<h2>How Much Does It Cost to Develop an AI Solution? </h2>The cost of developing an <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI solution" class="on">AI solution</a> can vary significantly, ranging from a few thousand dollars to several million. Factors like project complexity, data requirements, development time, and ongoing support all play crucial roles in determining the total investment. In this article, we’ll break down the primary cost factors, typical price ranges for various types of AI projects, and ongoing costs related to scaling and maintenance. <h2>Key Factors Influencing AI Development Costs</h2>Several core factors influence the cost of AI development:<ul><li>Model Development &amp; Training : Developing and training the AI model is often one of the most significant cost components, particularly for complex applications like generative AI or advanced machine vision. These solutions require specialized knowledge and extended training periods, increasing expenses as model complexity grows. </li><li>Data Acquisition &amp; Processing : Data quality and volume are essential for effective AI. Collecting, cleaning, and labeling data can be costly, especially for projects that need large datasets. High-quality data acquisition and preparation are crucial to ensuring the AI performs reliably, directly influencing costs.</li><li>Infrastructure &amp; Technology : The infrastructure needed to power AI models can vary from standard servers for basic models to high-performance cloud-based GPUs for complex neural networks. This element is a substantial cost factor, especially for compute-intensive applications that rely on advanced processing power.</li><li>​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/how-to-hire-an-AI-developer" alt="Development Team">Development Team</a> : Building an AI solution often demands a skilled, specialized team, particularly for applications involving natural language processing or computer vision. Development time and costs scale with project complexity, making team expertise a vital component of the budget.</li><li>Project Management : Coordinating complex AI projects requires structured project management to keep timelines and goals on track. While a smaller portion of the budget, effective project management is essential to avoid delays and inefficiencies.</li><li>Regulatory &amp; Compliance : Industries like healthcare and finance impose strict regulations on data usage, security, and privacy. Ensuring compliance with standards like HIPAA or GDPR can add to costs, as these projects require additional checks and secure handling of sensitive data.</li><li>Testing, Validation, and Maintenance : After deployment, AI solutions need continuous updates and performance validation to stay effective. Maintenance, scaling, and support become crucial for models processing high volumes of data or interacting with numerous users, making this an essential ongoing cost.</li></ul>Each of these categories plays a vital role in the overall expense structure of AI development, reflecting the varied demands of different AI applications and project requirements.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17309811152714660af65-cd90-4336-80d5-d9fe3482480f.png" alt="Core factors influence the cost of AI development" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2916,1425" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div><h3>Typical Cost Ranges for Various AI Solutions </h3>To give a better idea of pricing, here are some typical cost ranges based on common types of AI solutions:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1730981246665ce8462c2-e61b-4f4d-a47b-4b5713396e9c.png" alt="Typical cost ranges" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2916,2799" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div><h3>What Does It Cost to Launch an AI Project? </h3>Starting an AI project comes with a unique cost structure that varies based on factors like model complexity, industry, and provider expertise. Basic AI models can begin at around $5,000, while advanced models that rely on deep learning may range from $50,000 to well over $500,000. The choice of an AI development partner also impacts costs, as hourly rates vary by the company’s experience, location, and specialization.Industry-specific AI projects further influence pricing. For example, healthcare applications may cost between $20,000 and $50,000, while fintech projects often range from $50,000 to $150,000 due to differing complexity, regulatory demands, and integration needs. Upfront expenses also include investment in high-performance hardware and specialized software, with servers alone costing over $10,000.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/173098131911535b00a22-a4a2-47d6-b613-b675e9967ec6.png" alt="Common costs" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2916,1425" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Integration with existing systems can be a significant cost factor, especially when reviewing <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/mobile-audit" alt="compatibility and performance of a mobile app">compatibility and performance of a mobile app</a> within current system environments—a common focus in audits. Costs may increase if hardware upgrades or software compatibility adjustments are required. Additionally, if data quality or accessibility is lacking, further expenses may be needed to establish a suitable AI infrastructure, thereby increasing the overall budget for an AI initiative.<h4>What Does It Cost to Maintain AI systems? </h4>Deploying an AI solution is just the beginning; the next essential step is system maintenance. This phase includes regular hardware and software updates, computational resources, and the management of potential hardware failures that could cause downtime or data loss. For industries like healthcare, AI maintenance is even more demanding, as it must comply with strict regulations, such as HIPAA or GDPR, adding security and compliance expenses to the ongoing costs.Maintaining AI also requires frequent model retraining, system upkeep, and hardware updates to keep up with technological advancements. Companies face a choice between on-premises hardware—such as GPUs, ASICs, and TPUs—and <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/cloud-solutions" alt="cloud-based solutions" class="on">cloud-based solutions</a>, each with distinct cost implications. Cloud platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure help reduce direct hardware acquisition and maintenance costs. By optimizing cloud usage, including spot instances, companies can significantly cut computational expenses while keeping their AI systems robust and up-to-date.<h4>Pricing Models for AI Development Projects </h4>There are several pricing models for AI development that can help manage costs based on a project’s specific needs. The Fixed-Price Package is ideal for smaller, well-defined projects—such as simple bots or basic analytical models—where the scope is clear from the start, allowing for straightforward budgeting. The Time and Material Model suits projects with evolving requirements, as it charges based on hours worked, providing flexibility to adjust the scope as new needs arise.&nbsp;For long-term, large-scale projects that require continuous updates and enhancements, a Dedicated Development Team can be highly effective, offering ongoing support, consistent expertise, and adaptability in scaling. Finally, the Subscription Model works well for AI as a Service (AIaaS), where companies provide ready-to-use models, offering lower initial costs and predictable ongoing expenses. Each model aligns with different project demands, balancing cost management and development flexibility.<h5>Methods for Estimating AI Costs Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Estimation Approaches </h5>There are two main approaches to estimating costs for AI projects:<ul><li>Top-Down Estimation: This approach starts with a broad overview of the project, breaking it down into more detailed components. It’s a macro-level method that considers overall project goals, budget, and timeline, making it useful in the project’s early stages when specifics may be limited. However, top-down estimates can be less accurate as they rely heavily on assumptions and historical data.</li><li>Bottom-Up Estimation: This approach builds a cost estimate from the smallest components of the project up to the overall total. It provides a more precise estimate by assessing each part of the project in detail. Although more time-consuming and requiring a thorough understanding of project tasks, it’s often preferred in later project stages when detailed information is available.</li></ul><h5>Future of AI Facial Recognition Technology</h5>Developing AI, particularly for advanced applications like facial recognition, can involve significant costs. As highlighted in the Forbes article "Making Facial Recognition Smarter with Artificial Intelligence", the process requires not only substantial investment in data collection and algorithm development but also in training deep learning models with vast datasets to achieve high accuracy. The cost can vary depending on the complexity of the system and the scope of the project.&nbsp;For instance, creating a robust facial recognition system that can accurately identify individuals across various scenarios involves advanced AI technologies, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and necessitates considerable computational resources, including powerful GPUs. Moreover, continuous refinement and updating of the system are necessary to maintain its effectiveness, adding to the ongoing costs. This means that while initial development costs can be high, the potential for long-term applications in industries like security, retail, and healthcare makes the investment worthwhile for many companies.<h6>Conclusion: Get Started with Expert Guidance </h6>The cost to develop an AI solution varies widely based on complexity, scale, and ongoing needs. For an accurate cost estimate and tailored advice, <a href="https://cgsteam.io/contact" alt="connect with our AI experts" class="on">connect with our AI experts</a> to discuss your project requirements, determine the right approach, and find a solution that aligns with your budget. Let’s work together to bring your AI vision to life.

AI development costs range from thousands to millions, influenced by factors like project complexity, data needs, infrastructure, and expertise.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an AI Solution?

<h2>Steps to Hire an AI Developer</h2>Hiring an AI developer requires a strategic approach. This step-by-step guide will cover everything from defining your project requirements to negotiating rates and onboarding the right developer. We’ll dive into how to write an effective job description, screen candidates, and select between freelancers or full-time employees. By following this guide, you can hire a developer with the right combination of skills and experience to bring your project to life.<blockquote> With the growing demand for AI solutions, it’s essential to work with reliable IT support services and ensure your server infrastructure can handle data-intensive tasks efficiently. </blockquote>Defining your project scope is critical when <a href="https://cgsteam.io/contact" alt="hiring an AI developer">hiring an AI developer</a>. Begin by outlining the project's goals, tools, and technologies (like Python, TensorFlow, or PyTorch). Specify if you're developing machine learning models, chatbots, or AI-powered applications. A detailed job description should include the technical skills and experience needed, such as familiarity with AI frameworks and relevant programming languages.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-left" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172890832018377db6708-ff2e-4a05-ad00-988a35e924dd.png" alt="Steps to Hiring an AI Developer" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="180" data-size="50%," data-align="left" data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2571,1284" data-index="0" style="width: 100%; transform: rotate(0deg) rotateY(180deg);"> </figure></div>Next, determine whether a freelancer or full-time employee is the right fit for your needs. Popular platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn can help you find qualified candidates. We'll also delve into AI developer salary trends for 2024 and provide strategies for negotiating rates to get the best talent within your budget. Furthermore, we’ll examine the advantages and disadvantages of hiring remote versus in-house developers to guide your decision. <blockquote> Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn offer a pool of qualified candidates, but a <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-audit" alt="web audit">web audit</a> may be necessary to evaluate your current system’s compatibility with the AI solutions you plan to implement. </blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><h3>How to Hire an AI Developer</h3>To hire the right AI developer, start by crafting a job description that clearly outlines the required skills, experience, and technologies. Specify if you're looking for expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, or other AI disciplines, and list the tools the developer will need to work with.Decide if a freelancer or full-time hire is the better fit for your project. Freelancers work well for short-term needs, while full-time developers may be necessary for ongoing support. When screening candidates, focus on both technical and soft skills, ensuring they can solve complex problems and work well in teams. Also, get tips on negotiating rates to balance cost and quality, especially for freelancers, whose rates vary significantly based on location. <h4>Hourly Rates to Expect</h4><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-right" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172890908707654c7a4dc-32a3-45a0-b34e-5269109da022.png" alt="Costs of Hiring an AI Developer" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="50%," data-align="right" data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1650,1158" data-index="1" style="width: 100%;"> </figure></div><ul><li>North America: $100-$250 per hour.</li><li>Western Europe: $80-$150 per hour.</li><li>Eastern Europe: $40-$100 per hour.</li><li>Asia: $20-$70 per hour.</li></ul>When hiring, it’s important to explore the best countries to hire affordable and skilled AI developers. For more complex or high-stakes projects, you may need to consider higher rates to ensure top-quality work. Use strategic negotiation to align with the developer on a rate that fits your budget and expectations. <h4>Key AI Skills Needed</h4>AI development requires a strong foundation in key skills:<ul><li>Programming languages: Python, R, Java, C++.</li><li>AI libraries: TensorFlow, Keras, Scikit-Learn, OpenAI.</li><li>Data science tools: Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib.</li><li>Algorithms: Expertise in machine learning algorithms like supervised/unsupervised learning, regression models, and deep learning.</li><li>Soft skills: Communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and a mindset of continuous learning.</li></ul>Make sure your developer possesses the necessary technical skills while also being adaptable and collaborative, which is especially important if you’re choosing between hiring a freelancer or a full-time employee for your AI project.<h5>AI Developer Role</h5><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-left" contenteditable="false" style=""> <figure style="margin: auto;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728908880345e2d2e9eb-eddd-46a6-bde6-7fb11b4d523e.png" alt="Managing Your AI Development Project" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="420px,370px" data-align="left" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1899,1677" data-index="2" style="width: 420px; height: 370px;"> </figure></div>The role of an AI developer is to design and implement AI models, manage machine learning algorithms, and work with large datasets. Whether you’re building AI-powered chatbots, recommendation systems, or autonomous systems, your AI developer must be proficient with tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch. As your project evolves, they will also need to fine-tune models for accuracy and scalability.&nbsp;&nbsp;In deciding between a freelancer vs. an employee, consider the project’s duration and the ongoing support required. Freelancers may be a cost-effective option for short-term or specialized projects, while full-time employees may be better for long-term AI strategies.<h5>Common Mistakes to Avoid</h5>Hiring an AI developer involves several challenges, and there are common mistakes you should avoid. First, unclear project objectives can lead to miscommunication, so it’s important to be specific about your goals from the outset. Another mistake is focusing too much on cost—hiring based solely on the lowest rate can compromise the quality of work. Instead, aim for a balance between affordability and expertise. Skipping soft skills is also a common oversight; AI development requires strong collaboration and problem-solving abilities, so ensure the developer can integrate well within your team. Additionally, not protecting your intellectual property can lead to legal issues, so it’s essential to have legal protections like NDAs in place before the project begins. Finally, get tips on negotiating rates to <a href="https://cgsteam.io/contact" alt="hire top-quality talent" class="on">hire top-quality talent</a> without overspending, particularly in regions where rates vary widely. <h6>Global Salary Rates</h6>AI developer salary expectations for 2024 vary significantly based on geography:<ul><li>North America: $80,000 to $200,000 annually.</li><li>Western Europe: $80,000 to $150,000 annually.</li><li>Eastern Europe: $40,000 to $100,000 annually.</li><li>Asia: $20,000 to $70,000 annually.</li></ul>If you’re looking to hire affordable and skilled AI developers, explore countries in Eastern Europe or Asia, where you can find competitive rates without sacrificing talent quality. Balancing cost and expertise is key to ensuring you get the right developer for your needs.By following the advice in this guide, you can make informed decisions and hire the best AI developer to help you achieve your project goals.

​Hiring the right AI developer is crucial, and this article covers key steps, costs, and tips.​

​How to Hire an AI Developer for Your Project

<h2>How Does AI drone technology Work</h2>AI drone technology combines artificial intelligence with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), enabling them to operate autonomously or semi-autonomously. AI-driven algorithms analyze surveillance drone data for improved threat detection. These algorithms process real-time data from sensors, cameras, and other inputs to allow drones to navigate, adjust flight paths, and make real-time decisions without human intervention. AI enhances drone capabilities by enabling autonomous flight, obstacle avoidance, and advanced data analysis. This has significant implications across industries, increasing operational efficiency and enabling drones to perform complex tasks with precision, such as surveying, monitoring, and deliveries. How AI drones are transforming industries and why it matters for the future? <h2>Top 13 Examples</h2>Top AI drone applications and 13 real-world examples of their impact.<ul><li>Agriculture: Monitoring crops, optimizing irrigation, and detecting diseases.</li><li>Logistics: Companies like Amazon use AI drones for autonomous deliveries.</li><li>Search and Rescue: AI drones locate survivors in disaster zones using thermal imaging.</li><li>Surveillance: Border patrol and tactical missions rely on AI drones for real-time monitoring.</li><li>Infrastructure Inspection: Drones assess damage to bridges, power lines, and pipelines.</li><li>Wildlife Monitoring: AI drones track endangered species in remote areas.</li><li>Traffic Monitoring: Drones help manage urban traffic by detecting congestion.</li><li>Firefighting: AI drones assist in monitoring and fighting wildfires.</li><li>Healthcare: Drones deliver medical supplies in emergency situations.</li><li>Construction: AI drones create detailed maps for site planning.</li><li>Forestry: Monitoring forest health and preventing illegal logging.</li><li>Environmental Conservation: AI drones survey habitats for conservation projects.</li><li>Energy Sector: Inspecting wind turbines and solar panels for maintenance.</li></ul>AI drone technology offers wide-ranging benefits, from increased operational efficiency to enhanced safety in various sectors. <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI algorithms" class="on">AI algorithms</a> enable drones to perform tasks autonomously, such as surveying landscapes, monitoring infrastructure, and delivering packages. AI-powered drones are equipped with sensors and cameras that analyze data in real time, facilitating faster decision-making without human input. These drones are used in agriculture, logistics, search and rescue, and security. However, they face challenges, including regulatory hurdles, data privacy concerns, and limitations in battery life that restrict flight duration. Data processing enhances drone performance and decision-making capabilities. <h3>The Usage of AI Drones at War in Ukraine</h3>AI drones have played a critical role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. They are being used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and even combat missions, providing both sides with real-time battlefield intelligence. A new era of conflict: Ukraine proves AI drones reduce military supply shortages. Ukrainian forces have deployed AI-powered drones for precision strikes and to identify enemy positions, while Russia has also integrated AI drones into its military strategy. These drones can operate autonomously, gather critical data, and even carry out targeted attacks, highlighting the increasing reliance on AI in modern warfare. <h4>AI for Drone Delivery</h4>AI drones are revolutionizing the logistics and delivery industry by enabling faster, more efficient, and cost-effective deliveries. Companies like Amazon and UPS are leading the way, using AI-powered drones for autonomous parcel deliveries.&nbsp;<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-left" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172891005200985e832a1-df94-448e-9365-1720629568d0.png" alt="AI Drone Tecnology" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="50%," data-align="left" data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1311" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>These drones navigate autonomously using AI algorithms that optimize flight routes, avoid obstacles, and ensure packages are delivered accurately. AI drones can also scan warehouses, monitor inventory, and assist in supply chain management, reducing the need for human labor and speeding up delivery times. How AI is transforming drone delivery and future logistics. <blockquote>​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="Web audit">Web audit</a> and mobile app audit processes also play an important role, ensuring that apps connected to these drones perform efficiently, enabling precise deliveries without human intervention. Companies like Amazon and UPS are leading the way, using AI-powered drones. </blockquote><h4>Challenges in AI Drone Technology</h4>Despite the potential of AI drones, several challenges hinder their widespread adoption.<ul><li>Regulatory Issues: Government regulations are still catching up with the rapid development of drone technology, especially concerning autonomous operations in national airspace.</li><li>Data Privacy Concerns: AI drones collect vast amounts of data, raising concerns about how this data is stored, used, and protected.</li><li>Battery Limitations: Current drone technology is limited by short battery life, restricting their ability to cover long distances or perform extended missions.</li><li>Environmental Factors: Drones are susceptible to weather conditions, which can affect their performance, accuracy, and safety.</li></ul><h5>Drones in Agriculture</h5>AI drones are significantly impacting agriculture by enabling precision farming. Equipped with advanced sensors and AI algorithms, drones can monitor crop health, optimize irrigation, and detect diseases at early stages. By analyzing multispectral images, drones provide farmers with valuable insights into plant health, allowing for better resource allocation and improved yield predictions. Drones also help create detailed maps of farmland, making land management more efficient and reducing waste in agricultural practices.<h4>AI Drones User&nbsp;Regulations</h4>The regulatory environment for AI drones is evolving as governments grapple with integrating autonomous UAVs into national airspace. Regulatory bodies like the FAA in the U.S. are developing guidelines for commercial drone use, focusing on airspace safety, privacy concerns, and security. Many countries still restrict the use of fully autonomous drones, requiring human oversight during flights. Additionally, regulations vary significantly across regions, complicating global operations for companies using AI drones for logistics, agriculture, or other sectors.<h5>The Future of AI in Drone Technology</h5><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-right" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728915021683d38d6b51-964b-49e6-a706-d2b064673e1f.png" alt="AI Dron Technology" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="50%," data-align="right" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1959,1101" data-percentage="50," style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>The future of AI drone technology is filled with exciting possibilities.&nbsp;Advances in swarm technology will enable groups of drones to work together to complete complex missions like disaster relief, environmental monitoring, and military operations.&nbsp;In urban settings, AI-powered drones may become part of urban air mobility systems, offering services like autonomous air taxis. Drones are also expected to evolve with enhanced <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI capabilities" class="on">AI capabilities</a>, enabling them to perform predictive maintenance, advanced surveillance, and autonomous search missions.

​How AI drone technology works, its applications, benefits, and challenges, and what the future holds for this cutting-edge field.

AI Drone Technology

<h2>The Role of AI in Education</h2>AI is playing a crucial role in transforming education systems worldwide. By leveraging <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI technologies">AI technologies</a>, educators and institutions are finding innovative ways to engage students and streamline various tasks. AI algorithms can analyze individual students' learning styles and track their progress, providing personalized learning experiences tailored to their unique needs.&nbsp;<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-left" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728047080036f7792146-abca-4c77-8d91-8f277ccef9c2.png" alt="Mind" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="50%," data-align="left" data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2286,957" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Additionally, AI-powered tools automate routine administrative tasks such as grading, attendance tracking, and scheduling, allowing teachers to focus more on instruction and student engagement. AI also facilitates smart content creation by generating educational materials like quizzes, flashcards, and lesson summaries, further enhancing the learning experience.<blockquote>Furthermore, <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="web development">web development</a> applications powered by AI are creating dynamic, user-friendly platforms for both students and teachers, enabling seamless access to educational content. </blockquote><h3>Benefits of AI in Education</h3>AI is bringing several key advantages to educational institutions, helping to improve the learning environment and optimize instructional methods.<ul><li>Adaptive learning platforms use AI to tailor learning experiences according to students' abilities, adjusting content and providing personalized recommendations for additional materials or learning paths based on individual performance. </li><li>Efficient grading systems powered by AI allow teachers to automate the grading of multiple-choice questions and even essays, streamlining the process and offering quicker feedback to students while saving valuable time for educators. </li><li>Enhanced student engagement is achieved through AI by incorporating gamification and interactive tools, which boost motivation and make the learning process more engaging for students. </li><li>AI-driven virtual tutors and chatbots provide 24/7 tutoring and support, offering real-time assistance to students even beyond classroom hours.​</li></ul><blockquote><div> <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/it-support" alt="IT support services" class="on">IT support services</a> for AI-based educational platforms ensure reliable, uninterrupted service, so adaptive learning tools, virtual tutors, and intelligent assessment systems operate effectively, benefiting both teachers and students.​​ ​ </div></blockquote><h4>AI-Powered Personalized Learning</h4>One of the most significant applications of AI in education is personalized learning, where AI customizes educational content to fit the unique needs of each student. Through learning analytics, AI systems analyze performance data from quizzes, assignments, and interaction patterns to offer tailored recommendations. These insights enable the creation of individualized learning paths, suggesting specific lessons or exercises that match a student's strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, AI supports flexible learning by allowing students to progress at their own pace, providing personalized feedback that adapts to their individual learning journey. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-right" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728055452601d3b7ad7d-f2d2-4d72-88d8-c0e20141192e.png" alt="The future of AI" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-size="50%," data-align="right" data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1594,978" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>AI also enhances classroom management by handling repetitive tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on instruction. Automated attendance systems use AI through facial recognition or smart devices to track attendance, saving time on roll calls. AI also provides instant feedback on assignments, quizzes, and exams, streamlining grading and making it more efficient. Additionally, AI-driven curriculum planning tools assist teachers by suggesting customized lesson plans based on student performance and the curriculum.<h5>AI-Powered Educational Tools&nbsp; </h5>AI has driven the creation of various educational tools that enhance both accessibility and efficiency in learning. Virtual classrooms, powered by AI on platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, facilitate online learning and enable virtual collaboration. AI-based language learning apps, such as Duolingo, offer personalized lessons and track student progress, adapting to individual learning needs. Additionally, AI-driven plagiarism checkers like Turnitin help detect plagiarism in student work while providing educational resources to support better writing skills. These tools collectively improve the learning experience by making it more interactive and tailored to individual needs.<h5>Challenges of AI in Education </h5>While AI holds great transformative potential in education, it faces several challenges and limitations. One major issue is unequal access to technology, as not all students have the necessary infrastructure or financial resources to use AI-powered tools.&nbsp;Data privacy is another concern, with AI systems collecting large amounts of student information, raising questions about how this data is managed and protected. Additionally, both teachers and students require sufficient training to use AI-based tools effectively, which can be a barrier to adoption. Lastly, overreliance on AI may reduce essential human interaction, which is crucial for fostering critical thinking and social skills.<h6>The Future of AI in Education</h6>The future of AI in education is filled with potential, with continued developments likely to drive deeper integration into learning environments.&nbsp;<ul><li>AI-powered lifelong learning enables continuous skill development by providing personalized learning paths that extend beyond formal education, supporting individuals in their learning journey throughout life. </li><li>Advanced assessment systems powered by future AI technologies could evaluate students' emotional states and learning environments, providing valuable insights into their well-being and engagement levels for a more holistic understanding of their educational experience.</li><li>Collaborative AI will likely enhance, rather than replace, human teachers by serving as an assistant that personalizes and optimizes teaching methods to improve the learning experience.​</li></ul><h6>Conclusion</h6>Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming education by personalizing learning, improving classroom management, and enhancing the overall educational experience. Despite some challenges, AI's potential to revolutionize learning environments is immense, and its future in education looks promising.

​AI is revolutionizing education, enhancing learning and reshaping teaching. This article explores its benefits, challenges, and future impacts.​

How AI Transforms the Future of Education

<h2>&lt;h1&gt; How to Estimate the Cost of Building an AI Chatbot</h2>AI chatbots have become critical tools for businesses aiming to improve customer service, automate support, and streamline internal processes. Whether for customer support, lead generation, or operational automation, knowing the cost to build an AI chatbot is essential for making informed decisions and budgeting effectively.In this post, we’ll explore the various factors that influence AI chatbot pricing, discuss custom and pre-built development options, and break down the costs associated with each. Whether you’re an SMB or enterprise, this guide will help you understand how much it costs to create an AI chatbot and what to expect during the development process.<h3>&lt;h2&gt;&nbsp;What is an AI Chatbot, and Why Does it Matter?</h3>An AI chatbot is a software application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate human-like conversations via text or voice. Unlike traditional bots that operate on fixed rules, AI chatbots utilize natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand user intent, provide contextual responses, and improve over time.The rise of AI chatbot solutions has transformed how businesses handle customer service and internal workflows. By automating repetitive tasks—like answering customer inquiries, appointment scheduling, or providing product recommendations—AI chatbots enhance productivity, reduce costs, and ensure 24/7 support. As businesses increasingly turn to automation, understanding the price of building an AI chatbot becomes crucial to maximizing ROI.<h4>&lt;h3&gt;&nbsp;How to Estimate the Cost of Building an AI Chatbot</h4>The cost to create an AI chatbot depends on several factors, including complexity, functionality, and the development platform used. Let’s break down the primary components that contribute to AI chatbot development costs.<ul><li>Type of AI Chatbot</li></ul><ol><li>Rule-Based Bots: These bots use predefined scripts to handle simple tasks like FAQs and basic inquiries. They’re more affordable due to their limited scope. Cost Range: $5,000 - $15,000</li><li>AI-Powered Bots: These bots leverage NLP and machine learning to offer more dynamic, personalized responses. Custom AI chatbot development for these bots involves advanced algorithms, driving up costs. Cost Range: $15,000 - $60,000</li></ol><ul><li>Development Platform</li></ul>The platform you choose has a significant impact on AI chatbot pricing. There are two main options:Custom Development: This involves building a bot from the ground up, tailored to your business needs. While it offers complete control and customization, it requires hiring developers and data scientists. Cost Range: $30,000 - $100,000+ SaaS Chatbot Builders: Platforms like Dialogflow, Botpress, or Tars provide pre-built templates, offering a more cost-efficient option through monthly subscriptions. Cost Range: $0 - $1,500/month<ul><li>Integration Complexity</li></ul>The ability to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems (such as CRMs, e-commerce platforms, or internal databases) affects AI chatbot cost factors. More complex integrations can significantly raise development costs.Basic Integration: $2,000 - $10,000 Complex Integration: (Multiple Systems) $10,000 - $30,000<ul><li>Natural Language Processing (NLP) Capabilities</li></ul>The level of sophistication of your chatbot’s NLP capabilities influences the cost. High-quality NLP models require extensive training data and computational resources, which drives up AI chatbot development costs.Basic NLP: $5,000 - $20,000 Advanced NLP: $20,000 - $50,000<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design</li></ul>A chatbot’s user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are essential for its success. Investing in a well-designed interface improves customer satisfaction, especially for AI chatbots for customer service.Cost Range: $3,000 - $15,000<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Testing and Maintenance</li></ul>Post-launch costs include ongoing maintenance, updates, performance monitoring, and improvements based on user feedback. These are essential for keeping the chatbot functioning properly over time.Annual Maintenance Costs: $1,000 - $10,000, depending on chatbot complexity.<h5>&lt;h4&gt; Tips and Reminders for AI Chatbot Development</h5>If you're embarking on your first AI chatbot development project, keep these tips in mind to ensure a smooth and cost-efficient process:Start Small, Scale Gradually: Begin with a chatbot that handles simple tasks and expand its functionality over time as needed to manage costs.Leverage Existing Platforms: To save on upfront development costs, consider SaaS chatbot platforms that offer customizable, scalable solutions.Plan for Ongoing Maintenance: Don’t overlook the importance of regular updates and monitoring to keep your chatbot functioning optimally.Focus on Use Cases: Clearly define the problems your chatbot will solve. Avoid adding unnecessary features that could inflate development costs without adding value.<h6>&lt;h5&gt;&nbsp;Conclusion</h6>The cost to build an AI chatbot varies greatly depending on factors like the type of chatbot, its integration complexity, and its AI capabilities. Whether you choose custom AI chatbot development or leverage pre-built platforms, it’s essential to understand your business needs to make the right investment. Costs can range from a few thousand dollars to more than $100,000, but with careful planning, you can find a solution that fits your budget and enhances your business operations.Interested in building a custom AI chatbot for your business? Contact us for a consultation to learn more about our AI chatbot development services and how we can help you create a chatbot solution tailored to your specific needs and budget. Let us help you take advantage of the latest AI technologies to improve your customer service and streamline operations.

Learn how to estimate the cost of building an AI chatbot, including key factors like development type, integrations, and ongoing maintenance.

How much does it cost to build AI Chatbot?

<h2>What are the Types of Metaverse? </h2>The terms "virtual reality" (VR) and "metaverse" are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct concepts. The metaverse is a broader term that includes VR as one of its critical components.Virtual Reality (VR): VR provides a more streamlined communication experience in the virtual world, enhancing the sense of telepresence by immersing users in a simulated environment.Metaverse: The metaverse, on the other hand, offers a shared and immersive digital environment. It enables people to interact digitally, blurring the line between the virtual and physical worlds while ensuring transparency and security. <h3>We distinguish 6 types of metaverse </h3><ol><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Virtual Reality Metaverse</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Augmented Reality Metaverse</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mixed Reality Metaverse</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Social Metaverse</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gaming Metaverse</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Enterprise Metaverse</li></ol>Virtual Reality (VR) Metaverse requires a VR headset to enter completely digital reality. A user has to physically sit or stand at one place because of the VR gadget.&nbsp;Unlike the VR Metaverse, Augmented Reality (AR) Metaverse doesn’t require you to stay in one place. It is a combination of both real and virtual worlds adding digital elements to your surroundings while you walk around.&nbsp; Mixed Reality (MR) Metaverse blends the immersive qualities of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), creating an engaging and dynamic environment where the boundaries between the real and the virtual blur.An example of the Social Metaverse is 'Second Life.' Within this digital domain, users can create avatars and interact with others in various virtual environments. Designed as a social epicenter, the platform offers a wide range of activities and events aimed at nurturing social connections and community growth. What distinguishes Second Life is its unique feature allowing users to design and customize their virtual spaces, fostering a sense of ownership and creative freedom. So, in general, These 6 types of metaverse can also be separated to blockchain-based metaverse startups and metaverse for business and leisure which are free of charge.These 6 types of metaverse can also be separated to blockchain-based metaverse startups and metaverse for business and leisure which are free of charge. So, in general, Social Metaverse is centered on social interaction facilitates communication, collaboration, and connection. These virtual environments encourage users to engage in social connections, enabling them to meet new individuals and stay connected with friends and family. Gaming Metaverse obviously provides uniques gaming mechanics. Roblox is a great real life example of such metaverse. There any user can create his own game and invite others to play it. Using ‘Robux’ (virtual currency) one can buy virtual goods.Enterprise Metaverse aims to completely revamp the work of remote teams in virtual offices, enhancing the collaboration, organizing trade shows, virtual conferences without the physical limits.These 6 types of metaverse can also be separated to blockchain-based metaverse startups and metaverse for business and leisure which are free of charge.​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/blockchain" alt="Blockchain-based" class="on">Blockchain-based</a> metaverse startups are created using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies. There are practical examples of such metaverse startups: Decentraland and The Sandbox (require Ethereum-based crypto tokens for transactions). These platforms let users buy virtual land and therefore create their own unique environments. In Decentraland, users can trade NFT artworks or charge for admission to virtual shows or concerts. They can also profit from trading land, which has seen significant value increases in recent years.<h4>What technologies are utilized in Metaverse Platform Development?</h4>The frameworks to keep in mind are A-Frame, Three.js, and Babylon.js for web-based VR experiences. Unity3D and Unreal Engine are the engines to use. Other tech includes <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI and Machine Learning">AI and Machine Learning</a>, Microsoft Azure's AI services or Google Cloud's machine learning solutions, Smart Contract Platforms, IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) and Filecoin for decentralized data storage.&nbsp;<h5>How can businesses benefit from Metaverse?</h5><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Retail and eCommerce</li></ul>Thanks to virtual stores, it will no longer be required to visit bricks-and-mortar stores. You will be able to try on any piece of clothing in a virtual fitting room. Users will be able to use crypto currencies to pay for their orders.<blockquote>Catering to Tech-Savvy Demographics: Immersive shopping platforms meet the needs of digital natives. As of 2022, 66% of Gen Z and 58% of millennials in France were interested in shopping in the metaverse.</blockquote>Real-Life Examples:Nike's Nikeland: Nike created Nikeland within the Roblox platform, a virtual space reflecting its brand and products. Users can try on virtual Nike gear and participate in sports-themed games and challenges.Gucci Garden: In collaboration with Roblox, Gucci created a virtual experience called “Gucci Garden.” Users can explore a digital garden, interact with virtual Gucci products, and purchase limited-edition digital items. This collaboration allows Gucci to reach a broader audience and offer unique digital experiences.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Banking</li></ul>Real-life examples:J.P. Morgan has established the Onyx Lounge within the Decentraland metaverse, which facilitates cross-border payments and the creation of financial assets, enhancing security and trading capabilities.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Travel Industry</li></ul>Having an option to virtually examine the spot of your dream or a hotel you always dreamed of is obviously great. And we already can do this. VIrtual museum tours, interactive walk around a hotel room or a ship will help you better plan your future route. Moreover, disabled people will be able to fully immerse into the virtual trip and enjoy it just like in physical world.&nbsp;A real-life example:Qatar Airways already presented a metaverse experience on their website. You can virtually walk around Hamad International Airport or casually examine the first class cabins.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Wellness Platform</li></ul>Virtual gyms, courts, stadiums will become a new normal soon. Virtual visits to psychologists will erase the feeling of uncomfort during an in-person therapy. According to CivicScience, 52% of U.S. adults who exercise weekly or monthly prefer to do so from home, while only 28% visit a gym.<blockquote>The metaverse health and fitness market is projected to grow from $8.5 billion in 2024 to $56.1 billion by 2030, with the U.S. and China leading the development of VR fitness experiences.</blockquote>Enhancing surgical education through virtual simulations will also be possible. Immersive therapy in VR-driven metaverse environments can be used for exposure therapy, addressing conditions like phobias or PTSD by recreating anxiety-inducing scenarios in a controlled setting.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Virtual Education Software</li></ul>VR enables educational providers to visualize complex topics in three dimensions virtually. VR is particularly useful in simulation training because it allows students to practice in a lifelike environment without any psychological pressure. For instance, students can first perform surgical procedures, conduct scientific experiments, or learn machinery operation in a risk-free VR setting.<blockquote>A recent immersive learning survey by Accenture reveals that 90% of executives believe their current training programs need to be more effective and efficient.</blockquote><h6>How Will Metaverse Change The World?</h6>Ultimately, the metaverse will have a profound impact on the course of humanity, becoming a key element of our future. From decentralized governance to immersive storytelling, the metaverse will redefine how we live, work, and connect.

