can be easily implemented to ensure quick maintenance. Plus, every app build targeting the two operating systems will use the same code, allowing developers to maintain app consistency.

    These are extremely beneficial for growing businesses, making cross-platform a clear winner for most enterprises considering cross-platform vs. native mobile development.

Disadvantages of cross-platform development

Disadvantages of cross-platform development

Disadvantages of cross-platform development

While cross-platform development is rewarding, you must be aware of its limitations as well. These include: 

  • Lower app performance: One of the biggest drawbacks of cross-platform mobile apps is their low performance and speed. Cross-platform apps need a rendering process and an additional abstraction layer, which reduces their speed and also hampers performance.

    Moreover, a cross-platform framework bundles custom runtimes to run the mobile app for communication with the platform-specific services. This adds another computation level to the app, further reducing its performance. Hence, enterprises wanting to deploy high-performant apps often pick the latter of cross-platform vs. native mobile development.

  • Functionality constraints: Cross-platform mobile apps must adapt their functionality and design for specific devices, platforms, and operating systems. This requires extra effort from the mobile app development team to tackle individual differences for various platforms and devices, causing difficulty during feature implementation and resulting in constrained functionality.

    This, combined with the lower app speed and performance, ultimately hampers the user experience as well. 

  • Delayed updates and features: Another aspect most companies overlook when considering cross-platform vs. native mobile development is the app updates. Whenever Apple or Google releases a new update or feature for their OS, cross-platform mobile apps have to wait to support the new release. This is because a cross-platform app would require a separate update to access the latest features or updates, while the SDK for a native app gets updated quicker. 

Cross-platform vs. native mobile development: What should enterprises choose?

Cross-platform vs. native mobile development: What should enterprises choose

Cross-platform vs. native mobile development: What should enterprises choose?

As you may have understood by now, both native and cross-platform development have their distinct pros and cons for deploying enterprise mobile apps. So, which one should you pick for your business? 

Deciding between native vs. cross-platform is crucial, and to pick the right one, you need to consider a few key factors. These include: 

  • Time to market: One of the biggest deciding factors when considering cross-platform vs. native mobile development is the time to market. While cross-platform entails quicker development and iteration, native app development is more time-consuming, albeit providing a more consistent user experience.

    So, if your business needs to deploy the app quickly to start obtaining quality user feedback, cross-platform development would be the better option. 

  • Testing feasibility: Your enterprise mobile app development process will remain incomplete without a proper testing round. Deciding between native and cross-platform development plays a crucial role here too, as native apps are more challenging to test as they involve individual testing for different app versions of the different operating systems. Contrarily, cross-platform apps are easier to test due to their single codebase.

    If you have the time and resources to invest in a proper native app testing phase, you can go ahead with it. However, if you lack the resources and want to quickly ship the product, opt for cross-platform development. 

  • Development budget: As evident already, cross-platform is a more cost-efficient option than native mobile app development. The latter involves deploying two standalone apps when targeting both operating systems, which would require hiring more developers, investing more resources, and ultimately, spending more money.

    So, if you’re on a tight budget and the limitations don’t seem too problematic, choose cross-platform development. However, if you have the budget and want to prioritize user experience and app updates, native app development should be your choice.

  • App performance: How you want your app to perform will also influence the choice between cross-platform vs. native mobile development. Mobile applications often entail high computing requirements, specifically for gaming apps. If your enterprise needs an application with accelerated performance and seamless user experience, a native app is the best fit.

    However, if that’s not your enterprise goal and you’d rather leverage a wider audience reach and quicker time-to-market, opt for a cross-platform mobile app.

  • Security: When considering native vs. cross-platform for your enterprise mobile app development, you must emphasize security too. Security is critical, especially for apps that store and manage large amounts of data, such as a banking mobile app. In such cases, a native app is better as they have tighter security due to being built in the OS-specific environment. Native app development also entails access to native libraries, allowing developers to ensure app encryption.

    However, if you want to prioritize maintenance, a cross-platform mobile app would be the better fit. As mentioned earlier, cross-platform app development involves easier maintenance due to the shared codebase. Moreover, since you’ll be dealing with just one app instead of two standalone ones, maintenance costs will be lower too. 

Summing things up

KBV Research’s data suggests that the overall enterprise app market size will reach $468.2 billion by 2027. Within this sphere, the mobile enterprise app market is projected to grow at 15% CAGR from 2022 to 2030, reaching $268.14 billion by 2030. Clearly, enterprise mobile apps are rapidly gaining popularity, but to build them efficiently, you must choose wisely when considering cross-platform vs. native mobile development.

Although both native and cross-platform development can help you build a successful app, you must consider the tools, frameworks, benefits, and limitations of the two to ensure efficient development. Moreover, understanding the in and out of both development paths will help you determine which mobile developers you must hire, and allocate resources accordingly. 

Turing’s mobile app development services are designed to help enterprises achieve rapid business transformation. As such, we provide expert mobile app developers proficient in the required technologies to ensure application success and accelerated business growth. Book a call with us today and experience what a robust enterprise mobile app can do for you.

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By Jul 25, 2023
10 Tips to Build a Great tecResume (1)
Skills, Interviews, and Jobs

Tech Resume Writing Tips for Writing a Good Resume

Your tech resume is the first impression that your potential employer will have of you. Here are 10 tech resume writing tips to can build an attractive resume.

Are you looking for resume writing tips in 2023? You’ve come to the right place. You may be adept at several software developer skills, but drafting a resume is an art. Did you know you just have five to six seconds to make a good impression on your employer? And so, your tech resume writing skills play a vital role in landing your dream job.  

Here’s the thing: most of the resumes get filtered out by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) during the hiring process. This system helps organizations source, filter, hire, and manage candidates. And so, if your software engineer portfolio and tech resume are not relevant or exciting enough, they may never reach the employer. 

This blog post takes you through the 10 best resume building tips for writing tech resumes that help you stand out from the competition.

Table of contents

  1. Add the right keywords as per the JD
  2. Use a clean and professional resume format
    – The resume format
    – Using the correct fonts
    – Using simple and consistent subheadings
    – Using the correct margin size
  3. Incorporate ATS-friendly design elements
  4. Follow the ‘Task Action Result’ protocol
  5. Start your points with catchy verbs
  6. Use the top one-third to share vital information
  7. Keep your resume informative but minimalistic
  8. Add a section for interests and hobbies
  9. Add the right contact information 
  10. Finish off with a good resume summary
Final thoughts
10 resume-building tips you must know

10 resume-building tips you must know

  1. This is one of the most overlooked resume writing tips. Resume parsing is one of the best features of an ATS. This feature is also one of the reasons why many recruiters rely on this system. The ATS filters candidates according to the job description and the content of the tech resume. You may have a detailed tech resume, but your resume will never reach the prospective employer if the text is not in sync with the job description. 

    Pro tip: Add keywords or phrases that employers use in the job description to your resume. Using the right keywords is essential for passing through ATS’s filters. This is a crucial resume writing tip you should not overlook.

    If you are applying for a back-end developer role, learning about the tech stack in the job description is crucial. For example, you might be an experienced Python back-end developer. But, if the employer is looking for expertise in CherryPy or TurboGears, you must mention the same in your resume. 

    Also, read: 7 Steps to Write an Effective Engineering Manager Resume
  2. Use a clean and professional resume format 

    This is a very important resume writing tip because hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes for a single position. Thus, it’s natural that you’d want yours to stand out. But doing so through unconventional visuals, formatting, and offbeat fonts may harm your chances of getting noticed. That’s because making your resume ‘creative’ using such methods can cause an ATS not to show it to the employer.

    Hence, one of the core resume tips and tricks is to focus on proper formatting and be creative with your resume properly. Here are some key ways you can do so:

    • The resume format – There are multiple formats to choose from. The most common is the ‘reverse chronological’ format. This is where you describe your most recent job role and move backward for every subsequent position. This format is extremely popular amongst new and experienced candidates as it lets them play with the layout and immediately highlights their latest experiences.

    • Using correct fonts – Resume fonts may not appear very important, but it truly is. Choosing a font that looks unprofessional or hard to read can lead to the recruiter skipping your resume. Hence, choose an easily understandable font. A pro tip is to stick to these three fonts: Arial, Verdana, and Helvetica. Moreover, you must also select the right size to make your resume readable. Hence, pick a resume font between 10-12 points so that a recruiter can go through it easily.

    • Using simple and consistent subheadings – Presenting a well-made resume also involves using proper and fluid sub-headings. Keep simple subheadings across your resume, ensuring every section is easy to find and visible. Use subheadings such as ‘Education’, ‘Skills’, ‘Resume Profile’, and so on. Moreover, keep the subheadings consistent. If one of your subheadings is bold or in italics, make sure all follow the same style.

