A Business Owner’s Guide to Building a Custom App or MVP — A Four-Part Series

Updated: MAY 14, 2025

Almost every project starts the same way—with a client asking, ‘What’s the process?’ The truth is that this is different for every client. Anyone claiming to have a proven, infallible outline to build software is selling the proverbial snake-oil. There are too many variables—especially the unique needs of each client—for a one-size-fits-all answer.

Creating an app for your business can feel overwhelming—especially if you're not a developer. Maybe you’ve got a great idea but aren’t sure where to start. Or maybe you’ve tried a DIY tool and hit a wall when it came to user experience, branding, or functionality. Wherever you are in your journey, this four-part series is for you. And, don't worry if you are not one of those techno-developer types, truth be told, I am not either!

At Lightning Kite, we’ve partnered with hundreds of business owners, founders, and enterprise technical teams who had a strong vision but needed the right team—one with proven experience and a clear development process—to turn that vision into a working product. This guide walks you through the essential high-level steps of creating a custom web or mobile app, MVP(Minimum Viable Product), or complex integration using a proven app development process for business leaders. We keep the language plain and the insights practical. Our goal is to make sure you feel supported—as if you’ve got a true partner in the process, not just a vendor. You don’t have to go it alone, and you don’t have to navigate in the dark.

Who This is For

This series is going to focus on topics in such a way as to support those that are starting the creative journey. It is for intended to help the following:

• Business owners or founders with a software idea but no dev team
• Influencers or subject-matter experts who want to productize their knowledge
• Operations or marketing teamss looking to modernize or automate internal processes
• Anyone evaluating how to build an MVP without wasting time or money

If the above four bullet points don't fit you, thats wonderful! Maybe you should check out the Lightning Kite Case Studies available on the build with us page.

What This Series Covers

Over the next four posts, we’ll break the process into clear, manageable steps—so you can make informed decisions, avoid costly mis-steps, come prepared with educated questions and create something that actually works for your business and your users.

Part 1: This Series Introduction - Pretty Self Explanatory

Part 2: Why Your Business Needs a Custom App—and How to Start the Right Way

Learn the real value of owning your own software. We’ll walk through how a custom app improves customer engagement, streamlines operations, and supports your business goals. You’ll learn how to define your app’s purpose and align it with what your users really need.

Part 3: From Planning to Prototype

Get practical advice on choosing platforms (iOS, Android, web), defining features for your MVP, and designing a user interface that reflects your brand. We’ll also help you understand how to select the right development approach—DIY, freelancer, or agency.

Part 4: From Build to Post-Launch Life (And How to Make It Count)

This post focuses on what it takes to actually build and release your app. From collaborating with developers to testing, launching, and gathering feedback, this phase is where your idea becomes a working product.

The section headers above will become links to the new post in the series as I add them. I hope this series helps you take the next step in turning your idea into reality.

If you’re ready to explore custom app development, reach out to us—we’d love to hear about your project.