Being an early adopter of metaverse positions you to shape the future of this digital frontier and establish yourself as a leader in your chosen niche.

Metaverse - The New Business Opportunity

<h2>Broader Service Offerings and Competitive Advantage</h2>By incorporating AI and Blockchain technologies, companies can differentiate themselves from competitors, offering more comprehensive, innovative solutions that combine the ease of use of mobile and web applications with the advanced capabilities of AI and Blockchain. This not only helps in standing out in a crowded market but also attracts a broader range of clients looking for cutting-edge technology solutions. <h3>Meeting the Evolving Demands of Industries</h3>Industries across the board are recognizing the potential of AI and Blockchain to solve complex problems that traditional technologies cannot. For instance, AI can significantly enhance decision-making processes through predictive analytics and machine learning models. In sectors like healthcare, AI can improve diagnostic accuracy or optimize patient treatment plans. Blockchain, on the other hand, offers unparalleled benefits in terms of data security and transparency, making it indispensable in fields like finance and supply chain management. By adopting these technologies, IT companies can cater to the nuanced demands of these industries, providing more value than mere web or mobile solutions could offer. This alignment with industry-specific needs not only boosts the relevance of IT firms but also their indispensability as strategic partners in innovation.<h3>Fostering Innovation and Future Growth</h3>Exploring AI and Blockchain encourages a culture of innovation within IT companies. These technologies are at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, driving changes in how businesses operate and deliver products and services. By investing in these areas, IT firms not only enhance their expertise but also stimulate creativity among their workforce, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with technology. Moreover, the data-driven insights gained from AI applications and the robustness of Blockchain applications can lead to the development of entirely new business models and strategies that can redefine markets. This proactive approach to technology adoption ensures that IT companies are not merely reactive to trends but are shaping them, positioning themselves as leaders in technological innovation.<h4>Scalability and Efficiency</h4>AI and Blockchain technologies offer significant improvements in operational efficiency and scalability, which are critical as companies grow. AI can automate routine tasks, optimize operations, and even handle complex problem-solving, freeing up human resources for more strategic initiatives. Blockchain enhances security and enables faster, more transparent transactions which can scale as operations grow without a corresponding increase in risk or costs. IT companies that harness these technologies can thus manage larger, more complex projects more efficiently, providing scalable solutions that grow with their clients. This scalability is not just beneficial for the IT companies but also for their clients, as it leads to more robust, cost-effective solutions.<h5>Ethical and Regulatory Compliance</h5>As digital transformation continues to permeate every sector, regulatory requirements are becoming more stringent, particularly concerning data privacy and security. Blockchain's capabilities in securing data and ensuring transparency align perfectly with these regulatory demands, offering a clear pathway to compliance. Similarly, as AI continues to be integrated into critical decision-making, there is a growing need for ethical AI systems that can make unbiased decisions. IT companies that lead in these areas are better equipped to help their clients navigate the complex web of regulatory and ethical issues, thus avoiding potential legal and reputational risks associated with non-compliance.<h6>Conclusion</h6>For IT companies, venturing beyond mobile and web development into AI and Blockchain is not just about keeping up with technological advancements - it is about being at the forefront of them. The integration of these technologies into their service offerings can lead to more innovative, efficient, and competitive solutions that meet the sophisticated needs of modern businesses. By embracing AI and Blockchain, IT firms can enhance their strategic value, foster sustainable growth, and continue to be influential players in the technological revolution. This proactive approach ensures they remain relevant and competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Expanding into AI and Blockchain allows IT companies to diversify their service offerings.

AI & Blockchain Solutions Engulf Usual Development Services

<h2>Solution for subcontractor management in the construction industry</h2>We had several goals to achieve working on this project: build a much more intelligent, efficient platform that is able to support dynamic decision-making and streamline operations.&nbsp;Our AI and ML (machine learning) developers performed several upgrades to the platform: <ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Implemented AI-Driven Matchmaking Algorithm</li></ul>This algorithm became the new heart of the system, being designed to connect project managers with the most suitable subcontractors. By analyzing historical data, subcontractor performance, and project requirements, the AI algorithm identifies potential matches that align with specific project criteria. This predictive matching helps reduce the time spent on searching for qualified subcontractors and increases the accuracy of matches, thereby speeding up the procurement cycle.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Tender Management</li></ul>Our AI/ML developers updated the platform with NLP capabilities, now it can automatically interpret and categorize tender documents. This AI functionality enables the platform to extract key information from tenders, such as project scopes and required skills, and use this data to facilitate more accurate and relevant subcontractor recommendations. Additionally, NLP is used to streamline communication between parties, allowing the system to generate and understand complex inquiries and responses, which simplifies negotiations and clarifies project requirements.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Predictive Analytics for Bid Evaluation</li></ul>The prediction of project outcomes and smart bid making became possible after utilizing AI-driven predictive analytics. The system analyzes past bids, market trends, and subcontractor reliability to minimize risks associated with project delays and subcontractor performance and select the most cost-effective proposals.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Automated Invoice and Payment Processing</li></ul>It became possible to automate the invoice and payment processes inside the app by integrating machine learning models. This helps ensure accuracy and reduces administrative overhead. Being developed by our dev team, the AI system is trained to detect discrepancies in invoices, predict payment delays, and suggest optimal payment schedules. Improved payment process gave two major benefits: smoother financial transactions and enhanced subcontractor satisfaction.Overall, AI technologies significantly advanced the capabilities of the app.<h3>Mobile self checkout solution</h3>The goals our client set for us were streamlining customer experiences, optimizing store operations, and providing valuable insights into consumer behavior. So, this is what we actually did and achieved using <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI solutions" class="on">AI solutions</a>.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Built AI-Enhanced Product Recognition</li></ul>To speed up the checkout process and also reduce errors in item identification our team developed AI-powered product recognition system that uses computer vision to identify items quickly as customers scan NFC tags or QR codes. The system can adapt to new products and variations in packaging by continuously learning from new data, thereby improving its accuracy over time.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Personalized Shopping Recommendations</li></ul>Being integrated into the app, AI algorithms analyze customers' shopping history and preferences to provide useful product recommendations. In a nutshell, the customer receives suggested items list that are likely to be of interest to him, potentially increasing sales and customer satisfaction.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Fraud Detection and Prevention</li></ul>The AI system CGS-team developed can analyze patterns and anomalies in purchasing behavior to detect suspicious activities that could indicate fraud. This helps protect both consumers and retailers, ensuring transactions are secure and trustworthy.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Automated Customer Service</li></ul>AI chatbots incorporated into the app provide real-time assistance to customers, answering questions about products, guiding them through the checkout process, and resolving common issues without human intervention. This not only improves the customer service experience but also allows sales staff to focus on more complex customer needs.As seen from the mentioned above, the app was updated with improved speed and accuracy of the self-checkout process, personalized the customer experience and service, and increased sales numbers.<h4>An online marketplace </h4><div>In this case we had a request to improve the search functionality, fraud detection, optimize auctions and quizzes.</div><ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">AI-Enhanced Search Algorithms</li></ul><div>Our team created machine learning algorithms which then were built into the marketplace's search engine. These algorithms can accurately predict user preferences and intentions based on their past interactions and search history. Providing such personalized search results, helped users find products faster and with greater precision. AI also aids in understanding natural language queries, enabling users to search using everyday language without worrying about using precise keywords.</div><ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dynamic Personalization Engine</li></ul><div>AI algorithms integrated into the marketplace can also analyze user information and tailor product displays, deals, and content to individual tastes and interests, increasing the likelihood of product discovery and purchase.</div><ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">AI-Powered Auctions and Quizzes</li></ul><div>AI tools we built from scratch monitor user engagement and behaviors to adjust auction settings and quiz questions dynamically, enhancing participation and fairness. This AI functionality ensures that the auctions are competitive and quizzes are appealing, providing an engaging user experience.</div><ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Fraud Detection Systems</li></ul><div>The AI we integrated into the marketplace is always on the lookout for unusual activities. By continuously learning from transaction data, the AI system identifies patterns that deviate from the norm and alerts the team, thus safeguarding both the users and the platform. To sum up, the marketplace became an efficient and effective platform with an enriched user experience.</div><div> </div><h5>A platform were musicians can engage and connect with their followers</h5>The improved content accessibility, enhanced user engagement, and streamlined content management - these were the main points to work on.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">AI-Powered Audio Content Transcription</li></ul>Following modern requests, our development team integrated AI-powered audio content transcription service into the app. This technology utilizes state-of-the-art speech recognition algorithms to convert spoken words in tracks, podcasts, and live streams into text. This transcription not only makes the content more accessible but also searchable. Users can quickly find specific topics or mentions within audio content.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Smart Contracts for Content Monetization</li></ul>Web3 technology is a must nowadays, so we integrated it into the platform. It uses AI to manage smart contracts for content monetization. This setup automates transactions and ensures that copyright holders are compensated fairly and transparently for the use of their music and content.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Event Prediction and Management Tools</li></ul>The app was also improved with AI-driven analytics. The algorithm analyzes historical data and audience demographics to predict the best times and locations for concerts and live streams. This predictive insight helps artists maximize attendance and engagement. AI also assists in managing event logistics by forecasting resource requirements and optimizing scheduling, reducing the organizational burden on artists.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Content Discovery and Recommendation Engine</li></ul>AI solutions were also used to power the app’s recommendation system. Now it can analyze users' listening habits, preferred genres, and interaction data to suggest relevant new content. This personalization helps keep users engaged and increases the time spent on the app, benefiting both musicians and listeners by enhancing content reach and engagement.<h6>To Conclude</h6>Utilizing Web2 technology or just supporting your legacy project, you are missing great features of AI and ML. CGS-team has numerous projects where AI Solutions helped either modernize an existing project or create a scalable futuristic project which will be able to withstand competitive pressure for years due to the use of AI and ML.&nbsp;​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/contact" alt="Let’s find out" class="on">Let’s find out</a> how AI Solutions can help your startup or already functioning business to scale up!

How do you transform your current business or build a future-proof startup project from scratch? Let’s learn from our 4 real-world examples.

AI Solutions Transforming a Business - 4 practical examples

<h2>Understanding Blockchain as a Service </h2>The biggest trend of 2024 has become Blockchain as a Service (BaaS). The reason BaaS became so popular is quite obvious - being a cloud-based service model, any one can use BaaS to develop, host, and deploy blockchain applications without the need to build and maintain the underlying infrastructure usually required for older Web2 applications. Startups and existing business owners don’t have to spend money on the development of their own blockchain networks, they can cut spending on maintenance too because already made solutions exist over there. More over BaaS providers have wast range of services up in their sleeve: blockchain dev tools, network management, security features &amp; integration options. All these services contribute to almost instant time-to-market as startups and already established businesses have to focus preliminary on app and services development process. <h3>Innovations in BaaS </h3>The recently emerged Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) prove their value in software development. BaaS platforms actively utilize ML and AI to tune the benefits of blockchain networks; they allow for predictive analytics, anomaly detection and automation to be developed and improved. Another attention worthy advancement BaaS has to offer is Interoperability. Being built on blockchain technology BaaS platforms can communicate and exchange information between various blockchain networks. Interledger Protocol (ILP) and Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) are the standards which enable interoperability between blockchain platforms, users can leverage multiple networks simultaneously. One more attention worthy innovation in BaaS is the growing popularity of decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. DeFi platforms built with the help of BaaS enable users to access a wide range of financial services, including lending, borrowing, trading, and asset management, without relying on traditional intermediaries. These decentralized financial ecosystems promote financial inclusion, transparency, and democratization of access to capital, revolutionizing the traditional financial landscape.<h4>Applications of BaaS in 2024</h4><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">In finance:&nbsp;</li></ul>Blockchain as a Service has a great impact on improving the security of transactions (mitigating fraud and money laundering risks), enhancing remittance services and reducing the cost of transactions. <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">In supply chain management:&nbsp;</li></ul>BaaS can improve transparency in supply chains therefore building trust among stakeholders.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">In the healthcare industry:&nbsp;</li></ul>utilizing blockchain technology in the healthcare industry adds an extra layer of security while sharing medical records, guarantees data integrity, facilitates interoperability between disparate healthcare systems. <h5>Challenges and Future Outlook</h5>Despite having many positive aspects, Blockchain as a Service in 2024 has several challenges: the regulatory uncertainty surrounding blockchain technology, especially in areas such as data privacy, security, and digital identity.&nbsp;It is predicted that with the evolution of BaaS platforms to meet the needs of businesses in various sectors, it will also extend to new areas like decentralized governance, tokenization of assets, and cross-chain interoperability.

​Being able to deliver blockchain solutions via cloud platforms gave Blockchain as a Service one huge advantage over the competitive services.​

Blockchain as a Service in 2024: Innovations and Challenges

<h2>What is web3 marketing? </h2>Web3 is essentially making the process of marketing and engaging with your desired audience a whole lot smoother for businesses. In this digital landscape, web3 takes data privacy, security, and user satisfaction to the next level. It's not just about static content anymore; it's about dynamic and interactive phases. What's exciting is that it empowers users by giving them more control over their data, all while improving security measures. This means a golden opportunity for marketers to utilize web3 to understand consumers better.Here’s how marketing developed:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728997943554538d12ba-76be-4abd-a97a-6b755a403763.png" alt="The revoluyion of marketing" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1179" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=web3+marketing&amp;sca_esv=557088537&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=lnms&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi8_tCcz96AAxXAKxAIHQOZAJgQ_AUoAnoECAMQBA&amp;biw=1428&amp;bih=696&amp;dpr=2#imgrc=oTWxIiuIt2ON_M" alt="Reforge">Reforge</a>​ <h3>The differences between traditional marketing and web3 marketing </h3>Here's a comprehensive overview of these differences:<ul><li>Community love Web3 marketing is all about building strong communities. Instead of just shouting out to a huge crowd, it's like having a group of friends who care. In traditional marketing, it's more like talking to a big audience.</li><li>Your data, your rules In Web3 marketing, your data is like a treasure chest locked with a super-secure blockchain key. You get to decide who gets a peek, which differs from regular marketing, where privacy sometimes feels fuzzy.</li><li>Real connections Web3 marketing uses cool stuff like blockchain and smart contracts to make business-customer interactions more direct. No middle person is involved. Traditional marketing sometimes felt like there was a crowd in between.</li><li>Fun ways to get involved Web3 marketing uses special collectibles, cool loyalty clubs, and even dropping freebies from the sky (well, almost) to get people excited. Conversely, traditional marketing uses social media posts, emails, and ads to get your attention. </li></ul><h3>Examples of applying web3 marketing</h3><ul><li>Awesome rewards with tokens Create a loyalty program to let customers earn tokens (cryptocurrencies or tokens specific to your platform) for making purchases, referring friends, or engaging with your brand. These tokens can be used for future purchases.</li><li>Gamification Create engaging gamified experiences that make users actively explore and interact with your platform by implementing token economies.</li><li>Decentralized social media campaigns Engage with your audience through dApps. These platforms allow you to create content, host discussions, and build communities without the risk of censorship. Moreover, they empower users with greater control over their data.</li><li>NFTs Brands can use NFTs to create unique digital art or even event VIP passes. You might even get NFTs as prizes for taking part in fun contests. You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/what-are-nfts-and-how-do-they-work" alt="What are NFTs and How Do They Work">What are NFTs and How Do They Work</a> article.&nbsp;</li><li>Decentralized advertising platforms Explore advertising platforms that operate on blockchain technology, offering transparency and efficiency in ad delivery. Advertisers can directly engage with users and even reward them for interacting with ads.</li><li>Contests Organize contests that use blockchain technology to ensure transparency, fairness, and tamper-proof results. This can enhance trust and engagement among your audience.</li><li>Enhance AR and VR Marketing Efforts Platforms like Cryptokitties blend AR, letting users interact with digital collectibles. Web3 ensures asset uniqueness and ownership, enriching AR authenticity. It also enables peer-to-peer transactions in AR/VR, using smart contracts and digital currencies for secure in-world purchases, fostering a dynamic virtual economy. </li><li>Web3 communities In the web3 realm, vibrant communities are essential. Engage actively in discussions, partner with relevant influencers, host virtual events, and encourage user-generated content to foster a strong sense of community and connection.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899797484644a2be7c-fc43-4b32-b983-73f388adc5eb.png" alt="Examples of applying web3 marketing" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1884" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div><h4>More about web3 social media</h4>Decentralized social media is like a breath of fresh air compared to traditional platforms. These new networks prioritize privacy, data control, and a sense of community. Here's what sets them apart:<ul><li>Privacy and control Unlike traditional social media, decentralized networks put users in control of their data. Blockchain technology ensures secure storage and data ownership.</li><li>Censorship resistance Decentralized platforms value free speech and resist censorship. Content isn't moderated by central authorities, letting users share without restrictions.</li><li>Community empowerment Users have a bigger say in decentralized networks. They're part of a community that's encouraged to contribute and interact.</li><li>Incentives and rewards These networks often reward users with cryptocurrencies or tokens for participating. This keeps engagement high and everyone excited.</li><li>User-centric experience Decentralized social media focuses on the user, ensuring privacy, security, and transparent interactions.</li></ul>Examples of popular decentralized social media platforms include Mastodon, Lens Protocol, Odysee, PixelFed, and Steemit.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899801686941462fb3-e635-4ab1-ae2c-e4f4abb3e068.png" alt="More about web3 social media" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1401" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>If you want to create your blockchain-based idea, <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/blockchain" alt="drop us a line">drop us a line</a> to get consultation and estimation. As a startup development partner, we ensure quality in everything from code to communication.&nbsp;<h5>How to implement web3 marketing in your company?</h5><ul><li>Understand web3 fundamentals Start by understanding the basics of web3 – think blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and dApps.&nbsp;</li><li>Leverage influencers and content Collaborate with web3 influencers who are active in the decentralized space. Create valuable content about the benefits of web3 and how your products or services align with these principles.</li><li>Build a community Establish and nurture a strong community around your brand. Use social media platforms, forums, and events to engage with your audience and encourage participation.</li><li>Implement decentralized advertising Explore platforms that offer decentralized advertising solutions. Use these platforms to deliver interactive ads directly to users, eliminating intermediaries and enhancing data security.</li><li>Focus on user engagement and ownership Craft marketing strategies that emphasize user engagement and ownership. Highlight how blockchain technology ensures data ownership and enables users to have control over their digital assets.</li><li>Collaborate with web3 projects Seek partnerships with other web3 projects or platforms. Joint campaigns can help you reach new audiences and enhance your brand's visibility.</li><li>Measure and optimize Monitor key metrics such as engagement, conversions, token value, and community growth. Continuously adapt your strategies based on data insights to optimize your web3 marketing efforts. </li></ul><h6>In a nutshell... </h6>Web3 Marketing is a game-changer. It's all about making business-customer connections smoother and more exciting. With web3, companies can revamp their strategies and engage customers in new ways.Web3 focuses on strong communities, data privacy, and direct interactions. You control your data, and no middleman is getting in the way. You get rewards with special tokens, play games, and join communities on platforms respecting your privacy. Decentralized social media is also all about privacy, owning your data, and being part of a community.&nbsp;To jump into web3 marketing, start by understanding its basics, team up with influencers, build strong communities and use platforms that give you control. Keep an eye on what's working, and you're all set for a cool journey into the future of marketing.

Web3 shapes the new marketing approaches. Read the article and catch the trends wave to find new effective strategies.

How Web3 Shapes the New Marketing

<h2>What can AI assistants for coding do?</h2><ol><li>Integrate with popular code editors like Visual Studio Code.​</li><li>Generate complete code snippets from prompts or code comments.</li><li>Auto-complete lines of code you are writing in real time.</li><li>Detect errors, bugs, and security vulnerabilities with your code.</li><li>Provide documentation references, code examples, or tutorials to help developers understand new programming concepts, frameworks, or languages.</li><li>Writing unit tests in seconds.&nbsp; </li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172892020539740134eed-ccf0-4ccb-90b7-b4bdb07a4da5.png" alt="Features of using low code platform" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" data-index="3" style="width: 100%;"> </figure></div><h3>The tools to speed up your development</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://github.com/features/copilot" alt="GitHub Copilot">GitHub Copilot</a>&nbsp;</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172892034857877af3be8-90a2-4e4e-93f6-0761bfd54045.png" alt="The tools to speed up your development" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" data-index="1" style="width: 100%;"> </figure></div>Price: Free trial, 10$ for individuals, 19$ for enterprise.Description: GitHub Copilot is an artificial intelligence programming assistant that can generate code snippets, suggest code completions, and provide real-time feedback. It was developed by GitHub in collaboration with OpenAI.&nbsp;Features:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Integrating directly with your text editor.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Converting natural language instructions into code.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Providing suggestions for multi-line functions.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Accelerating the creation of tests.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Excluding coding patterns that are commonly vulnerable.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Preventing suggestions that match public code.</li></ol>Languages: Mainly optimized for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, C#, and C++, but can generate suggestions for any programming language and many frameworks.<ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://aws.amazon.com/codewhisperer/" alt="Amazon CodeWhisperer">Amazon CodeWhisperer</a>​</li></ul>Price: Free for individual use.Description: Amazon CodeWhisperer is a pair programming tool powered by AI. It can complete entire functions with just a comment or a few keystrokes. The system is trained on billions of lines of open-source code, its own codebase, and publicly available documentation and code on forums.Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Offering quick code tips on the go.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Integrating easily with AWS services.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Performing automatic security checks.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Tracking open-source code usage.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Aiding in avoiding biased coding.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Simplifying management in the business plan.</li></ol>Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby, Kotlin, C, C++, Shell scripting, SQL, and Scala. You can use the service from multiple IDEs, including JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and Rider), Visual Studio (VS) Code, AWS Cloud9, AWS Lambda console, JupyterLab and Amazon SageMaker Studio. <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.tabnine.com/" alt="Tabnine">Tabnine</a>​</li></ul>Price: 0$ for starter, 12$ for pro, custom for enterprise.&nbsp;Description: Tabnine is an AI programming tool that uses AI to help you complete code. It has been trained on open-source code from permissive licenses.Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Completing code lines automatically.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Proposing complete function suggestions based on declared functions.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Creating code blocks from natural language comments.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Mitigating privacy, security, and compliance risks.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Operating in a completely isolated mode.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Not training on your code unless you opt to link your codebase with Tabnine.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Ensuring your code remains private and never exits your environment when linked to Tabnine.</li></ol>The tool is trained solely on open-source repositories with permissive licenses. Languages: It supports over 50 programming languages and integrates with popular code editors like Visual Studio Code. <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://replit.com/" alt="Replit">Replit</a>&nbsp;</li></ul>Price: 0$ for free plan, 7$ for hacker plan, 20$ pro plan.&nbsp;Description: Replit Ghostwriter is an AI coding assistant that suggests code completions based on your code's context, making coding a lot easier.Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Engaging with an AI assistant directly within the IDE.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Receiving auto-complete suggestions.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Utilizing code context to provide pertinent responses.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Identifying issues and recommending improvements.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Employing straightforward language to create and refine code examples.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Offering easily digestible code summaries.</li></ol>Languages: Ghostwriter performs best with JavaScript and Python code, but it supports 16 languages in total. The current list includes Bash, C, C#, C++, CSS, Go, Java, JavaScript, HTML, PHP, Perl, Python, R, Ruby, Rust, and SQL.&nbsp;<ul><li>​<a download="IntelliCode by Microsoft" href="https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/services/intellicode/" alt="IntelliCode by Microsoft">IntelliCode by Microsoft</a>​</li></ul>Price: free for now.Description: IntelliCode is a code completion tool from Microsoft that suggests code completions based on the context of your code.Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Identifying repeated patterns in your code during local edits.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Identifying typical coding tasks suggests appropriate quick actions and completing them while you're typing.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">The "IntelliCode API Usage Examples" feature shows you practical examples of how other developers have used a particular function, using examples from public open-source repositories on GitHub.</li></ol>Languages:&nbsp;Available for Visual Studio 2022: C#, C++, Java, SQL, XAML in Visual Studio 2022. Available for Visual Studio Code: TypeScript/JavaScript and Python in Visual Studio Code. <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://about.sourcegraph.com/cody" alt="Sourcegraph Cody">Sourcegraph Cody</a>​</li></ul>Price: $0 for individuals, custom for enterprise.&nbsp;Description: Sourcegraph Cody is an AI-powered code completion tool that uses machine learning to suggest code completions based on the context of your code.&nbsp;Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Autocompleting single lines, or whole functions in any programming language, configuration file, or documentation.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">AI-powered chat for your code, answering questions like: How is this repository structured? What does this file do? Where is the X component defined? Why isn't this code working?</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Running custom and pre-built commands.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Using context to answer questions that require an understanding of multiple files or even entire repositories.&nbsp;</li></ol>Languages: Cody's broad training data means it supports all programming languages, but it works especially well for Python, Go, JavaScript, and TypeScript. <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://sourcery.ai/" alt="Sourcery.ai">Sourcery.ai</a>​</li></ul>Price: Free for open source projects, $10 for all projects, 30$ for teams.Description: Sourcery is an AI-powered code review tool that uses machine learning to identify code issues and provide recommendations for improvement.&nbsp;Features:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Providing immediate advice for enhancing code and adhering to best practices.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Correcting all occurrences of an issue throughout your codebase with one command by defining a rule, executing it in the CLI, and resolving it.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Embedding your rules, standards, and best practices into the code.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Offering recommendations in real-time.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Functioning throughout your entire development lifecycle (in your IDE (VS Code, PyCharm, Vim, Sublime), from the command line for bulk reviews, and as a pre-commit hook).</li></ol>Languages: Python, JavaScript, or TypeScript (others are coming soon). <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://mutable.ai/" alt="Mutable.ai">Mutable.ai</a>​</li></ul>Price: free for the individual plan, 10$ for basic, 25$ for codebase pro, custom for the enterprise.&nbsp;Description: MutableAI is an AI-powered code completion tool that uses machine learning to suggest code completions based on the context of your code.&nbsp;Features:&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Offering AI-driven code completion.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Producing high-quality code with a single click.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Facilitating development driven by prompts.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Generating tests automatically.</li></ol>Languages: Javascript/Typescript, Go, Rust, Python, Vue, Java etc.&nbsp;<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://getbootstrap.com" alt="Bootstrap">Bootstrap</a></li></ul>Price: Free plan (limited to 10 users), pro $15 per month (limited to 20 users), enterprise $29 per month (limited to 30 users).Description: Bootstrap is an open-source JavaScript library that can create reusable components for rapid prototyping and production. It is a front-end technology that can create dynamic and engaging user interfaces.Features:<ol><li>Pre-built components that make development quick and painless.</li><li>Contains an extensive list of components like drop-down menus, alert boxes, navigation bars, alerts, progress bars, etc.</li><li>Sass variables to customize global CSS values in one go.</li><li>Includes jQuery plugin library to incorporate advanced functionalities.</li><li>Responsive utility classes for multi-screen displays.</li></ol>Languages: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.<ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://mintlify.com" alt="Mintlify">Mintlify</a>​</li></ul>Price: Free plan, startup $150 per month/project, growth $450 per month/project, custom for the enterprise.Description: Mintlify is an AI tool that scans the code in the codebase and generates documentation to explain it.Features:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Automatic code documentation generation.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Based on the GPT-4 model, Mintlify Chat allows you to search for your documentation and quickly find what you need.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Mintlify easily integrates with popular tools like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and IDEA, so it can easily fit into your existing workflow.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX, TSX files, C, C++, PHP, Java, C#, Ruby, Rust, Dart, Go.</li></ol>​<h3>How to choose an AI assistant?</h3><ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Make sure the AI code assistant you choose is compatible with the programming languages and developer tools you use. This will ensure that you can use the tool effectively and efficiently.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Ensure the AI code assistant's features align with your daily tasks and workflows. If the tool can't help you with the tasks you need to perform, it won't be of much use to you.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Consider your budget and choose a tool that fits within your financial constraints.</li><li><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"> <img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728920384986cb8e9861-743f-4f4b-be50-20d6ff3842e6.png" alt="How to choose an AI assistant" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" data-index="2" style="width: 100%;"> </figure></div> </li></ol>You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/machine-learning-operations-the-rise" alt="Machine Learning Operations: The Rise">Machine Learning Operations: The Rise</a> article.&nbsp;<h4>Conclusion</h4>AI code assistants are transforming the coding experience for developers. By using AI-based coding assistants' power, developers and programmers can overcome coding challenges, enhance their skills, and create high-quality software solutions for a rapidly evolving world.In CGS-team, we believe that AI tools can speed up the process and actively use them. However, for now, quality products can't be built without human professionals with vast experience in the field. If you need a reliable <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="development partner">development partner</a> ready to cover everything from idea discovery, market research, and design to development, testing, marketing consultancy, and support, let's book a <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://calendly.com/d/z97-3sh-rc8/client-meets-cgs-team-ib?month=2023-10&amp;date=2023-10-11" alt="free consultation">free consultation</a>.&nbsp;

Discover 8+ AI programming tools to speed up your development up to 2x.

Must-Have AI Coding Tools in 2024

<h2>What is code documentation?</h2>Code documentation is the process of adding descriptive text and visual elements to software code to explain its purpose, functionality, and structure. It helps developers understand, maintain, and update the code with ease, fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members, and enhances code usability. Code documentation can take various forms, such as:<ul><li>Explanations of code functions and blocks Providing clear descriptions of how individual functions and code blocks work.</li><li>Comprehensive developer handbooks Including dos and don'ts, summaries of every aspect of the application, and other useful information.</li><li>Illustrative images Such as sequence and entity relationship diagrams, to help visualize the code's structure and relationships.</li><li>API documentation Describing each class, method, argument, and return value for developers who interact with the code.</li><li>ReadME files ﻿Providing an overview of the codebase and instructions for getting started.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1729010284693f114e95e-e06b-4561-ba26-92cf463919ff.png" alt="What is code documentation?" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div><h3>The benefits of good documentation</h3><ul><li>Improved Understandability Good documentation helps developers, including yourself, understand the purpose, functionality, and structure of the code.&nbsp;</li><li>Faster Onboarding When new developers join a project, well-documented code accelerates their onboarding process. They can quickly grasp the code's architecture and how different components work together.</li><li>Enhanced Collaboration It helps developers communicate about code, share knowledge, and work together more efficiently.</li><li>Maintenance and Debugging Well-documented code makes it easier to identify and fix bugs, as it provides insight into the behavior and logic of the code.</li><li>Reduced Dependence on Original Developers Code documentation makes it easier for others to work on, modify, or maintain the code without relying heavily on the original developer.</li><li>Enhanced Code Reusability Well-documented code is more likely to be reusable in other parts of the project or in different projects, saving time and effort.</li><li>Code Reviews Documentation makes it easier to conduct code reviews, as reviewers have a clear understanding of the code's purpose and expected behavior. </li></ul>​<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1729010341901376164a8-3341-41b9-b995-342d9883f0a9.png" alt="The benefits of good documentation" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div><h4>Types of documentation </h4>There are several types of code documentation that you can consider. Here are some of them:<ul><li>Process documentation Describes the processes and procedures used in software development, such as project management, testing, and deployment.</li><li>Planning documentation Includes project plans, schedules, and budgets.</li><li>Estimate documentation Provides estimates of the time and resources required to complete a project.</li><li>Standards documentation Describes the coding standards and guidelines used in a project.</li><li>Metrics documentation Includes metrics such as code coverage, test results, and performance data.</li><li>Design documentation Describes the design of the software, including architecture, data models, and user interfaces.</li><li>Code comments Comments within the source code that explain how the code works, what it does, and why it is there.</li><li>Technical reports Detailed reports that describe the technical aspects of the software, such as algorithms, data structures, and performance.</li><li>Walkthrough documentation Provides a detailed description of a software system's source code, including the purpose of each code module, the inputs and outputs of functions, and any assumptions or constraints that the code relies on.</li></ul><h4>Common mistakes to avoid in documentation </h4><ul><li>No Documentation Leaving your code without any explanations is a big mistake. It makes it hard for others, including your future self.</li><li>Outdated Documentation If your code changes, your explanations should too. Make sure your documentation stays current.</li><li>Complex Comments Keep your comments short and clear. Long, complicated comments can make the code harder to read.</li><li>Unclear Names Choose clear names for your variables and functions. Confusing names make the code harder to understand.</li><li>Missing Examples Show how to use your code with examples. It helps people understand it better.</li></ul><h5>Documentation best practices</h5>Here are the software documentation best practices to consider:<ul><li>Write clear and concise 1. Use easy-to-understand language that both seasoned and novice developers can understand. 2. Avoid using too much technical jargon and complicated explanations. 3. Find the right balance between under-documentation and over-documentation.</li><li>Clearly state the intent and functionality of the code 1. Use comments to explain why the code is there 2. Use comments to explain how the code works.</li><li>Update your documentation continuously 1. Keep your documentation up-to-date as you make changes to your code. 2. Delete dead documentation that is no longer relevant. 3. Use version control to track changes to your documentation.</li><li>Use Documentation as Code (DaC) 1. Write documentation as part of your code 2. Use tools that allow you to generate documentation from your code.</li><li>Plan and organize your documentation 1. Use headers, subheadings, and sections to organize your material. 2. Divide longer documents into logical sections or modules for easy navigation. 3. Use tables and diagrams to illustrate complex concepts.</li><li>Provide references and links 1. Include references to outside sources, such as specifications or design papers. 2. Include links to relevant resources whenever possible. 3. Use glossaries to define technical terms and concepts.</li></ul>​<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17290103730992df795c8-f128-48f9-8d34-a34a3a909db5.png" alt="Documentation best practices" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1190,692" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div><h5>Documentation tools for developers </h5><ul><li>Static site generators 1. Jekyll, Hugo, and Sphinx are some of the most common authoring and publishing tools used in docs-as-code scenarios. 2. Docusaurus is a code documentation tool for a documentation website, and it has received positive feedback from users.</li><li>Documentation generators 1. Swagger, Redoc, and Stoplight are common documentation of code generators used for API documentation. 2. Doxygen is a tool that can be used to generate documentation from code. 3. Exhale is an automatic C++ library API documentation generator that uses Doxygen, Sphinx, and Breathe.</li><li>Annotation libraries 1. Code annotation libraries like go-swagger, Springfox, or NSwag can be used to add API-specific metadata to your source code, which can then be used to generate simple reference documentation.</li><li>Sphinx 1. Sphinx is a powerful documentation tool that supports output to HTML using template themes and to LaTeX/PDF using LaTeX templates. 2. The javasphinx-apidoc utility can be used to automatically generate Java domain restructured text documents from the Javadoc HTML to be compiled into the Sphinx documentation.</li></ul><h6>​​The future of code documentation​​ </h6><ul><li>AI-Assisted Documentation AI tools make documentation faster and more accurate. They can even generate code explanations from the code itself, reducing manual work.</li><li>Docs-as-Code Approach This approach treats documentation as part of the code, stored together and managed with version control. It encourages teamwork among developers, writers, and others to review and update documentation easily.</li><li>Integration with Development Documentation tools now work alongside development processes. Some can automatically create docs from code comments or notes. </li></ul><h6>​​To conclude</h6>Good code documentation enhances collaboration, improves understandability, and reduces dependence on original developers. There are several types of code documentation, including process documentation, planning documentation, etc.&nbsp;To create effective documentation, follow best practices such as writing clear and concise documentation, updating your documentation continuously, using Documentation as Code (DaC), and planning and organizing your documentation. There are several tools available for documentation, including static site generators, documentation generators, annotation libraries, and Sphinx.&nbsp;The future of code documentation includes AI-assisted documentation, the Docs-as-Code approach, and integration with development workflows.By following these best practices and keeping up with the latest trends and tools, you can create documentation that is accurate, comprehensive, and easy to maintain.