    • Using the correct margin size – Resume margins are also essential for a good first impression. If your resume has text-crammed edges, it’ll simply come off as unprofessional and messy. Hence, stretch your top and bottom margins to 0.5” and side margins to a maximum of 0.75”.
  3. Incorporate ATS-friendly design elements

    As mentioned above, one of the most important resume building tips is to make it ATS-compliant.
    Now, this doesn’t mean not letting your resume showcase some creativity. You can incorporate charts, infographics, and even videos or presentations to set your resume apart, but you must also ensure it gets read.

    Hence, before you upload your resume to job sites or online portals, use ATS-friendly design elements in your resume. These include:
    • Underlining in hyperlinks or headings
    • Italic and bold texts
    • Bullets
    • Colors
    • Easily-readable columns
    • Different text alignments

      On the flip side, certain elements are known to cause trouble with ATSs. So, avoid these elements when you’re creating your resume:

    • Text boxes

    • Tables

    • Icons and logos

    • Images

    • Headers and footers

    • Graphs

    • Lesser-known fonts

    • Columns that are only readable from top to bottom

  4. Follow the ‘Task Action Result’ protocol 

    Employers are constantly drowning in resumes. You have a short window to prove your worth. Hence, tech resumes with fluff and no substance are never a good idea.

    Concisely highlighting your achievements will help you get your brownie points. How to be concise with tech resumes, you ask?

    Follow the Task Action Result protocol:
    • Outline the tasks and responsibilities in your last project
    • Mention the actionable steps you took to solve the problem 
    • Share the results of your effort and the overall project
    • Add factual data and other necessary insights

      Don’t just mention a list of your responsibilities. Talk about how you added value and drove the outcome. If you add factual data and other details, you will make a solid case for yourself.

      With each bullet you mention, ask yourself — are you highlighting your tasks, skillsets, and achievements in the most rewarding way?
  5. Start your points with catchy verbs 

    Another tip for writing a great resume is to ensure that your tech resume is descriptive but not verbose. Start the bullet points with phrases like Designed, Developed, Computed, Collaborated, Improved, Analyzed, Devised, Delegated, etc. For example, one of the bullets points in your resume could be: Optimized an e-commerce application as the Project Lead and generated 3x revenue in 2021

    Using the right words is essential as it helps to drive home the core idea without the fluff.

    Pro tip: Don’t use rows and columns in your resume.
  6. Use the top one-third to share vital information 

    Putting forward a well-made resume is crucial if you want to crack an interview. That’s because a poorly-written resume won’t even get you into the interview room, let alone crack it, even if you possess the required skills.

    Apart from choosing the correct formatting and using the right texts, ATS elements, etc., you must also place vital information wisely. Remember, a recruiter goes through countless resumes, and will only pick yours if it impresses them within the first few seconds.

    Hence, to get a recruiter’s attention quickly, make good use of the top one-third area of your resume. That’s where recruiters focus when scanning through a resume. Highlight your best skills, achievements, and experience in this area to impress the recruiter to get an interview. If they don’t find what they’re looking for when scanning through the top third, chances are they will reject your resume.
  7. Keep your resume informative but minimalistic

    This is one of the best but often ignored resume writing tips. Ideally, your software developer cover letter and resume shouldn’t be more than one page. Remember – Your goal is to format and structure your resume so well that recruiters can understand what you bring to the table by taking a mere glance.

    Recruiters have to go through multiple resumes in a limited time. Hence, refrain from adding minute details for every one of your projects. Add only the information relevant to the position you are seeking. Add your contact details — email address, phone number, and LinkedIn handle.

    But don’t add high school achievements, current or permanent address, headers, and footers.

    If you have a portfolio or Git repository, add the link to your tech resume. This way, you can save the employer’s time and inch closer to the most relevant role for yourself.

    Sharing your previous work shows that you are transparent and confident about your skill set. While aesthetics are not compulsory, a minimalistic resume is easy to scan through and shows that you value the reader’s time.     

    Also, read: Things Software Developers Look For While Finding a Job
  8. Add a section for interests and hobbies

    Lastly, you can also consider adding extra sections to your resume to make it stand out. Yes, we’ve already mentioned that your resume must be simple and concise. However, you can still add a few sections that can add value to your resume by helping it grab the recruiter’s attention.

    Here are a few additional sections you can consider adding to your resume:
    • Certifications
    • Awards
    • Volunteering
    • Memberships
    • Languages
    • Licenses

      Do note that you need to keep these sections relevant to your industry.

      Moreover, if your resume has space left, add a section about your hobbies and interests. Companies have largely begun emphasizing work culture, and hence, finding a candidate with a suitable personality has become quite important. So, if your resume lists interesting hobbies or interests that prove you’ll be a good culture fit, you can get an interview. Pro tip: research the company and select interests and hobbies that match the company’s culture.

  9. Add the right contact information

    Given how hectic job hunting can get, you may focus on building a great resume but forget to get the small things right, such as your contact information. While it’s not a massive detail, it does carry great importance as recruiters will need your contact details to speak to you.

    Thus, another great tip for writing a good resume is to include up-to-date and proper contact information. This starts with using a professional email address and clearly highlighting it at the top of your resume. Remember, an unprofessional email address will automatically increase the chances of your resume getting rejected.

    Apart from your email address, you may also include your phone number. However, check that both are accurate, in case you’ve changed your email or contact number. Moreover, avoid including irrelevant contact information, such as your marital status, birthdate, race, religion, etc. If you’re applying for a remote job, you can omit to mention your current address.

     

  10. Finish off with a good resume summary

    As mentioned earlier, you must use your resume’s top third well. But, how do you do that?

    One of the best ways to do this is by including a resume summary or objective. Instead of writing jargon and buzzwords, this summary presents three to four sentences about who you are as a professional, where you’re headed, and why you will be a valuable addition to the company.

    When writing your resume summary, there’s one thing you must remember: always write about what your recruiter wants and not what you want. This summary is meant to prove your case as a good hire. Hence, you need to write what the recruiter wants to hear. For instance, if you’re a sales manager seeking a role in the retail sector, your resume summary must include this:

    “A dedicated Sales Manager with 6+ years of retail industry experience. Wishing to increase (company name)’s returns by 20 percent”

    Instead of just this: “A dedicated Sales Manager looking for fulfilling work in the retail industry.”

Final thoughts: Edit your resume according to the job you’re applying for

With most organizations relying on ATS for their recruiting campaigns, developers need to understand employers’ perspectives to land a job. While it is important to emphasize your achievements, remember to stay relevant to the job description. 

Using the ‘one size fits all’ approach is a common mistake developers make while creating tech resumes. For every job you apply for, put in the extra effort to make the changes as per the job description. We hope you found these resume writing tips useful. 

A good tech resume can be the ticket to your dream job. But only having a good resume won’t help you go further into the hiring process. And so, you should be a part of a growing developer community to skyrocket your software development career to the next level. 

Turing.com helps software developers globally to find their dream software jobs with top US companies. Apart from testing skillsets, Turing also assists developers with building professional profiles, ATS-friendly tech resumes, and matching talents with world-class employers.  

Visit the Turing.com Jobs page and take the first step towards building the career you have always wanted.


FAQs

Q1. What 5 things should a strong tech resume have? 

Ans. An impressive tech resume must include the following five sections to give a good idea about the candidate – personal information (contact information, permanent address, etc.), education/qualifications, work experience, skills, and objective (a summary of why you’re applying for the job). 

Q2. What skills do tech companies look for in a resume? 

Ans. The required skillset can vary depending on the role and company you’re applying for. However, there are some technical skills that most tech recruiters look for when scanning resumes. These include operating systems, programming languages, cloud computing, project management, accounting software, spreadsheet proficiency, artificial intelligence, productivity software, Google Analytics, SEO, marketing skills, research skills, and content management systems. 

Q3. Should my resume display the education section first or the experience section? 

Ans. This depends on whether you’re a recent graduate or not. As a recent graduate, you will probably not have much or any work experience whatsoever. In such a situation, your education and qualifications are your biggest assets, and you should highlight them right at the beginning. However, if you have already worked in a job or two, chances are, they are more important and relevant to your recruiter. Hence, list them and then proceed with highlighting your qualifications.

Join a network of the world's best developers and get long-term remote software jobs with better compensation and career growth.