Code documentation is one of the most avoided tasks in development. Explore the guide to boost your knowledge and make it easier.

Code Documentation: The Go-To Guide

<h2>Lacking Strategy </h2>Many entrepreneurs tend to get swept up in their ideas and rush into running their online business startup without a clear and organized business plan, which can lead to disorganised growth, financial problems, and confusion among team members.&nbsp;Yeah, the plans will vary depending on the industry and business model, but most startups will need to focus on three primary strategies.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289983276099a59c50f-064d-4c70-9df7-ccc65783f128.png" alt="Mistakes that kill startups" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,876" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>1. Business plan <ul><li>Executive summary Introduce your company, including its mission, operations, and location.</li><li>Products and services: Describe your company's offerings, including pricing, product lifespan, benefits, patents, and any R&amp;D work.</li><li>Market analysis Demonstrate your industry understanding, including statistics, competition, SWOT analysis, and target customers.</li><li>Marketing strategy Explain how you'll attract and retain customers, outlining your outreach and engagement methods.</li><li>Financial planning Include financial forecasts for established businesses, financial statements, and balance sheets.</li><li>Budget List costs for staffing, development, production, marketing, and other business expenses. </li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289982420862ca8491e-607e-4abf-969c-6a9433c1f432.png" alt="Business Plan" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,996" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>2. Marketing Plan<ul><li>Market research Include the overview of your target audience and competition.</li><li>Unique value proposition (UVP) Define what sets your startup apart.</li><li>Marketing goals Set clear, measurable objectives.</li><li>Target audience Describe your ideal customer.</li><li>Marketing strategies Outline how you'll reach your audience.</li><li>Budget and resources Determine financial and human resources.</li><li>Marketing calendar Plan when each activity will occur.</li><li>KPIs Define measurable success metrics.</li><li>Optimization Regularly improve strategies based on data. </li></ul> <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728998165943c2fdc683-33c3-4f41-9a9b-572797271f5c.png" alt="Marketing Plan" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1476" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/top-5-startup-marketing-strategies" alt="Top 5 Marketing Strategies">Top 5 Marketing Strategies</a>. 3. Financial Plan<ul><li>Financial overview Provide a summary of your online startup business's financial plan, outlining startup goals and objectives.</li><li>Income statement (Profit and Loss) Detail your expected expenses, revenue, and net profit or loss for a certain period, typically monthly or annually.</li><li>Cash flow projection Forecast the cash inflow and outflow, helping you manage operational cash needs.</li><li>Balance sheet Present your startup's assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point, giving a snapshot of your financial health.</li><li>Sales forecast Estimate future sales revenue based on research, historical data, and growth projections.</li><li>Expense budget Outline expected costs, including fixed (e.g., rent, salaries) and variable (e.g., marketing, utilities) expenses.</li><li>Break-even analysis Determine when your startup will cover expenses and start making profits.</li><li>Funding needs Specify the capital required for launch and sustained operations until self-sustainability. Include funding options for a startup online business.</li><li>Financial projections Create realistic financial forecasts for 3 to 5 years, covering income, expenses, and cash flow.</li><li>Assumptions Clearly state your financial projections' underlying assumptions and methodologies.</li><li>Risk management Identify potential financial risks and strategies to solve them.</li><li>Capital allocation Explain how you'll use raised or available capital, detailing allocation.</li><li>Key metrics Include crucial financial metrics like ROI, gross margin, and monthly expenditure.</li><li>Exit plan If applicable, describe your exit strategy, such as acquisition or an IPO.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899819080487634d5d-0f87-445b-ae1c-612768ec8cbd.png" alt="Financial Plan" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1956" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div><h3>Ignoring Research</h3>Many startups skip essential research step before launching their online startup and rely solely on their gut feeling in business without listening to customers.&nbsp;42% of startups fail because they don't address a market need. So, while having an idea is good, it must be supported by market research. Start by studying your market and understanding both potential and existing customers. Ask them concise questions about what they want and what they don't.Effective market research involves:<ol><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Conducting focus groups and surveys.</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Talking to potential customers.</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Analyzing competitors using SWOT analysis.</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Identifying your product's unique selling points.</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Recognizing entry barriers.</li></ol>Consider asking these questions when talking to customers:<ol><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Is my product or service appealing to you?</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What's your budget for it?</li><li style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">How can we enhance our product's quality?</li></ol>Embrace and learn from the feedback, as it's the path to success.<h3>Procrastinating Your Launch</h3>It's one of the most popular startup mistakes to avoid. Endless planning and research may seem productive, but success lies in taking action. Don't delay. Instead, launch your idea.&nbsp;The smart approach is to swiftly create a basic MVP (Minimum Viable Product), requiring minimal time and money. This way, you can quickly determine if your startup has a market and potential.Procrastination brings a risk of creating something that doesn't align with customer needs. Present your offering to your target audience and let their input shape what you offer.<h4>Neglecting Support</h4>Succeeding in business is easier with a helping hand. Many startup founders believe they must go it alone, but successful businesses thrive on teamwork.Running a business is complex and can become overwhelming. Don't shy away from seeking assistance and mentorship from fellow entrepreneurs. Surround yourself with industry experts to gain insights into effective business strategies.Here are some tips for effective networking:<ol><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Set clear goals.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Choose relevant events.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Craft an elevator pitch.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Active listening.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Stay in touch after initial meetings.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Keep your professional profiles updated.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Follow networking etiquette.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Prepare questions.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Find unique ways to stand out and be memorable.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Contribute to your community or industry.</li></ol>To get professional support, you can also consider working with outsourcing companies. They cover all you need with experienced specialists on board and wide expertise in mind to save you from expensive and time-consuming mistakes. If you need software development services, <a href="https://cgsteam.io/" alt="CGS-team">CGS-team</a> is always ready to help.<h5>Underestimating Financial Needs</h5>Before launching:<ol><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ensure your finances are well-prepared.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Be realistic about the capital required.</li><li style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Calculate how many months you can operate before running out of funds and secure emergency credit.</li></ol>Prepare for uncertainties by allocating additional funds for unexpected challenges or delays. Explore financing options like bank loans, private investors, or angel investors.Maintain careful financial tracking through spreadsheets for tracking business startup costs online. Monitor monthly expenses, including fixed and variable costs, and compare them to revenue. Remember, profit equals revenue minus expenses.<h5>Blindly Loving the Idea</h5>Sometimes, founders get so caught up in their ideas that they forget to check if others feel the same way. While passion is necessary, it's essential to remember that your product or service may not resonate with everyone. If your business isn't taking off, it's time to reevaluate your strategy and not blame your customers.<h6>To Conclude</h6>When starting a business, it's essential to avoid some mistakes that kill startups. By neglecting strategic planning, sidestepping research, delaying your launch, forgoing support, underestimating financial requirements, and fixating on your ideas, you can make your entrepreneurial journey more difficult.&nbsp;Remember that having a great idea is just the beginning and that planning, adapting, and collaborating are also crucial to your success.

Make your idea earn without wasting time and money on common mistakes startups make. Explore the list of startup killers.

Common Mistakes Startup Founders Make

<h2>Case studies of the top startups</h2>Canva&nbsp;<ul><li>Canva's early priorities were showing off social proof, template numbers, and their growth stats.</li><li>They contacted influencers and bloggers in the SME/creator world and had Guy Kawasaki as a big supporter.</li><li>Every template and design had its webpage, making them more visible on search engines and helping them grow naturally.</li><li>Canva sent friendly welcome emails to new users, encouraging them to create amazing designs easily.</li><li>They spent a lot on Facebook ads that focused on trust and happy customers.</li><li>Canva is still really good at advertising on Facebook and Instagram.</li><li>Canva's commitment to users is clear, as they offer free plans to non-profit organizations.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899759125429872fe4-6a9d-4c98-b3e2-fa49981dcf7d.png" alt="Canva" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1884" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>ClickUp&nbsp;Zeb Evans, the founder of ClickUp, shares three crucial lessons that played a pivotal role in the platform's success in a highly competitive market.<ul><li>The first lesson is about achieving a 'natural' Product/Market fit. They focused on creating an exceptional product with built-in viral elements.</li><li>ClickUp has achieved remarkable success with its organic content engine, generating over $12 million in monthly free clicks. This advantage sets them apart from competitors.</li><li>They excel in 'social listening' and actively gather user feedback through vibrant communities like Twitter, Quora, and Facebook Groups.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/5dbb078e-49bf-4a44-8807-a6c11bb7d6ab.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1356" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Dropbox&nbsp;<ul><li>Made a crystal clear value proposition. Dropbox's core value proposition was straightforward and well-articulated. They emphasized their ability to securely store and share files across various devices, making file access easy for users.</li><li>Even before having a product ready, they created a landing page to collect email addresses, resulting in a massive waiting list of 70,000 signups on the first day of the private beta launch. That's also a cool tactic for early-stage online startup businesses.</li><li>Dropbox initiated a referral program that rewarded both referrers and referred users with extra storage space. This encouraged users to invite others, leading to significant word-of-mouth marketing. The "Get More Space" referral program went viral, propelling their growth by a whopping 3900% in just 15 months.</li><li>Dropbox made it effortless for users to invite others by integrating the referral program into their product. Users could invite friends via email, social media, or by generating a unique referral link.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899766005194ef2f64-3919-4132-9294-415e06c7d29c.png" alt="Dropbox" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1092" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Notion&nbsp;<ul><li>Notion's marketing strategy is all about using content and thought leadership to engage and educate its audience. They create valuable content like blog posts, webinars, tutorials, and templates to show how their platform can solve productivity challenges.</li><li>By sharing insights and tips, Notion positions itself as a leader in the productivity space, showing users how it can help them.&nbsp;</li><li>Notion also relies on user-generated content and building a community. They encourage users to share their experiences and collaborate.&nbsp;</li><li>Influencer marketing is another key part of Notion's strategy. They partner with influencers in the productivity and organization space to showcase their platform's capabilities and benefits to a wider audience.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899768437129a9727f-16be-4d0f-86d3-6ac761533418.png" alt="Notion" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1356" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Calm&nbsp;<ul><li>Over 80% of their ad spend goes to Facebook, with some investment in mobile ad networks. Instagram accounts for less than 1% of their budget. They run more than 300 creatives a day, focusing on new user acquisition.</li><li>Celebrities like Eva Green, LeBron James, and Matthew McConaughey feature in their ads.</li><li>Virality is encouraged by sharing meaningful quotes tied to meditation sessions.</li><li>Reminders prompt daily app usage and potentially increase retention.</li><li>Their future plans include Calm hotels and possibly Calm Island, a tranquil resort.</li></ul> <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289977132491248c4d9-85ee-4fbd-95e2-1f77ccfc7d02.png" alt="Calm" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1620" style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div>You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/what-to-consider-when-launching-a-startup-in-2023" alt="What to Consider When Launching a Startup in 2023">What to Consider When Launching a Startup in 2023</a>? <h3>What does marketing strategy consist of? </h3><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Market research</li></ul>This involves gathering and analyzing data about the target market of your software startup company, including demographics, behaviors, preferences, and trends. Market research helps you understand your customers and competitors better. Ignoring this step is one of the common mistakes startups make.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Target audience</li></ul>Define ideal customers or target audience segments. This step involves creating buyer personas that represent the characteristics and needs of your potential customers.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Positioning and branding</li></ul>Determine how you want your brand to be perceived in the market. Develop a unique value proposition that sets your brand apart from competitors. For example, if you're implementing new technologies, you can position yourself as an innovation lover, educating others on the next-gen techs and building a community of tech fans.By the way, CGS-team is a custom software development services provider. We cover everything you need, from helping to figure out how to start an online startup, discovering ideas, and designing to development, testing, launch, and maintenance.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Marketing goals</li></ul>Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals aligning with your business objectives. These goals could include increasing sales, growing market share, or improving brand awareness.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Marketing budget</li></ul>Allocate resources and budget to various marketing activities and campaigns based on your goals and expected ROI.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Marketing channels</li></ul>Choose the most appropriate marketing channels to reach your target audience. This could include digital marketing (e.g., social media, email, SEO, PPC), traditional advertising (e.g., TV, radio, print), or a combination of both.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Content strategy</li></ul>Create a plan for producing and distributing content that resonates with your audience and supports your marketing goals. Content can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Risk assessment</li></ul>Identify potential risks and challenges that could impact your marketing strategy and develop contingency plans to address them.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Analytics</li></ul>Determine how you will measure the success of your marketing efforts. Key performance indicators (KPIs) may include website traffic, conversion rates, sales, customer retention, and ROI.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Action plan</li></ul>Create a detailed timeline that outlines when each marketing activity will be executed. Assign responsibilities to team members or departments and establish deadlines.<ul><li>Testing&nbsp;</li></ul>Regularly review and analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns. Use data-driven insights to make adjustments and optimize your strategy for better results.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289977698255e066fae-e4a3-46fc-a32d-d7536a4cebeb.png" alt="Marketing Strategy Guide" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,2196" style="width: 100%;" data-index="5"></figure></div><h4>So...</h4>Today, we figured out the tactics and strategies of successful startups to inspire you to apply them in your online startup business. Also, we discovered in detail the steps you need to make an effective and smart marketing strategy.

Give your startup a boost by applying top startups' marketing secrets. Explore the steps to set up an effective strategy.

Top 5 Startup Marketing Strategies

<h2>Once downloaded, never used</h2>Every day, approximately a thousand new apps are added to the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. Unfortunately, over 75% of these apps are downloaded, used once, and then forgotten forever.&nbsp;The primary reason? Poor usability and UX/UX design. Today we'll find out the main factors to consider when designing your app. If you follow all of them, you'll get better chances to stand out in the market. <h3>Limitations of mobile apps</h3><ul><li>Limited Screen Space Mobile devices have small screens, making it challenging to display content. Designers need to prioritize content carefully to ensure optimal visibility.</li><li>Interruptibility Since mobile devices are portable and frequently used on the go, users are more likely to face interruptions. To address this, designers should create interfaces that save progress and allow smooth task resumption.</li><li>Touch Typing Difficulties Typing on small virtual keyboards can be error-prone. Consider alternative input methods and implement larger touch targets to make typing more accurate and user-friendly.</li></ul><h4>Tips for quality UI/UX design</h4><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Prioritize users' goals</li></ul>Mobile app and website goals differ from desktop sites. For instance, on a restaurant app, users want quick tasks like viewing the menu, making reservations, or getting directions.&nbsp;To improve UX, consider users' actual intentions. Requiring login for basic tasks is often overlooked. Making essential features easily accessible enhances the experience.Our designers say it is the most crucial tip. If you want to get ui ux design services following all the tips, visit our <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ux-ui-design" alt="UX/UI design page">UX/UI design page</a>.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Create targets that are easy to tap</li></ul>When designing interfaces for mobile devices, ensure that the touch targets are large enough for users to easily tap. Small targets can be challenging to hit accurately, so the controls should have a size of 7-10 mm. Moreover, leave adequate spacing between tap targets to avoid unintended clicks. The user interface controls must be designed with the user's needs in mind, capturing their fingertip actions. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172899701124774c06785-14f7-4895-80f0-60b28ee13ac8.png" alt="the touch targets" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,2565" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.justinmind.com/blog/button-design-websites-mobile-apps/" alt="Justinmind">Justinmind</a>​ <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Ensure that the text is clear and easy-to-read</li></ul>The content is the heart of your app. Opt for a typeface that works well in various contexts to ensure readability, usability, and comfortable ux workflow across different sizes and weights.<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">To enhance legibility, maintain a font size of at least 11 points. This ensures that users can comfortably read the text without zooming in, even at a typical viewing distance.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Use adequate color contrast for the text. Insufficient contrast can cause the text to blend with the background, making it difficult to read. Aim for a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for both body text and text within images to ensure clarity and accessibility.</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728997052722854d14b2-62aa-4348-b1e4-9ea88ab6d0a5.png" alt="The text is clear and easy-to-read" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,2364" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.ideatheorem.com/insights/guide-mobile-app-design-quick-ui-ux-tips/" alt="idea theorem">idea theorem</a>​ <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid copying user interface elements and fonts from other platforms</li></ul>When developing your app for Android or iOS, it's crucial not to directly copy themed UI elements from other platforms or mimic their specific behaviors. Doing so can potentially compromise the ui/ux workflow, experience and hinder conversion rates.Focus on giving your app's input fields, checkboxes, switches, and other functional components a native feel. Utilize native components whenever possible, as users are already familiar with them, and it fosters trust when handling sensitive data.Apple, Microsoft, and Google provide design guidelines that assist both users and designers. Following these guidelines also ensures consistency across applications within the same operating system.However, it's essential to be cautious when adhering to style guides blindly. Some elements may not work well in all contexts.&nbsp;<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">For instance, page control dots used to indicate pages in mobile apps can be too subtle and fail to convey the availability of additional content.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Similarly, placing form submit buttons at the top of a page in mobile apps might confuse users who naturally expect them at the bottom after filling out the form.</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289971007805bb081c2-282b-4c89-b1c4-199f22106919.png" alt="Visual design " data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,2027" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://designflyover.com/understanding-the-ios-and-android-ui-guidelines/" alt="designflyover">designflyover</a> <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Don't recreate the web experience in mobile applications</li></ul>When creating mobile apps, it's crucial to consider how users expect to interact with them. What works well on the web may not work as well on mobile devices.&nbsp;For instance, underlined links are best avoided in mobile apps because they belong to browsers, not apps. Instead, buttons are commonly used in mobile apps. Users expect certain interaction patterns and interface elements in mobile apps. What we design on the web often feels awkward in a mobile app — not necessarily because something is wrong, but because it's simply different from what users expect to see. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289971459498bb786e1-1356-49ea-b33c-4d151e52b08c.png" alt="mobile applications" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1311" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div> Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://uxdesign.cc/cancel-as-a-button-or-a-link-67ccbf9df81e" alt="UX Collective">UX Collective</a>​ <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Don't take users to the browser</li></ul>Keep users in-app at all times. If your app lacks a specific feature or content, try to use an in-app browser. Do not invoke the smartphone browser, or you will cause users to lose track and not return to the app, increasing abandonment and reducing conversion.You may also like the <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="Mobile App Development Process">Mobile App Development Process</a> article. <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Navigate users well</li></ul>Mobile navigation complements search in several ways:<ol><li>Assists Uncertain Users Navigation helps users explore options and find relevant content without the need for specific search queries.</li><li>Reduces Mental Effort Navigation is easier than formulating search queries, especially on mobile with smaller screens and keyboards.</li><li>Overcomes Search Limitations Mobile site search may not always meet user expectations, making navigation a reliable alternative.</li></ol>However, since screen space is limited, balance accessibility and discoverability of navigation and search without compromising content prioritization.Different mobile navigation approaches include:<ol><li>Top Navigation Bar Ideal for apps with a few navigation options but may use valuable space above the fold.</li><li>Tab Bar Persistent at the top or bottom of the screen, suitable for apps with few options.</li><li>Hamburger Menu Conceals options initially, requiring users to discover it before use.</li><li>Navigation Hub A dedicated page listing all options. It is great for task-based sites or apps. Choose the navigation approach based on your app's needs and user preferences. Prioritize a user-friendly and effective navigation system by understanding your target audience.</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728997207185a64d1b09-34f1-4621-b8a5-d2715bf71b91.png" alt="Mobile navigation approache" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1602,1509" style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/mobile-app-navigation-design-guide/" alt="Mind inventory">Mind inventory</a>​<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Notifications</li></ul>To use mobile push notifications effectively and avoid alienating users, consider these tips:<ol><li>Delay Notification Permission Instead of immediately asking for notification permission upon app launch, provide users with some value and let them experience the app first.&nbsp;</li><li>Be Transparent Inform users about the type of information the notifications will contain, such as social media updates, news, or retail offers.&nbsp;</li><li>Avoid Burst Notifications Refrain from overwhelming users with a burst of notifications in a short period. Combine relevant notifications into a single, meaningful message to maintain user satisfaction.</li><li>Send Relevant Content Ensure that notifications are relevant and informative, offering real value to users. Avoid sending notifications for minor events or unrelated content.</li><li>Easy Notification Management Allow users to manage their notification preferences easily within the app. Avoid hiding or making it difficult to disable notifications, as it can lead to a negative user experience and decrease trust in the app. </li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728997272392103d793f-03f4-4e60-8f77-676bb8ead1fd.png" alt="Notifications" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,801" style="width: 100%;" data-index="5"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://uxdesign.cc/ui-cheat-sheet-in-app-notifications-fffeecf2bf38" alt="UX collective">UX collective</a>​ <h5>Conclusion</h5>Making mobile UX design more user-friendly and intuitive is crucial for keeping users engaged and satisfied. Designers need to put in the time, resources and thought to ensure that their mobile designs are up to par with users' expectations.If you want to develop your app, CGS-team is ready to become your reliable partner and provide quality <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/mobile-app-development" alt="mobile app development" class="on">mobile app development</a>.

Learn the secrets to stand out in a sea of apps with quality UX/UI design tips.

UX/UI Design in Mobile Application Development

<h2>What is infrastructure as code?</h2>Infrastructure as code is a way to manage computer systems and networks using programming instructions. Instead of manually configuring devices, we write code that outlines how we want our infrastructure to look and work. This code can be saved in files and version-controlled, like software code. By running this code, it automatically sets up and configures our infrastructure based on the instructions provided.&nbsp;This makes setting up and managing computer systems faster, more reliable, and more consistent. Tech companies choose it as it aligns with DevOps principles that encourage collaboration and integration between development and operations teams. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="width: 75%; margin: auto;"><img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/9d79639b-04f7-4847-a953-65cc8b4f54e7.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="75%,auto" data-percentage="75%,auto" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2936,1466" style="width: 100%; height: auto;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://narasimmantech.com/why-should-you-learn-infrastructure-as-code-as-a-devops-engineer/" alt="Narasimman Tech">Narasimman Tech</a>​ <h3>What is the goal of infrastructure as a code?</h3>Infrastructure as code solves the problem of developers and infrastructure teams working separately. In the past, developers needed their environments, causing duplication of infrastructure and manual updates that led to errors and disruptions.With infrastructure as code, changes are made by writing code, which is reviewed, approved, and tested. This approach brings developers and infrastructure teams together, creating a unified and collaborative environment. It ensures consistency, saves time, and reduces errors in managing infrastructure. <h4>Benefits of infrastructure as a code</h4>Here are just some of the benefits CGS-team sees as a startup development partner:<ul><li>Speed and Efficiency Automated provisioning and management processes are much faster and more efficient than manual methods. Infrastructure can be deployed quickly with just a few commands, saving time and effort.</li><li>Consistency Infrastructure as Code ensures consistency by allowing you to spin up pre-configured environments every time. This eliminates variations and discrepancies, maintaining uniformity across the board.</li><li>Decreased Risk Manual development and deployment processes are prone to human errors, leading to complex troubleshooting and debugging. Using Infrastructure as Code significantly reduces the risk of errors as infrastructure can be created from a reliable and tested code base.</li><li>Faster Deployment Infrastructure as Code enables rapid deployment with a single command. With pre-configured templates and automation, provisioning environments takes only a few minutes, accelerating the overall deployment process. </li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="width: 75%; margin: auto;"><img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/53d378cb-2ae5-4cc1-8f43-aec14f495276.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="75%,auto" data-percentage="75%,auto" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," style="width: 100%; height: auto;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/cloud/articles/what-is-infrastructure-as-code/" alt="SpiceWorks">SpiceWorks</a>​Read&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/continuous-delivery-and-deployment-challenges-and-solutions" alt="this article">this article</a>&nbsp;to explore more about deployment practices.<h4>History</h4><ol><li>First Generation: Simplifying Host Provisioning&nbsp; The first wave of infrastructure as code tools, like Chef, Puppet, and Ansible, focused on making it easier to provision and manage individual machines. These tools automated software installation, directory creation, and running system services. They dealt with concepts like files, packages, users, groups, and permissions.</li><li>Second Generation: Embracing the Cloud&nbsp; As cloud computing became more prevalent, infrastructure as code shifted its focus to configuring managed services provided by cloud providers. Tools like CloudFormation, Terraform, and Azure Resource Manager emerged to manage resources at a higher level of abstraction, simplifying the setup and management of cloud-based infrastructure.</li><li>Third Generation: Power of Programming Language The third generation of infrastructure as code tools, such as AWS CDK, Pulumi, and SST, leveraged the flexibility of general-purpose programming languages to define infrastructure. These tools embraced imperative programming paradigms and offered higher-level abstractions, allowing developers to describe infrastructure using familiar coding concepts.</li><li>Fourth Generation: Seamless Integration of Infrastructure and Application The latest generation of infrastructure as code tools, including Wing, Dark, Eventual, Ampt, and Klotho, aims to blur the lines between infrastructure and application code. They promote the idea that infrastructure should be derived from the application code, eliminating the need for separate definitions. This approach simplifies the management and deployment of infrastructure and applications, fostering greater integration and efficiency. </li></ol><h5>Infrastructure as a code tool</h5>There are many tools on the market, but here is a list of the most popular and robust:<ul><li>HashiCorp Terraform</li><li>Pulumi</li><li>Spacelift</li><li>AWS CloudFormation</li><li>Puppet</li><li>Chef (Progress Chef)</li><li>Crossplane</li><li>Brainboard </li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="width: 75%; margin: auto;"><img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/8cd08eff-aea3-48f7-9b65-845bd309d752.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="75%,auto" data-percentage="75%,auto" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," style="width: 100%; height: auto;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Soucre:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://nix-united.com/blog/what-is-infrastructure-as-a-code-benefits-and-best-practices/" alt="Nix United">Nix United</a>​<h5>How does infrastructure as code work?</h5>Example IaC workflow looks like this:<ol><li>A developer changes a YAML configuration file using their preferred management platform, such as Terraform, to specify the desired modifications.</li><li>The developer commits these changes to a separate branch in the Git repository.</li><li>A pull request is created, allowing code review and collaboration with other team members using the repository's built-in features.</li><li>Once the changes are approved, they are merged into the repository's main branch.</li><li>The configuration platform, like Bitbucket Pipelines, can manually or automatically trigger the deployment process.</li><li>Terraform communicates with the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) API, executing commands to align the infrastructure with the desired configuration.</li><li>Developers can effectively implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) by following this workflow and fulfilling these dependencies. This approach automates infrastructure management, promotes collaboration among team members, and ensures consistent configurations throughout the development process.</li></ol><h5>Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Best Practices </h5><ol><li>Embrace Immutability Follow the practice of immutability, where each component is built according to specific specifications and is not modified after deployment. This prevents configuration drift and ensures consistency, security, and easier tracking of changes.</li><li>Implement Version Control Apply version control to your IaC configuration files like any other code. This enables tracking, managing, and restoring changes, enhancing traceability and visibility. Use version control systems like Git, GitHub, or Azure DevOps to manage your IaC files.</li><li>Secure Secrets Avoid hard-coding secrets in your IaC code, as it poses a security risk. Store secrets in a secure secrets store instead of version control systems. Scan your code for exposed credentials using techniques like regular expression scanning, keyword detection, and entropy-based scanning to identify and mitigate potential security vulnerabilities.</li></ol><h6>Future trends </h6><ul><li>Cloud-Native Cloud-native Infrastructure as Code (IAC) is a rising trend that organizations are adopting to leverage cloud benefits effectively. It involves utilizing cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes and Docker to manage infrastructure and automating deployment and management processes for enhanced efficiency, scalability, and security.</li><li>Multi-cloud Multi-cloud environments enable organizations to utilize multiple cloud providers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, rather than relying on a single provider. This approach allows organizations to ensure high availability and disaster recovery and leverage the unique features offered by each provider.</li><li>Self-Service Self-service IAC empowers developers to provision and manage their own infrastructure independently, reducing dependency on IT operations. This autonomy increases agility, accelerates development speed, and allows developers to better understand the infrastructure they use.</li><li>IAC for Security IAC plays a vital role in automating the deployment and maintenance of security controls, reducing the risk of security breaches. It enables organizations to configure security tools according to best practices, automatically deploy security updates and patches, and detect/respond to security incidents promptly.</li><li>Artificial Intelligence for IAC The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in IAC can enhance security risk detection, improve infrastructure configuration recommendations, and automate provisioning and management processes. AI and ML can analyze configurations, identify vulnerabilities, and provide insights for optimizing security.</li><li>ChatOps for IAC ChatOps brings collaboration and communication to the forefront of infrastructure management by utilizing chatbots and messaging platforms. It enables real-time communication, automates repetitive tasks, and integrates with other tools for a comprehensive view of the infrastructure, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and decision-making.</li></ul><h6>Final words</h6>Ok, so today, we discovered some interesting highlights:<ul><li>Infrastructure as Code (IaC) simplifies infrastructure management by automating setup and configuration using code. It fosters collaboration and consistency between developers and infrastructure teams.&nbsp;</li><li>Popular IaC tools like Terraform and Pulumi streamline the deployment process.&nbsp;</li><li>The future trends include cloud-native IaC, multi-cloud environments, self-service IaC, IaC for security, AI integration, and ChatOps.&nbsp;</li><li>IaC enhances efficiency, reliability, and agility in managing infrastructure.</li></ul>Also, we discovered the goals, history, and best practices of IaC.

​Everyone seeks how to improve the tech processes. We describe the ways in articles like this.​

Infrastructure as a Code Explained

<h2>Why should you read this article?</h2>Every software startup company goes through MVP, product-market fit, idea discovery, etc. Founders should know the flow to plan their steps and know what to expect when building their startup. For many of them, who failed, the life cycle seemed like this:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Define the product hypothesis</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Identify the feature set</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Build the product</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Release the product</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Pray</li></ol>However, to build a unicorn, you should pass several other stages, and we'll explore it now. BTW, CGS-team helps early-stage startups succeed by leading them from the initial idea and custom software development to the first revenue and so on. We've already increased the revenue of LiveArtMarket by +300% via smart decisions and development. <h3>What are the stages? </h3><ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Idea</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Product-market fit</li><li style="font-style: italic;">MVP</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Product-market fit, again</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Launch</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Growth</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Maturity</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172891843324291d5afda-5424-4832-b791-9a5570b9989f.png" alt="Stages of Startup Funding" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1920" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://coffeemug.ai/blog/what-are-the-different-startup-funding-stages/" alt="Cofferun">Cofferun</a>​We'll go through each of them more precisely.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Idea</li></ul>If you don't have an idea, you can check the video by YC school or use the shortlist method: find many different niches and create a longlist in a table format, then rate each niche, checking important factors (business model, tech feasibility, etc). Then create a shortlist of the best-rated niches, deep-dive into it, and make a very deep analysis of them. Check the competitors and decide what you can do better or what problem of the audience is left unsolved.&nbsp;Before you dive into your idea, there are a couple of important questions you should ask yourself. First off, what problem are you trying to solve? And secondly, do you think your solution will actually solve that problem? If you're feeling good about both answers, go ahead and start testing your idea. But if you're not totally sure, it might be worth taking a step back.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Product-Market Fit</li></ul>It's crucial to be sure of the product-market fit at the initial stages. However, you'll search for it while doing, releasing MVP, and all your way, actually.&nbsp;If you're trying to make it big in the market, you gotta make sure you're giving your customers what they want, reaching them through the right channels. Don't make the mistake of not checking if there's a market for your product, not getting to know your customers, or just focusing on your product without testing it out. There's a five-step plan that involves making a business model, checking if there's a market for your idea, talking to customers, developing your product, and getting new customers. Keep on improving based on feedback until you're doing pretty darn well, like 40% well.You can use the "PMF" framework, 5 Steps to Product/Market Fit:&nbsp;Step 1: Business Modeling&nbsp;Step 2: Market Validation&nbsp;Step 3: Customer Interviews Step&nbsp;Step 4: Product Development &amp; Customer Acquisition&nbsp;Step 5: Product Analytics <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289184764225921ac96-b412-4b9d-817a-fb24ff96ebf7.png" alt=" &quot;PMF&quot; framework, 5 Steps to Product/Market Fit" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1545" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://medium.com/radikal-studio/pmf-framework-5-steps-to-product-market-fit-2021-4c95a0c964ad" alt="Medium">Medium</a>​Check more about the framework <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://medium.com/radikal-studio/pmf-framework-5-steps-to-product-market-fit-2021-4c95a0c964ad" alt="here">here</a>.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">MVP</li></ul>Basically, it's a simple version of your idea with only the most important features. This way, you don't have to spend all your money upfront on a big, complicated project. Plus, you can always improve it later. Consider taking custom software development services to quickly create your MVP and qualitatively and test your hypothesis. <ul><li>Product market fit, again&nbsp;</li></ul>Product market fit doesn't end here. You should do the steps continuously to grow your business:<ol><li>Test for product-market fit. Survey users to understand their feelings about your product.</li><li>Measure retention rates. Retention rates vary depending on the model and vertical, so determine what is considered good for your specific context.</li><li>Test for Language/Market Fit. Define your product's positioning in the market and target users. Conduct A/B tests to refine your messaging, including value propositions, taglines, descriptions, features, benefits, and calls to action.</li><li>Perform Funnel Optimization. Experiment with different elements, such as landing pages, calls-to-action, and onboarding processes. Identify the "Aha Moment" for users and streamline the path to reach it quickly.</li><li>Segment your audience. Target users who derive value from your product. Analyze the characteristics of users who stay versus those who churn.</li><li>Seek Channel-Product Fit. Discover the most effective channels for reaching your target customers. Study frameworks like the Bulls Eye Framework and Channel Prioritization Matrix for guidance. Focus on one or two top channels initially and conduct growth experiments to assess their potential.</li></ol><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Launch</li></ul>During this phase of startup development, the main focus is on launching the product and engaging in extensive brand promotion. The goals include:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">considering legal issues like brand registration;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">conducting thorough testing and optimization;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">improving the product and the brand's reputation;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">searching for potential investors.</li></ol><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Scale</li></ul>As a company progresses, the team must adapt to the direction of the business. At the scale stage your goals are:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Recruiting exceptional specialists.</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Continuously searching for new markets, niches, and target audiences.&nbsp;</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Establishing a positive corporate culture.</li></ol><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Maturity</li></ul>When a company gets bigger, sometimes its growth slows down. But the big tech companies never stop trying to grow. They're always looking for new ways to expand, like buying other companies or going international.&nbsp;At such a stage mind this:<ol><li>Consider exploring opportunities to expand your business overseas. To ensure the best possible experience for your customers in each new region, building teams that understand the local culture and can adapt your product accordingly is important.</li><li>Explore acquisition opportunities that complement your product. For example, consider acquiring a company that helps you reach a new group of users or enhance the value you offer to your current customers.</li><li>If you want to ensure the success of your growth team, you should always be willing to experiment with new growth channels. A great way to do this is by targeting users who still need to adopt your product. You can increase your chances of success by figuring out why they haven't and finding ways to reach out to them. </li></ol><h4>How do experts see the life cycle?</h4>Once a startup gets past the "garage" phase, they all end up at the same spot: the PMF. That's short for Product-Market Fit, by the way. After that, they expand into different countries, channels, and products and become a growth machine. That's what Brian Balfour calls it, anyways. Finally, they either slow down independently (according to Morgan Brown) or get bought out (Steve Blank). Then they stabilize and become a legit business.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728918516229d96df02b-6769-4d8d-84b6-6bb863e16e85.png" alt="Startup Life Cycle" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2928,1311" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://openvc.app/blog/startup-lifecycle" alt="OpenVC">OpenVC</a>&nbsp;<h5>Conclusion</h5>In conclusion, the life cycle of a startup typically includes several key stages: idea generation, product-market fit, MVP, launch, growth, and maturity. Founders must understand this flow in order to plan their steps and expectations effectively.&nbsp;I advise you to check the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.ycombinator.com/library" alt="YC combinator library">YC combinator library</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/" alt="Lenny Rachitsky newsletter" class="on">Lenny Rachitsky newsletter</a>. There you'll find insight, no matter at what stage you are.