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By , Jul 21, 2023
A Complete Metaverse Guide Explore the Boundless Possibilities of Virtual Reality
Languages, frameworks, tools, and trends

Metaverse Guide: What Is the Metaverse? Here’s What You Need to Know

Metaverse guide: a metaverse is a single, shared, immersive, 3D virtual space where humans experience life in ways they could not in the physical world.

Imagine sitting on your couch but exploring the beautiful city of Las Vegas. You’re meeting new people, engaging in exciting activities, and even purchasing souvenirs without actually being there. But all of this is happening virtually, in the Metaverse! Keep reading this Metaverse guide to learn more.

As we know, the Metaverse has been making waves in the digital world in recent years. Many experts believe that it could be the next major shift in technology. But what exactly is this Metaverse? In this Metaverse guide, we will cover everything about this emerging concept, right from what it is and how it works, to its potential impact on society. And last but not least, we’ll also cover how to become a Metaverse developer. Let’s get started!

  1. What is the Metaverse?
  2. What does the Metaverse comprise?
  3. How does the Metaverse work?
  4. Virtual reality use cases in the Metaverse
  5. Why is the Metaverse important?
  6. How to access the Metaverse?
    • Devices to access the Metaverse
    • Steps to access the Metaverse
  7. How do NFTs fit into the Metaverse landscape?
  8. Metaverse pros and cons: What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the Metaverse?
    • Metaverse pros
    • Metaverse cons
  9. When will a full-fledged Metaverse be available?
  10. What will the Metaverse’s impact be on the future?
  11. How to become a Metaverse developer?
  12. What does a Metaverse developer do?
  13. What skills do you need to become a Metaverse developer?
  14. How to get a job in the Metaverse?
  15. Final thoughts
  16. FAQs

What is the Metaverse?

Metaverse Guide: What is the Metaverse

Metaverse Guide: What is the Metaverse

The Metaverse is, what many in the tech sphere believe, the next version of the internet: a shared, singular, immersive 3D virtual space where humans can experience life without physically moving from one place to another. 

In other words, the Metaverse is a network of immersive, shared virtual worlds that users can access to interact with other users, engage in conversations, work, learn and teach new skills, attend events, play games, shop virtual goods, purchase virtual real estate, and do a lot more. You can imagine the Metaverse technology as a ‘cyberspace’ – a three-dimensional, evolved internet – where logging in isn’t required.

The concept of the Metaverse was first mentioned in Neal Stephenson’s science novel, “Snow Crash,” published in 1992. Stephenson, in his novel, envisioned a virtual universe where users could use virtual reality (VR) headsets to enter with their digital avatars. This concept was again popularized in Earnest Cline’s 2011 sci-fi novel Ready Player One, where individuals use VR headsets to enter a virtual world. 

Metaverse has yet to develop fully, but it quickly rose to popularity when Facebook rebranded itself to Meta in 2021 and announced its plans to invest $10 billion in the Metaverse concept. Since then, other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Sony, and Nvidia have also invested billions of dollars into the same. Let’s see how. 

  • Facebook (now Meta) – Facebook has been heavily involved in the VR space for a long, releasing devices like the Oculus that offer a seamless VR experience. Now, Meta is also focusing on the Metaverse’s software aspect with the newly built Horizon Marketplace, which allows users to purchase and sell goods virtually. 
  • Google – Google has been an early player in the AR space with its Google Glass, which wasn’t made mainstream for the public but did become successful in the private sector. In 2021, Google merged its AR and VR departments under the ‘Google Labs’ label, and this new team is now working towards Project Starline, a holographic video conferencing technology. 
  • Nvidia – Given Nvidia’s global reputation as one of the top players in digital design, the company is using its position to accelerate efforts toward Metaverse development. For this, Nvidia is handing out a free version of its Omniverse software suite to individual artists. This suite contains the required tools to help designers create full-fledged virtual assets and worlds, which they can even put up on digital content libraries and marketplaces.
  • Sony – Alongside Epic Games, Sony has been one of the biggest but silent players in the Metaverse. Sony’s efforts towards the Metaverse began with a simple game called Fortnite, which went from being a battle royal game to a full-fledged virtual world where players can socialize, play, and also attend virtual performances.

What does the Metaverse comprise? 

Today, the Metaverse comprises ten layers under four key categories: content and experiences, platforms, hardware and infrastructure, and enablers. Here’s what these layers entail.

  • Content and experiences 

    • This includes the content developed by creators, developers, and users which establishes and enriches the Metaverse experiences.
    • It also involves virtual worlds where users can gather, interact, create, and engage in other activities.
    • Last but not least, it includes applications required for Metaverse use cases, such as events or learning sessions.
  • Platforms 

    • Platforms made for creators who will create 3D experiences.
    • Platforms that help access and discover content, applications, and experiences.
  • Hardware and infrastructure 

    • The Metaverse is built on underlying infrastructure like semiconductors, cloud computing, networks, and more.
    • Users access and interface with the Metaverse using various devices (AR/VR headsets), accessories, and operating systems.
  • Enablers

    • Applications and tools to manage digital identity.
    • Privacy, security, and governance are key to the Metaverse’s fair and proper functioning.
    • Tools that can help users access the Metaverse economy through monetization and payments.

How does the Metaverse work? 

You can envision the Metaverse as a visually represented internet. But here’s the best part. You can actually enter the Metaverse instead of just looking at it. 

The Metaverse leverages various technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and others to create a seamless and immersive user experience. In addition, devices like VR headsets and AR glasses project the Metaverse around you. Let’s delve a little deeper into this to better understand how the Metaverse works.

  • Creating the virtual experience 

    To build a virtual environment for experiences like participating in events, socially interacting via platforms, or playing games, one would need to use Web3 development and 3D designing libraries like libp2p, three.js, light.js, web3.js, web3j, ethers.js, and web3.py.

    Selecting which library to use depends on the type of experience one wants to create for the users. Today, three.js is one of the most popular choices for Web3 designers, which uses scenes, cameras, effects, meshes, animations, and render performance monitoring. 
  • The importance of discovery tools 

    Once a virtual experience is created, discovery tools such as search engines can be created using extended services over the Metaverse. These would allow users to interact virtually with the search result via augmented reality (AR).

    For instance, let’s say you want to build a VR platform that offers real-time navigation through suggestions and directions via the user’s camera. For this, you would need spatial computing through geo-tagged tokens on OSM (OpenStreetMap) data points, Blockchain, and Metaverse elements that operate the same way as 3D designing for AR. 
  • The role of virtual reality devices 

    Once the virtual environment is created and the discovery tools are ready, VR comes into play, where users can actually experience the Metaverse. Users can enter the virtual environment with 360-degree vision using a virtual reality headset or other immersive technologies.

    Moreover, users can create their avatars, i.e., digital representations of themselves in the Metaverse. These avatars can be customized to reflect the user’s appearance, attire, and preferences. In other words, virtual reality technology enables you to get a fully immersive experience in the Metaverse by creating a sense of presence and realism.
  • The need for virtual currencies 

    The growing popularity of the Metaverse has also increased the need for virtual currency. This is a digital currency that we can use to purchase goods and services in the Metaverse. You can get virtual currencies by exchanging real money at cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and others. You can also connect your wallets to these platforms to carry out transactions.

Virtual reality use cases in the Metaverse 

The combination of VR and the Metaverse can prove to be extremely useful for several industries. Here are some examples:

  • Travel – Using VR, people can travel virtually to almost any place through the Metaverse, be it monuments, popular cities, must-visit eateries, or even local spots that are unique to each city.
  • Games – VR-based games are already popular and many tech giants are investing in exploring this foray even deeper. In the future, users can even connect with one another in the Metaverse and experience next-level immersiveness through VR headsets, playing with their friends from anywhere in the world.
  • Medicine – VR and Metaverse can also be significant to the healthcare industry. Medical doctors, practitioners, and students can use VR to perform digital surgeries on digital avatars in the Metaverse, as a new and more efficient form of practice. This will further help newcomers of the industry to sharpen their skills and be better professionals down the line. 
  • Education – VR can also play in evolving the education sector for better learning experiences. Teachers can use VR-supported devices to make lessons more immersive and engrossing for students. Plus, VR can be implemented to explain concepts virtually through diagrams, interactive content, and more. Virtual tours in the Metaverse can also be used to explain lessons in history, science, and other areas.
  • Military – Forces can use the Metaverse to conduct simulated training sessions where soldiers can better train for combat situations using appropriate AR/VR gear.
  • Virtual events – One of the most obvious use cases of VR in the Metaverse is the ability to hold events virtually, allowing participants worldwide to attend or experience them. In the long run, this can make event hosting more time-saving and cost-friendly than ever.

Why is the Metaverse important? 

Given how AR, VR, XR (extended reality), MR (mixed reality), and various other virtual-oriented devices and platforms are already discovering use cases for the Metaverse, its importance can’t be underestimated. Companies are increasingly working towards building roadmaps to evolve and mix reality better than ever. Let’s take a look at why Metaverse has quickly become the center of attention for many. 

  • User interaction improvement 

    Using VR or AR, businesses can leverage the Metaverse to offer better consumer support through digital avatars acting as virtual agents/assistants. Companies can use even use games, galleries, VR/AR showrooms, VR tours, interactive case studies, and various other methods to generate new users through the Metaverse and be at the top of their game.
  • Better advertisement experience 

    Print ads are now outdated, and even social media ads are something many users simply skip. The Metaverse can help revive the highly lucrative advertisement landscape by enhancing the interaction with an ad. Companies can use dynamic ads, interactive ad components, and 3D elements to attract more customers and let them better engage with their products/services.
  • Corporate events 

    Businesses were already hosting business conferences, webinars, and seminars through online platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Now, the Metaverse can help elevate the experience by letting employees virtually attend the conference as their digital avatars, actively engaging in discussions, interactions, and even giving presentations more immersively. 
  • Better e-commerce experience 

    Using AR and VR in the Metaverse, brands can completely change the way shoppers and consumers interact with their products. For instance, a shoewear brand can let users try out various shoes by trying them on virtually. This intriguing experience can also help companies nudge the user to purchase their products by offering a brilliant shopping experience.

    Brands like IKEA, Warby Parker, and Glasses.com have already implemented AR into their e-commerce platforms. These allow consumers to explore products from the comfort of their homes and experience how a product would actually look and feel once they purchase it, in a way they never have before.
  • Better operations 

    Metaverse concepts can also assist companies in establishing more productive and efficient operations. This will allow companies to not only build better products, but also enhance their maintenance cycles, find defects/bugs/issues quicker, and expedite their time to market.

    A good example of this would be BMW. The automobile giant currently has an all-electric vehicle production line that it ran solely as a simulation for roughly six months. For this, BMW built virtual cars on a 1:1 scale in the Metaverse to explore all their options before determining the factory’s final layout. 

How to access the Metaverse?

Metaverse Guide: How to access the Metaverse

Metaverse Guide: How to access the Metaverse

While Metaverse is still in its early stages, users can access this immersive virtual world using specific steps and devices. Our detailed Metaverse guide covers both so you can easily access the Metaverse and enjoy the experience. Let’s dive in!

Devices to access the Metaverse 

As of today, there isn’t a singular entrance into the Metaverse as the idea of just one Metaverse is still theoretical. However, those who want to experience the Metaverse can do so by using the following devices.

  • VR headsets – VR headsets are one of the most common devices today to access the Metaverse. Wearing it, you will receive a digital display of the Metaverse virtual world. A VR headset tracks your head positioning, meaning your POV will change in the virtual world whenever you look around, the same way it would in the real world. Oculus is a prominent player in this space, who had first launched their line of VR headsets in 2012. Their latest release, the Oculus Quest 2, is a major example of a Metaverse device as it boasts impressive VR tech with both PC and Android compatibility.
  • Gaming consoles – Prominent gaming consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox already allow users to access the Metaverse in some way or the other. For instance, the Xbox, despite not having any AR or VR support, provides platforms such as an interactive “metaverse museum” and Roblox, where a virtual world can be entered. PlayStation also comes with a PlayStation VR headset to access VR features, which has now become an intriguing platform to develop Metaverse features in. 
  • Smartphones – Just like gaming consoles, Roblox also works on iOS, Android, and other mobile platforms, allowing smartphone users to enter the virtual world. Roblox comes with VR support as well, meaning you can use your phone to access a virtual world, the same way others do with expensive PC setups. 
  • AR gear – Augmented reality gear is another way to access the Metaverse. It’s similar to VR devices in that both put digital imagery to your point of view. However, a key difference is that AR gear overlays Metaverse elements on top of the real world you see, whereas VR entirely replaces your POV with a virtual landscape. Microsoft HoloLens and Google Glass are some of the most prominent AR gear examples that have been developed to access the Metaverse.
  • Computers – While not the most user-friendly, computers are one of the most powerful options for accessing Metaversal systems. Most of the programs for accessing the Metaverse run on computers. However, your computer would require a good GPU and an accompanying VR/AR system to let you access the Metaverse.

Steps to access the Metaverse

Accessing the Metaverse depends on the specific platform you want to enter. Here are the common steps to help you get started:

  1. Choose a platform: Today, multiple Metaverse platforms are available out there, such as the ones we’ve mentioned above: The Sandbox and Decentraland. Plus, you can also experience the Metaverse through other platforms like Roblox, Second Life, and Axie Infinity.

  2. Create an account: Once you choose a platform, you need to create an account. Provide your email address and create a username and password. Some platforms may ask for additional information, such as age or location.

  3. Download the app: Depending on what platform you choose, you may need to download their app to access the Metaverse. Follow the instructions shared by the provider to install the necessary software.

  4. Customize your avatar: Almost every Metaverse platform requires you to create an avatar that represents you in the virtual world. You can customize the avatar according to your appearance and personality.

  5. Start exploring the Metaverse: Once you create your account and the avatar, you can access the Metaverse. You can interact with other users, make friends, explore different virtual locations, shop, and discover everything Metaverse offers.

How do NFTs fit into the Metaverse landscape?

As we covered in the previous section, NFTs are quickly gaining traction in the virtual tech space. In a nutshell, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are secured digital assets that operate on the same blockchain technology cryptocurrencies do. While cryptocurrencies represent financial currency, NFTs represent art, music, or even digital real estate that the owner can purchase or sell in the Metaverse.

The Metaverse Group is the world’s first real estate company to operate virtually. The Group helps buy or rent real estate in Metaverse virtual worlds like Sandbox, Decentraland, Upland, and Somnium. Users can get spaces for commercial and conference uses, purchase land for art galleries, houses, and even spots to hang out with friends and family. These are all done through NFTs, and the more they are normalized, the more types of real estate people will get to access.

New-age companies aren’t the only ones riding on this virtual wave. Prominent brick-and-mortar brands are doing the same, such as Nike, who acquired a started called RTFKT, which makes unique virtual sneakers and digital collectibles through NFTs, AR, and blockchain authentication. Before this acquisition, Nike even filed trademark applications to create virtual apparel and sneakers consumers can buy virtually. Roblox and Nike have also collaborated to create a digital world called Nikeland, where Nike consumers and fans can connect, play games, and dress up their avatars in virtual Nike apparel. 

Hence, it’s becoming evident that alongside blockchain, NFTs form the foundation for virtual ownership. As people become accustomed to the Metaverse, NFTs will be the vehicle through which their real-world goods’ ownership will transform to digital ownership, which will be critical to ultimately interacting in the Metaverse. 

Metaverse pros and cons: What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the Metaverse?

As we’ve discussed here, the Metaverse is a key technological advancement and hence, has attracted many eyeballs. It has the potential to offer many benefits, but it’s not perfect and does also come with certain drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the most important Metaverse pros and cons. 

Metaverse pros

Metaverse Guide: Pros of Metaverse

Metaverse Guide: Pros of Metaverse

Let’s quickly take a look at some of the pros Metaverse offers 

  1. Negates physical distance and enhances social interaction

    When you are in the Metaverse, your geographic location becomes irrelevant. The Metaverse allows you to connect with people from across the globe in a super interactive and immersive way. Unlike social media platforms, where you can only hear and see someone, Metaverse allows you to engage with your friends in activities such as gaming, shopping, and attending events together through your avatar. 
  2. Promotes new business opportunities

    The Metaverse can create new business opportunities, allowing companies to advertise and sell virtual goods and services. You can see the products and even feel them using haptic technology.
  3. Enhances education and training

    Metaverse will further improve the current online education. With the Metaverse, quality education will be accessible to everyone, irrespective of their physical location. People from any part of the world can teach and learn together in real time, just like in a physical classroom.
  4. Enables immersive gaming experience

    The Metaverse can create highly immersive gaming environments that allow the players to get fully engrossed in the game. It provides detailed and realistic environments where gamers feel they are interacting with other players physically.
  5. Fosters innovation

    The Metaverse can foster innovation because creating immersive and interactive environments will require new technologies. This will encourage innovation in areas like game development, content creation, marketing, and more.

Metaverse cons

Metaverse Guide: Cons of metaverse

Metaverse Guide: Cons of metaverse

Now that we’ve covered the pros, let’s go over the cons. 