Discover the unicorn life cycle to make your idea succeed.

What is The Usual Life Cycle of a Startup?

<h2>Every startup idea starts with </h2>Imagine you're working at the teapot manufacturer. You created a crazy but ambitious idea - a highly-technological teapot that will choose a tea based on your mood. If you're sleepy, it'll make you a refreshing green tea, but if you're unsettled, it'll offer you a cup of peppermint tea.&nbsp;However, the first question you'll be asked is: "Is it technically possible for the company to implement it?".&nbsp;Here we'll discuss the technical feasibility analysis and how to check your ideas on technical implementation possibilities.&nbsp;P.S. BTW, if you want your idea to be implemented, CGS-team is ready to help and lead you through all the way from idea discovery, research, and design to development, testing, and maintenance.&nbsp;<h3>What is a feasibility study?</h3>A Feasibility Study is a way to figure out whether a proposed project or system is practical and beneficial for an organization. It's basically a way to see if a project or system would actually work and be useful for a company. They look at how the software would be made and used and whether it would help the company. It's a way to make sure the software is a good fit for what the company needs.When you're considering taking on a new project, it's important to make sure your organization has the technical know-how and resources to make it happen. This step is called assessing technical feasibility. It's basically a way to check if you have the tools and skills you need to get the job done right. This means looking at all the technical aspects of the project, like the hardware and software involved. <h3>Types of Feasibility Study </h3>There are also their feasibility studies like: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728918217243eabca70c-2922-4e5f-adef-9c1c2401a6ff.png" alt="Types of Feasibility Study" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1100,1464" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://projectcubicle.com/feasibility-study-in-project-management/" alt="ProjectCubicle">ProjectCubicle</a>​ <ul><li>Operational Feasibility&nbsp; Operational feasibility is all about assessing if a project aligns with your organization's resources, goals, and overall planning.</li><li>Economic Feasibility&nbsp; To figure out if the project is financially sensible, you should look at the money involved. You can do a cost-benefit analysis which will help you compare how much the project costs against how much it will benefit you. This will also make the project more trustworthy and help the decision-makers see how much the project will benefit the organization.</li><li>Legal Feasibility&nbsp; Before starting a project, it's essential to make sure that it follows legal and ethical rules. This involves looking into things like laws related to data protection and social media, as well as getting the necessary certificates and licenses. All of this is part of a Legal Feasibility Study.</li><li>Scheduling Feasibility Consider how your project timeline fits with your existing operations, including product scheduling, demand forecasting, and other related tasks. </li></ul><h4>Importance of Feasibility Study </h4>Before starting a project, it's a good idea to do a feasibility study. This can help you discover new ideas that may change the project's scope. It's better to figure this out early on rather than starting the project and realizing it won't work.A technical feasibility study can assist in determining the following answers:<ol><li>Is it possible to build the product using the company's present technology?</li><li>Is the company equipped with the required technologies to complete the project?</li><li>Are there technically strong people who can produce the project on schedule and on budget with the technology available?</li></ol>Other restrictions must also be considered:<ol><li>Internal project constraints include technical, technological, budgetary, and resource constraints.</li><li>Financial, marketing, and export constraints are examples of internal corporate constraints.</li><li>External constraints include logistics, the environment, laws and regulations, and so on. </li></ol><h5>How to run a technical feasibility study? </h5><ul><li>Define the purpose and scope Clearly state the goals and objectives of the project to determine the specific technical requirements.&nbsp;</li><li>Identify key stakeholders Recognize the individuals or groups affected by the project and address their needs and concerns in the study.&nbsp;</li><li>Identify technical requirements Document the necessary hardware, software, infrastructure, and technical components for project implementation.&nbsp;</li><li>Conduct a technology assessment Evaluate available technologies or solutions that meet the project requirements, considering factors like functionality, compatibility, scalability, and cost.&nbsp;</li><li>Identify and evaluate alternatives Explore and assess alternative solutions or technologies to provide context for the project's feasibility.&nbsp;</li><li>Analyze technical risks Identify potential risks and challenges related to compatibility, performance, security, and other technical constraints.&nbsp;</li><li>Evaluate technical feasibility Assess if the project is technically feasible based on requirements, resources, and risks within the given limitations.&nbsp;</li><li>Cost estimation Estimate the expenses associated with project implementation, including hardware, software, infrastructure, licenses, and maintenance.&nbsp;</li><li>Develop an implementation plan Create a plan outlining steps, timelines, and resources needed to execute the project successfully, addressing technical challenges, and proposing solutions.&nbsp;</li><li>Provide recommendations Based on study findings, offer clear recommendations on whether to proceed with the project, suggesting modifications or contingencies if necessary.&nbsp;</li><li>Use a structured format Employ a structured format for the study, including an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, and conclusion for clarity and ease of navigation.&nbsp;</li><li>Document the feasibility study Record all findings and conclusions in a comprehensive report, serving as a reference for decision-makers and stakeholders to evaluate the project's viability. </li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728918258940b1d29f64-2c77-4dac-a3f9-877ac7ad023d.png" alt="How to run a technical feasibility study?" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="934,916" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.mobindustry.net/blog/how-to-conduct-the-technical-feasibility-analysis-in-software-development/" alt="mobindustry">mobindustry</a>​ <h6>Conclusion </h6>If you're thinking about starting a new project, it's important to figure out if it's possible from a technical standpoint. This means taking a look at whether your organization has the right resources and knowledge to get the job done well. Doing a feasibility study can help you figure out if the project lines up with your organization's goals and if it's both doable and financially reasonable. The study will check out a lot of different things, like if it makes sense operationally, economically, legally, and as far as scheduling goes.&nbsp;To find out if it's technically possible, you'll need to decide what you want to achieve, figure out who's involved, write down what you need to make it happen, look at the technology you'll need, consider any risks, decide if it's feasible, estimate the costs, make a plan, make some recommendations, use a specific format, and put everything you find out into a report. By doing a perfect technical feasibility study, you'll be able to make smart choices about whether or not your project will work and be able to finish it successfully.

Check out the tech feasibility study guide to see if your idea can realistically be implemented by your company.

Technical Feasibility in Software Development

<h2>Welcome a new rubric </h2>Hey! We're launching a new rubric — a news digest to keep you up-to-date with the latest trends. We look at the global tech world and where the wind is blowing. Today we collected the hottest highlights about AI, tech stacks, recruiting devs, etc. <h3>2023 Web development stack&nbsp;</h3>​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/2023-web-development-stack" alt="https://cgsteam.io/blog/2023-web-development-stack">https://cgsteam.io/blog/2023-web-development-stack</a>​In 2023, the most in-demand technologies include MEAN stack, Ruby on Rails (for efficient coding), LAMP (a foundation for website development), Augmented Reality (WebAR), Web 3.0 (enabling access to information from anywhere), and Meteor JS (for real-time web applications). <h3>Microsoft aims to turn every Windows developer into an AI developer</h3>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/24/build-2023-microsoft-wants-every-windows-dev-be-ai-developer/" alt="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/24/build-2023-microsoft-wants-every-windows-dev-be-ai-developer/">https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/24/build-2023-microsoft-wants-every-windows-dev-be-ai-developer/</a>​Microsoft aims to provide developers with seamless integration of AI-powered experiences into their Windows applications, regardless of the architecture (x86/x64 or Arm64) they are developing for. Whether the apps run in the cloud or at the edge, Microsoft is committed to enabling effortless incorporation of AI capabilities.<h4>The scarcity of prof developers remains the foremost challenge</h4>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/mar/06/developer-shortage-remains-the-top-challenge-two-years-in-a-row/" alt="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/mar/06/developer-shortage-remains-the-top-challenge-two-years-in-a-row/">https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/mar/06/developer-shortage-remains-the-top-challenge-two-years-in-a-row/</a>&nbsp;According to the recent Reveal survey by Infragistics, recruiting developers with the right skills remains the top challenge in 2023, despite recent layoffs in the tech industry. The survey, which involved 2,228 software developers and IT professionals, highlights the ongoing difficulty in finding qualified talent.<h4>One more search engine update: Blackbird by GitHub</h4>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/10/github-releases-blackbird-code-search-engine/" alt="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/10/github-releases-blackbird-code-search-engine/">https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/10/github-releases-blackbird-code-search-engine/</a>&nbsp;GitHub introduces Blackbird, a reworked code search engine built on Rust. With faster and more comprehensive software repository exploration, developers can search, navigate, and understand their code efficiently, increasing productivity.&nbsp;<h5>1/4 of technology firms utilize generative AI for software development</h5>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/16/a-quarter-of-tech-firms-use-generative-ai-for-software-development/" alt="https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/16/a-quarter-of-tech-firms-use-generative-ai-for-software-development/">https://www.developer-tech.com/news/2023/may/16/a-quarter-of-tech-firms-use-generative-ai-for-software-development/</a>​Nearly 25% of US technology firms employ generative AI tools for software development. Adoption rates are projected to reach 80% or higher for software development, marketing, and customer service, and 62% for product development.<h6>Tools to deploy and host ML model</h6>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://app.daily.dev/posts/gASTLN8v0" alt="https://app.daily.dev/posts/gASTLN8v0">https://app.daily.dev/posts/gASTLN8v0</a>​Use FastAPI and Heroku's Container Registry to effortlessly deploy and host machine learning models. FastAPI is a powerful Python web framework for building RESTful APIs, while Heroku simplifies the deployment of Docker containers.

Stay ahead of tech trends with the tech news digest: AI integration, development stack, shortages, GitHub's Blackbird, etc.

Tech News Digest: June 2023 Highlights

<h2>Hey-hey! </h2>The startup world is full of ideas, but the deciding factor is who and how will implement them. If you need help deciding what specialists to hire, you’ve found the right spot. We’ll together find out the definition of full-stack developers, their tech stack, the pros, and cons of hiring a full-stack development team, etc.<h2>What’s a full-stack development?</h2>Full-stack development covers both front-end and back-end. Full-stack developer meaning is a dev skilled in both technologies, meaning they can build web applications from start to finish.Let’s break it down a bit. The front-end of a website is what you see and interact with. It’s the homepage, the online forms, and the buttons you click. But there’s a branch of things happening behind the scene. That’s the back-end, which includes databases, servers, and APIs that connect everything together.A full-stack developer doesn’t stop on the front-end and back-end. They also know how to deploy, optimize, and automate the application. And they’re familiar with DevOps and design technologies.So, when you hire a full-stack developer, you’re getting a multi-talented professional who can handle a wide range of tasks. They’re the all-in-one solution to your web development needs.The overall scheme of the full stack’s skills looks like this: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289178809595a33523d-753d-4b51-b97e-ff3028ea6004.png" alt="scheme of the full stack’s skills" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1314,1800" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.cybercoders.com/insights/what-hiring-managers-look-for-in-a-full-stack-developer/" alt="CyberCoders">CyberCoders</a> <h3>Tech stack full stack needs </h3>Here are the technologies you’ll find in the full-stack developer job description:<ul><li>HTML and CSS HTML is the tool we use to construct the content of a website, and CSS is what gives it its style and visual flair.</li><li>Javascript While HTML and CSS are great for creating static and responsive websites, but when it comes to adding dynamic behavior to the site, that’s where JavaScript steps in.</li><li>Front-end&nbsp; There’s a wide variety of front-end frameworks out there, but three of them stand out due to their popularity — React, Angular, and Vue.</li><li>Back-end&nbsp; The back-end server can be written in a variety of languages. Some of the popular ones include JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go, and Java.</li><li>Databases When it comes to databases, there are numerous options to choose from. Among the most popular are MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL.</li><li>Other skills Also, the knowledge of prototyping and UI /UX design is a required skill for full-stack devs. Furthermore, full-stack should be able to write unit tests and use automated testing tools.</li></ul><h4>Pros of a full-stack development team</h4><ul><li>A broad range of skills Full-stack developers are like a one-stop shop for businesses. They bring a diverse skill set across various domains and can understand concepts quickly. They approach a project with a holistic, 360-degree view, using their extensive knowledge and experience to incorporate advanced features.</li><li>Fast troubleshooting In the business world, particularly for startups and small businesses, full-stack developers are a great fit. They excel at troubleshooting and can oversee the entire project lifecycle, from the initial stages all the way through to deployment.</li><li>Quick-learning&nbsp; Full-stack developers, having honed a range of skills, are typically quick learners. They can swiftly pick up new abilities and adapt to your organization’s workflow with ease.</li><li>Cost Rather than compensating each back-end developer, and front-end developer, individually, you cover a single cost with the full-stack web development. This approach also eliminates extra expenses such as equipment, premium tools, and relocation costs.</li><li>Code reuse&nbsp; One of the advantages of full-stack development is more code reusing. This implies that the same code can be utilized for a project’s front-end and back-end, leading to significant time and cost savings.</li><li>Enhanced flexibility&nbsp; Full-stack developers bring a broad understanding of various technologies to the table. This allows them to adapt quickly to any changes during the software development lifecycle and even step in for any team member if needed.&nbsp; Therefore, full-stack development services offer a level of flexibility.</li><li>Reduced management effort&nbsp; With full-stack development, you don’t need to invest time in team management or recruitment if unexpected situations arise. The full-stack developers can replace each other as they cover the development cycle and are more in context.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728917989375521f7481-7da9-43e4-8a1c-e66ec0ec393a.png" alt="Pros of a full-stack development team" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="934,916" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div> Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://citrusbug.com/blog/advantages-of-hiring-a-full-stack-developer" alt="CITRUSBUG">CITRUSBUG</a>​<h4>Cons of a full-stack development team </h4><ul><li>Tech updates and trends Full-stack developers are skilled in a variety of technologies. However, it can sometimes be challenging for them to stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and technologies across all their areas of expertise.</li><li>No deep expertise A developer who specializes in a single technology or platform is likely to perform better than one whose knowledge is spread across multiple technologies. This is because specialized knowledge often leads to deeper understanding and expertise.</li><li>Slower Processes&nbsp; Full-stack developers, proficient in multiple programming languages, often need to switch between these languages while working on a project. This can potentially slow down the process, as they may need to revisit the basics and refresh their memory on certain aspects of each language.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172891805168141867127-0af1-4963-b169-5ae822fb609d.png" alt="Full-stack Developer" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="934,916" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div> Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.xbytesolutions.com/blog/hire-full-stack-developer-for-mvp-development" alt="X-BYTE">X-BYTE</a>​ <h5>Whom to hire? </h5>There are some key points you should consider when choosing whom to hire: full-stack development team or specialized developers (back-end and front-end devs).<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Project Size&nbsp;</li></ul>The scale of your project is a crucial factor. For a simple project, a full-stack developer might be the perfect fit. However, for larger, more complex projects like a Netflix or Amazon-style app, you might need specialized developers for the back-end and front-end.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Complexity</li></ul>The required skill set is another essential consideration. Full-stack developers have a broad range of skills, but they might not be experts in all areas. If your project is technically demanding and requires high precision and quality, you might need to hire specialized developers.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Budget&nbsp;</li></ul>Finally, your budget plays a significant role in your decision. If you’re willing to invest in quality, you might want to consider hiring dedicated front-end and back-end developers. However, if your budget is tight, a well-qualified full-stack developer could be the best choice.In CGS-team we’re all about customization. We form custom teams for every project and have full-stack, back-end, front-end developers, QA, project managers, etc. Our team is 100 strong and precisely selected specialists. Whenever you need, we can cover it.&nbsp;<h6>Finally </h6>Navigating the world of startups isn’t just about ideas but also who brings them to life. Full-stack developers, skilled in both front-end and back-end technologies, are like Swiss Army knives in web development. They can handle everything from the visible parts of a website to the behind-the-scenes mechanics, including deployment, optimization, and automation.However, while full-stack developers are versatile, they may not have deep expertise in all areas. If your project is technically demanding, you might need specialized developers. The scale of your project, its complexity, and your budget are key factors to consider when deciding which type of developer to hire.

Doubt about hiring a full-stack development team? We discovered all the pros, cons, and key factors in the article.

Pros and Cons of Full-Stack Development Team

<h2>Hey, folks</h2>Today we'll figure out what continuous delivery and software deployment are, how they relate, differ, and their challenges. So let's start from the basis.P.S. However, you won't have to figure out the complex terms if you have a reliable outsourcing partner covering all the development processes like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/" alt="CGS-team" class="on">CGS-team</a>.&nbsp;<h2>CI/CD </h2>CI/CD is like a handy helper for making and updating apps. It simplifies the process of regularly sending new versions of apps to users by automating certain steps. These steps include code builds, running automated tests, and software deployment processes.There are three key parts to CI/CD: continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment.The "CI" in CI/CD stands for continuous integration. When continuous integration is doing its job, any changes to an app's code are consistently created, tested, and added to a common place where all the code lives.&nbsp;Here is the scheme of how it works:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172891754715374b7fcc0-cd23-45aa-abd7-dce733c2cc4c.png" alt="CI/CD" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1568,886" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.synopsys.com/glossary/what-is-cicd.html" alt="Synopsys">Synopsys</a>​The "CD" in CI/CD can mean one of two things: continuous delivery or continuous deployment. These are all about making the next steps in the process easier and automatic. Yet, they're not quite the same.The whole process looks like this: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728917585638f5c8cda8-24bd-487f-b0f3-34407dd94f63.png" alt="continuous delivery or continuous deployment" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1568,820" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.jetbrains.com/teamcity/ci-cd-guide/continuous-integration-vs-delivery-vs-deployment/" alt="Jet Brains" class="on">Jet Brains</a>​You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="Mobile App Development Process">Mobile App Development Process</a>​ <h3>Continuous delivery</h3>Continuous delivery is like the next chapter of continuous integration. After the code is built, it automatically sends all the changes in the code to a testing // production stage. This way, you have an automated testing release process. You can send your application live whenever you want just by clicking a button.&nbsp;You could release updates daily, weekly, every two weeks, or whatever works best for you. But to truly reap the rewards of continuous delivery, it's best to release updates as soon as they're ready. This way, you're dealing with small updates that are easier to fix.<h3>Continuous deployment</h3>Continuous deployment is like the superhero version of continuous delivery. Continuous deployment automatically releases to your customers every change that passes all the checks in your pipeline. Humans don't have to step in. Only a failed test can stop a new update from going live.This is fantastic because it speeds up getting feedback from your customers. It also takes the stress off your team because there's no longer a big "release day" to worry about. Developers can concentrate on creating and see their work go live just minutes after they're done with it. <h4>The difference between continuous delivery &amp; deployment&nbsp;</h4>To put it simply, continuous delivery is like a semi-automatic mode where developers can send any updates to customers with just a click of a button. On the other hand, continuous deployment is like putting the whole process on auto-pilot. It handles deploying software without a human click. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728917671051c0b0b034-190f-4a82-8fd1-a0463d7333c9.png" alt="continuous integration" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="100%," data-percentage="100," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1746,809" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/devops-tutorial/continuous-delivery-and-continuous-deployment" alt="SimpleLearn">SimpleLearn</a> <h4>The challenges and the ways to solve them </h4>So, the beauty of continuous delivery and deployment is that they make software updates quicker and more efficient. Teams can release updates regularly and adapt rapidly to what the market needs. But remember, with great speed comes a new set of challenges. Discover the threats and the ways to solve them.<ol><li>Management In the continuous delivery and deployment world, it's all about adaptability. Teams need to be ready to embrace new ways of working, like agile and DevOps, and foster a culture of constant learning and trying new things. How to solve it? Well, it starts by ensuring everyone on the team feels they have a part to play in delivering your software. Creating a trustful environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing and testing ideas can do wonders. It's not just good for the team, but it benefits the organization and the software you produce too. Remember, if things don't go as planned, the goal is to learn from it, not point fingers.</li><li>Versions In a nutshell, CI/CD processes can sometimes get tripped up when a new software version rolls out. It can cause a domino effect of some problems: everything from your tests to the deployment and even production can start going haywire. How to solve it? Consider turning off auto-updates if that's a good fit for your team.&nbsp; Next, having a dedicated DevOps team to oversee version control can be really helpful.&nbsp; Prioritize stability over having the newest release. Keeping a stable version of the software as your default for deployment rather than the latest one is better.</li><li>Testing To make continuous delivery and deployment work, you need a strong testing strategy covering all your software parts. This includes automating your tests and knowing what to test and when. How to solve it? Begin by running the quickest tests first. This way, you'll get feedback sooner and can then move on to more detailed tests once you're confident in the build. Typically, the first tests you'll run are unit tests, which give wide coverage.&nbsp; After that, you might run automated integration or component tests. Finally, once you've done these, you can start on more complex automated tests, followed by manual exploratory and/or acceptance tests if needed.</li><li>Infrastructure To make continuous delivery and deployment work, you need a stable infrastructure that can handle constant and rapid code changes. This might be a bit tough for teams more familiar with traditional infrastructure or those who need more experience managing cloud-based environments. How to solve it? Popular deployment software like CruiseControl, Atlassian Bamboo, and TeamCity can help out here. Essentially, these systems are environments where testing and building come together, making the whole development process more unified. They keep an eye on new code commits and let you create and integrate automated tests. These tests will then be run each time new code is added. </li><li>Overreliance on automation While automation can be a big time-saver and crucial for keeping continuous delivery on track, it's possible to lean on it too much. If your team's tasks change and new ones come up, there can be a temptation to automate processes too quickly just to save time. Automating a process that needs to be well-designed can be a quick fix. However, in the long run, it could turn into a big roadblock that's hard to get around. How to solve it? Make sure you sort out any process issues first before you automate them. It's also a good idea for developers to regularly check their automated procedures to ensure they're still doing what they're supposed to and to test the effectiveness of current processes. </li><li>Security To ensure that software is delivered safely, continuous delivery and deployment need a strong focus on security. Unfortunately, attacks on the software supply chain have become much more common recently. A report by <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3677228/supply-chain-attacks-increased-over-600-this-year-and-companies-are-falling-behind.html" alt="CSO">CSO</a> found that in 2022, there was a whopping 633% increase in the number of attacks involving harmful third-party components. How to solve it? It's good to have a reliable monitoring system in place. This way, you can spot threats quickly and defend your pipeline effectively. Also, try to keep sensitive information out of the pipeline as much as you can. Another useful strategy is to use a code analysis tool to identify and eliminate weak spots in your code. </li></ol><h6>You did it</h6>Congrats, you've just puzzled out the CI/CD, continuous integration, deployment, and delivery definitions. You're a master in the difference between continuous deployment &amp; delivery, aware of the challenges they bring and the solutions. Treat yourself and check our <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog" alt="other articles" class="on">other articles</a>.

After reading, you'll be a pro in continuous delivery &amp; deployment and solving challenges it causes.

Continuous Delivery & Deployment: Challenges and Solutions

<h2>2021 startup overvaluation boom</h2>Valuation is a combination of art and science. In 2021 it was more about art.&nbsp;As we mastered Zoom and embraced remote work, venture capitalists were busy showering startups with billions of dollars like it was a money storm. It’s been a wild ride where cash flowed freely into the startup universe.But now, we’re noticing that many of these startups, which skyrocketed during the pandemic, are overvalued. And this over-the-top valuation has left these baby companies wobbling, possibly putting a lot of jobs in the danger zone.To not overvalue your startup, we’ll check out the best ways to do it in simple terms. <h3>What is a startup valuation?</h3>Startup valuation is like figuring out the price tag for a startup, keeping in mind the market factors of its industry and sector. Famous VC Fred Wilson says it’s not always about the here-and-now value of a business, as businesses with small revenue and projected losses can still have a high value. Venture capital deals often come wrapped in convertible preferred stock investments, which, if a business flops, turn into something more like dept.A startup’s valuation is like its price at a specific moment. Valuation ingredients include:<ul><li>the development level of the product or service;</li><li>how well the idea works in the real world;</li><li>the head of heads (CEO) and their crew;</li><li>how much other similar startups are valued;</li><li>relationships and customers;</li><li>and, of course, sales.</li></ul>An accurate valuation of your startup is critical because if you overvalue it, investors likely won’t give you any money.On the other hand, undervaluing your startup means you’re giving up a lot of equity for less money or undervaluing what you have built so far.Getting your startup’s valuation just right is super important because if it’s too high, investors might keep their wallets shut. But if it’s too low, you could be tossing away a lot of equity and money or not giving enough credit to what you’ve created so far.<h3>Why startups are often overvalued</h3>To grasp why inflated valuations are problematic, we need to first examine the underlying mechanism at play. Unlike public companies with fluctuating valuations, startup valuations usually only change after a new funding round closes. Calculating a startup’s new value is quite simple: new valuation = (share price at latest round) x (total number of company shares).This is called the post-money valuation model, which is widely accepted as the industry standard.Though this method might seem like the most rational way to value a business, it can sometimes inadvertently overstate a company’s true worth, even when the investor’s share price is reasonable. This occurs because not all shares are created equal.<h3>The ways to evaluate your startup</h3>There are some methods to value your startup. You should start using them from the pre-seed stages and better check with the professionals. <a href="https://cgsteam.io/" alt="CGS-team">CGS-team</a> has a whole team of business analysts, creating estimates, boosting ideas, and minding your business logic and numbers. Tip: The calculator <a href="https://cgsteam.io/" alt="here" class="on">here</a> can help you estimate the rough cost of your development needs. Use it when using the methods below.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Berkus Method</li></ul>The Berkus valuation method allocates a value to the business concept and the company’s 4 main success drivers. Each category can contribute up to $500,000. In its original form, the Berkus Method permits a maximum valuation of $2.5 million (including revenues) or $2 million (excluding revenues).<ol><li>Sound Idea (basic value)​</li><li>Prototype (reduces technology risk)</li><li>Quality Management Team (reduces execution risk)</li><li>Strategic Relationships (reduces market risk)</li><li>Product Rollout or Sales (reduces production risk) </li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728301014174c758ef99-50fc-468a-97dc-740889c01baa.png" alt="Infographic" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1992,728" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.galablynx.com/the-berkus-method-simple-model-value-pre-revenue-startup/" alt="Galablynx">Galablynx</a>​ <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Venture Capital</li></ul>A basic startup valuation method calculates the value by looking at the future worth of the startup and the investor’s desired return (like 10X, 8X, etc.). The formula is: Pre-Money Valuation = Post-Money Valuation - Invested Capital The Post-Money Valuation is the future worth divided by the expected return. For example, if an investor thinks your startup will be worth $1,000,000 and wants a 20X return on their $10,000 investment, your Post-Money valuation is $50,000. So, the Pre-Money Valuation is: Pre-Money = $50,000 - $10,000 = $40,000 <ul><li>Projection&nbsp;</li></ul>Projection is made by comparing the startup you want to value with similar companies in the market. You can use public industry data like <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.cbinsights.com/" alt="CB Insights">CB Insights</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://pitchbook.com/" alt="PitchBook">PitchBook</a> or ask for help from startup founders and investors you know who have experience with similar projects. While this method doesn’t involve exact calculations, it’s usually the best option when there are no numerical data available. <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">DCF</li></ul>Discounted cash flow (DCF) is a valuation technique that calculates an investment’s value based on its anticipated future cash flows. It takes into account the time value of money, which assumes that a dollar you have today is worth more than a dollar you’ll receive tomorrow since it can be invested.The formula looks like this: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728301045575284bff55-c40f-43f2-8f24-70b8c031fb13.png" alt="Formula" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1266,1118" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dcf.asp" alt="Investopedia">Investopedia</a>​ <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Multiples</li></ul>For startups making money and showing profits, the Valuation by Multiples method is popular. Imagine your startup has an EBITDA* of $250,000. An investor might value your business at 5X, 10X, or 15X your current EBITDA based on factors like your industry, competitors, management team, and other aspects. This easy-to-use valuation tool helps investors quickly estimate the value of a more developed startup.*EBITDA stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, and it’s a widely used indicator of a company’s financial health and cash-generating ability. <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Cost-to-Duplicate</li></ul>The Cost-to-Duplicate method for valuing startups is quite simple, focusing on the costs and expenses involved in building the startup. It estimates the cost of recreating the company from the ground up.However, there are some drawbacks:<ol><li>It doesn’t consider the company’s future potential, such as future sales and growth projections.</li><li>It overlooks intangible assets along with physical assets. Even at the startup stage, intangibles like brand value, goodwill, patent rights (if any), etc., can significantly impact a company’s valuation. </li></ol><h4>Startup stages </h4><ul><li>The seed stage (pre-seed and seed)</li></ul>It involves financing to bring the idea to life. Seed funding: Usually provided by founders, friends, or family members. Angel funding: Seed investors and others contribute more capital for marketing and customer acquisition.<ul><li>Series A funding</li></ul>This early Growth Stage round provides capital to test the business model in the market. Typically, Series A rounds finance $2-$5 million.<ul><li>Series B funding</li></ul>Also an early Growth Stage round, funds are used to refine the business opportunity, build a strong team, and develop the product or service. Typically, Series B rounds finance $5-$15 million.<ul><li>Series C funding</li></ul>Investors support the venture when the team, product, and customer base are established and it’s time to scale. The startup may expand globally, diversify offerings, or broaden distribution channels. Typically, Series C rounds finance $15+ million. Companies raising Series C or beyond indicate they have achieved critical mass for viability.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728301109840efb9007f-78c0-4964-bb0f-2599828a2478.png" alt="Pre-Seles Founding" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="4576,3836" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.cloudways.com/blog/startup-funding-stages/" alt="CloudWays">CloudWays</a>​ <h5>Valuation methods for different stages </h5>Here are what valuation methods we can use for different funding stages: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172830118025256e9a908-a542-480c-8f60-09dae6d324ee.png" alt="Valutation methods" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1752,2414" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/3dcf914a-7836-414c-b108-e156a6ad2d4b.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div><h6>Ok, so...</h6>We’ve discussed valuation methods, funding stages, and why startups are often overvalued. Though it may look like a more sweet offer for investors, it causes significant problems in the future. If you don’t want to become the badly famous <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/06/forbes-30-under-30-tech-finance-prison" alt="founders from Forbes covers" class="on">founders from Forbes covers</a>, take the methods listed above and be fair and have a reliable partner on your side, minding everything from your numbers to your design.

The article's a must-read for startup founders to avoid overvaluing. Check insights about different valuation methods.

How Not to Overvalue a Startup?