  1. May lead to privacy issues

    Metaverse platforms usually collect users’ facial attributes, blinks, and personal information like name, location, browsing behavior, and other details. Businesses can use this data for targeted advertising and other purposes, raising concerns about our privacy. 
  2. May lead to identity theft

    Hackers and miscreants can hack your avatars and pretend to be you in the Metaverse. They can also misuse your sensitive data and get you in trouble.
  3. May negatively impact kids

    The internet is often cited to have an adverse effect on kids. Many people consider the Metaverse to be the next version of the internet. They fear that the new platform may cause physiological and psychological risks for young minds. Moreover, children may also come across sexual and other harmful content on such platforms, which can negatively impact them.
  4. May pose health concerns

    Just like the internet, the Metaverse can be very addictive, impacting our physical and mental health. Science has concrete evidence that excessive use of digital devices causes mental health issues such as depression, losing interest in social activities, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, etc. Spending hours in the Metaverse can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues. Moreover, prolonged use of VR headsets can cause eye strain, headaches, etc. 

Also, read What Is Programmer Imposter Syndrome and How Can You Deal With It?

When will a full-fledged Metaverse be available?

As discussed earlier, Metaverse is still in its early stages. The primary idea of entering and engaging in a virtual world has existed for many years, but a full-fledged Metaverse where realistic interactions can occur will take some time to develop. 

Many experts and tech moguls have spoken similarly about the Metaverse and truly accessing a virtual world. For instance, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, in his yearly review blog, stated that many don’t possess the required motion capture gloves and VR goggles to precisely map and represent their body language, voice quality, or facial expressions.

Gates also noted that things would be different for businesses. In the next two to three years, the majority of virtual meetings will move from physical offices to the Metaverse, a 3D world where participants will attend as their digital avatars. 

What will the Metaverse’s impact be on the future?

Since Metaverse is not a reality yet, many possibilities and unknowns surround it. How a full-fledged Metaverse will come about, who will control it, and what it will entail is all up for debate. Having said that, many believe in the Metaverse’s capability to enhance our lives by enabling interactions not possible in the physical world. 

A recent Accenture survey indicated the same opinion Gates mentioned about the Metaverse affecting the business sphere. The survey, conducted on 4,600 technology and business leaders, found that 71 percent of the people think that the Metaverse will positively impact their company, while 42 percent believe that it will be a major breakthrough.

Moreover, in 2022, Pew Research Center partnered with Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center to survey 624 business leaders, technology innovators, and activists. This survey was conducted to get their response on Metaverse’s impact by 2040. As per the report, 54 percent of individuals expect the Metaverse to be a fully-functioning, completely immersive aspect of everyday life for half a billion or more people worldwide, while 46 percent said that wouldn’t be the case.

Despite the Metaverse being a relatively new concept, many reports, including the ones mentioned above, suggest how many believe in its potential to enhance human interaction. Plus, other key facets suggest how Metaverse will affect the future, such as:

  • The Metaverse will result in constant technological improvements, especially in large-data processes like graphics rendering and computing power. This will help build even bigger virtual worlds that people can access easily through their smartphones, especially after the rapid adoption of 5G. 
  • Metaverse’s capabilities in shaping future VR/AR technologies is also resulting in the decrease of production costs of VR and AR hardware. Hence, these gears will become more accessible to the public. Plus, tech firms are working on bringing new devices to the market, such as bodysuits and haptic gloves, to further enhance how users engage with the Metaverse.
  • As discussed earlier, gaming in the Metaverse is already becoming mainstream. However, Metaverse’s expanding use cases will increase its accessibility, with immersive sports, retail, educational, and other experiences becoming more available. Metaverse will also likely expand its use cases in the corporate sector, with team collaborations, employee training, team one-on-ones, etc. moving to the virtual space.
  • The examples of Bitcoin and Ethereum prove how cryptocurrencies are already becoming the norm in many cases. As a result, commerce in the Metaverse will also become more mainstream, as cryptocurrency will be needed to buy and sell goods virtually. The emergence of NFTs is the biggest proof currently that making and selling goods virtually is possible and will indeed increase as the Metaverse takes its full form. 

In a final note on Metaverse’s impact in the future, we can consider McKinsey’s recent report which states that the Metaverse may amass nearly $5 trillion within 2030, via enterprise and consumer use cases. Hence, the Metaverse future looks quite promising as this new-age technology will radically develop the internet we use today.

How to become a Metaverse developer? 

The Metaverse has become a hot topic in recent years. Naturally, the demand for Metaverse developers is growing. It’s an exciting time for developers looking to build their careers in the Metaverse space. This Metaverse guide lists the steps to becoming a Metaverse developer.

What does a Metaverse developer do? 

A Metaverse developer designs and develops interactive and immersive experiences for a virtual world. They write, debug, and execute code for the Metaverse platform. Their responsibilities include:

  • Creating immersive and engaging 3D environments using tools such as Unreal Engine, Unity, etc
  • Designing user interfaces that allow users to interact efficiently with the Metaverse
  • Developing programming logic to support immersive and interactive experiences on the Metaverse
  • Implementing security measures to ensure security on the Metaverse 
  • Collaborating with other developers and stakeholders to plan and implement new features for the Metaverse
  • Monitoring performance and troubleshooting to optimize performance
  • Learning emerging technologies for the Metaverse development

What skills do you need to become a Metaverse developer? 

Skills needed to require a Metaverse developer

Skills needed to require a Metaverse developer

Metaverse development demands strong programming and problem-solving skills. Let’s look at the seven Metaverse developer skills that can help you become a good Metaverse developer.

  1. Artificial intelligence

    The application of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased exponentially in recent years. From healthcare to business strategy planning, and surveillance, AI has made a significant impact in every industry. In the case of Metaverse, AI is used to provide a personalized experience and to create intelligent non-player characters. AI is also used to create and customize your digital avatars. You need to be proficient in languages such as Python, R, and C++ to develop efficient AI models.
  2. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

    The immersive experience is one of the most important features of the Metaverse, which is possible through technologies like virtual and augmented reality. These technologies are used to create immersive virtual environments that enable users to explore different elements using various AR and VR glasses and other input devices.
    AR applications allow users to view their surroundings with interactive visuals like the mobile game Pokémon GO. On the other hand, VR produces a computer-generated virtual environment that you can explore using VR headsets, sensors, and gloves.
  3. 3D modeling and animation

    Creating a digital environment that appears much like the real world is one of the major challenges in developing the Metaverse, and thus, an important Metaverse developer skill. 3D reconstruction enables you to create a virtual replica of the physical world with natural-looking spaces. Software like Maya, Blender, and Unity is used to create 3D models and animations.
  4. Blockchain and cryptocurrency

    Blockchain is one of the most important technologies for the Metaverse. It is used to create decentralized virtual economies within the Metaverse, allowing users to buy and sell virtual assets. Blockchain technology provides the security and transparency necessary for the Metaverse.
    You can use cryptocurrencies in the Metaverse, as the platform does not support physical currencies. Cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology; you must master it as a Metaverse developer.
  5. Cloud computing

    Metaverse will require a lot of storage space to handle the massive data volume. Cloud computing technology comes in handy in creating storage space for the Metaverse.
  6. Internet of Things (IoT)

    The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that uses sensors and devices to connect elements of the physical world to the Internet. In the case of the Metaverse, IoT is useful in collecting data and feeding it to the Metaverse to adjust accurately to real-world conditions. 
  7. Haptic technology

    This technology is used to create a sense of touch and motion in a virtual environment. It uses sensors and specialized actuators to simulate various sensations, such as vibrations, pressure, and temperature. 

Now that we’ve covered the most important Metaverse developer skills, let’s see how you can land a Metaverse job. 

How to get a job in the Metaverse?

Once proficient in the above technologies, you can start looking for jobs. Tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, and many startups often hire Metaverse developers. You can look at their career pages and on job sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor for open positions.

However, these traditional ways of looking for Metaverse developer jobs can be tedious and may take time. Moreover, you may not find the right opportunity you are looking for. Turing can help you find the best Metaverse developer jobs quickly. 

If you’re a developer looking for long-term remote AI and ML jobs with top US companies, try Turing. Earn salaries higher than the market average and enjoy fantastic career growth. Head over to the Apply for Jobs page for more information.

Final thoughts 

The Metaverse can revolutionize the way we use the internet. We will see significant growth in this area in the coming years. With evolving technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, the Metaverse will turn more realistic than ever, allowing users to have more engaging experiences and opening several business avenues. 


FAQs 

  1. What are the four pillars of the Metaverse?

    The Metaverse currently has four tech pillars: a 3D world that’s interactive and realistic, a platform to let users create and share content, certain services and tools to let users interact with one another, and a system to track and manage user interaction and data.
  2. What are the eight elements of the Metaverse?

    The eight elements that currently form the Metaverse are user interactivity, extended reality (XR), blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), computing vision, future mobile networks, edge and cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
  3. What are the five dimensions of the Metaverse?

    The five dimensions of the Metaverse we know today are linearity, context, time, space, and planarity.
  4. Is Metaverse 3D or 4D?

    Currently, the Metaverse is a 3D virtual space that’s immersive and shared. It’s persistent and presents a 3D virtual world where humans can experience life digitally. However, as the Metaverse progresses and more development takes place, the Metaverse will comprise several dimensions, each one filing with various types of content. Along with the 2D internet and 3D world, the Metaverse will also have 4D augmented reality, and even a 5D mixed reality, if that’s possible. 

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By , Mar 28, 2023
8 Things to Expect When You Transition from an Individual Contributor to a Software Engineering Manager
Skills, Interviews, and Jobs

Things to Expect When Transitioning from an Individual Contributor to a Software Engineering Manager?

What to expect when transitioning from IC to software engineering manager: 1. A rearrangement of your priorities, 2. Managing your former teammates.

Many developers aiming to move up in their professional ladder, spend hours asking themselves, “How do I switch to a software engineering manager?” While there’s no hard and fast process for this, there are certain changes every engineer or developer faces when making this change.

As a developer, transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager can be exciting, but also, challenging. You may be well-versed in testing, coding, and debugging, but managing a team demands different skills, such as delegation, communication, and conflict resolution.

Hence, in this blog post, we will explore what you can expect in the first few months when transitioning from an individual contributor role to an engineering manager. Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

Transitioning from an IC to a software engineering manager – 8 things to prepare for

Apply for remote engineering jobs at Turing

Transitioning from an IC to a software engineering manager – 8 things to prepare for

Transitioning from an IC to a software engineering manager

Transitioning from an IC to a software engineering manager

Let’s look at the things you need to keep in mind one by one. 

  1. A rearrangement of your priorities

    The individual contributor meaning usually revolves around writing clean code, ensuring your assigned tasks are done on time, and teaching engineering best practices to your teammates. Hence, you will usually have a solid grasp of your priorities as an engineer.

    However, when you prepare for a managerial role, one of the first things you will wonder is what the role entails. Will you be a tech lead who will also conduct performance reviews and one-on-ones? Will you still be coding? Will you be expected to mentor or coach your team members?

    These questions and their answers will vary depending on where you work. But your priorities as an employee will definitely change. You will have to put your company first, your team second, and team members third. And if we may add, yourself forth. This is one of the critical things that will help you become an effective software engineering manager.

    As a developer or engineer, your priorities would naturally be the other way around. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you would not think about what’s best for the company, but you’d be prioritizing your tasks first, automatically assuming that getting them done would be good for business.

    However, the things you must focus on as an engineering manager are knowing how the company performs and increasing its efficiency. This is why it’s important to keep the priority order in mind, as mixing it up can land you with a splendid team that isn’t working towards moving the needle or with one where skilled individuals are going off their own ways, not producing enough value as a whole.
  2. Managing your former teammates

    A core part of a software engineering manager’s job description is managing a team of engineers. More often than not, when you move into such a role within your organization, chances are you will lead and manage team members who were previously your peers. Some of them may even be your friends and have a similar technical experience as you.

    This may come off as a weird dynamic, which it naturally is. As a manager, you now influence who your ‘ex-peers’ work with, what they work on, their promotions, and much more.

    So, how can you turn this awkward situation into one that helps you be a good software engineering manager? Start having one-on-ones where you’re vulnerable and transparent with your team members. Address the fact that it’s awkward how you once used to be fellow engineers on the same team, and now they report to you. See their responses, and this will quickly lead to meaningful conversations where the dynamic improves and helps you manage your team effectively.
  3. Thinking past your individual contributor skills

    As you step into the shoes of a software engineering manager, you will quickly realize how the role requires you to see past your own skills. Software engineering manager jobs are more about establishing workflows and ensuring the team sticks to them, maintaining a healthy work environment, developing project plans, and even participating in software programming. Hence, you must have some empathy and trust as you let others take on roles you once did and ensure your team operates seamlessly.

    Maybe you loved solving certain problems or working on coding all day. Now, you will have initiatives to drive, meetings to conduct, and various other tasks to have a proper overview of how your team is performing. This means you won’t have much time to sit and work on coding solutions. You will have to delegate work and allow other members to thrive.

    Also, read: 7 Tips to Write an Effective Engineering Manager Resume
  4. Hiring successes and failures are on you

    Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, one of the best things you will experience is building a team. You will have to undertake hiring decisions to build a high-performing team that aligns with the company’s goals. Once you know what the team needs, you can search for candidates with strong traits to balance the team’s weaknesses. As a software engineering manager, you can even be the one to establish diversity within your team, whether that’s in gender, culture, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, or more.

    Also, read: Engineering Managers, This Is How You Can Judge the Diversity of Your Team

    While all this is exciting, there’s a downside to hiring people as well. You will now be the adjudicator for hiring decisions, which is a massive responsibility. That’s because there are two sides to this coin: if you hire someone and they perform well, your job is well done. However, it can be difficult if a new hire doesn’t do so or if the team doesn’t accommodate them ideally. If that continues, you’ll eventually have to re-hire another candidate and go through the hiring process again.

    There’s no way to determine if a candidate will be a 100 percent successful hire at your company. However, the key to being a great software engineering manager is to tip the scales in your favor by practicing effective tips when building your team. Here are some:

    • Look for individual contributor skills, expertise, and experience that can fill the gaps in your current team.
    • A team comprising all junior engineers or senior engineers can be counter-productive. Mix and match to include a good combination of team members from different levels that can help the team be more efficient. 
    • Don’t focus just on skills. Hiring brilliant engineers without gauging their soft skills can pose a major risk in your software engineering manager role. Hence, check if they’re team-oriented, good communicators, and have an inclusive mindset, as these are just as critical for a team’s success. 
    • Focus on intersectionality and diversity to build your team’s overall skillset as vastly as possible.
  5. Longer feedback cycles

    As an individual contributor, you may have fallen in love with the magic of writing code and instantly seeing its results on a website being used by many people. This instant feedback cycle excites many engineers, and it’s often one of the reasons they enjoy coding. Once you become a software engineering manager, the absence of this instant feedback cycle is one of the first things you’ll notice as a leader. This is because management seldom yields instant results.

    As a manager, you can advise your team members or implement new strategies that will eventually take weeks, or even months, to surface as fruitful or not. The feedback loop a manager experiences is much longer than the one you may have gotten used to in your individual contributor role.

    As an engineer, you get feedback on your design documents, code, or how your projects have been going. As a software engineering manager, you will have none of this. There will often be ambiguity about your expectations in your role. But, handling this uncertainty and establishing long-term gains is what makes a leader a team can look up to.

    Also Read: 6 Mistakes Hiring Managers Should Avoid Making
  6. The urgency to figuring out your time management strategy 

    When you become a software engineering manager, you’re likely to spend most of your time on these:

    • Managing – conducting one-on-ones, team meetings, and mentoring team members
    • Hiring – establishing interview best practices to hire the right people
    • Monitoring – evaluating the team’s individual performance and overall delivery metrics
    • Planning and communicating – being the point of contact for both senior managers and your team members, gathering resources, and jointly planning for long-term goals with other teams
    • Developing – working on technical tasks, including writing code and conducting code reviews (this decreases the more senior managing role you occupy)

      As you can see here, the software engineering manager’s roles and responsibilities involve far more tasks than what you may have undertaken as an individual contributor. Hence, when you move into a managerial role, you will quickly feel the need to figure out your time management strategy.

      You will have more meetings than before. Most of the time, you will schedule many of those yourself – the vital ones being the team meetings, one-on-ones, and syncing with key stakeholders. Here, you will have to decide how to structure these and leave time for uninterrupted tasks. Since you’re the software engineering manager, you will also have to take into account how much these meetings obstruct your team’s time and minimize that.

      Since there’s no cookie-cutter approach to this, the best way to set up a time management strategy is by noting how many meetings you are involved in (per day or week), how much time they take, and planning your tasks around them.
  7. Avoiding conflict

    As an individual contributor, there may have been times when you saw one of your colleagues not pulling their weight and wished you could fire them. However, once you become a software engineering manager, you will quickly realize that firing an employee is not easy. That’s because you will be the one to deliver the bad news.