<h2>Basic terms explained</h2>​​An outage means that the database system can’t work properly and can’t help users with their tasks. There are two kinds of outages: unplanned (unexpected) and planned (scheduled).<h3>Unplanned outages</h3>Unplanned outages are when something unexpected goes wrong with a computer system. For example, if a part of the system, like the hardware or software, stops working, or someone accidentally deletes an important file. Also, if the system is not set up properly, it can cause problems.<h3>Planned outages</h3>Sometimes, websites or apps may not be available for a short time because of planned outages. This can happen for two main reasons: maintenance and upgrades.Software maintenance involves doing work to keep the website or app working properly and develop it. Sometimes, this work may require the website or app to shut down completely quickly.&nbsp;Upgrades involve adding new features or technology to the website or app. Sometimes, this may require the website or app to be partially or completely shut down for a short time while the changes are made.<h4>Outages can happen to everyone </h4>Even the best software development teams and products can have problems and not work properly sometimes. It’s not good, but it happens, and we can’t always prevent it from happening. However, there are things we can do to try to fix it, and we’ll talk about those in this article. <h4>In numbers, please</h4>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://uptimeinstitute.com/webinars/webinar-critical-update-uptime-institute-2022-outage-report" alt="Uptime Institute 2022 Outage Report">Uptime Institute 2022 Outage Report</a> says that 4 in 5 companies had an outage in the last 3 years. And the number of companies reporting such issues increases (77% in 2020, 76% in 2021, and 80% in 2022).&nbsp;Also, outages last longer. However, most outages are fixed in less than 4 hours; the outages lasting 40+ have increased 4 times since 2017.&nbsp;Over the last five years, fixing major technical issues affecting many people has taken longer. In 2021, almost 30% of these issues lasted more than 24 hours, a significant increase from just 8% in 2017.Check the numbers by Logic Monitor<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728300426232711816ea-c657-497f-9854-ad96d62e2dec.png" alt="Logic Monitor Stats" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2812,1496" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.logicmonitor.com/blog/what-is-the-true-impact-of-an-it-outage" alt="Logic Monitor">Logic Monitor</a>​<h5>Why is it important?</h5>A recent survey by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) and BigPanda showed that unplanned outages could cost businesses a lot of money - $12,900 per minute on average!&nbsp;The cost varies depending on the business size, so larger companies must pay even more.&nbsp;For instance, businesses with over 20,000 employees can end up paying $25,402 per minute, a staggering $1.52 million per hour.Here are also other statistics by Queue-it:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728300458387d289fed7-60ec-4696-ae9f-d24f9f60a511.png" alt="Queue-it" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1800,1400" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://queue-it.com/blog/cost-of-downtime/" alt="Queue-it">Queue-it</a>&nbsp;Technical issues like outages and slow service can lead to a bad customer experience for businesses selling goods or services to customers. This can have a big impact on whether customers will stay loyal to a company or not.<ul><li>PwC found that after just one bad experience, a third of customers will leave a company they like, and after two or three bad experiences, 92% will leave.&nbsp;</li><li>A survey by Fullstory showed that if a customer encounters an error, 77% will leave the website without buying anything, and 60% won’t come back later.&nbsp;</li><li>In addition, 65% will trust the company less after a problem. IT issues are especially likely to happen during busy times like Black Friday or a big product launch when there’s a sudden surge of users, which makes the problem even worse.</li></ul><h5>Causes of outages and how to avoid them</h5><ul><li>Human Error </li></ul>Around 40% of companies have experienced a significant system failure due to a mistake made by an employee. Although it is difficult to prevent human error, these mistakes usually happen because workers decide to avoid adhering to established procedures or guidelines. Steps to follow:<ol><li>Write down the steps for each task so that everyone always follows the same procedure.</li><li>Ensure your employees are up-to-date on the latest security updates and device settings.</li><li>Set up secure access rules to prevent unauthorized access to your network.</li><li>If your team uses their own devices for work, ensure everyone knows and follows the same policies.</li></ol><ul><li>Security Flaws</li></ul>If there is a weakness in a network, it may give hackers a chance to get into the LAN or WAN, which can cause the network to be down.Steps to follow:<ol><li>Your company should have a well-planned and proactive security plan to address new security risks.&nbsp;</li><li>Before copying any code, confirm the source’s credibility.&nbsp;</li><li>To protect confidential information, encrypt sensitive data.&nbsp;</li><li>You need someone knowledgeable about Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance to keep up with regular updates and the latest technologies.</li><li>Use multi-factor authentication.</li></ol>Also, take outsourcing software services like <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-audit" alt="web">web</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://cgsteam.io/services/mobile-audit" alt="mobile">mobile</a>, or <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://cgsteam.io/services/smart-contract-audit" alt="dapp">dapp</a> audits to check your product for security vulnerabilities. Specialists will find issues influencing its performance and development and advise on how to fix them. <ul><li>Internet or power outages</li></ul>Almost half of the significant outages that cause downtime and financial loss are caused by power-related issues. Unfortunately, preventing power and internet outages is challenging since they are usually unpredictable. Steps to follow:<ol><li>CGS-team’s (software development services company) specialists are in Europe and ensured a necessary backup. That’s what you have to do.&nbsp;</li><li>Contract with a cable internet provider and FiOS or fiber-optic internet service provider.&nbsp;</li></ol><ul><li>Hardware issues&nbsp;</li></ul>If your servers are down, your employees won’t be able to finish their tasks, which can disrupt your business activities.Steps to follow:<ol><li>It’s important to keep your hardware current.&nbsp;</li><li>An IT specialist named Rod McGarrigle recommends replacing your servers every five years to avoid issues.&nbsp;</li><li>To prevent hardware failure, it’s a good idea to have backup systems, such as duplicate firewalls, switches, routers, and networks. It’s also essential to conduct regular device evaluations. </li></ol><ul><li>Server</li></ul>Using outdated server operating systems can cause IT downtime. There are many reasons why servers can crash, such as firmware upgrades, bugs, hard disk damage, power supply issues, and faulty RAM.Steps to follow:<ol><li>Make sure that you are using a compatible operating system.</li><li>Monitor your network.&nbsp;</li></ol><h6>You need a plan</h6>To reduce the risk of outages, you have to take preventative measures, but they can still happen, so having a disaster recovery plan is vital. This plan outlines the policies and procedures to minimize the effects of a disaster. Here are some key steps to creating a plan:<ol><li>Assign team responsibilities based on strengths to maximize effectiveness and confidence.</li><li>Craft a public response to keep customers and the public informed about any IT crises.</li><li>Allocate the company’s resources (for software development, too) and documents during the IT response.</li><li>Determine what’s critical, such as customer records or sensitive company data, and prioritize accordingly.</li><li>Create detailed documents for the plan so that it can be accessed easily during an IT disaster. </li></ol><h6>To sum up,&nbsp;</h6>Organizations that have policies and procedures to prevent IT issues from causing problems are more likely to avoid outages entirely. By preventing outages, organizations can avoid incurring any costs associated with them.

Discover everything crucial you need to know about IT outages in simple words: terms, statistics, causes, and ways to avoid them.

IT Outages: How to Avoid Them

<h2>Written by an AI user for AI users </h2>Bill Gates said:<blockquote> The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other.&nbsp;</blockquote>And we can’t disagree with it.&nbsp;However, AI is a revolutionary tool it brought us many threats. I won’t talk about machine wars, as you can read about them in fiction books and Twitter threads. We’ll check more down-to-earth threats people are likely to experience tomorrow.&nbsp;So let’s cut it short and go straight to the list:<ul><li>A brilliant tool for fakes</li><li>AI can lie</li><li>Copyright question</li><li>Accounts hijacking</li><li>Malware distribution</li></ul>You may also like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/ai-trends-of-2023" alt="AI Trends of 2023">AI Trends of 2023</a>.&nbsp;<h3>A brilliant tool for fakes</h3>With AI, everything becomes unreliable, as you can fake easily.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Voice replication</li></ul>AI can replicate any voice and sound like your friend or Paul McCartney.&nbsp;Just check this post:&nbsp;<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728150720774f0b8da2d-77d1-43f0-850e-dc3fe8ffcf30.png" alt="sound like your friend or Paul McCartney" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1068,1006" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/youngguru763/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=1058a912-a69d-4306-83cf-6409cb788d6a" alt="Instagram">Instagram</a>​<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Generating photorealistic images</li></ul>As you know, Midjourney is able to create images from text descriptions. With the AI revolution, it also has improved significantly. The latest version can produce photorealistic images.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172815080757666bfb2db-a2c4-454f-bee9-a02d9be24fb7.png" alt="Midjourney" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="550,902" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"> <figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"> <img src="https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/5ab5f289-4736-490a-a6a5-aab3ddf16ac2.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="550,902" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"> </figure></div>source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/icreatelife/status/1638709975521325056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1638709975521325056%7Ctwgr%5Eabb5715670d72e74a607d05dadc47913e27f1afb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2023%2Fapr%2F01%2Fmisinformation-mistakes-and-the-pope-in-a-puffer-what-rapidly-evolving-ai-can-and-cant-do" alt="Twitter">Twitter</a>​<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728150891517650650da-bee2-46b5-971c-bc98da9d0f3d.png" alt="AI generated photorealistic image" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1098,1200" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/bilawalsidhu/status/1639688267695112194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1639688267695112194%7Ctwgr%5Eabb5715670d72e74a607d05dadc47913e27f1afb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2023%2Fapr%2F01%2Fmisinformation-mistakes-and-the-pope-in-a-puffer-what-rapidly-evolving-ai-can-and-cant-do" alt="Twitter">Twitter</a>​It seems that everyone saw this puffer coat look, but only a few knew it was fake and made by AI. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17290010682662bb8fca8-cf62-4e94-8581-70483261b92a.png" alt="Made by AI" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="550,902" style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div>source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/PopBase/status/1639686512295149573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1639686512295149573%7Ctwgr%5Eabb5715670d72e74a607d05dadc47913e27f1afb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2023%2Fapr%2F01%2Fmisinformation-mistakes-and-the-pope-in-a-puffer-what-rapidly-evolving-ai-can-and-cant-do" alt="Twitter">Twitter</a>​The wisdom says, "To fight AI, create another AI". We need one which will identify photos, texts, and other content created by artificial intelligence.&nbsp;But there is a problem: most such models are learned from a particular AI generator and can't identify fakes created by other algorithms. There always will be a race between these types of AIs as they will be taught and improved by one another.&nbsp;But now you can already check the photos <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://huggingface.co/spaces/umm-maybe/AI-image-detector" alt="here">here</a>.<h3>AI can lie</h3>Ai can use false information when answering the users. For example, one lawyer asked an AI chatbot to create a list of legal scholars who committed sexual harassment. ChatGPT gave him a list with Mr. Turley’s name. It wasn’t true, and Chat falsely accused him of making sexual suggestions and trying to touch one of his students when they were on a trip to Alaska. It referred to a post from 2018. The George Washington University professor claimed no such article existed.There’s one more famous case of AI lying. ChatGPT said that an Australian mayor had been imprisoned for bribery. Brian Hood, the mayor of Hepburn Shire, claimed that it was falsely generated by an AI chatbot. His lawyers sent a letter to OpenAI, giving the company 28 days to fix the errors about Mr. Hood.AI can provide you with 100 ways of fact-checking. However, it doesn’t use any of them. This can spread false information, as humans also don’t check everything AI says <h4>Copyright question </h4>I want to clarify this question to everyone using AIs in their work, especially creative ones, as there is a chance that the works you create now with AI won’t be protected by copyright.&nbsp;The ChatGPT was mentioned as the author or co-author of 200+ books in Amazon’s bookstore. But we understand that the real number of books created by AI could be much higher as Amazon doesn’t require users to mention it.&nbsp;More likely, all your works and texts that are created just with AI prompts won’t actually be yours. Why do I think so?The comic book Zarya by Kristina Kashtanova featured pictures created by feeding text prompts to Midjourney.<blockquote>The US Copyright Office sent the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://copyright.gov/docs/zarya-of-the-dawn.pdf" alt="letter">letter</a> (PDF) to her lawyer by Robert Kasunic, the associate Register of Copyrights. They decided that Kashtanova “is the author of the Work’s text as well as the selection, coordination, and arrangement of the Work’s written and visual elements”. The images themselves, however, “are not the product of human authorship,” and the registration originally granted for them has been canceled.&nbsp;</blockquote>Actually, in most copyright acts, the subject of the copyright can be only a human. So the authors of those 200+ books placed on Amazon shouldn’t now name ChatGPT their co-author. It would be more logical in the context of the available acts to name the founders of ChatGPT as co-authors, as they’re humans, at least. However, we’re waiting for the new version of acts to regulate this question. USA Copyright Office is preparing them.&nbsp;In Australia, works generated by AI can’t be protected by copyright now and so can be used by anyone. Lawyers now say that if the work was generated by AI and then significantly changed or improved by humans, he/she can become the author and get the copyright.&nbsp;I want to highlight that we’re ONLY WAITING FOR A REGULATORY SYSTEM, and the things above are only facts and thoughts. <h4>Accounts hijacking</h4>Google has removed a ChatGPT plugin from the Chrome web store after it was discovered to be collecting Facebook cookies. Before this move, 9000 individual accounts were affected.The malicious ‘Chat GPT’ extension was based on the original open-source project and had a similar name to the legitimate ‘ChatGPT for Google’ extension. The malicious actors behind the fraud changed a few lines to the original code.The false extension appears and behaves in the same way as the actual ChatGPT extension, making it difficult for users to identify. Furthermore, its position on the Chrome online shop meant, unfortunately, it had a significant number of downloads.Following installation, the extension can block Facebook cookies, which attackers can then exploit to modify login data, potentially utilizing the stolen accounts to promote fraud and other propaganda while shutting out the original users. <h5>Malware distribution </h5>Cloudsek cybersecurity researchers revealed that the amount of AI-generated YouTube videos infected with and spreading malware has increased by 200-300% month on month.These movies, however, contain links to malware that steals information, commonly known as info stealers, such as Vidar, RedLine, and Raccoon. Links are disguised by employing URL shorteners (the most prevalent being telegra.ph, bit.ly, and cutt.ly), being linked to genuine file hosting services such as mediafire.com, and using URLs that directly download the malicious zip file. <h6>So... </h6>We know AI as a revolutionary thing, but together with a new tech era, it brings numerous threats we must consider.&nbsp;<ul><li>Creating fakes is now easier than ever. AI can copy the voice, make a realistic photo and write anything from email to a book.&nbsp;</li><li>Not everything ChatGPT answers is true. Double-check its texts.&nbsp;</li><li>Remember to use AI as a helper, don’t replace yourself with it, especially when doing work that could be protected with copyright in the future. As you more likely won’t have an opportunity to protect it with the copyright of it generated by artificial intelligence.&nbsp;</li><li>Remember all online safety rules not to let AIs affect you or steal some info. Better double your protection.</li></ul>&nbsp; &nbsp; We should mind threats, but we should also use the AI opportunities. CGS-team knows how to boost your business with <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI API integration service" class="on">AI API integration service</a>.&nbsp;

AI era's here. But new opportunities come together with threats. Check a list of AI risks we can experience tomorrow.

Threats Modern AI Brought Us

<h2>Challenges of creating Machine learning models</h2><ul><li>Data Dependency Data varies over time depending on the use case, and a lack of regularity causes ML models to perform poorly.</li></ul><ul><li>Pipelines Training a simple model, putting it into inference, and generating predictions is a simple technique to gain business insights. In real-world scenarios, regularity is required, and temporal models must be retrained on new data. There will be numerous models, and human approval will be needed to pick which model to use for production.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Production Risk There is always the possibility of ML models failing. Thus they must be continuously monitored and evaluated to ensure they perform great.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>MLOps process To manage production-grade ML systems, ML requires diverse specialists, including data scientists, data engineers, business analysts, and operations.</li></ul><h3>What is MLOps?</h3>MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) is a collection of methods for data scientists and operations experts to collaborate and communicate. These approaches improve the quality of Machine Learning and Deep Learning models, simplify administration, and automate their deployment in large-scale production systems.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="width: 50%; margin: auto;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617im_/https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/2743d5b4-d022-424c-ba88-42c3981e9a88.png" alt="What is MLOps?" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="50%,auto" data-percentage="50%,auto" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," style="width: 100%; height: auto;" data-index="0"></figure></div>source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://datasolut.com/wiki/was-ist-mlops/" alt="datasolut">datasolut</a>​<h3>DevOps vs. MLOps</h3>DevOps inspired MLOps, and the two approaches are quite similar. However, there are a few key differences between MLOps and DevOps:<ul><li>MLOps is exploratory. Teams continually change model features to improve performance while managing an increasing codebase.</li><li>Data science teams are hybrid and contain developers (machine learning engineers), data scientists, or researchers who study data and construct models and algorithms. The latter may lack software development experience.</li><li>In addition to the standard testing steps of a DevOps pipeline, such as unit tests, functional tests, and integration tests, an MLOps pipeline must constantly test the model itself, training and verifying its performance against a known dataset.</li><li>In most circumstances, a pre-trained model cannot be deployed in production as is. Ongoing retraining and deployment of the model are required.&nbsp;</li><li>Unlike ordinary software systems, performance might decline with time, even if a model is entirely functional.&nbsp;</li><li>Monitoring a model as a software system is insufficient. MLOps teams must also monitor the data and predictions to determine when the model should be updated or rolled back.</li></ul><h4>Why do we need MLOps?</h4>The necessity of MLOps can be summarized as follows:<ul><li>ML models rely on massive amounts of data that are challenging for a single individual to manage. It needs cross-team communication and hand-offs, from Data Engineering to Data Science to ML Engineering.</li><li>MLOps refers to the machine learning lifecycle's experimentation, iteration, and continual improvement.</li><li>It isn't easy to keep track of the parameters changed in ML models. Little modifications might have a significant impact on the outcome.</li><li>We must maintain track of the features with which the model interacts; feature engineering is a specific job that adds significantly to model correctness.</li><li>Monitoring an ML model differs from scanning a deployed software or web service.</li><li>Debugging an ML model is a difficult skill to master.</li><li>When the data changes, so should the model. This entails keeping track of new data changes and ensuring the model learns correctly. </li></ul><h4>Phases of MLOps</h4>Let’s review the basic building blocks and workflow of an MLOps process.&nbsp;The process works as follows:<ol><li>The pipeline gets data from storage, which starts the data preparation process, which includes cleaning, validation, and formatting. The data is now ready to be used for training the ML model.</li><li>Continuous integration and development (CI/CD) pipeline evaluates, builds, and releases model code. The automated pipeline loads the data from the previous stage and starts the model training. Automatic testing is done to ensure that the model is ready for deployment and that its performance fulfills minimal requirements.</li><li>Model evaluation — the model is reviewed to see whether it’s successful and works well. They are saved in a feature repository and can be utilized to train new models.</li><li>Model deployment—after successful validation and assessment, the model is immediately moved to deployment and utilized for production inference. The revised model is then saved to version control. This allows you to keep track of model versions and revert to older versions if necessary.</li><li>Automatic monitoring ensures that everything works as planned, identifies performance issues, and enables speedy maintenance if a problem occurs. </li></ol>All phases in an entire MLOps pipeline are automated but may be paused by operators at any moment for human review or expanded with special procedures required by the business. When new data is available for retraining, the model is updated, or performance concerns in a production model are detected.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="width: 75%; margin: auto;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617im_/https://d2qrnmx3qcgrup.cloudfront.net/6862c07f-be49-414d-b1db-0a5050f165f6.png" alt="Phases of MLOps" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-align="center" data-size="75%,auto" data-percentage="75%,auto" data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," style="width: 100%; height: auto;" data-index="1"></figure></div>source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://www.arrikto.com/mlops-explained/" alt="Arrikto">Arrikto</a>​<h5>What are the best practices for MLOps?</h5>The best practices for MLOps can be delineated by the stage at which MLOps principles are applied.<ul><li>Exploratory data analysis (EDA) Create repeatable, editable, and shareable datasets, tables, and visualizations to iteratively explore, share, and prepare data for the machine learning lifecycle.</li><li>Data Preparation and Feature Engineering Transform, consolidate, and de-duplicate data iteratively to develop enhanced features. Most importantly, use a feature store to make features accessible and shareable across data teams.</li><li>Model training To train and enhance model performance, use popular open-source tools such as scikit-learn and hyperopt. As a simpler option, use automated machine learning techniques like AutoML to do trial runs and generate reviewable and deployable code.</li><li>Model deployment and monitoring Automate permissions and cluster setup to allow registered models to be produced. Turn on REST API model endpoints.</li></ul><h5>Use cases</h5>MLOps is used successfully in different areas like healthcare, web development services, etc.&nbsp;<ul><li>Uber developed machine learning for various applications, including meal estimation, forecasting demand for drivers in diverse places, and customer service. They demonstrate that deploying machine learning at scale necessitates more than simply having the right technology. It requires excellent collaboration across various teams.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://medium.com/acing-ai/ubers-michaelangelo-ml-platform-77d03d8cbe57" alt="Uber Michelangelo">Uber Michelangelo</a>, a machine learning platform, was created to unify workflow across teams.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://www.booking.com/index.ru.html?aid=397594&amp;label=gog235jc-1DCAEoggI46AdIM1gDaOkBiAEBmAEhuAEHyAEM2AED6AEBiAIBqAIDuAK_muOgBsACAdICJDZiNjNhOGU0LTZlNGItNDNjMS04YzgzLTRlNGY1NDE0MWRmONgCBOACAQ&amp;sid=e44e0bc64f16067ba1859129c87964a9&amp;keep_landing=1&amp;sb_price_type=total&amp;" alt="Booking.com">Booking.com</a>&nbsp;presently uses more than 150 different machine-learning models. They explain that building and launching 150 machine-learning products needs an iterative, hypothesis-driven, cross-disciplinary technique.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://health.google/" alt="Google’s DeepMind Health">Google’s DeepMind Health</a>&nbsp;analyzes many healthcare records to discover and construct prediction models for specific diseases and health problems. Disease propensities will soon be simpler to regulate with the expansion of AI and machine learning in healthcare, from cancer research to diabetic retinopathy. That is an honest approach to developing a machine to treat and cure human sickness. </li></ul><h6>Finally,&nbsp;</h6>The market for MLOps solutions is expected to reach $4 billion by 2025. We're still in the early phases, but the MLOps strategy will be used in edTech, fintech, custom&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="website development services">website development services</a>, etc. Utilizing ML technology will uncover new revenue sources, save time, and reduce operational expenditures.Let's make your business benefit from the AI rise with CGS-team's&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230512194617mp_/https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="AI API integration service">AI API integration service</a>

Manage your next-gen tech launches wisely. Explore a Machine Learning Operations guide.

Machine Learning Operations: The Rise

<h2>Intro </h2>I don’t know what got more hype: ChatGPT itself or the potential to replace human jobs. Anyway, the goal of this article is to define what can’t be done by famous AI and whether it can replace humans (spoiler: not now). I won’t start with the ChatGPT terms. Surely, the chatbot that now has 100M+ users and is mentioned in all top media several times is known. BTW, check AI trends for 2023 <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/ai-trends-of-2023" alt="in this article">in this article</a>. However, it’s necessary to puzzle out the way it works. <h3>How does AI work? </h3>GPT-3 was taught using a combination of Supervised and Reinforcement Learning via Human Feedback (RLHF). The model is trained on a big text dataset collected from the internet during the supervised learning stage (Wikipedia, Twitter, and Reddit). These models are trained on the labeled dataset and then used to forecast future occurrences. Consider the following scenario: a teacher (Supervised learning) instructs a student (ChatGPT) on how to write an essay. The purpose of the student is to learn how to write an essay by being familiar with the tone, terminology, and structure of hundreds of essays. Look at the scheme:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172815165756691569270-1136-4b10-bdb9-b5f3300da599.png" alt="the scheme" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="974,506" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://towardsdatascience.com/what-is-machine-learning-a-short-note-on-supervised-unsupervised-semi-supervised-and-aed1573ae9bb" alt="Medium">Medium</a>​ But, among those hundreds of essays, there will be both good and awful. That’s why AI may occasionally write a bad essay. Here is when reinforcement learning comes into play. The instructor would then give the students periodic essay-writing assignments and provide feedback on the essay-writing task, telling them what they did well and where they may improve. The critique is utilized to motivate following essay writing assignments, allowing the student to grow over time. This is equivalent to the GPT model training’s reinforcement learning stage. The model can answer questions after being given a large volume of text gathered from the internet. Yet, its precision will be insufficient.<h4>What does ChatGPT think? </h4>I asked ChatGPT about things it can’t do. Here’s the answer: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281517256696bf9dc55-1c60-4c0b-bfb0-b2e65f88e2e0.png" alt="ChatGPT Answer" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="717,446" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Oookay, we’ll keep it in mind and add some new insights. <h5>The famous AI can’t: </h5><ul><li>Resolve logic tasks</li></ul>ChatGPT passed exams like Law School Exams and Stanford Medical School clinical reasoning final (more on that here). We’ll check. How would you resolve such a logical task?A girl meets a lion and unicorn in the forest. The lion lies every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and the other days he speaks the truth. The unicorn lies on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and on the other days of the week, he speaks the truth. “Yesterday, I was lying,” the lion told the girl. “So was I,” said the unicorn. What day is it?The answer is Thursday. Sunday is the only day on which they both speak the truth, but today cannot be Sunday because the lion also tells the truth on Saturday (yesterday). Judging by the calendar, Thursday is the only day where one of them is lying, and the other is stating the truth with those two assertions.That’s how ChatGPT resolves it: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728151801587c5d6aa03-557b-4dcb-a088-d58283051d1c.png" alt="how chatGPT resolve logic tasks" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="717,811" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>However, he tries to figure out the flow. The answer is not right.&nbsp;Maybe he was cheating on exams.&nbsp;Discover more Tik-toks checking ChatGPT’s logic <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYS7kj5G" alt="here">here</a> and <a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYS7qvJg" alt="here" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" class="on">here</a>. <ul><li>Generate ideas&nbsp;</li></ul>Remember our “How it works” intro? The ChatGPT was trained on existing ideas. It can’t produce something new.&nbsp;Brain scientist Henning Beck says in a TED Talk that fresh ideas and thoughts are unique to the human brain. Machines work harder, more quicker, and more efficiently. The fundamental components of creativity and invention include trying and failing, taking a step back and taking a break, and learning from fresh and different perspectives. Because we are not computers, humans will always be creative.Use ChatGPT for inspiration, but create your own new concepts utilizing such a human privilege.&nbsp;In the case of ideas, there are many copyright questions. To be protected by copyright, it must be an original invention of the human intellect, according to copyright law. This implies that it must be the outcome of human invention, talent, or effort. Because AI systems lack their own thoughts, creativity, or consciousness, the output they produce is not considered an original invention of the human mind. As a result, it is not covered by copyright legislation.It doesn’t mean that AI-generated content may be exploited freely without concern for others’ rights. To prevent infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, it is critical to seek permission or a license to use the content in a specified way in certain instances. <ul><li>Write quality code</li></ul>Yes, ChatGPT is able to write code and sometimes resolve really complex tasks. For example, it can assist in software development. The first answer may save you many hours of research. The next — use the syntax of another programming language.&nbsp;Here’s the proof. I generated such a prompt. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728151883370ca41069f-005f-4b52-acc4-944123bb8f3c.png" alt="ChatGPT Coding" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="717,824" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>ChatGPT used the wrong syntax.&nbsp;<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 50%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281519115555bd2938b-6601-4e1f-a5e3-bc8befc69ad2.png" alt="ChatGPT used the wrong syntax" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="717,521" style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div>Hopefully, your web development services company checks the ChatGPT code before implementing it. Anyway, you can always use our professional team. Check our web development approach <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="here" class="on">here</a>.&nbsp;<ul><li>Filter and check facts</li></ul>The AI can’t independently verify the accuracy of the information. It is limited to the information that has been trained into the model, which may not always be the most up-to-date or accurate information available on the web.ChatGPT would be a bad journalist.&nbsp;<ul><li>Adapt on the fly</li></ul>The usual AI development approach now consists of two different phases: training and deployment.During training, an AI model consumes a pre-existing static dataset to learn how to do a certain task. The parameters of a model are fixed once the training phase is completed. After that, the model is deployed, where it provides insights about new data based on what it learned from the training data.Suppose we wish to update the model due to new data or changing conditions. In that case, we must retrain it offline with the updated dataset (a computationally and time-intensive procedure in general) and then redeploy it.In real-world contexts, there is a constant stream of incoming data. Fresh knowledge is gradually made accessible; conditions shift over time, sometimes dramatically. Humans are capable of incorporating this continual data from their surroundings in a dynamic and fluid manner, modifying their behavior as they go.<ul><li>Physical work</li></ul>AI and robotics are incapable of doing sophisticated physical tasks that require dexterity or perfect hand-eye coordination. AI is incapable of dealing with unfamiliar and unstructured areas, particularly those that have not been observed.<h6>All in all </h6>While AI has the ability to automate many jobs now performed by humans, it is doubtful that it will totally replace human labor in the manner it currently operates. It can help, for example, assist developers in developing software, but can’t provide custom software development by itself.&nbsp;While AI algorithms may be trained to do certain jobs with great accuracy, they are incapable of the creative thinking and problem-solving skills that humans excel at. This means that human labor will always be needed in industries requiring these abilities, including research, design, and strategic planning.Additionally, AI technology research and implementation do not occur in a vacuum. As AI advances, it is conceivable that new sectors and career possibilities will emerge. For example, the AI industry’s expansion has already resulted in the development of new employment in sectors such as data science and machine learning. Now AI can't replace humans, but it can significantly boost business. If you want to catch the wave, choose a <a href="https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="reliable partner">reliable partner</a> for integrating AI into your business.

If you worry about AI's potential to replace humans, read the article to understand how it really works and what it can't do yet.

ChatGPT Hype: Why You Shouldn't Worry?

<h2>AI revolution </h2>AI use has exploded in recent years, producing seismic transformations across various industries and changing how we go about our everyday lives. The article will explore the 2023 AI trends to keep you up-to-date with modern technology. <h3>AI in Medical Practice </h3>AI can enhance the way we detect, treat, and prevent diseases. Machine learning is used by pharmaceutical businesses to aid in medication research and development. AI may one day help drugmakers forecast how patients will react to particular treatments and determine which people are most likely to benefit from the drug.Using healthcare mobile app development services, AI may assist in removing or reducing time spent on mundane administrative activities, which can consume up to 70% of a healthcare practitioner's time.Here you can see the AI's impact on healthcare:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728037835073eb51b8b7-57c8-4f1c-9455-7d28099ed47d.png" alt="AI's impact on healthcare" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2408,1032" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/transforming-healthcare-with-ai" alt="McKinsey">McKinsey</a>​ Although many solutions are still minor in scope, the rate of change is quickening. Consider&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/medical-image-analysis/" alt="Microsoft's Project InnerEye">Microsoft's Project InnerEye</a>. It uses computer vision and machine learning to distinguish between malignancies and healthy anatomy in 3D radiological images, assisting medical professionals in radiation and surgical planning.<h3>AI-driven Cybersecurity </h3>Artificial intelligence supports organizations in monitoring and analyzing user behaviors to improve customer authentication safety. In general, AI is utilized to assist in more effectively detecting threats and prioritizing responses based on danger. Moreover, it enables automatic or semi-automated reactions to assaults and more precise modeling to forecast future attacks.When paired with stolen personal information or open-source data such as social media postings, cybercriminals can utilize AI to generate many phishing emails to distribute malware or capture vital information.According to research vice president Mark Driver, Gartner interviewed nearly 50 security suppliers and discovered a few tendencies for AI deployment among them in a recent report.<blockquote>“Overwhelmingly, they reported that the first goal of AI was to ‘remove false positives’ insofar as one major challenge among security analysts is filtering the signal from the noise in large data sets. AI can trim this down to a reasonable size, which is much more accurate”.</blockquote><h4>AI in the Creative Space</h4>Acquiring and keeping brand awareness is an ongoing issue for most businesses. To increase brand awareness, you must consistently create excellent content that is current, interesting, and suited for distribution in various places. Generative AI, which provides new capabilities to supplement content production, can help with it.Quality pictures, voice, and text may already be generated on numerous publicly accessible websites. AI can improvise music similarly, with the proviso that a human orchestra would frequently be unable to play. One of the dangerous applications to be on the lookout for is the generation of deep fakes (artificially generated fake pictures and videos), which will lead to rising dangers such as spreading false news and damaging propaganda.Look at the Cosmopolitan cover generated by AI:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172803792949354ac13ad-3928-4250-bd3a-3050a5503c4a.png" alt="Cosmopolitan cover generated by AI" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1612,1952" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a40314356/dall-e-2-artificial-intelligence-cover/" alt="Cosmopolitan">Cosmopolitan</a>​AIs are used as valuable idea-generation tools for artists, allowing them to produce mood boards or digital drawings quickly. In the same way that Canva empowers marketers rather than replaces them, AI generation is just 'templatising' creativity.<h5>AI Sharpening Customer and Brand Experiences </h5>Future retail establishments will also be able to provide hyper-personalized suggestions and create seamless customer experiences using real-time information collected by video analytics driven by on-premises technology.These are a few examples of brand opportunities:<ul><li>Conversational AI, together with upcoming technologies like AR and VR, will boost store staff's abilities to completely alter the shopping experience in brick-and-mortar businesses.</li><li>AI chatbots will assist your company in personalizing real-time customer interactions while being proactive.</li><li>Chatbots may also initiate discussions with clients based on their browsing history to aid in the transaction and even upsell after the sale.</li><li>AI may assist in the creation of consumer profiles, matching customers to items they are more likely to purchase and displaying the most relevant material to readers.</li><li>AI enables highly tailored email delivery by assessing subjects of interest and finding trends to offer relevant material.</li></ul><h5>Blockchain x AI </h5>Combining AI with blockchain has shown to be extremely effective.In combination with blockchain, AI can determine which transactions are fraudulent and which information must be supplied to a new node. This will accelerate blockchain networks, allowing them to manage growing volumes of data safely.Blockchain technology is changing logistics, supply chain management, and finance. This is especially true in these businesses, which deal with a considerable volume of documents and transactions that must be safe.<h6>AI Apps </h6>Any application that incorporates artificial intelligence into its tasks and services is considered an AI app. More about the mobile app development process discover&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="here">here</a>. Whether it's iOS or Android, mobile app development, or just custom mobile app development services, including AI may transform it into something revolutionary.In gaming, for example, a user can choose to speak in the voice of their on-screen character. A person with a cold can make their voice easier to understand in a call.S2S (Speech-to-Speech) technology makes huge changes. Contact center agents, for example, may utilize generative AI to clearly comprehend calls from anywhere in the world, allowing them to address issues quicker and feel more powerful. This is only one example.Discover some great use of AI in apps. It may inspire you for your startup idea.&nbsp;​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://app.grammarly.com/" alt="Grammarly">Grammarly</a>​Grammarly detects errors in text copy. The AI technology, which is used by over 30 million people and 50,000 teams worldwide, helps with word choice and sentence structure, checks for plagiarism, create citations, and analyzes works.​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.usemotion.com/" alt="Motion">Motion</a>​Motion is a personal AI assistant that can create personalized work plans. The AI personal assistant tool may create a work plan for you by prioritizing daily activities, meetings, and projects. It may also develop project plans and assist with meeting management. Motion provides a seven-day free trial before charging $19 per month for individual users and $12 per month for work teams.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17280379946682a7dbca0-8c06-46a8-9dbe-ed3b4318ead1.gif" alt="Motion AI assistant" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1192,1080" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.usemotion.com/" alt="Motion">Motion</a>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.genei.io/" alt="Genei">Genei</a>Genie is an artificial intelligence-powered research helper. You may submit academic papers or articles from the Internet, and Genie will analyze them, extracting keywords and section summaries. You may also include these summaries in your note to help you organize your thoughts.You may also create highlights and insert them into the message. What's amazing about this is that there's a link to the original source, so you can always return to it.​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.rewind.ai/" alt="Rewind AI">Rewind AI</a>​It keeps track of everything you do on your computer. It covers what you see, hear, and speak. For example, it has the ability to record meetings. And Rewind makes it all searchable, which is why they call it the search engine for your life.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728038034721efbda36e-71a9-48b8-b6eb-86dab5d511a3.png" alt="Rewind AI" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2672,1761" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://9to5mac.com/2022/11/02/rewind-ai-records-everything-you-do-mac/" alt="9to5mac">9to5mac</a>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://www.napkin.one/" alt="Napkin">Napkin</a>​It is the most soothing and pleasant note app. Essentially, its artificial intelligence analyzes all of your notes and shows your views with pertinent concepts. You can discover unexpected connections between different thoughts using this app.It's also relaxing to go over your old ideas. It helps you recall what you've studied previously and inspires you.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728038076394956e17c1-41d0-49c3-9728-e77387d02965.gif" alt="Napkin" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1200,675" style="width: 100%;" data-index="4"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://medium.com/my-learning-journal/this-ai-note-app-connects-your-notes-automatically-fb696cb20ec2" alt="Medium">Medium</a>​<h6>Finally</h6>AI is a powerful tool shaping the future. You might think of it as the ultimate information base that you can talk to or communicate with.If you decide to catch the wave and build your own AI-based app, your&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://cgsteam.io/services/mobile-app-development" alt="mobile app development services provider">mobile app development services provider</a>&nbsp;is ready to help. If you want to integrate AI into your product,&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094111mp_/https://cgsteam.io/services/ai" alt="CGS-team">CGS-team</a>&nbsp;can provide it fast and qualitatively.&nbsp;

Check the top AI trends for 2023. Catch the wave of next-gen technology.