    Many first-time managers experience conflict avoidance when they first undertake the managerial role. It’s only natural if you feel the same, as you never had to have difficult conversations with your teammates as an individual contributor. However, having these conversations is a big part of being a software engineering manager. While such conversations may not occur regularly, they are vital. What you say during those conversations can have more impact than you know.

    Moreover, not all these tough conversations revolve around work performance either. Some work environments may not be as peaceful as others, and you may find a team member having issues unrelated to work or being closed off as they’re unhappy with you or someone else on the team. No matter what, getting used to having such conversations and not avoiding conflict is key when transitioning from individual contributor to manager.

    Also, read: 6 Common Interview Mistakes Remote Developers Make
  8. Stressing about where you stand in your team

    Lastly, when you become a software engineering manager, one of the hardest (and sadly, most common) things you will experience is worrying about where you stand in your team. Once you get into your managerial role, there will be an invisible divide between your team and you, irrespective of how deeply involved you were with the team as an individual contributor. But you must remember that although this is an unpleasant feeling, it’s completely natural.

    You may want to maintain the same relationship with your team members that you had before. However, there will be times when you will have to criticize their work, deliver strong feedback, settle disputes between members, or even handle HR situations.

    While you may be worrying about this new divide between you and your ex-peers, don’t forget that you’ll have new peers as a manager – the other engineering managers in your company. That’s why you must network with the other managers once you take up your managerial position. This will help you form invaluable relationships and allow other managers to be there for you, whether that’s to help you navigate new challenges or work on cross-team projects. 

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Transitioning from individual contributor to manager, as important as it is, comes with its own set of challenges. A managerial role puts you deeper into the company’s bigger picture and hands you the responsibility of creating, managing, and mentoring teams for the company’s success. 

Whether you’re considering a transition to a software engineering manager or you’re already one, this blog will provide you with key insights into what you can expect once you take up the role. Moreover, we hope the information shared here can help you prepare for the move and set yourself up for success. 

If you’re actively searching for lucrative remote engineering jobs, visit Turing. We provide AI-matched, high-paying engineering opportunities where you can work with top U.S. clients from anywhere in the world. Sign up today.

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By Mar 21, 2023
8 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Software Development Career (5)
Mental Health and Productivity

8 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Software Development Career

8 deadly mistakes to avoid in your software development career: 1. Not focusing on soft skills 2. Not taking ownership of mistakes 3. Misunderstanding software.

Transitioning from a software developer to a team lead or manager is a critical part of one’s software development career. To get this change right, you must make the right professional decisions, upskill, and, more importantly, avoid career-threatening mistakes to ace each role. 

This blog post will cover the software developer and software manager mistakes you must avoid in navigating each role efficiently. Both roles have their unique challenges, as your contributions and duties are different when you’re an individual contributor and a team lead. Hence, this post will discuss both roles separately, where we will highlight the common mistakes you need to steer clear of.

Table of Contents

  1. What are the most common errors made by developers?
    • Not focusing on soft skills
    • Not taking ownership of mistakes
    • Misunderstanding software requirements
    • Not asking for help
  2. What are some common mistakes managers make in their software development careers?
    • Prioritizing the project over people
    • Poor task division
    • Being hesitant with constructive criticism
    • Not having one-on-one conversations
  3. The bottom line

What are the most common errors made by developers?

Common errors made by developers

Common errors made by developers

The software development landscape is challenging and constantly evolving, which is why even the most experienced developers make mistakes. However, certain common errors developers make can severely impact their career opportunities in software development. Moreover, these mistakes can even hamper the quality, security, and efficiency of the applications developers work on. Hence, developers should avoid these errors to be adept at their role. 

Not focusing on soft skills

 Writing clean code is no longer enough. As a developer, you may think that having a strong suit of technical skills will do the job. Well, that’s one of the most common mistakes in a software developer career path. Being able to thoroughly communicate with team members, stakeholders, and other organization members is key to understanding business objectives, speaking with clients, delivering quality products, and even improving your technical skillset through group discussions and learning.

The latest data also suggests that every developer needs soft skills—be it for their in-person or remote software jobs. As per West Monroe’s survey, 78 percent of recruiters actively seek IT professionals with robust soft skills. 43 percent of the surveyed HR professionals have also said that tech roles have become harder to fill as candidates lack good soft skills. Hence, you must hone your soft skills, along with your technical skills to secure your desired position and move ahead in your software development career. 

Not taking ownership of mistakes

More often than not, developers simply say, “It’s not in my code,” when a bug or error is found. This is a major mistake in the software development career path as it’s important to leave arrogance at the door. 

As a developer, you must take ownership of your mistakes to show professionalism, which will ultimately impress your manager. Irrespective of your responsibility for the mistake, your manager or team lead is sure to receive criticism from their higher authorities. Knowing that you stepped up, acknowledged the issue, and said you would go back and thoroughly evaluate your work to resolve the issue quickly will make a strong impression. Needless to say, maintaining such an attitude is critical to climbing up the ladder in your software development career.

Misunderstanding software requirements

When discussing the most common mistakes in your software development career, misunderstanding software requirements can’t be overlooked. That’s because many developers with little experience tend to do this when working on a project.

The penultimate goal of establishing a software specifications document ahead of time is to test the process and its results continuously against a user’s expectations. Since requirements are unique, developers must stick to them and ensure that the product matches what a user expects. However, misunderstanding the requirements and not checking them from time to time causes errors that can spread to the end of the SDLC (software development life cycle). 

Hence, at every stage of development, developers must thoroughly understand the requirements and verify them with the concerned stakeholders and end-users.

Not asking for help

Even the most seasoned developers can feel they’re at their wit’s end with certain projects in their software development career. Sometimes, you simply won’t know where to start on a new task or what you’re doing. Here, not asking for help and taking it upon yourself to get the task done will be simply counterproductive, as you may make costly mistakes or waste the team’s resources. 

Instead, reach out to your manager, team lead, or even coworkers. Chances are, someone in your organization has experience in what you’re doing and can guide you. Send them an email, drop by their desk, or ping them in a chat. Whatever the method, be respectful and tactful of their time as you request some guidance in tackling the project or task, and they will probably help you out.

Also, read: How to Simplify Code Complexity? Avoid These Complexity Pitfalls

What are some common mistakes managers make in their software development careers

Common mistakes managers make in their software development careers

Common mistakes managers make in their software development careers

Once you transition from an individual contributor to a team lead, like a software manager, you will quickly realize how the responsibilities change. Your job will involve dealing with multiple resources, technologies, and people, pushing you to tackle several tasks simultaneously. Thus, it’s not surprising that even effective engineering managers make occasional errors. However, knowing and avoiding these are key to being efficient in your role. Here are the most common mistakes you must avoid when working in software development manager jobs.

Prioritizing the project over the people

As a developer, your focus is streamlined on delivering projects and deadlines. This means ensuring committed deliveries to prove your mettle to your boss, team lead, or manager. 

However, once you become a manager yourself, carrying that mentality can be a brutal mistake in your software manager career. Yes, projects are indeed important. However, if you focus solely on them without worrying about the people working on them, you’re on the wrong path. 

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to not only meet project deadlines but also contribute to the individual growth of your team members. You must build them, connect with them, and understand their character traits to make project deliveries more natural and effective. Maintaining this people-first focus will allow you to grow your team members, connect with them deeper, and ensure seamless project deliveries for overall company growth. Automatically, being a manager with people-first focus will also help you be efficient in your role, allowing you to progress well in your software development career. 

Also, read: The 6 Best Project Management Tools for 2023

Poor task division 

One of the most vital software manager duties is properly delegating tasks within the software development team. If tasks aren’t divided well, the entire team can become counterproductive due to confusion, ultimately leading to poor product quality, compromised deadlines, and programmer burnout

Therefore, as a manager, you need to avoid poor task divisions to not make a harmful software development career mistake. For this, you must establish a strong control mechanism in your team to avoid delegation-related mistakes in development. Every team member should know what task they’re responsible for, and you must divide tasks based on their strengths. 

Being hesitant with constructive criticism

Not giving constructive feedback is one of the most common software manager mistakes. As a first-time manager, you may shy away from having candid conversations about a team member’s performance and providing them with constructive criticism. While not having the tough discussion may be the easy way out, it will ultimately result in your team’s poor performance and you being responsible for it. Instead, use these tips to deliver effective and constructive feedback, and avoiding this critical mistake in your software development career

  • Earn their trust – Every great relationship is built on trust, and the same goes for the one between you and your team. Have one-on-one conversations and be yourself with your team members. Without trust, delivering criticism would be useless, as your team members won’t receive and work on it.
  • Prepare for the session – It’s always a good idea to prepare before beginning a feedback session. Start with ensuring that you’re in the right mindset to have the conversation so that it doesn’t stray from what needs to be discussed. Next, check with the team member if it’s a good time for them to discuss the feedback. Offer to reschedule the session if they want to. Lastly, try to have this conversation as soon as possible.
  • Discuss the problems jointly – Ensure that your constructive criticism doesn’t make it an ‘us vs. them’ discussion. The feedback session must involve both you and the recipient on the same side, jointly discussing the concerns. 
  • Discuss expected outcomes – After viewing the situation holistically and agreeing on the concerns, you can discuss future expectations, which should include exploring actions to mitigate similar problems and one or two actionable items for the team member to work on.