AI Trends of 2023

<h2>The cost of the app </h2>Mobile app development costs can be a killer of many app entrepreneurs’ dreams due to the lack of money.Check how much famous companies spend:&nbsp;<ul><li>Instagram’s initial development cost was around $50,000 for a single platform.</li><li>Uber raising $250,000+ in revenue, was started with an investment of $60,000 in custom app development services.</li><li>WhatsApp’s initial version for iOS was built for $45,000.</li></ul>No worries! We’ll find some ways to reduce the cost, but let's start with the theory. Mobile app development costs can be a killer of many app entrepreneurs’ dreams due to the lack of money.You need to consider various factors for determining the cost of creating an app, like business model, app development company location, app type, platform (Android // iOS), design, features, and functionality. Here you can see the median cost of mobile app development services per app type.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17289985234792b87719e-934f-4450-a6c6-83c7d534c4c8.png" alt="The median cost of mobile app development services per app type" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1544,1182" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://medium.com/codex/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-an-app-in-2021-9aadb3d68349" alt="Medium" class="on">Medium</a>​ IoT and custom apps by US-based agencies are the most expensive. However, offline app by the offshore agency is the cheapest.&nbsp;Just look at how the price per developer's hour ranges in different countries: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728998574611597217b0-58d6-4a95-91ec-8c3169a9ebae.png" alt="How the price per developer's hour ranges in different countries" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="767,489" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://medium.com/codex/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-an-app-in-2021-9aadb3d68349" alt="Medium">Medium</a>​ <h3>Mobile App Development Stages</h3><ol><li>Discovery Stage Market research, analysis of problems, and other methods are used in the planning and analysis stage. The price range for this is $5,000 to $25,000.</li><li>UI/UX Design The price will be between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on how many displays there are.</li><li>Development Stage The price range for developing an app is $20,000 to $70,000, with a possible increase depending on complexity.</li><li>Testing and Deployment The budget will range from $5000 to $10,000 for this purpose. You also might like <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="Mobile App Development Process guide">Mobile App Development Process guide</a>.&nbsp;</li></ol><h4>Tips for reducing mobile app development cost </h4><ul><li>Product Requirements&nbsp;</li></ul>This method of calculating mobile app development expenses aims to include all feasible possibilities in your spending plan and, whenever possible, prevent unforeseen expenditures.A product requirement document, or PRD, is a well-organized enumeration of the features of your app and the anticipated tech stack. Here are several essential PRD elements:<ol><li>Project objectives and idea</li><li>Company background</li><li>Deadlines</li><li>Features</li><li>Android // iOS app development</li><li>UX/UI design&nbsp;</li><li>Budget</li></ol>For example, that's how the app's cost differentiates within the features: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728998631113e99329ce-659d-4ccc-a853-4251d19bbab5.png" alt="How the app's cost differentiates within the features" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1534,724" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://medium.com/codex/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-an-app-in-2021-9aadb3d68349" alt="Medium">Medium</a>​ <ul><li>Outsource&nbsp;</li></ul>Outsourcing development jobs is that it can cut costs by up to 50%. The key benefits include not wasting time looking for the appropriate professionals, hiring them, and covering their salaries, insurance, and other costs. We wrote about outsource specifics and all the tricky points here.You should be aware of the pricing models while outsourcing:<ol><li>Fixed Price You and the contractor coordinate the task scope and determine the precise price and completion date before the start of the development. But if you modify the contract's terms you must again organize the technical effort and sign new contracts. Developers are frequently compelled to increase the pace and put quality on the back burner to avoid dragging things out and paying penalties for work completed after deadlines. The cost rises because revisions have been permitted.</li><li>Time and Materials The alternative to the first choice is Time and Materials. In this case, you are charged for the time used to create your software. This system's adaptability enables you to develop the product while you're on the go, customize it to meet your needs, and concentrate on market demand and customer preferences.</li></ol>Time &amp; Materials is the best option if you:<ol><li>have a medium- or high-complexity project;</li><li>no specific terms of reference or a clear understanding of the application;</li><li>no hard deadlines or budget constraints;</li><li>the need for ongoing maintenance and development of the product.</li></ol>I advise you to choose the T&amp;M format, as you receive pricing without markups, and you may keep track of the budget at each stage. Because you can establish priorities and control the costs at every stage with this method, you get the application you imagined at a more reasonable price.When choosing an outsource mobile app development services provider, always ask for estimations to plan your costs wisely. Our team works on the T&amp;M scheme to save you from additional spendings and provides potential clients with estimations.&nbsp;​<a href="https://cgsteam.io/" alt="Book a call">Book a call</a> to get your first estimation for free. <ul><li>APIs</li></ul>There are certain situations in a mobile application where using APIs is a much better option than writing the connection in code. A few instances where APIs can be pretty helpful are social login, email integration, in-app payments, form submission, etc. So choose these to limit your cost range.​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://rapidapi.com/collection/popular-apis" alt="Here" class="on">Here</a>, you can find a lot of different APIs. <ul><li>Prototyping and MVPs</li></ul>Your app model should be prototyped to help you find faults early, clarify needs, and increase teamwork internally.Launch it into production after prototyping is complete to establish a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). MVP enables iterative product development by gathering insights from the product's early adopters. If your app has already been created, obtain information by doing a mobile app audit.How can you make the cost of creating an MVP as low as possible? Create an MVP, research user behavior and feedback, list and prioritize features based on an analysis of your competition. Try Lean Startup methodology: <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728998689537922f4272-4173-4059-8f60-259baa199617.png" alt="Startup methodology" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="633,489" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.thepowermba.com/en/blog/lean-startup-methodology" alt="The Power MBA">The Power MBA</a>​Check out more about Lean <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://hbr.org/2013/05/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything" alt="here">here</a>.<ul><li>Design</li></ul>Users can move between screens easily with a simple design because it retains their focus and prevents from being distracted by superfluous animations and designs that serve no practical use.Let's examine the primary elements that drive up the price of creating an app:<ol><li>Integrating and using specialized functional services (push notifications, camera integration, or GPS)</li><li>Establishing a customized app infrastructure (corporate servers and custom CDNs)</li><li>Unusual buttons, forms, and other components as a result of the intricacy of the UI Design (motion graphics and 3D effects)</li></ol>I advise that you keep your app as straightforward as possible, clearly separating what components are essential from those not, to reduce the cost of mobile app development without sacrificing the app's appeal. <ul><li>Cross-Platform App Development&nbsp;</li></ul>Investing in <a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/cross-platform-or-native-app-development" alt="cross-platform application development">cross-platform application development</a> is one of the tried-and-true methods for reducing the cost of developing mobile applications.You simply need to pay for creating one application's code, which runs on Android and iPhone, and the entire spectrum of devices covered by the two platforms, rather than having two app versions built. In this approach, not only does the cost of creating mobile applications decrease in half, but so do the costs associated with design, testing, and maintenance.<ul><li>No code solutions</li></ul>The two most popular options are:<ol><li>Bubble The fact that Bubble has no functionality restrictions sets it different from other no-code builders. Instead, it provides you with a blank slate on which to construct anything you can think of.</li><li>Wappler Wappler offers you access to your application's code at any time, in contrast to other no-code builders that abstract the code away from you. Because of this, it is ideal for application developers that wish to control their code and make personalized adjustments.</li></ol>Other tools:<ol><li>Adalo is perfect for creating multi-page apps and is user-friendly for non-technical users.</li><li>Appgyver is praised for its capacity to create intricate apps and interact with outside data sources swiftly.</li><li>Retool is suitable for developing and launching internal business solutions, while Glide is perfect for constructing straightforward and user-friendly mobile apps.</li></ol><h5>In a nutshell</h5>So, we covered 7 ways to reduce your mobile app development cost. They are:<ol><li>Setting clear product requirements;</li><li>Outsourcing instead of developing in-house;</li><li>Using APIs to ease development;</li><li>Prototyping and creating MVPs;</li><li>Choosing simple and clear design solutions;</li><li>Developing cross-platform;</li><li>Using no-code solutions;​</li><li>Make wise decisions to save your money and develop qualitatively, though cheaply. </li></ol>

Ready to figure out what influences mobile development cost and 7 ideas on reducing the overall price? Check it in the article.

Startup Hack: Mobile App Development Price Reduction Tips

<h2>Market overview </h2>The market for mobile apps has been expanding rapidly over the past few years. Look at some recent statistics.&nbsp;<ul><li>By 2026, the total revenue is predicted to expand by 7.77% annually (CAGR 2022-2026), with a market size of US$614.40 billion.</li><li>In the third quarter of 2022, gross app revenue in the Google Play store amounted to around US$10.4 billion worldwide. The Apple App Store generated US$21.2 billion.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17280389122352500ec32-79c6-4bd9-a867-511ab34a57f4.png" alt="The mobile apps market overview" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2812,1496" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094030mp_/https://www.statista.com/statistics/183469/app-stores-global-revenues/" alt="Statista">Statista</a>​<h3>Native vs. cross-platform development </h3>What is native app development? Applications that have been created using their native operating system are known as native applications. Each operating system has a distinct technological stack and SDK (Software Development Kit). To figure out the mobile development workflow, check out our article&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094030mp_/https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="here">here</a>.&nbsp;What to consider when choosing native app development services?<ul><li>Since your target audience will be using your app for the first time, you want to make a good first impression.</li><li>A platform-specific coding requirement is necessary.</li><li>You can build a sizable user base for DAUs, attract VC investors for product finance, and create intuitive but simple software.</li><li>You can add device-specific features like GPS, a camera, and other features. </li></ul>Native app examples<ul><li>Google Maps</li><li>Artsy</li><li>Pinterest</li><li>Spotify </li></ul>What is cross-platform app development? Apps designed using a common operating system are called cross-platform apps. A universal solution that works with multiple mobile platforms at once is a cross-platform application. Cross-platform app development company create their code only once and run it across several platforms. What to consider in cross-platform development?<ul><li>You don't need a lot of time, money, or other resources to distribute a mobile application across different platforms.</li><li>You can focus on users of iOS and Android apps.</li><li>You need to develop apps more quickly.</li><li>The app is straightforward and doesn't need features that vary greatly between platforms. </li></ul>Cross-platform apps examples<ul><li>Insightly</li><li>Bloomberg</li><li>Reflectly</li><li>Skype</li><li>Slack</li></ul><h3>The difference between developing cross-platform and native mobile apps </h3>TimeFor new product lines and businesses, this is a common worry. Ship the product as soon as possible to start receiving useful user feedback. The ideal option in this situation would be to create cross-platform software because it is simple to design and iterate. Native mobile development would take longer to complete and be more difficult to maintain, which would eventually result in a longer time-to-market.SecurityYou must take into account the company's reputation as well as the effects of losing the trust of your customers. For some mobile application types, like financial apps, the dangers can be very significant. Native mobile development offers a wide range of built-in security measures, such as intelligent fraud detection using certain OS libraries and file encryption.Check out some statistics on mobile app security.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172803901610215b4dfb5-8f0c-45bf-ba6e-09285b211a9f.png" alt="Challenges in mobile app security" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1062,1074" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094030mp_/https://marutitech.com/mobile-app-security/" alt="Maruti techlabs">Maruti techlabs</a>​ PerformanceThe best option for apps that require enhanced performance is frequently native mobile development services. In this case, using cross-platform frameworks would demand additional labor and knowledge of native apps.CostsSome businesses can spend more money than others on creating mobile apps. Cross-platform mobile app development is better for cheaper budgets because it requires a smaller team to develop. By sharing your code and projects, cross-platform development also enables you to control costs.<h4>Trends in mobile app development</h4><ul><li>AI and machine learning</li></ul>Predictive analytics, customized suggestions, and speech and image recognition capabilities.<ul><li>On-demand services</li></ul>Food delivery and ride-sharing will continue to gain in popularity.<ul><li>Personalization</li></ul>Mobile apps will prioritize personalized experiences more and more, delivering customized content and recommendations based on user data.<ul><li>Performance</li></ul>Developers are concentrating on improving app speed and cutting load times since users expect apps to load and execute quickly.<ul><li>Security</li></ul>Users are growing more concerned about their privacy and data security as personal information is exchanged through mobile apps.<ul><li>Gamification</li></ul>Popular apps use it to entice users to return, including TikTok, Duolingo, Twitter, and the YouVersion bible app.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728039084260dcf355ca-1c82-4335-933e-9588529592e1.png" alt="Duolingo app" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="3679,1908" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Duolingo app Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094030mp_/https://blog.getsocial.im/is-gamification-the-only-way-for-apps-to-survive/" alt="Getsocial">Getsocial</a>​ In-app purchases and subscriptionsDevelopers are seeking ways to monetize their apps through in-app sales and subscriptions as the app market grows more and more competitive.Analyzing the trends, native app development is more comprehensive as this way, you can reach better app performance and security.<h4>Factors to weigh when choosing between developing native apps or cross-platform apps&nbsp;</h4>Let's now examine key elements you must take into account while deciding between native and cross-platform solutions for mobile app development.<ol><li>Purpose&nbsp; Understanding the app you will be creating, its features, and its goal is one of the most important tasks. Make sure the mobile development strategy you select offers the tools required to create the app you need and deliver an excellent user experience.</li><li>Team Your team's developers ought to be skilled and knowledgeable enough to operate with specific frameworks. Pay special attention to the coding languages and expertise that the development tools demand. For instance, to design native apps for iOS, developers need to be familiar with Objective-C or Swift, while for Android, they need to be familiar with Kotlin or Java. Flutter, a cross-platform framework, requires Dart expertise.</li><li>Viability&nbsp; You must feel certain that the platform vendor will continue to support it over the long term while deciding between various methodologies and frameworks.</li><li>Cost As was already said, different mobile development tools and solutions have varying costs. You can choose the best option for your project based on how flexible your budget is.</li><li>Industry You can always research what others say about various strategies. Some excellent sources include Google Trends, StackOverflow, and Reddit.</li></ol><h5>Check the recommendations for some industries.</h5>Gaming appsThese apps need to process match outcomes, bets, and odds quickly as they come from various sources. These applications also have higher security requirements because they need users to upload their IDs or other personal information before they may use them. In these circumstances, native apps outperform cross-platform apps and prove to be the safer option.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728039175109cd8ea630-d2fa-4826-b667-e8c927d4ada3.png" alt="Gaming apps" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2188,2316" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230523094030mp_/https://www.statista.com/statistics/270291/popular-categories-in-the-app-store/" alt="Statista">Statista</a>​FinTech appsSince financial applications receive and retain sensitive data like payment details, they also require the greatest level of security. While cross-platform technology does provide security solutions, they could not be as sophisticated as those used in specialized applications, and insufficient code protection could lead to data leakage. Because of this, native technology might be a preferable choice when it comes to FinTech apps.E-commerce apps&nbsp;Such an app may be created considerably more quickly and inexpensively with a cross-platform framework than it would be to create a native app. For Android and iOS apps, you can have (nearly) the same design.Healthcare appsIn comparison to native apps, cross-platform ones have a few security limitations. It implies that some complex native features might be more challenging to code and might take too long to implement in a cross-platform solution. Therefore, native technology is a more realistic option if you wish to implement multi-level permission or fingerprint login to safeguard the program.<h6>Finally</h6>Smooth performance and a pleasant user experience are key characteristics of native applications that help them stand out in the crowded market of today. But keep in mind that to make that notion a reality, considerable time and financial investment are needed.&nbsp;However, if you require a low-cost app that will be developed quickly, cross-platform app development is your choice. Before making your choice, keep in mind the information in this article.Looking at the market trends like app performance, security and gamification, I would suggest taking native app development. But each app is individual and requires custom analysis before deciding.&nbsp;If you can’t decide which development is better for your particular case, check CGS-team’s mobile app development service here and start the cooperation to let our experts advise you.

​The article is an adviser for choosing native // cross-platform development. We'll cover vital factors to select the best fit.

What to Choose: Cross-platform or Native App Development?

<h2>Why is it crucial to track KPIs in software development? </h2><ul><li>Controlling the project&nbsp; When you outsource software development, you need to keep track of the project's progress because it's your own special product. KPIs provide you with full control over the project and a thorough view of the situation. By keeping track of them, you can respond quickly if an emergency arises.</li><li>Aligning work with product goals&nbsp; KPIs enable software teams to specify their goals. These measurements can be used to create benchmarks oriented toward supporting the organization's goals.</li><li>Keeping interested parties updated&nbsp; An outsourcing web development services status report might be laborious and difficult to write. KPIs offer clear, empirical data on contracting outsourcing code development that is presented in a context and plain language. KPIs serve as a useful source of information for anybody invested in the project, even if they are not actively participating in the production.</li><li>Identifying problems on time&nbsp; The easier troubleshooting is to perform, the sooner software problems are found. Monitoring software metrics provides a complete picture of the project, making it simple to identify issues early and avert disasters.</li></ul>So, what are the top software development metrics to follow when outsourcing? ​<h3>Effectiveness metrics</h3><ol><li>Velocity Agile approaches like XP and Scrum use velocity, a unitless metric. It is a statistic that advises the team based on the amount of work they have finished in previous iterations and how much work they should take on for the next iteration. Once the team has worked together for a longer time and has established a routine, velocity tends to become more steady. The chart can consist of bars showing: - how well the team has been able to predict the amount of work they can commit to complete in an iteration; - new unplanned work was uncovered that was so urgent that it couldn't wait until the next iteration; - done work.&nbsp;</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 75%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281547314086f604c29-515e-47b3-a808-db3e149d7bd8.png" alt="velocity" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="3068,1412" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://screenful.com/blog/agile-lean-metrics-velocity" alt="Screenful">Screenful</a> <ol><li>Sprint Burnout A KPI called sprint burnout compares the amount of work completed in a sprint to the timeline. Sprint burnout illustrates the team's speed within a Sprint, whereas velocity relates to the anticipated rate of work.</li><li>Release Burnout How quickly the team delivers features or solutions is indicated by Release Burnout. Because a release may include several or a dozen sprints, it is a more comprehensive software statistic than sprint burnout.</li><li>Throughput If you outsource web development services, for instance, throughput is a key performance indicator. It reveals how many and what tasks the team completed in a given sprint. Only the overall quantity and kind of tasks that have been accomplished are evaluated. Managers can evaluate what the team spends the most time on and why using this KPI.</li><li>WIP The number of open tasks that team members are currently working on is measured by work-in-progress/process. Managers can evaluate the workload of the team and the skill level of each engineer, thanks to WIP.</li><li>Lead Time &amp; Cycle Time The lead time reveals how long it typically takes to develop a software product from a draft. Cycle time establishes how long the team needs to finish a certain task. This one is frequently used by managers since it helps them to estimate and analyze the speed of upcoming sprints while providing an unbiased assessment of the team's work pace. Here's the difference between lead time and cycle time.</li></ol><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/172815477943727e7cf70-d806-4181-9f53-cf431073bf16.png" alt="lead time" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2880,1324" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://screenful.com/blog/software-development-metrics-cycle-time" alt="Screenful">Screenful</a>​<ol><li>Active Days To determine how long it takes your developers to provide code to the project, active days metrics are used (not taking into account things like planning or administrative tasks). Active days are frequently used to identify unaccounted expenditures, such as interruption costs.</li><li>Efficiency This indicator shows how much effective code a software engineer has produced. Pay attention to code churn, which is a metric that depicts the rate of code evolution. A code churn of low levels will typically imply that a developed code must be extremely efficient.</li><li>Impact The impact displays how a code change will affect the project as a whole. The majority of the time, a code change that affects numerous files will result in more severe interruptions than an update that just affects one file. </li></ol><h3>Code quality</h3><ol><li>Code coverage&nbsp; It is a coding quality indicator that supports test-driven development and ongoing delivery. The greater the code coverage, the more the source code is executed during testing, which results in better developmental progress. </li><li>Code stability Code stability evaluates how easily small modifications to the product could harm software or business objectives. The application as a whole should ideally not be affected by changing a few lines of code.</li><li>Code simplicity Another crucial software development KPI is code simplicity. It can be measured in a variety of ways. For instance, cyclomatic complexity determines how many independent paths you should code. In general, testing and maintaining simple code is easy.</li></ol><h4>Usability</h4><ol><li>Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)&nbsp; This KPI for software development is used to evaluate how satisfied end users are. Based on their user experience, customers score the software on a scale of 1 to 5. Although it is simple to quantify, users must first receive a satisfaction survey.</li><li>Net Promoter Score (NPS) This assesses a customer's tendency to advocate your goods or services to others. It is a sign of your customer's level of loyalty, which is important for building long-lasting partnerships and monitoring the quality of your outsourced web development services</li></ol>Here's how these two metrics differentiate:<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281548194141da785a5-e54c-4f57-9906-0a9210fe509c.png" alt="Net Promoter Score" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2576,1196" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://monkeylearn.com/blog/csat-vs-nps/" alt="MonkeyLearn">MonkeyLearn</a>​<h5>Security and vulnerability </h5><ul><li>Actual security incidents​​ This measure describes how many times a software system has been subjected to illegal access, disclosure, use modification, or information destruction efforts. Compromised user accounts, a service being denied, theft, etc., are all possible outcomes of security incidents.</li><li>Mean time to detect defects "Mean time to detect defects" (MTTD) describes how long it typically takes to discover a software bug in a system. In other words, it is the period of time between the occurrence of a problem and the moment the DevOps team notices it.</li><li>Mean time to repair Another important software KPI is the mean time to repair (MTTR). It describes the period of time between the discovery of a security breach and the implementation of a workable fix.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728154915602d7a171bd-3807-487a-b85d-700eceb2aad3.png" alt="Mean time to repair" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2832,884" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Source: <a href="https://www.maxgrip.com/resource/reliability-metrics-101-mean-time-to-repair-mttr/" alt="Maxgrip" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" class="on">Maxgrip</a>​<h6>To sum up </h6>It's essential to comprehend how you'll evaluate the success of outsourcing software development services if you want to ensure prompt and excellent supply. You can get control of the possible issues and remove any dangers of late delivery by monitoring KPIs in software development. Finding the perfect collection of KPIs to enable thorough tracking of the performance of your outsourced staff providing custom web development services, for example, can be tricky. But with the correct measurements in the right places, chosen by a highly qualified, experienced PM and QA engineer, even a struggling team will eventually make fantastic progress.

It's crucial to measure the effectiveness of outsourcing software development. The article establishes top metrics for tracking.

How to Track Outsourcing Software Development Quality?

<h2>MEAN </h2>A JavaScript-based framework for creating web apps and delivering excellent website development services is called the MEAN stack. It consists of MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node. It is a good option for creating cloud-native applications because of its scalability and capacity for handling multiple concurrent users. Some MEAN usage examples include calendars, finance tracking, location finding, etc.&nbsp; Let's go through the MEAN stack:<ul><li>Angular.js front end AngularJS is a component of the MEAN stack, which aids developers in creating the application's user interface. There is a seamless data exchange between all elements of your program because the backend, frontend, and database are all constructed using JavaScript.</li></ul> <ul><li>Express.js and Node.js server tier Express.js is a framework operating on a server of Node.js. Express.js names itself a&nbsp; <blockquote>"fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js,"&nbsp;</blockquote> which is precisely what it is. </li></ul><ul><li>MongoDB database tier If your application stores data (user profiles, content, comments, uploads, events, etc.), you'll need a database.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728149305821ddffdb7d-6063-4cb4-aa4b-544388940482.png" alt="Angular" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2256,1528" style="width: 100%;" data-index="0"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.mongodb.com/mean-stack#:~:text=The%20MEAN%20stack%20is%20a,the%20layers%20of%20the%20stack." alt="MongoDB" class="on">MongoDB</a>​ If you want to get the best of MongoDB quickly, look at MongoDB Atlas.<h3>Ruby on Rails: </h3>Ruby programmers designed the Rails web application development framework. It aims to simplify web application programming. It helps you accomplish more with less code than many other languages and frameworks.GitHub, Hulu, Shopify, Kickstarter, Airbnb, Twitter, and more well-known companies attended the event.&nbsp;Rails' rapid development made it so famous, especially among startups.<blockquote> “Ruby on Rails is a breakthrough in lowering the barriers of entry to programming”. Tim O'Reilly, Founder of O'Reilly Media</blockquote><h3>LAMP</h3>In 2023, LAMP will be one of the primary technology foundations for building websites. Check out the components of LAMP:<ul><li>Linux Linux is an open-source and free operating system. Today, it has a broad user base that covers many different businesses.</li><li>Apache Anyone in the public domain can access the application with a specific web URL thanks to the Apache web server's processing of requests and delivery of web assets over HTTP.</li><li>MySQL This database is an open-source relational database management system. You can store all your data in a format that the SQL language can access using My SQL.</li><li>PHP The open-source scripting language that you can use to generate dynamic web pages. It works with Apache.</li></ul><div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="width: 75%; min-width: 100%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 75%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281494135804150a0ca-4109-463d-86a6-4b3e08d79229.png" alt="LAMP stack" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="75%," data-percentage="75," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="2608,1484" style="width: 100%;" data-index="1"></figure></div><div>​Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://phoenixnap.com/kb/what-is-a-lamp-stack" alt="PhoenixNAP">PhoenixNAP</a>​</div><h4>Augmented reality (WebAR) </h4>The following major trend in web development for 2023 is augmented reality (AR).Web AR is entertaining for viewers and works well for spreading advertising messages.&nbsp;The virtual try-on option is one example of implementing WebAR in an e-commerce website development service. It is a popular feature on websites with augmented reality integration. Cosmetic companies have previously demonstrated this to be a great strategy. You may try on any lipstick on the Maybelline and L'Oréal websites by clicking the "Try on" option.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/17281494600056cac4084-e774-4407-92e5-9361e4350b1a.png" alt="​WebAR try-on from L'Oreal" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="1959,1101" style="width: 100%;" data-index="2"></figure></div><div>​WebAR try-on from L'Oreal. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.lorealparisusa.com/makeup/lip-color/liquid-lip/infallible-pro-last-lipcolor-timeless-rose-115" alt="Source" class="on">Source</a> </div><h4>Web 3.0 </h4>Web 3.0 gains much popularity now. More and more Users will be able to access information from anywhere without being constrained by conventional systems thanks to Web 3.0.&nbsp;The implementation of Web 3.0 will fundamentally alter web design and programming. The next stage of Internet development will give everyone access to a real-time search engine that will link all online data. Therefore let's look at some of these brand-new developments that are soon to be available:<ul><li>Microdata&nbsp; With this HTML5 improvement, it will be feasible to use the same code to express various meanings, depending on which search engine crawls it.</li><li>N3 With this language, data can be represented and connected to other datasets.</li><li>RDFa It is a Resource Description Framework in Attributes, which allows you to use attributes to store metadata about your web pages.</li><li>VoID (or Very Open Interactive Design)&nbsp; By offering visually accessible representations that anybody may easily engage with, this kind of visualization attempts to aid individuals in comprehending the complexities underlying large, complicated datasets.</li><li>Linked Open Data This project was conceived with the notion that by transparently sharing all publicly accessible data among various websites on the internet, numerous problems could be resolved in addition to other advantages.</li></ul><h5>Meteor JS </h5>An open-source platform for real-time web applications. It provides a comprehensive set of libraries and tools that make delivering high-quality custom web development services simpler.<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center" contenteditable="false" style="min-width: 100%; width: 50%;"><figure style="margin: auto; width: 50%;"><img src="https://cgs-prod-pictures.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/1728149500053cd6aee62-de12-46f5-ada0-a2d9705af395.gif" alt="Meteor JS" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="50%," data-percentage="50," data-file-name="Imagename" data-file-size="4096" data-origin="," origin-size="989,604" style="width: 100%;" data-index="3"></figure></div>Source: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://giphy.com/gifs/movie-space-hunt-CFONrl19EZ0s0" alt="Giphy" class="on">Giphy</a>​ Meteor is excellent for quickly developing concepts since it strongly emphasizes speed and simplicity. Additionally, it offers built-in support for D3.js data visualization tools, user authentication, and push alerts.What makes Meteor different from JavaScript frameworks?Meteor combines all the components to create contemporary apps from a single JavaScript codebase. JavaScript UI frameworks for React and Vue.js are compatible with Meteor. If you wish, you can also utilize Meteor with GraphQL or REST. Regardless of the UI framework you pick, Meteor is capable of automatically managing the data flow between cloud and client applications, client UI state, and rendering.Meteor's perks:<ul><li>The framework has resilience and durability because of a wide network of collaborators.&nbsp;</li><li>It works across platforms. You may create all of your app's implementations with Meteor in one location.</li><li>It has built-in MongoDB handlers and GraphQL support.</li></ul><h6>Gatsby.js </h6><blockquote> “With non-technical content writers and designers needing the ability to add content quickly to the site, Gatsby's second to none onboarding made it easy for everyone, regardless of skill level, to be successful. This achieved one of the most important goals for the website: the documentation and process was there for the next person so they wouldn't struggle. A home-grown system goes down when the people who created it leave. Gatsby doesn't allow for that — it grows with whoever is at the controls — then seamlessly passes on to the next person”. Alison JosephFront-end DeveloperIBM</blockquote>Gatsby is a free and open-source framework built on the JavaScript library React. This framework prefetches resources for other pages after it has loaded. As a result, navigating the website feels quick.<ul><li>Gatsby, first and foremost, makes use of React, making it a fantastic option for those who are familiar with and adore it.</li><li>Platforms like Netlify work incredibly well with Gatsby, and you can set up your site to build and deploy each time you send a revision to GitHub.</li><li>A great ecosystem of plugins that meet different needs is also included in Gatsby. These plugins can help you interface with systems like Algolia, source data from CMSs like WordPress or Contentful, and manage your photos by lazy-loading and optimizing them.</li><li>Gatsby also has a number of APIs that greatly simplify the creation of static websites. One such API is createPage, which makes it simple to convert markdown files into static pages with a template at build time.</li><li>Last but not least, Gatsby features many fantastic components that simplify tasks like routing, linking, and handling images that are not found in the main React library. </li></ul><h6>Finally</h6>We covered the most promising technologies and trends rocking 2023. In CGS-team we believe that extending your power stack as being up-to-date is one of the most crucial skills for a developer, no matter what year it is. Check our web development approach <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://cgsteam.io/services/web-development" alt="here" class="on">here</a>.

Improve your power stack by adding the most in-demand techs in 2023. Discover the list in the article.

2023 Web Development Stack

Last year became a bumpy road full of business challenges: aftereffects of the global pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and economic challenges. 2023 isn’t going to become easy, but taking into account several essential tips can ease the way.Here are some pieces of advice every startup founder should consider when starting a company in 2023.<h2>Start with a plan </h2>Though it seems that nothing can be planned in our fast-changing world, you should do it anyway. The plans can be changed, but you should have an exact road map for your business. It tells you where you are going and gives you the way to get there.&nbsp; A business plan can consist of many aspects, but it’s crucial to cover these:- Market analysisHere you collect data about your market within an industry. You learn who your potential customers are, their buying habits, your target market size, the amount of money potential customers are willing to pay, and your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses.&nbsp;It’s a risk reducer because you can better understand customers, market conditions, and challenges.To conduct the analysis properly, follow some steps:<ul><li>Figure out the purpose of your study.</li><li>Deep dive into your industry’s outlook using sources like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.statista.com/" alt="Statista">Statista</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.cbinsights.com/" alt="CB Insights">CB Insights</a>.</li><li>Analyze your target audience by primary factors (age, income, location, education level, etc.) and others like needs, interests, and personalities. Consider making customer personas based on your research.</li><li>Create a competitors list. Check each and conduct a SWOT analysis to determine their strengths and weaknesses.</li></ul>-&nbsp;Go-to-market strategyBased on your market analysis, you’ll be able to cover the next important step — GTM. Please read an excellent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://medium.com/neemz-growth/go-to-market-g-2-m-plan-9dd9bd08b9ec" alt="guide">guide</a>&nbsp;for creating the strategy. But we also want to state some crucial things to consider.<ul><li>There’s no one size fits all solution for the strategy. You should create a unique one. </li><li>Become your customers’ best friend. Find out what they need and how they discover and estimate new products. </li><li>Iterate, A/B test, and try everything you can as inexpensively as possible. Be open to out-of-the-box ideas. </li><li>Don’t consider MVP a product. It can be whatever you need to begin experimenting to see what works. </li><li>Design the product for the go-to-market strategy, not the other way. A revolutionary product that can’t reach customers fails. </li></ul>-&nbsp;Funding request​Are you eager to get funding for your startup? In this case, you have to figure out your funding needs in this section of your plan. Be sure to cover the amount of money you need, funding ways, what will the requested money go toward, and debt financing or equity financing (selling shares of your company).-&nbsp;Financial projections​Here, ensure you work within periods and try to be as specific as possible. Include here the amount of money you have in expenses, projected income, your break-even point, and business exit strategy. Remember to avoid overestimating the revenue. Investors would like to see clarity in the revenue targets determination. Be sure to include the number of resources necessary to achieve the goals. The investors can ask about your future SEO, custom software development spending, or the amount of money you’ll need on post-sales support. Begin with upper projections, consider your market opportunity and every part of your funnel (generation channels, conversion from “Knowledge” to “Engagement,” etc.) before setting a budget.<h3>Track spendings </h3>Your top skill is financial management. It can give you opportunities and save your startup from failure. Here are some tips: -&nbsp;Outsource and hire carefully​Entrepreneurs frequently cover many positions at their startups since doing everything themselves is the simplest way to save money. However, when your firm expands, this becomes less practical as you may not have enough time and skills, for example, in software development. Yeah, hiring is a long way requiring much money and time. But there’s an option for technical things, mainly — outsourcing. Try this for web development or UI/UX design services. To get more information about outsourcing, check our&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/should-you-outsource-software-development" alt="article">article</a>. -&nbsp;Use services to control the budget​Use a single tool to integrate any wire transfers, checks, or other payments your company needs to make. Services for online banking, such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.bill.com/" alt="Bill.com">Bill.com</a>, are helpful. Control credit card charges. Consider a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.brex.com/" alt="Brex">Brex</a>&nbsp;that allows you to issue cards by the department and apply spending limits. The most considerable portion of your monthly spending will be related to labor. Try&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.justworks.com/" alt="Justworks">Justworks</a>&nbsp;to provide in-depth monthly reports for each employee. Create a list of each employee’s current burn costs using&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.airtable.com/home/toolkit" alt="Airtable">Airtable</a>, including salaries, healthcare expenses, and employer taxes. -&nbsp;Track revenue dailySetting up daily emails or weekly updates on income is one of the most crucial measures to track your finances effectively. Although you may already be receiving information about the revenue, this is insufficient to provide you with a complete view of your financial situation.<h4>Perfect your customer’s experience </h4>Firstly, always be sure your product looks and works great. It’s a basis. No qualitative, bug-free code and user experience — no idea validation. Poor results can be because of bugs, not because of the idea. Ensure your software development process is done perfectly and provide IT support services to fix issues quickly.Secondly, ensure your website and UI/UX workflow are fantastic. The simplest way is doing an audit. The profs will check your page speed, review the code, and make a UX/UI, SEO, and competitor audit.The trend towards interactive experience is so strong. Brands try to engage customers digitally. Look at the metaverse, where we interact with brands through 3D environments and VR. We can browse and “try on” virtual products like clothes, jewelry, and accessories.Another popular trend is blending newly gained digital experience with an old-fashioned lifestyle. The pandemic made consumers try new ways of living. In 2023 moviegoers will go to the cinema and order their popcorn with QR codes.<h5>Get funding</h5>Companies that are unable to secure funds through conventional methods turn to crowdfund. Check the list of most popular crowdfunding platforms: <ol><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/" alt="Kick Starter">Kick Starter</a></li><li>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.indiegogo.com/" alt="Indiegogo">Indiegogo</a></li><li>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.gofundme.com/" alt="Gofundme">Gofundme</a></li><li>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.crowdrise.com/" alt="Crowdrise">Crowdrise</a></li><li>​​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.seedinvest.com/" alt="SeedInvest Technology">SeedInvest Technology</a>​</li></ol>Crowdfunding is a great tool, but you’ll need more investments to move on. There are 2 options: venture capital and angel investors. As the competition grows, try to use more ways to reach your potential investor. Send them messages on LinkedIn or through personal contacts, find people that can introduce you to each other, and visit events where you can talk to them personally. Just cold emails with a pitch deck is a passive way. Investors want to see that you’re highly proactive and creative. Consider reaching them as the first test. They’ll estimate it too.Other ways to get funded are business accelerators and incubators, grants, and bootstrapping.<h5>Take advantage of modern tech </h5>Make your startup idea special with technologies. Consider blockchain, dapp, or defi, which are gaining popularity and investments now.&nbsp;Disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), cloud computing, and high-speed network protocols like 5G will continue to advance in 2023. Additionally, the distinctions between these revolutionary digital technologies will become less clear because they are interconnected.The technologies also result in better supply chains, customer service, and successful sales and marketing.<h6>Study. Always. </h6>As a startup founder, you must be aware of many things, from hiring to marketing. It requires constant learning. Here are some resources recommended: <ul><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.ycombinator.com/library" alt="YC Startup Library">YC Startup Library</a>&nbsp;with 400+ materials from articles to videos.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://techcrunch.com/tag/pitch-deck-teardown/" alt="Pitch deck teardown">Pitch deck teardown</a>&nbsp;by TechCrunch with the best and worst things about different pitch decks.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://startup.google.com/learn/" alt="Short lessons">Short lessons</a>&nbsp;for startup founders from Google.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://andrewchen.com/" alt="Newsletter">Newsletter</a>&nbsp;from Andrew Chen, a partner at a16z fund.</li><li>A weekly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe" alt="advice column">advice column</a>&nbsp;about building products and driving growth with 250,000+ subscribers.</li></ul>Check out even more materials to learn&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://billionsuccess.com/tools-and-resources-for-startups-entrepreneurs/" alt="here">here</a>.To sum up We covered the most vital factors you need to think about when launching a startup in 2023. Plan, do financial management, make your customers happy, use all funding ways, tap into technologies, and learn.&nbsp;Your idea may become the next unicorn. Don’t let economic vibrations stop you from realizing it.&nbsp;

​In the article, you’ll find tips to help you launch the next unicorn in 2023. Check useful bits of advice and valuable resources for startup founders.​

What to Consider when Launching a Startup in 2023?