Not having one-on-one conversations

As we mentioned earlier, having one-on-one conversations is a great way to build trust between you and your team members. However, many first-time managers consider this a waste of their time, which can not only hurt their software development career but also create a toxic work culture

As a manager, you are responsible for identifying blockers and clearing them, improving your team’s productivity, and ensuring it runs optimally. This will be possible when you thoroughly know your team members, and they trust you enough to discuss concerns.

Therefore, have regular one-on-one meetings with your team members. When you schedule the first one-on-one with each member, use it to explain why you’re scheduling the call and what your expectations are. Once these discussions become regular, you can check weekly how your team members are doing, if they’re facing bottlenecks, and how you can help them with their tasks. This will end up optimizing project cycles and ensuring timely deliveries consistently. 

Establish a ‘sharing culture’ by encouraging feedback to occur both ways. Ask your team members what they think about the one-on-ones, if they think you can improve, or if more topics should be covered in them. This way, you will learn more about the team members, establish trust, identify problems sooner, and boost engagement.

The bottom line

While there is no cookie-cutter approach to being an efficient software developer or manager, there are certain mistakes you must avoid to advance in your software development career. The errors we have shared above are some of the most common mistakes in software project management and development. Understanding and working on avoiding these errors can not only help you be an effective individual contributor, but also a robust leader who optimizes reportees to be a high-performing team

If you’re looking for high-quality software development jobs, apply at Turing. Choose from various high-paying remote software development jobs that can match you with top U.S. companies in just 4 easy steps. Click on the Apply for Jobs button below.

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By Feb 27, 2023
4 Ways to Ensure the Shift-Left Approach Does Not Cause Developer Burnout
Culture and Productivity

What Is the Shift-Left Approach and How You Can Prevent It from Making Your Developers’ Job Harder?

Read this blog to learn about the shift-left approach in software testing and how to ensure it doesn’t drain your developers’ productivity.

The software testing market is estimated to reach $70 billion by 2030. An enormous market such as this is bound to experience continuous evolution, especially with the growing expectations of deploying high-quality software in shorter durations. Automatically, IT companies are looking for alternatives to meet the market’s need to shorten software release cycles. One such alternative is the shift-left approach, which has recently gained massive popularity. While it offers multiple benefits, it also comes with a stark disadvantage: draining developers’ productivity. 

This blog will discuss what this approach means, the shift-left benefits in software testing, and how you can ensure it doesn’t affect your developers. 

What is the shift-left approach in DevOps?

Let’s first review the traditional software development model to understand the shift-left approach. Here’s what it looks like: 

Stage 1: requirement analysis -> Stage 2: feasibility study -> Stage 3: architecture design -> Stage 4: software development -> Stage 5: software testing (QA) -> Stage 6: software/product deployment

As you can see, the testing phase enters the development cycle towards the extreme right, i.e., at the end of the process. The shift-left approach literally pushes the testing to the ‘left,’ which is at the early stage of the development pipeline. 

Shift-left process: by definition

DevOps teams adopt shift-left testing to begin security and testing processes as early in the SDLC (software development lifecycle) as possible – which can be a boon to developers. Theoretically, the shift-left approach saves a developer’s time and effort by decreasing the work they need to do later in the development pipeline. 

You can also apply the shift-left strategy on various SDLC processes, as it simply means pushing a particular process earlier in the development process than when it should’ve traditionally begun. 

For instance, if you shift software security left, you prioritize security when your developers design the code. The usual process here would be to wait till they’ve built the complete application to start addressing security risks. 

Also, read: 10 Popular Software Testing Trends in 2023

Shift-left benefits: theory vs. reality

Theory 

On paper, the shift-left approach is advantageous as it allows development teams to identify problems early on in the SDLC. This feature is helpful as problems are easier to solve when you detect them as quickly as possible. 

For example, if your developer or QA team detects an input validation risk in a new source code, they just update it to fix the issue. Solving such a problem would be more challenging if it remained unidentified until the developers had already built the source code and written the other code based on it. Here, the developers would probably have to make much bigger changes to the code and even recompile it after the changes.

Reality

Yes, shift-left development is helpful as it saves resources and reduces the threat of introducing severe software issues into production environments. Plus, the shift-left approach also helps to increase efficiency in the SDLC, improve product quality as the bugs are detected earlier than usual, and reduce time to market. 

However, there’s a massive potential disadvantage to implementing shift-left testing principles. They often lead to developer and programmer burnout as shifting-left increases a developer’s work and involves them in workflows that typically require other engineers. 

For example, QA (quality assurance) engineers usually work on performance testing during the SDLC. Here, developers provide code to the QA team, and they test it. But if you want to shift left performance testing by testing code as soon as it’s written, you will either need your developers to run the tests or incorporate the QA engineers into the development team so that they can run tests whenever new code is ready. 

Also, read: What Is Software Quality Assurance, and Why Is It Important?

Burnout isn’t the only problem

Apart from developer burnout, another problem with the shift-left approach is that a developer is more likely to face the blame if anything goes wrong. When adopting a shift-left strategy, you’re likely to ask your developer to also act as a QA and security engineer. When that happens, the actual QA and security engineers in your team can blame the developers for security or performance bottlenecks. 

How to ensure the shift-left approach doesn’t hurt your developers?

The above-mentioned problems don’t mean you must discard shift-left testing. Shift-left testing isn’t an inherently bad idea and does offer actual benefits. All you need to do is adopt the approach in such a manner that it doesn’t hamper your developers’ productivity and lets the SDLC run seamlessly. Here’s how you can do so.

  • Clearly defining how the shift-left strategy is implemented

    Organizations that want to shift left must consider the added burden it puts upon their development teams. Hence, they must ensure that shifting left doesn’t make their developers’ jobs harder. This process begins with specifically defining how the company decides to shift processes left.

    More often than not, the shift-left process is vaguely defined, creating scenarios where a developer is burdened with more than they can handle to operate within the shift-left approach. Instead of this, you can make the process open-ended where teams operate according to their assigned roles and responsibilities. For instance, before shifting left the testing or security, you can assign that your developers will perform A, B, and C tasks, while your QA team will work on X, Y, and Z, and they will stick to that.
  • Include developers in testing activities

    It’s a good idea to let your developers test their code before deploying it to the main branch. This way, the merged code is less error-prone and cleaner. Moreover, an individual code unit is easier to test as they are smaller, and hence, more navigable. This practice ensures that the developer doesn’t have to do much when testing such code and has enough on their plate to manage all tasks effectively. 
  • Include your QA testers early on

    The shift-left approach works best when you include your QAs from the very first brainstorming session. This way, they’re aware of the fundamental concepts and your developers’ ideas about building the app or website, allowing them to create better tests for the testing phase.

    Additionally, including QAs early on also gives a developer a clear idea about the potential bugs that can emerge and how to avoid them. This clarity further reduces the burden on developers when you shift left as they have a better understanding of what bugs to tackle and overcome.
  • Implementing a blameless culture

    Lastly, it’s also important to foster a blameless culture within your organization when you adopt the shift-left approach in DevOps. As mentioned earlier, developers can easily face the blame for things going wrong when they assume extra responsibility. With a blameless culture in place, the entire software development team shares collective responsibility for any issue. A culture like this reduces the risk of blaming specific team members, in this case, the developers, allowing them to work with maximum productivity. 

Also, read: 9 Effective Ways to Improve Remote Work Productivity as a Developer

The takeaway: What is the benefit of the shift-left approach?

Ultimately, the shift-left approach should help developers, along with everyone else on the team, save time and energy while creating high-quality software. However, this is only possible when you take the necessary steps to ensure the shift-left strategy doesn’t cause developer burnout.

Having said that, there are two sides to every coin. In this case, while you put effort into shifting left to the right way, your developers must be skilled and mature enough to step up to the task when needed. Shifting left means they will definitely have a few extra tasks on their plate, and the developers must have the right set of technical and soft skills to handle them. 

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By Jan 20, 2023