<h2>What Is Blockchain development? </h2>Sci-Fi book prediction is now a world-changing technology shaping the future of many industries. And though now the crypto market is facing challenges, experts and Simpson are sure that its temporary breakdown with the following triumph.&nbsp;Let's start from the basics to puzzle out why blockchain development transforms startups and attracts investors.&nbsp;Imagine a chain where every part is in the form of blocks and is managed by many authorities. Such data structure ensures security, transparency, and decentralization. Once data is placed on a blockchain, it is very challenging to change or modify it.&nbsp;For example, you want to send a money gift to your mum. Every time you did it via a third party: a bank or a payment transfer application. When involving them, you paid an extra amount of your money for their work. But it's not guaranteed that your transaction is secure. A hacker can spoil a birthday present.&nbsp;But if you have used blockchain technology, you would ease and secure the process. There is no additional cost because you process the cash directly. There is no chance for hackers because the information is not kept in a single location. The present is delivered with no extra fees, safe and sound.&nbsp;It can also be compared to a Google spreadsheet. It is shared by several computers connected to a network. The attractive part is that while everyone may view the data, it cannot be manipulated.<h3>Discover the blockchain benefits: </h3><ul><li>Reliability On the blockchain network, transactions are approved by thousands of computers. All human involvement in the validation is minimized. Machines are operating, which lowers errors and assures that the data is recorded precisely.&nbsp; Although I adore people, thousands of computers are more trustworthy.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Cost Saving&nbsp; Companies that use blockchain development services can decrease their reliance on expensive third parties. No banks, no applications, and no extra spending of money. Oh, that sounds amazing. Blockchain streamlines auditing and reporting procedures and eliminates manual data collection and update activities.</li></ul><ul><li>Decentralization The transaction information is dispersed across a network rather than saved in a single location. Hackers are overwhelmed. We are safe. Also, there are situations where participants lack trust since they don't know one another. Blockchain facilitates data sharing among a network of companies where no organization has sole authority.</li></ul><ul><li>Security&nbsp; By all standards, blockchain is more secure than any other method of maintaining records. Thousands of computers hurry to check the data. The transaction is added if it has been verified.</li></ul><ul><li>Transparency&nbsp; With a blockchain software development company, a startup may create a fully decentralized network with no requirement for a centralized authority, increasing the transparency of the system. Each block stores a copy of the transaction record after it has been verified. The blockchain network manages transparency in this manner.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Increased efficiency and speed&nbsp; Paperwork is exhausting and mistake-fragile. The blockchain may hold documentation and transaction information together, cutting the necessity for paper exchange.&nbsp; According to experts, blockchain often outperforms conventional technology and processes in terms of speed. Walmart used the technology to quickly identify the origin of sliced mangoes, a task that had previously required seven days.</li></ul><ul><li>Tokenization&nbsp; Tokenization is transforming an object's value, whether physical or digital, into a digital token that is then saved on a blockchain and distributed through it. Tokenization has been successful for digital art and other virtual goods, but it also has broader applications that might simplify business transactions.</li></ul><h4>How do industries benefit from blockchain technology companies?</h4><ul><li>Supply and food chain </li></ul>Food safety and freshness are the biggest problems for the food industry. Blockchain development service providers help clients avoid pain spots while reducing waste. Food contamination can be detected in a matter of seconds as opposed to several days.By promoting trust among trading partners, giving e2e visibility, streamlining operations, and resolving disputes more rapidly, blockchain helps to build stronger, more robust supply chains and better business partnerships. Participants can also act sooner if there are delays.<ul><li>Banking and financial industry&nbsp;</li></ul>A provider of blockchain development services can reduce inefficiency and delays while boosting overall industry productivity.It is possible that you will have to wait until Monday morning if you want to deposit a cheque on Friday at 6 o'clock. Blockchain software, however, is permanently active. Customers may expect their transactions to be processed by banks using blockchain in as little as 10 minutes. It's time it takes to add a block to the blockchain, regardless of the day of the week or holidays.Check out the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.finmix.com/" alt="FinMix">FinMix</a>. A financial technology firm and platform called Finmix makes investing more sociable. It enables people to keep their possessions and distribute them to others. To make the process dependable and secure, Solidity, Web3, DeFi, and Smart Contracts were used.&nbsp;<ul><li>Healthcare&nbsp;</li></ul>Healthcare organizations can use blockchain services to maintain patient files safely. The patient keeps control over access, establishing more confidence. Other advantages include patient privacy, drug tracing, and improved clinical trials.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://akiri.com/" alt="Akiri">Akiri</a>&nbsp;assists in securing the transit of health information about patients. It works as both a network and a protocol. Akiri ensures that medical information is safe and only accessible by those with permission when needed.<ul><li>Government</li></ul>The US dollar is controlled. A user's data and money are technically subject to the whims of their bank or government under this system of central power. The private information of a client is in danger if their bank is hacked. The value of the client's money may be in danger if the bank goes bankrupt or if they live in a region with a volatile government.Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can function without the need for a centralized authority. It can provide a more stable currency to people living in nations with shaky financial systems.<ul><li>Real Estate</li></ul>Tokenizing actions will be possible with blockchain software development. Smart contracts can automate the selling of real estate.&nbsp;​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://realt.co/" alt="RealT">RealT</a>&nbsp;is a fractional real estate investing platform that uses a token-based blockchain network to enable investors worldwide to invest in the American real estate market. The platform allows investors to purchase tokenized real estate and access cash flow through RealTokens. Weekly rentals are also available to owners.<ul><li>E-commerce</li></ul>Cryptocurrencies and smart contracts are used for trading and buying assets in various online shops.A smart contract is computer code that may be included in the blockchain to confirm or negotiate a contract agreement. Only after the user agrees with the terms the smart contract operates.​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://fluz.app/" alt="Fluz">Fluz</a>&nbsp;is a social e-commerce network using blockchain. When customers buy digital gift cards, they receive cash-back rewards. Users can instantly earn Fluz Tokens and more reward opportunities by expanding their network. The additional gift cards can then be purchased using the tokens.<ul><li>Energy sector</li></ul>Governments worldwide have traditionally considered the production, distribution, and allocation of energy to be an essential sector. Without effective energy management, it becomes difficult for any government to support meaningful economic growth.The energy industry can be more environmentally sustainable with blockchain software development services. It offers a network that makes it possible to create, store, and distribute energy more effectively. It also aids in resolving historical energy sector efficiency concerns.<h5>Conclusion</h5>Hopefully, the article gave you an understanding of how blockchain is revolutionary for several sectors and what benefits it provides.&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/portfolio" alt="Discover">Discover</a>&nbsp;projects developed with blockchain technology.&nbsp;Now that you have more information, you may decide whether or not to apply this technology.

​Blockchain gives transformational opportunities to almost all existing industries. Check the article to discover how you can benefit from blockchain.

How Can Your Business Benefit from Blockchain?

​Such tech surfing requires a genius team. That's where the question "Blockchain or Software developer" pops up. We'll figure out what software and blockchain development is and the key differences between the two developer types.​ <h2>​Software development </h2>What is software development?It is the way that software engineer employs while creating software. The procedure is named Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). More about the software development cycle you can read in our previous&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/difference-between-high-level-design-and-low-level-design" alt="article">article</a>.&nbsp;What does the software development process look like?The workflow consists of six key components, including:<ul><li>Setting needs Whether the specialists provide java software development services or healthcare software development services, it's important to conduct a market survey.</li><li>Consideration of demands This stage provides a detailed overview of each component, the scope, the developer's duties, and the testing requirements to produce a high-quality result.</li><li>Design Here, architects and developers define the highly technical standards they need to provide appropriate software application development services.&nbsp;</li><li>Coding stage Developers create code depending on the needs and product standards decided upon in earlier stages. Then they launch the application into an environment to test.</li><li>Testing Testing is vital to check the product's functionality at this step to ensure that it operates following the requirements.</li><li>Deployment and support The program can be delivered to users after it is free of errors. The IT software development company forms a support team.&nbsp;</li></ul>What do software developers do?Software developers use various tools and skills to design, program, create, deploy, and maintain software. The software developer's job description may include meeting with clients to ascertain the requirements.<h3>Blockchain development </h3>What's blockchain development?It's a distributed database recording transactions on numerous computers worldwide. Blockchain development company makes information exchange faster, more secure, and more clear while being more cost-effective.&nbsp;Additionally, it eliminates the need for third parties, whose primary function was to add a level of trust and certification (such as notaries).Let's take a look at a project called BurstIQ. Patients and clinicians can safely share sensitive medical information with the aid of BurstIQ's big data blockchain contracts. The smart contracts define the conditions under which data can be shared and even show specifics of each patient's individualized treatment plans.&nbsp;Why do companies use blockchains?To increase transaction security and transparency, decrease process costs and time.There's a great example of how blockchain is beneficial for the product. Look at CGS-team's project Live art Market. A contemporary and safe alternative to conventional Fine Art trading is LiveArt Market. LiveArt selects buyers, curates listings, and offers flexible and easy fulfillment.&nbsp;What does the blockchain software development process look like?<ol><li>Goal setting Carrying doing a thorough analysis of the project is crucial. For example, the team should decide which issues should be solved in the blockchain app development process.&nbsp;</li><li>Blockchain platform&nbsp; When choosing the blockchain services provision approach, it is critical to consider whether you need an existing blockchain or to create a new one from the start.</li><li>Tokens Token economics outlines the structure of a certain ecosystem inside the blockchain space and provides descriptions of the economic systems.</li><li>PoC A Proof-of-Concept is a technique used to show how a blockchain project would work in practice. A created prototype includes sketches defining the mockups, designs, tested goods, and information architecture.</li><li>Design Blockchain software development company developers must plan out the entire program at this point and design user interfaces for each piece of software.</li><li>Coding It's time for the blockchain development process.&nbsp;</li></ol>Following customer approval, providing blockchain software development services continues on to the next alpha testing phase.&nbsp;What do blockchain developers do?The two main categories of blockchain developers are:1. Core blockchain developer. The architecture of blockchain systems is created and maintained by core blockchain developers. Their work includes:<ul><li>Design of network security patterns&nbsp;</li><li>Control over the entire network</li><li>Blockchain protocol design</li><li>Network architecture's design</li></ul>2. Blockchain software developer. On top of already-existing blockchain systems, blockchain software developers supply blockchain app development services. They do:<ul><li>Developing interactive front-end for dApps</li><li>Blockchain backend development and the creation of smart contracts</li><li>Monitoring of the complete stack used to execute their dApps.</li></ul><h4>Blockchain developer vs. software developer </h4>Career wayActually, any software developer can become an expert in blockchain programming. In fact, the majority of blockchain experts began their careers as software developers. To work in a blockchain app development company, the dev can complete multiple courses on blockchain technology after receiving the standard software engineer education.&nbsp;EducationA software engineer can find the first job after finishing a degree in computer science or a related discipline. Is it the same in blockchain development?Because web 3.0 is still in its infancy, there is no single degree just for blockchain engineers. Blockchain devs usually have computer science degrees and specialized courses in the blockchain.Language questionIn addition to languages like C++, Python, and Java, which are also vital in blockchain technology, blockchain development service providers should be knowledgeable in the following:<ul><li>Goland helps programmers build quick blockchain systems.</li><li>C# looks like Java and C++. C# enables running projects on various operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux). By the way, it also supports Stratis, a Blockchain-as-a-Service company that helps build dApps.</li><li>Solidity helps in creating smart contracts.</li><li>Vyper is used on Ethereum, and has distinct control and security architecture.&nbsp;</li><li>Simplicity is for smart contracts on a high-level language focused on Bitcoin Script.</li><li>Rholang is also for smart contracts and creating dApps.&nbsp;</li></ul>Salary A software developer earns between $ 75,000 to about $ 100,000 annually in the USA. Meanwhile, the average blockchain development service provider's salary is $145,000. Entry-level positions start at $121,875, and go up to $185,250.Let's sum up the key differences.<ul><li>Blockchain engineers should operate languages like Javascript, Python, Java, C#, Scala, blockchain programming Java, Solidity, Simplicity, Rholang, Vyper. When software developer — Javascript, Python, Java, C++, Scala.&nbsp;</li><li>Blockchain developers' experience should include SQL, NoSQL, Golang, chain code, web3.js, Geth, Corda, AWS, Bluemix, Azure, Stellar. When software developers' — SQL, NoSQL, AWS, Bluemix, Azure, Stellar.&nbsp;</li><li>Blockchain dev's expertise should cover backend software engineering or full-stack. A software engineer's one — front-end or backend software engineering experience or even full-stack.&nbsp;</li><li>Blockchain developer's education should include certifications in blockchain technologies and, preferably, a bachelor's degree. Software dev's one — Degree in software development or related areas.</li></ul><h5>Who is the Best Fit for your Blockchain Project? </h5>The answer is — it depends. Each developer has an exclusive number of skills and experience. In CGS-team there are both blockchain and software developers. The client team is custom-made so that the devs can fulfill all the requirements. Such an approach helps the company to grow fast and get great clients. Check the projects&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/portfolio" alt="here">here</a>.If we compare blockchain technology to traditional client-side applications, there's a big gap. If we compare blockchain smart contract development to backend procedural development, it's not so huge.<h6>To sum up </h6>The answer to the main question is — the tools, and the context makes sense. Each project has one-of-a-kind requirements, and the team should be formed accordingly.You checked what blockchain and software development is, who is a blockchain and a software developer, and the difference between the two dev types.

The blockchain market is expected to grow to $67.4b by 2026. It’s high time to catch the innovative wave of blockchain application development.​

Blockchain or Software Developer: What's Your Choice?

$92.5 billion — that's an estimation of the outsourcing software development market. It only grows as even more companies start widening their team opportunities. Prominent market players like Slack, WhatsApp, and IKEA have already experienced all the perks of outsourcing software development services. Let's puzzle out what is software development outsourcing, how to successfully outsource software development, and how you can benefit from it.<h2>What is software development outsourcing? </h2>​Software development outsourcing services&nbsp;— employing not single developers but working with third-party providers (outsourcing software development companies) to run services. Such work is in high demand as it has many benefits for companies, from money saving to better security.<h3>How to outsource software development? </h3>There are several most common models of outsourcing software development.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Set Price format </li></ul>A set cost format means a&nbsp;predetermined sum of money for work. Instead, the outsourcing software development companies agree to carry out a predetermined scope of work. To meet the contract, the service provider can't change the pricing or miss the deadline, and the client — change the specifications of the project. It's not your option if you are unsure of your project's features or how the current system will respond to the modifications you intend to make.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Hourly/Time and Material format</li></ul>The most commonly used format today. The service provider estimates the number of hours needed to develop the project and multiplies it by the working hour cost. The idea is that the&nbsp;client covers costs for the hours the dev team spent. Here the customer can add tasks and modify the scope of work. Besides, the outsource services provider can change the number of team members pursuant to the requirements. It's the most flexible model as amended at any time.&nbsp; <ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Devoted Resource format</li></ul>Such a working model means hiring a team of developers who work on nothing but your project. Finally, the agency assists the client in gaining access to a fully functional team focused solely on the client's activities while considering the client's needs and project goals.<h3>Why do companies outsource software development? </h3>Software development outsourcing services are a benefit-provider. Some of the advantages of outsourcing software development services are listed below: &nbsp; 1.&nbsp;Cost savingDid you know that&nbsp;38% of startups&nbsp;crash because of money shortages? That's why saving money is the first reason to try outsourcing software development services. The research by&nbsp;Deloitte&nbsp;states that 59% of companies choose to outsource to decrease money spending. This saves money for other business areas like HR, upgrades, etc. Furthermore, this way, you don't have to pay for keeping an employee like sick pay, training, etc.​Top companies already use outsourcing. For example, WhatsApp outsourced to develop an application. It compensated greatly as&nbsp;1.5 billion active users each month use the app.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2.&nbsp;No time wasteAll companies do their best to meet the market needs in a timely manner. The problem&nbsp;they face is the lack of resources. Custom software development outsourcing assists you in saving a great amount of time. Why?&nbsp;Outsource software development helps to avoid recruiting, hiring, and training new employees in the company culture.&nbsp;Profs have a wide experience and solid tech stack to meet all your requirements when you can focus on other non-tech staff.&nbsp; Glassdoor says you'll need&nbsp;23.7 days&nbsp;for a job interview. To start working with an outsourced software services company, you need 1 call.&nbsp; &nbsp; 3.&nbsp;Skilled TalentsOutsourced software development opens an opportunity to cooperate with top-rated developers. Specialists from outsourced services companies have experience handling various projects. Wide tech stack and even wider experience results in effective work. Building such an in-house team takes much effort when outsourcing providers have already done it. You only open up the collection of talents with no geographical limits. One more advantage — no boundaries for tech opportunities.&nbsp;Sometimes companies have limits due to budget constraints. Outsourcing companies usually operate better development tools. &nbsp;&nbsp;4.&nbsp;FlexibilityThe opportunity of scaling up and down is an essential reason to choose the outsourcing work model. Imagine the project is finished, and you still have a development team you don't know what to do with. It can greatly difficult resource management. Another option — you work with an agency providing you the development team till the second you need it. In this case,&nbsp;there's no reason for you to hire specialists full-time and go through all the employment challenges.&nbsp;The service provider makes the team according to the working hours and tasks needed, minus one problem.&nbsp; Let's look at the example. In the early stages, BaseCamp didn't know how to cope with the fast growth. It made them lose focus. This became an issue leading to performance issues. The BaseCamp team understood they couldn't go far with it.&nbsp;BaseCamp had to study how to grow appropriately and avoid preventing errors, so it hired a group of freelance engineers to work on its software.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Transparency The principal rule of working outsource is running transparency. The outsource software development team should report the workflow regularly and keep it clear for the customer. Open collaboration is key. Software development companies usually set up regular calls to update the client and be on the same page. &nbsp; 6.&nbsp;No focus lostFor non-tech brands working with an outsourcing services provider is the best solution. The top management of such companies doesn't have proper experience hiring developers and running tech processes which adds risks of resource waste.&nbsp; Outsourcing lets you implement all your tech plans without losing focus on the crucial working areas.&nbsp;Professional outsource teams will make the development easy and clear for you, driving excellent results.&nbsp; &nbsp; 7.&nbsp;SecurityThere are some guarantees of effective work from the provider's team.&nbsp;The most common is — an agreement signed by both sides. To compare, when you hire an in-house specialist, you don't have such guarantees. Furthermore, there's always a risk that the worker will receive a better job offer and quit.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;8.&nbsp;DeadlinesIt's OK for the developers to get ill and ask for sick days, for instance. As a human, you understand it, but as an employer — you need a high-effective specialist who won't affect your deadlines. On the other side,&nbsp;outsourced software suppose strict deadlines meeting.&nbsp;You can be sure there will be no work disruption as software development outsourcing services providers always have extra developers.&nbsp;&nbsp;9.&nbsp;Risks decline​Even when the marketing team is sure that a new tech product or solution has a good chance of succeeding, there are many risks. They are usually about software development and delivery. It can be challenging not only for small startups but for big companies. A company spends a great number of resources, but the crucial ones are time and money. It hires specialists in-house and covers their work for several months. But the product can still break down. In the worst scenarios, this can turn out catastrophic and make it difficult to recuperate.Instead, hiring outside firms to design software works amazingly well.&nbsp;Collaborating with a specialist using a leading project management system, building an effective workflow raises the opportunity for a reliable return on investment and provides excellent product development.One of the really popular communication systems on the market, Slack depended on programming outsourcing for efficient beta testing. It now processes more than 1 billion messages each week.&nbsp; 10.&nbsp;SpeedOne more reason why companies outsource software development is a quick time-to-market process. You may deploy products without relying on your internal team this way. Once you've hired remote devs, project management won't take up much of your time with the service provider.&nbsp;As a result, you may benefit from a shortened development period and devote more time to your company's marketing efforts.&nbsp; 11.&nbsp;No micromanagement rushA project manager oversees all of your needs for product development if you outsource your project to a software development firm. No rush, no deadlines set, no tasks checking, just relax and watch your ideas going live.<h4>When to outsource software development? </h4>Starting a new tech project is a challenging way. But outsourcing software development services can become a reliable tool to make it easier to handle. So the primary triggers for cooperating with an outsourcing software development company are: <ul><li>Limited cost for software development</li><li>Tight deadlines</li><li>Need for experienced staff with the wide tech stack</li><li>Desire to reduce the security risks</li></ul><h5>How to successfully outsource software development? </h5>&nbsp;1.&nbsp;Firstly, Identify and establish your objectives.Evaluate the product just at the outset and specify the main objectives, specifications, and demands. It can assist you in selecting an organization with the appropriate background and expertise. It can be a business that develops websites or mobile applications ideal for your objectives.&nbsp; 2.&nbsp;ExploreYou must be aware of the limits and realize how long it takes to develop the project, analyze, and create a scope of work in order to properly evaluate the task. A smart business will constantly ensure that they and their customer are on the same page. They review your company's objectives and, using them as a basis, create technical execution, set scope, and calculate the cost.&nbsp;&nbsp; 3.&nbsp;Research the businessInspect the business's social media, website, portfolio, and reviews as thoroughly as you can. The best approach is to check clients' reviews. It is essential since you must be certain that the software development outsourcing company drives business results.&nbsp; 4.&nbsp;Talk about the project.Share the concept, the needs, and the objectives with the business company or a spokesperson of it. Be free to request a projected cost. An excellent approach is assessing their capacity to communicate, as well as their openness, honesty, and transparency. Do not be afraid to explain anything in detail.<h6>Finally </h6>We've just figured out the terms, the reasons why to outsource the software development process, and the best way to do it.&nbsp;Hiring an outsourced team with the necessary knowledge base to develop a tech product can result in paying significant dividends. Finding such providers working on a project basis is now simpler than ever, and every business should seize this opportunity as quickly as possible. We advise you to think of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.designrush.com/agency/offshore-software-developers/ua" alt="Software development companies in Ukraine" class="on">Software development companies in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;to outsource, as the country has more than 252,000 technical specialists and was chosen for outsourcing by over 100 Fortune 500 companies.&nbsp;

Let’s discover all you need to know about startups’ risk-preventer — outsourcing software development.

Should You Outsource Software Development?

​10% — within the first year (Embroker). One of the key reasons for failure is team problems. It includes facing problems when going to hire software developers. The employment process can result in becoming a unicorn or a part of that 90%.​ <h2>How to hire a developer? </h2>In this article, we will cover all crucial points for the employment process:<ul><li>Key reasons for hiring developers </li><li>The 2 most crucial challenges of hiring a programmer </li><li>Steps to hiring a developer</li></ul><h3>Key reasons for hiring developers </h3><ul><li>Professional experience&nbsp; It's a common situation when startup founders actually don't have enough tech experience in software development. Founders, especially in the early stages, have to do lots of work, from marketing to hiring and replacing several team members. Instead of learning how to program, founders usually hire software developers. Though hiring startups can hide many challenges, when developers are hired, the flow of the mobile development process, for example, becomes easy and comfortable for the founder. Check <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://cgsteam.io/blog/mobile-app-development-process" alt="our article about the mobile app development">our article about the mobile app development</a> process from the devs' and clients' sides.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Fast Growth​ According to statistics, 305 million companies are produced annually (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://netshop-isp.com.cy/blog/how-many-tech-startups-are-created-each-year/#:~:text=If%20you%20might%20not%20notice,startups%20created%20in%20a%20year." alt="Netshop">Netshop</a>). The competition is great. The market is competitive. Founders do their best to create an MVP and test an idea before anyone else creates it. Everything needs to be completed ASAP. If you're an early-stage startup looking to advance quickly, you'll need a staff of developers. Even if you're a skilled coder, you should not let managing business development take your focus away from other aspects of your company.</li></ul><ul><li>Saving money​ When the first investments in startups come from FFF – friends, family, and fools money is crucial. Whether starting from scratch or having funding from investors, you must be extremely careful with your spending. When the founder lacks money, it's crucial to make the best hire without spending money on unqualified specialists.</li></ul><ul><li>Creating a team Even a skilled multitasker can't handle all startup work. When building a team, the founder has to consider significant criteria – sharing the goals and ideals of your firm.</li></ul><h4>The 2 most crucial challenges of hiring a programmer</h4><ul><li>Hiring issues </li></ul>The statistics prove one of the most common problems when hiring a developer – lack of talent. 86% of IT leaders state they face issues when finding tech talent (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/job-market/the-state-of-us-tech-hiring" alt="Robert Half">Robert Half</a>). 80% of tech HRs consider there's a talent shortage (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.modis.com/en-us/resources/job-seekers/disruptive-shifts-in-tech-engineering-hiring/https://www.modis.com/en-us/resources/job-seekers/disruptive-shifts-in-tech-engineering-hiring/" alt="Modis">Modis</a>). <ul><li>Financial Concerns </li></ul>Startups usually have smaller budgets than really needed. It's fragile to the costs required to hire developers. The founders are responsible for covering the dev's wage as well as benefits like social security. Additional payments include upskilling and certifications because your employees will also need to stay current with technologies. Even after the software has been deployed and only limited support is required, the founder is still liable to pay the salaries of all the developers on your team. <h5>Steps to hiring a software developer </h5><ul><li>Think of the employer's brand image The employees need only 2-3 letters to recognize companies like Google or Facebook as they develop their brand image. The hiring process becomes even more challenging when the company doesn't have a proper reputation. The candidates won't know anything about it and won't be as motivated to work for you.</li></ul><ul><li>Indicate your requirements Your list of needs will become a roadmap to hiring a startup developer. You'll have a better notion of where to look and how much you'll have to pay for their services.</li></ul><ul><li>Choose hiring model Let's firstly specify the options: 1. In-house The main benefit of this technique is that hiring programmers inside for a startup has a significant impact on a company's culture, workflow, and ethics. 2. Freelance A simpler and more affordable solution of how to hire a programmer. This system is still much more challenging and requires the full focus of the CTO. 3. Outsourcing With this option for recruiting, business owners may easily hire programmers and teams shaped especially for their tasks for new startups.</li></ul><ul><li>Choose a country It's critical for startups to choose the country for hiring a developer. Even though some countries are more economical than others, factors like time zones and linguistic limitations should be considered.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Hold interviews It's interview time. Holding meetups is the best strategy. Ask the candidates to discuss their prior experience working on projects. You can check if someone is enthusiastic enough about what they do. Create a list of essential evaluation criteria and compare the answers of different candidates.</li></ul><ul><li>Provide concurrent salary Depending on the region, the averages vary, so before you start this topic, check what base compensation is relevant for this location.</li></ul><ul><li>Estimate soft &amp; hard skills Though many recruiters value only hard skills, it's crucial to pay attention to the soft ones. Ensure that an applicant acquires the teamwork, problem-solving, and time management abilities necessary for the development process.</li></ul><ul><li>Verify The Expertise When picking up freelancers or an outsourcing development team, you must properly examine their backgrounds. Confirm that they are capable of handling your job and that they possess the claimed skills. If it's an outsourcing model, a great way to explore the team is to check Upwork and Clutch reviews.</li></ul><ul><li>Professional growth opportunities Qualified specialists want to widen their experience and strengthen their backgrounds.</li></ul><h6>And some statistics for dessert</h6><ul><li>The expected value of the global market for IT outsourcing in 2020 is $342.9 billion. By 2027, the value is anticipated to reach $410.2 billion. (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200714005552/en/Global-IT-Outsourcing-Industry-2020-to-2027---Market-Trajectory-Analytics---ResearchAndMarkets.com" alt="Business Wire">Business Wire</a>) </li><li>Remote working has enhanced productivity for 59% of software teams. (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200714005552/en/Global-IT-Outsourcing-Industry-2020-to-2027---Market-Trajectory-Analytics---ResearchAndMarkets.com" alt="Business Wire">Business Wire</a>).</li><li>The hiring process's most irritating step is the interview. Additionally mentioned as unpleasant by the developers are creating and updating CVs (15.11%) and creating cover letters (14.46%). (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2016" alt="Stack Overflow">Stack Overflow</a>).</li></ul><h6>To conclude </h6>​Hiring developers can be challenging way due to several factors like employment issues, lack of talents, etc. Facing such problems and paying for them can become a failing point for startups. In the article, you've got a manual on how to hire developers for a startup.​

​Startup way is a bumpy road full of challenges starting from funding to hiring. A shocking statistic: almost 90% of newborn startups fall down.

How to Hire Software Developers for a Startup?

We'll start with a wow-statistics: mobile app market revenue is US$417,9bn in 2022 (<a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/app/worldwide#revenue" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank" alt="Statista">Statista</a>). To compare: the budget of Austria is US$515,3bn. But that's more to it. In 2026 it's going to grow to US$542.80bn by 2026 (<a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/app/worldwide#revenue" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" alt="Statista">Statista</a>).&nbsp;Shocking? Yeah, we know. When hearing about such statistics, you may have the only desire — to become a part of such a fast-growing and promising market. That's why we offer mobile app development services to our clients.<h2>Let's take a glance at devs' workflow first </h2><ul><li>Planning&nbsp; Every unicorn starts with an idea, and every mobile app starts with planning. Here we won't choose the color of buttons but go to more high-level questions (by the way, read our article about high-level and low-level design *(add link) to be in theme).&nbsp; It's also a perfect stage to advise the client on which services to use: android app development services or ios app development services. If the customer wants to develop for several platforms, the team will discuss the approach: cross-platform or native. No worries about unknown terms. We'll talk about them later.&nbsp; Here all the customer requirements about the dream app are carefully collected and integrated into the plan.&nbsp; The team formation starts! Usually, all the client's needs will be covered by front-end dev, back-end dev, QA engineer, UI/UX designer, and Project Manager. Thus, the squad of specialists can depend on some factors.&nbsp;</li><li>Prototyping&nbsp; It's wireframe time.&nbsp;The team creates a UI UX guide with no details but an understandable flow.&nbsp;Designers don't focus on colors and style. Instead, they establish a general feeling of the app's functionality. CGS-team doesn't expect the wireframes to be fully featured. The main goal — is to show the primary features of your app and get the customer's feedback.&nbsp;</li><li>Design&nbsp; The phase of juicy illustrations and attractive buttons. Design is a complex stage covering lots of steps. We'll give you a short overview.&nbsp; The designers take those approved no-detail wireframes and start to refine them. Their best friends at this stage are UI elements, user flow, and element hierarchy. Designers want aesthetic and user-positive design, and developers want high-fidelity mockups to transform them turn into a working app. The minor details like how elements will be tapped, swiped, and dragged are also decided at the design stage.&nbsp;</li><li>Development&nbsp; The development stage is where you begin to write the code. The developers make big decisions based on wireframe feedback, design, and customer needs. The team takes care of a deep understanding of future users' behavior. That's why it's crucial to embody an analytics engine in the app during this phase. Whether the developers provide fintech app development services or healthcare mobile app development services — it's essential to see how the app is being used and the general flow of users.&nbsp; ​Here some mobile application development tools are used. Examples are Xcode, Android Studio, AppCode, and others.​ </li></ul><ul><li>Testing&nbsp; For the copywriter, rereading is vital (believe the author). For the developers — constant testing is. The main reason — save money for the client. Yes, you heard right. Testing keeps post-release costs low. The team considers it an investment.&nbsp; Bugs are afraid of unit tests, UI tests, and integration ones. Though the testing process can prolong the development phase, the specialists are sure it's worth the sacrifice. It's the best tool for cutting back the time and costs of ongoing support and maintenance.&nbsp;</li><li>Release&nbsp; Congrats, we came to the sweetest part — the app launch. The team's happy to see the results of their laborious work when the customer observes his or her dream implementation.&nbsp; The mobile app development services company submits the app to the App Store or Play Store for approval. The application process is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of guidelines. This process will be done every time the app's new version is released.&nbsp; Wow! The quality is excellent, all major bugs are worked out, and the app becomes publicly available. It may sound like a happy end, but the developers' work isn't finished.&nbsp;</li><li>Maintenance&nbsp; Ongoing support and maintenance is a stage of bug-fixing, app monitoring, and updating for new versions to support new devices. It's an endless stage as keeping the product problems-free, up-to-date, and user-friendly requires constant care.&nbsp;</li></ul><h3>Let's take a look at the client's side. </h3><ul><li>The first meet&nbsp; As a client who needs ios mobile app development services, you have a call with the team. You and your mobile app development services provider will cover everything from non-tech nuances to tech stack. Be ready to talk about your dreamy ideas as they will be discussed in detail.&nbsp; The development team will want to catch the idea concept and complexity of the future mobile app. During the talk, the team usually writes down all the needed processes, the number of hrs, and the devs required to be as transparent as possible! Also, you can expect some delicious buns. For example, CGS-team offers free PM services, no charge deployment, and 2-week bug-fixing.&nbsp;</li><li>Team building&nbsp; An essential stage of choosing the best-fitting team to cover all the needs and requirements. CGS-team's customers are always satisfied with excellent tech knowledge, outstanding soft skills, and fluent English. Just talk to the devs and find the most comfortable to cooperate with.&nbsp;</li><li>Pre-start call&nbsp; The final talk before the development process. It's time to sign docs, clarify the nuances, sign docs, and provide access to flows and resources. The process of implementing your dream into reality starts when all the preparations are done.&nbsp;</li><li>Development&nbsp; During this stage, you trust the team. They do all the workflow when you approve and give your feedback. CGS-team believes communication with the client is a must to meet all the needs and requirements. We offer calls twice a week, daily team calls, weekly demo meetings (usually every Friday), and retro meetings. Meanwhile, the development team follows the stages we already discussed: 1. Prototyping and Design 2. Development itself 3. Testing&nbsp;</li><li>Launch&nbsp; The delightful moment of seeing your dreams implemented into tech solutions. Ensure all your needs and requirements are considered and watch stores approving your app. Custom app development services are delivered, but we know it's not the end of the story.&nbsp;</li><li>Maintenance We came to the endless part of the app's life — ongoing support. Trust taking care of the professionals to ensure it's always working well.&nbsp; Check out more about CGS-team's approach as a mobile app development services provider here (mobile dev service page link). </li></ul><h4>Native or Cross Platform development </h4>​When using app development services, it's essential to make a decision: you'll develop a native or cross-platform application. Now we'll describe the terms and the difference.&nbsp;What is a native application? Native application development means creating mobile app&nbsp;exclusively for an exact platform. For example, you're using healthcare app development services and want your app to be IOS. In this case, the developers will use Swift and Objective-C tech.Cross-platform development is about building&nbsp;applications working on multiple platforms. Imagine you're about to have medical app development services as your dream is an application for your dermatology clinic. You want your customer to have the best-ever health experience and your app on Android and iOS. The development team will use React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter to figure it out.What are the benefits of native application development?The main advantages of native apps are outstanding user experience and high performance. But consider that such perks make the cost higher compared to cross-platform developed apps. ​Which is best: Native or Cross-Platform development?We've already concluded that native apps deliver exceptional user experience and performance. Their advantages make them cost more, but great visuals and the lower defect will satisfy you.&nbsp;Cross-platform mobile applications are famous for easy and quick development. It reduces the time spent on the development process. Thus, it's essential to consider the lower quality risk.&nbsp;Get professional advice from our app development services company, and start creating an app! <h5>Final words to conclude </h5>We live in a world where the average smartphone owner opens 10 apps daily and 30 applications monthly (<a href="https://techjury.net/blog/app-usage-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Techjury</a>). Nowadays, building an app seems like a way to business success.You've just figured out the mobile development flow from both client's and development team's sides. Moreover, you know which questions to decide while planning the mobile app building process. Now we are sure when you develop your one, you'll stay on top of things.If you want CGS-team to become your mobile app development services provider, be free to connect.Go mobile!

​In this article, we'll acquaint you with mobile app development from the client's and our team's point of view. You'll be sure what's going on on both fronts.​

Mobile App Development Process

<h2>How does NFT work? </h2>Sam Smith once said that he's not the only one, but if he buys an NFT – he would be the only one. The one who owns this piece of digital art.&nbsp;It can be anything: picture, photo, track, gaming item or something you could ever dream of, even your Twitter post!NFTs are traditionally stored on the Ethereum blockchain.&nbsp;Of course, blockchain is one more topic we would like to talk about. Still, in simple words, it could be explained as a system that allows us to store any information in total security without the possibility of editing. You did changes, bought, or sold something, and these records will be held in the blockchain forever.Here are some NFT examples:<ul><li>Pak's 'The Merge' – is the most expensive NFT. It was sold for $91.8m&nbsp;Three. White. Dots.&nbsp;However, this token does not belong to one person. There were almost 30000 crypto investors to reach such funds.&nbsp;</li><li>Another expensive NFT is&nbsp;Beeple's 'The First 5000 Days'&nbsp;bought by Vignesh Sundaresan, Singapore-based programmer and crypto investor, for $69m.</li><li>A great example of non-fungible tokens that has gained momentum – is&nbsp;NFT sneakers. There is a mobile game in Web3 called STEPN. The main purpose of the game is to earn cryptocurrency by walking or running.&nbsp;</li></ul>It is based on the Solana blockchain. How does it work?Firstly, you download the app and sign up. Then you need to buy special sneakers to earn GST coins and convert them into money.There are a few pairs of shoes for different levels: walker, jogger, runner, and trainer. The core differences between these types are speed of movement and coins you get for your activity with trainers. So people can earn money for their walking, imagine that!<h3>Why is Ethereum good for NFTs? </h3>As we have said before, the explanation of blockchain, NFTs are primarily based on ETH. Even though the same backend unites all Ethereum products, users can move between different products without excessive headache.But other blockchains can also support them, for example, Solana or Avalanche – the right of choice belongs only to you here.&nbsp;Okay. Let us imagine: you will become an owner of an NFT.&nbsp;<h4>How to buy an NFT? </h4>Step 1.&nbsp;NFTs are usually united in different collections. Find what you like. It would not be a problem unless it could be complicated due to the richness of tokens. By the way, one of the most popular collections is Bored Ape Yacht Club. It consists of 10000 apes, and you can even enter their club&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://boredapeyachtclub.com/#/" alt="here">here</a>. Or another popular collection is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.azuki.com/" alt="Azuki">Azuki</a>&nbsp;– a collection of 10000 avatars that give you access to the Garden.&nbsp;Or even&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://opensea.io/collection/cryptopunks" alt="Cryptopunks">Cryptopunks</a>, their avatars.&nbsp;We have mentioned Sam Smith at the beginning of this article, and you can even find the NFT of this singer. It belongs to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/97472412206116695799327880710381871150370704448588211410128351454447311781889" alt="NFT Chairs collection">NFT Chairs collection</a>.Step 2.&nbsp;Then you need to get your crypto wallet according to the crypto, which stands for the non-fungible token you want to buy.&nbsp;Step 3.&nbsp;You should buy cryptocurrency.&nbsp;Step 4.&nbsp;Then buy your NFT.Looks like Captain Hindsight writes this article, yes? Obviously, you have one more question now.<h5>Where to buy an NFT? </h5>On the NFT marketplace. It is a special platform to buy and sell NFTs for cryptocurrency or money. Or even mint NFTs as well, without leaving a platform.&nbsp; Let us explain it: mint an NFT = make a non-fungible token by transforming digital data into a crypto collection. So you make NFT as NFT, not only the picture on the Internet.&nbsp; The Internet is full of different platforms.<ul><li>The most popular one is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://opensea.io/" alt="OpenSea">OpenSea</a>.&nbsp;Probably, you have seen its logo with a ship on a blue background. It was founded in 2017 and now is the TOP-1 marketplace according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://dappradar.com/nft/marketplaces" alt="DappRadar">DappRadar</a>.</li><li>​<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.binance.com/en/nft/home" alt="Binance">Binance</a>&nbsp;is mostly known as the trading platform, but the NFT page is also available. These marketplaces are universal.&nbsp;</li><li>And if you need something special, NBA Top Shot is a unique marketplace for basketball lovers, where you can only buy NFTs of basketball players. </li></ul><h6>Who can make an NFT? </h6>Anyone who wants to. There are no restrictions on who can be the author of the token: either a student or Elizabeth II. All you need is a concept and a few simple manipulations that will not be unclear thanks to tips on the sites.The first thing&nbsp;we will recommend if you want to create your own NFT is to create a&nbsp;crypto-wallet, for example, on MetaMask.This is a secure Ethereum wallet that will allow you to buy, sell and store NFT as securely as possible and free of charge. By the way, there is a desktop app for Chrome / Firefox / Brave / Edge.With the help of instructions, creating a wallet will be easy, believe us!&nbsp;The only thing: MetaMask emphasizes this several times is not easy, and we will emphasize once more:&nbsp;remember the password and the secret phrase. Write it down somewhere in a safe place.The next step&nbsp;will be to create an account on the OpenSea marketplace, where the registration process is intuitive. Here we will need to attach our wallet, whether it is Fortmatic, Coinbase Wallet, WalletConnect or MetaMask.As soon as the wallet connection process is complete, you will be taken to the tab for creating your token.What do we do here? We download the file to tokenize. Important: the size should not exceed 100 MB!Be sure to come up with a unique token name. Then fill in other fields where you can write a description, either simple or with markdown syntax.Interesting detail: we can choose a blockchain for our NFT: Ethereum or Polygon. It's your choice.Then&nbsp;we just save and get the finished token in just 5 minutes. However, remember that it won't be sold immediately – you need to post it for sale using the Sell button. Here are some options to choose from. For example, the price is fixed or in the form of an auction, choose the term of trade or additional options, etc.<blockquote>But another important nuance: nothing will work with a zero wallet. OpenSea withholds a fee, so you must deposit at least 0.02-0.05 ETH to start the sale.</blockquote>Beeple // Just for your inspiration Sure, you have heard something about Beeple somewhere. A little bit earlier, we just wrote about his NFT, for which he received&nbsp;$69 million. Subtle hint: he is the most famous NFT artist in the world.He works in Cinema 4D and uses Instagram and Twitter as an exhibition platforms. Have you ever heard of his daring project 'Every day'? He has been doing it for 14 years. Not missing a single day, no matter what the holiday it is – his wedding day or children's birthday.But this project is not the only one. At the same time, Mike Winkelmann (*Beeple's actual name) started working on music videos that included so-called VJ Loops and visual effects with geometric shapes. After first similar works, he became seriously interested in the world of electronic music. For example, Mike designed the graphic series for concerts of One Direction, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, and others.In 2019, the demand for concerts fell. That's why he decided to make a profit from other sources – for example, from art, which he led in the right direction in 2020. Then, he sold 3 of his NFTs on the Nifty Gateway platform. And a year ago, he sold his work for $69m. The starting price was only $100.&nbsp;By the way, creating your own NFT marketplace like OpenSea is also a great idea, especially if you are not an artist. And our CGS-team is happy to help with the task as made here.

​We are sure you know what NFT is in words – a non-fungible token. Today we are going to explain what it is in simple words.​

What are NFTs and How Do They Work

<h2 class="sc-241fedd6-2 iBUILW">What is a software development process?</h2>Or what do you need to build a good-working software development strategy?SDLC stands for the system/software development life cycle&nbsp;– a process consisting of specific stages that starts from the moment the decision to make software is made and ends at the moment when developers stop supporting the software.If we could imagine the whole cycle as the ladder, there would be stages:&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Idea generation&nbsp;</li></ul>No matter where the idea's born: in your head, after a fruitful brainstorming at the office or your favorite bar in the evening.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Worked-out ideas are settled in the project requirements document.&nbsp;</li></ul>At this stage, the idea becomes something tangible and visible. Here you can write everything on your own or unite a complete team of different specialists: sales, dev team, business analysts, testing engineers, marketers, or experts in similar products.About the unique role of Business Analysts: these guys turn your idea into a complete doc with technical requirements for the system. These requirements are called the Software Requirement Specification (SRS).<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Design</li></ul>During this stage, software architects make a base according to the requirements. Also, we should choose the perfect-matching stack of technologies, database structure, data flows, etc.&nbsp;Then designer prepares the mockup with all the needed graphical elements.<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Development</li></ul>Finally, developers get design mockups and project requirements and start coding. Code, code, and once more – code!By the way, details in project requirements are essential: more details = developers know how to use stack properly &gt; fewer bugs &gt; you get a straightforward project faster!<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Quality Control</li></ul>Testing work helps developers to understand how their code works and how to fix bugs if they appear. Here specialists like QA engineers work to prevent errors in the future work of an application. QAs write bug reports, send them to developers who have worked in the determined feature or scope of work, and the dev rewrites code where needed. Then our QA engineer will check everything once more until the bug disappears.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Deployment</li></ul>Briefly: developers set up working environments, install, configure and launch the product. Then the product is ready for use.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Support</li></ul>Nothing in this world stays still, so developers should upgrade every application. It looks like new requirements appear &gt; development &amp; testing &gt; deployment. Repeat once more when needed.<h2>What is quality in software development?</h2>It is an interesting question. In simple words, the customer gets a high-quality project when it is bug-free and made following the project requirements. So, specialists should make every development stage as well so the user could enjoy every click during the usage of an application. Thus, all the user needs are covered with the easy-to-use app.Who's responsible for the high quality of a product? Everyone on the team, but Quality Assurance engineers especially. Keep reading, and we would like to explain who's responsible for the overall quality of a project except for developers!But first...<h3>What do we mean while talking about software quality? </h3>There are a few standards that companies check after the project is completed. What must you pay attention to?&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Functional suitability&nbsp;</li></ul>When we talk about the criteria, we should pay attention to 3 sub criteria:&nbsp;<ol><li>Functional completeness – system capacity to provide users with all the required functions correctly;</li><li>Functional appropriateness – how does the system operates functions and tasks for the users' demands;</li><li>Functional correctness – when the expectations and reality are the same: the user will turn on push notifications during work, so the function works correctly, and the user knows about all the freshest messages in time.&nbsp;</li></ol>What does the software with functional suitability provide?&nbsp;Firstly, it reduces operation errors in the software. Secondly, it guarantees that users will be satisfied with the overall appropriate work of your product. Thirdly, it ensures compliance with the needs of a client.&nbsp;<ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">Reliability</li></ul><a href="https://iso25000.com/index.php/en/iso-25000-standards/iso-25010/62-reliability" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ISO25010</a>&nbsp;shows how the product works under some circumstances in a particular period. Here we have also some sub-characteristics:<ol><li>Recoverability&nbsp;– how the system recovers the data when a failure appears.&nbsp;</li><li>Maturity&nbsp;– how the software meets needs for reliability under regular operation.</li><li>Fault tolerance – how does the system deal with tasks with hardware or software errors.</li><li>Availability&nbsp;– is the system available for work when the user needs it.</li></ol><ul><li>Operability</li></ul>This point means that the product or system has attributes that make it easy to operate and control.<ul><li>Maintainability</li></ul>It requires a few sub-characteristics:&nbsp;<ol><li>Modularity&nbsp;– how good the project works when it has different modules &amp; degree that shows how good does a specific module work or cooperate with another one;</li><li>Reusability of modules and system overall;</li><li>Analysability&nbsp;– how detailed we can analyze causes of failures or parts to be modified;</li><li>Modifiability&nbsp;– how effectively coders could modify the project without loss of quality;</li><li>Testability&nbsp;– how do test criteria meet the actual work of modules.</li><li>Transferability of code&nbsp;</li><li>Security</li><li>Performance efficiency</li><li>Compatibility</li></ol>Points 5-8 have no additional sub-characteristics; thus, our writer has just written them down. Hopefully, you understand what they mean. If you would like to check the software for these points – we would be more than happy to help you with a review and ways to improve your project. Just book a call here:&nbsp;<a href="https://cgsteam.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cgsteam.io&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<h3>So who is a QA engineer?</h3>A person who is in a special love with developers. Especially loved by devs when they send bug reports in the late evening or more than 3 times in an hour.All joking aside, it is a software quality assurance and functional testing specialist.If to go into specifications, QA engineers have several branches.An automation QA Engineer&nbsp;– someone who writes tests based on scripts for test automation.Manual QA Engineer&nbsp;– someone engaged in analyzing and improving the testing process.Quality Control specialist&nbsp;– responsible for product quality control. Their task is to analyze the testing results and monitor the identification and elimination of defects in the product.And what about software quality engineer skills:<ul><li>bug tracking system knowledge (Jira, YouTrack, etc.);</li><li>understanding of the life cycle and stages of software development;</li><li>deep understanding of Agile/SCRUM methodologies;</li><li>knowledge and understanding of the CI&amp;CD system: GitLab, Docker, Kubernetes programs or their analogs;</li><li>testing of software solutions based on the technology stack;</li><li>writing test plans and test cases;</li><li>good level of English for sure!</li></ul><blockquote>Do we have a QA team in-house?</blockquote>​Of course! Our engineers usually take care of juicy bug-free code. By the way, we provide our clients with these services for free because we value the high quality of products we make.&nbsp;<h4>How do we ensure quality in software development? </h4>Here we have a perfect software development strategy (not the only one, but we can't put everything on a table).CGS-team always pays special attention to explicit estimation and the full scope of work. In our estimation tables, we usually strive to write down every needed process and predict how many hours it will take according to the requirements of a client.&nbsp;Plus one crucial thing: regular testing and an attentive Project Manager who helps deal with all the tasks as quickly as possible.&nbsp;Moreover, code reviews help a lot. When a tech lead does a complete code review, he checks the code for its:&nbsp;<ul><li>maintainability&nbsp;(how easily IT specialists can maintain software);</li><li>reusability&nbsp;(how devs could reuse parts of the code in future versions);</li><li>portability&nbsp;(how usable the same software is in different environments);</li><li>reliability&nbsp;(how correct the code will work).</li></ul>And as a spicing – we have our code style. That means our developers use specific code combinations to provide exceptional code quality. And as a result, we guarantee that a project's quality will also be excellent.&nbsp;<h5>How do our clients measure code quality? </h5>​The success recipe is simple: an individualized approach to every client &amp; project! When we present the project to our customers, we always provide them with free 2-weeks of support to guarantee the highest quality of application/platform for 100%. So when the project is released, the client starts using it, and if something goes wrong – we immediately fix it. But such situations are a most likely exception to the rule since our development strategies are accurate for custom projects.​ <h6>How much does the software development cost? </h6>Many people say that nowadays software development costs too much. Is it TOO MUCH? Everyone has their limits, so budgets differ a lot. But if you have already asked yourself about the need to develop a product, you should consider how your project will meet expectations. Often these two pictures can be like chalk and cheese because 'good developers cost too much for me'.&nbsp;If you need an approximate price – according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/software-development-cost/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cleveroad</a>, prices could be around $49500 for an eCommerce application, $37000 - $48000 for a marketplace, and from $41000 for the booking app.So, is it profitable for you to pay for high-quality software?When people have been choosing the language they want to talk in, CGS-team has chosen the language of facts. Thus here are a few of them.What do we get in addition to pure code?&nbsp;Qualitative maintenance.Hands-on experience always helps! We can hire the same developers (or others, the choice is yours) further to expand the product's functionality without undue effort. For example, when you hire a young developer at a lower price, their experience will not always correspond to the level of work needed.Imagine that this specialist wrote you the basis of the application, but he did not consider several aspects because he has never worked with such a stack. As a result, you get a fully functional product with "This is not a bug, it is a unique feature" functionality. Sounds witty, but it's not until you've experienced such a joke in reality.&nbsp;Think more importantly: a complete coincidence of expectations and reality, or pitfalls in the form of floating bugs/code that can fly at the first upgrades?Another situation: during the development, the testing phase is skipped or conducted improperly. "We tested, it works; all done." And here, the product looks good from the outside. Everything seems very juicy. Still, you can not edit the site's text through the admin page because the tester did not consider your comments regarding the editing of information. And you discovered this nuance after a month of using the product, and you will have to pay again to make changes.Moreover, not only financially, but also spend a lot of time developing ideas, building new project requirements, and more. We do not think that while developing new functionality, your customers will be delighted with outdated product prices or the completely incorrect operation of the site. What about your employees? When they have to answer thousands of calls with outraged customers or explain the same thing 100 times a day like a parrot in a cage.Invest in developing quality software to take care of your nervous system and the mental health of employees and customers. It will thank you for reliable work and profits for many years of its life cycle.Okay, we figured that out.&nbsp;What about adding new functionality?&nbsp;Not the "new" one that was supposed to work correctly in version 1.0, but entirely more complex new features.You may not even know how many small nuances are hidden in the code of your product. Honestly, even the developer himself may not immediately notice it. Especially considering that the code may contain several thousand lines and re-reading the whole as an art book does not make sense.All the small nuances not only spoil the overall picture but also interfere with implementing new features. During the development, devs will be forced to fix everything to get the perfect code "without impurities" and only then begin to develop new features. Thus, the overall process is slowed down at times. Do you need it? I don't think so.From our point of view, it seems that it is much better to pay more at once but&nbsp;to get quality work and not worry once again that something is not working or working incorrectly. But this is a disadvantage, quite significant. Yes, you save time, which you can spend on optimizing processes, your business, or your leisure, but you have to pay for this time. And often, this amount is at least twice as much. It is very tempting to save, but to have more money, yes. But unfortunately, it's like roulette - never predict that it may not go as you would like. Of course, the developers can expect this, but we don't think they will let you know…&nbsp;&nbsp; Conclusion Good job! You have already concluded these long-read, congrats.&nbsp;Hopefully, our article is helpful for you, so now you can check the quality of your product. Or you can delegate these processes to our tech department. What do you choose?

What is software quality? How can you revise it? How do I ensure quality in software development? Read on to find out.

Is High Quality Software Worth the Cost?

<h2>Let's start from the basis. </h2>The Software Development Life Cycle&nbsp;(SDLC) is a collection of steps followed by a team of software developers to create and maintain software. Actually, we do it every time with every client when giving birth to a new project.&nbsp;There are some phases like planning, requirements estimation, analysis, design, execution, testing, etc. Each stage is also divided into tasks with its results and objectives.Let's go through the life cycle. Imagine we need to create a social media web application for creators where they can share their works.1. Planning​Here the project leaders think of the terms of the project. They calculate labor, and material costs for our social media, create the project's teams and set target goals.2. RequirementsWe came to the part of planning where we determine what social media is actually supposed to do and its requirements. For example, our application would require the opportunity to connect with friends, share photos, like, and comment.&nbsp;3. Design and PrototypingDuring the Design phase, the team creates a way our social media will work. Here are some aspects of the design:<ul><li>Architecture&nbsp;– clarifying programming language, industry practices, and general design.&nbsp;</li><li>User Interface&nbsp;– specifying the ways our social media users interact with the app and how the software responds to their actions.</li><li>Platforms&nbsp;– determining the platforms on which the app will run. For example, Apple, Android, Windows, Linux, or even gaming consoles.</li></ul>At this stage, high-level design for web application is also done. One more part of the design phase is prototyping. A prototype is the earliest version of the app. It's a fast way to demonstrate a basic idea of how the application looks and works.&nbsp;Please, remember this stage. We'll talk about it more later.&nbsp;4. Software DevelopmentOur developers' favorite part - implementing ideas. Time to brush up on skills and work as a team. After everything's done, they find and fix errors.&nbsp;5. TestingWhat if you can't send likes on our social media? It's a phase to fix it by testing, testing, and then testing one more time. It's critical to test an application before launching it. Nowadays, much of the testing can be automated, like security tests.6. DeploymentFinally! The application is available to users. To stay easy, deployment is downloading an application on a smartphone. For our social media, it will be downloading on the web.&nbsp;7. Operations and MaintenanceCongrats, we're almost done. The application is ready after using in the field. The Operation and Maintenance phase is still important, as we turn into bug detectives to discover problems that were missed during testing. So.. we start to plan a celebration call.Ok, we figured out the whole process, and let's deep dive into the particular one -&nbsp;Design.<h2>What is System Design?</h2>System design&nbsp;is the process of designing any software application (thanks, cap). It's called "design" but actually is&nbsp;more about architecture. We're building a new project's flow.When a company comes to this stage, it keeps in mind some essential questions:<ul><li>What features application will have?</li><li>How many customers will use it?</li><li>How many requests will come to the app during the period?</li><li>How much do we want to scale our application, and how many costs do we have for that?</li></ul>And we're coming to the sweetest part - design levels. There are two kinds of design:<ul><li>High-level design (HLD)</li><li>Low-level design (LLD)</li></ul><h3>What is high-level design in software engineering? </h3>High-level design&nbsp;is done by a solution architect to specify the general design of a system or application. Purpose? To transform the requirements of a client to a high-level solution.It's a no-code stage which is rather about technical documentation and diagrams. You'll see it in a high-level architecture design example. If there are integration issues with other systems, they are also addressed in the high-level design.&nbsp;Non-technical people can understand the architecture and design&nbsp;of the final solution using HLD.In high-level design, the designer only focuses on the various models, like:<ul><li>Decision Tables</li></ul>You want a cookie but don't want to go out. What options do you have? Ask a friend and order delivery. If you write it in the table format, it will be called a decision table.&nbsp;In development, we solve different types of tasks but in a similar way.&nbsp;The design table can look like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=decision+tables+in+software+engineering&amp;tbm=isch&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiA18jF-tb4AhVGiIsKHf27Ab0Q2-cCegQIABAA&amp;oq=Decision+Tables+&amp;gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgCMgQIABATMgQIABATMgQIABATMgYIABAeEBMyCAgAEB4QBRATOgQIIxAnOgYIABAeEAc6BAgAEB46BAgAEBhQ3QFY3QFg3hFoAHAAeACAAZEBiAHdAZIBAzEuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&amp;sclient=img&amp;ei=CIa-YoCzKsaQrgT994boCw&amp;bih=718&amp;biw=1420&amp;hl=ru#imgrc=hyxhs0mjrQwDMM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this</a>.&nbsp;<ul><li>Decision Trees</li></ul>A Decision Tree is a readable graphic of the processing logic. It includes a choice tree representing conditions and, therefore the leaf nodes representing the actions to be performed looking at the result of testing the condition.&nbsp;For example, it can be done&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/decision-tree-in-software-engineering/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this way</a>.&nbsp;<ul><li>Flow Diagrams</li></ul>A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a classic visual graphic to show the information flows in a system. An excellent and clear DFD can graphically tell you the exact amount of the system requirement.&nbsp;Let's flow in data flow<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=data+flow+diagram+in+software+engineering&amp;hl=ru&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsYCLoqa_jf_VCgp9OJ6_Q0ftuI8Ag:1656651745922&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiR0dPW9Nb4AhXq77sIHURaBeYQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&amp;biw=1440&amp;bih=789&amp;dpr=2#imgrc=ejNfvDYYndyPSM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;example</a>&nbsp;of the hotel room system.&nbsp;<ul><li>Flow Charts</li></ul>A flowchart is also a friend of a client. It graphically presents an algorithm. Coders often use it as a program-planning tool to fix the problem.A piece of advice: take a look at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Flow+Charts+software+engineering&amp;bih=789&amp;biw=1440&amp;hl=ru&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsakpZM-69qxOHbqHqxrLxqwNxL3fw:1656651868218&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjZivyQ9db4AhU0hP0HHZk1DeUQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw#imgrc=E6J6-0aJC68lfM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">example</a>&nbsp;to make sure you understand this point.<ul><li>Data Dictionary</li></ul>A data dictionary represents the database's metadata. Such files or set of files hold records about other objects in the database. For example, data ownership, data relationships to other objects, and others.The<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=data+dictionary+in+software+engineering&amp;hl=ru&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsZnwYfbWGMCr3uxzZbaINIwWljLTg:1656651924878&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiDrP6r9db4AhVei_0HHdKYD-UQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&amp;biw=1440&amp;bih=789&amp;dpr=2#imgrc=UMriT0djsrlGXM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;example&nbsp;</a>will help you understand the data dictionary.&nbsp;The high‐level design includes such things as decisions about:&nbsp;<ul><li>what platform to use (desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone)</li><li>what data design to use (such as direct access, 2‐tier, or 3‐tier)</li><li>interfaces with other systems (such as external purchasing systems).</li></ul>To cut it short, HLD generally includes product flows, and ways modules interact with each other. If you need to answer what high-level design is quickly, say that&nbsp;it shows the general flow with no specific features.&nbsp;Imagine you're writing your life plan. From 0 to 7 you're just a child, from 7 to 18 you study at school, from 18 to 24 you're at the university. It's a plan without any specifications. You just see the general flow. Your specified target goals, tasks, and exact ways to enter school and university are about low-level design.So in order to describe a general view of the overall solution, high-level design should include two main components:<ol><li style="font-style: italic;">Functionalities and attributes of components</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Interactions and relations between various components.</li></ol>Pay attention, dear. Here we don't think about languages like .NET, Java, etc., and specific things. The designer's task is also to assign responsibilities to the components made and define their interaction.Look at&nbsp;<a href="http://disruptivearchitecture.info/blog/2016/9/6/example-of-a-high-level-design" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this&nbsp;</a>software high-level design example. It's done for an application to store, share and find media for media production use between people from different brands wherever they're located. Target audience - individual creators, small companies around the world within photo, film, and music production, and people considering photo &amp; video as hobbies.<h4>What is low-level design in software engineering? </h4>Low-level design&nbsp;is more about diving into details. You take the parts of high-level design and start going into&nbsp;specifying how they would be composed and coded.&nbsp;Why is it "low"? It is only in comparison with the high-level design (HLD), which we talked about higher. It is named this way because low-level design describes individual structural units of the system and not the system itself as a whole.To be simple, high-level design is responsible for the overall plan of the system, and low-level - for its particular components.To be even more simple: low-level design is a detailed description of all components, configurations, and processes of the software or app previously approved in high-level design. LLD is a practical refinement of HLD.Why and when do we need it? When is such a detailed description of the configuration and all the mechanisms of the future system needed? As a rule, the creation of an LLD becomes&nbsp;a final stage of design work, followed by implementation and testing.A well-written LLD noticeably speeds up and simplifies the process of launching any IT system. With a detailed description, specialists clearly see the project's requirements and understand what they need to do. Often, if there is no such description, the launch and operation of the infrastructure are complicated by various incidents.As in the case of HLD, there is no clear set of rules regarding the document's structure - it is&nbsp;prescribed for a specific project. But there is an approximate LLD algorithm that most developers use:<ul><li>description of schemes for placement and connection of equipment;</li><li>description of methods for installing software modules;</li><li>detailing the operating modes of individual components of the system.</li></ul>As an example, take a look at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=example+of+low+level+design&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsa2oK_ZUCbady-hCAvjOttQlp0bxw:1656652980242&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiw4Zyj-db4AhXMQ_EDHSVjAlIQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&amp;biw=1420&amp;bih=718&amp;dpr=2#imgrc=fWU7sNhXnEMDwM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this&nbsp;</a>low-level design. Here we see the design of registration, login, and payment. These points are part of the high-level design, but here they are specified.Why Not Go Straight to an LLD?The low-level design takes really great design effort and typically involves a much wider audience of technical staff (developers, testers, DevOps engineers).Is it necessary to dedicate so much effort before the general plan is not approved? We think you know the answer. The project's scope has not yet been signed off, and the stakeholders have not yet said how much they like your ideas.The HLD describes the big picture, while the LLD focuses on details in the technical and implementation sphere.One more time: what's the difference?We'll go through the biggest differences step by step.<ul><li>High-level design is the overall system design. It shows us the general design when low-level design — is a detail-level process.</li><li>High-level design's abbreviation HLD, low-level design's — LLD.</li><li>High-level means macro-rank, while low-level — micro one. HLD overall description/architecture of the application. It is a detailed description of each and every module.</li><li>High-level design doesn't mean deep-diving into exact details of the functional logic of the module, while low-level one does. Instead, it expresses the brief functionality of each module.&nbsp;</li><li>HLD is solution architect work when its low-level brother is done by designers and developers.</li><li>High-level design collects the design team, review team, and client team. Low-level design participants bring together the design team, operation team, and coders.</li><li>The first thing created is high-level design. Only after this step is low-level design done.</li></ul><h5>Don't mess up </h5>There are also similar terms like high-level language and low-level language that can confuse you. Let's figure it out.A high-level language&nbsp;is much easier to understand as it's user-oriented. It has been done to make it upfront for a developer to transform an algorithm into program code.A low-level language&nbsp;is better understood by machines. Low-level programs are expressed in the machine operations that carry out a task.&nbsp;Why is a high-level language used in program development? To be short, this way, the coder can focus on programming the logic of the application instead of wasting time on the detailed implementation of each and every high-level language function for every little task that is required. <h6>Ok, let's sum up </h6>Congrats! Now you understand the great difference between high-level and low-level designs.If you are asked about it, you'll say that the high-level design&nbsp;specifies the complete landscape&nbsp;of the particular software product or application. On the other hand, the low-level design&nbsp;specifies each module&nbsp;and makes the in-detail report.The members of the design team, client team, and review teams take part in the high-level designing during Software Development Life Cycle's design phase. At this time, the design team and operation teams works on the low-level design.Each design level is a key to turning ideas into tech solutions and creating qualitative products.&nbsp;Great! The long-read is almost overYou are one step forward in becoming real tech experts. Remember your dev-buddies from CGS-team are always ready to help not only to understand but to implement such it-staff.&nbsp;If you're thinking about creating cool tech projects, you know where you can find high-level software programmers.CGS-team — are real fans of their work, who stand for qualitative results and realizing client's goals. Some facts about us:<ul><li>We don't like bureaucracy and paperwork. Instead, we appreciate quality and friends-like communication.</li><li>​Our team of skillful coders with 5+ years of experience developing groundbreaking ideas.​ </li><li>Each member of the team takes responsibility for the work done. That's why it's always on time and well-done.</li></ul>

In this article, we're going to talk about HLD, LLD, and a bit about SDLC. Yes, this text is going to be an abbreviation boom, but we'll figure it out.

Difference between High-Level Design and Low-Level Design