We are looking to launch a software product

You can quite easily start a thread and spit ball with other software engineers in the appropriate forum, or even this forum.

Be *VERY* careful while surveying your audience.

People tend to give the widest range of dream-list features that will probably not fit YOUR original vision for YOUR software, plus they might over-complicate the software as a whole by stuffing it with features that only 5% of your customers will use. That is a BAD idea: as a general rule of the thumb don't clutter a software with features hardly anybody will use. The Keep It Simple Stupid principle also works for software.

The ideal software should be very very very very focused upon solving perfectly ONE specific function/problem in the simplest way possible, and catering to the standard 95% of your audience, not the top 5% of power users. Example: Gmail. It does one single thing (email management), but it does it brilliantly and minimalistically, and it targets the average Joe instead of the super computer wizard. That is the ideal outcome for a software.

Try to avoid too much brainstorming, they're usually counter productive when it comes to software.

RockStar87,

First, focus on one specific problem that your software can quickly, effectively and safely resolve for your specific target users. Straightforward market research can help you do this;

Second, integrate a specific function into the alpha version of your software. This function should allow your users to be reminded that they can go to your website's free tech support portal so as to post their relevant problems, issues, concerns among others, in order to get expert advice, tips, step by step guides and so on from your staff of tech specialists;

Third, in case you target multiple countries, integrate multi-lingual options into your software's alpha version and into your free tech support portal. This will allow you to get as many ideas as possible from users all around the world, specifically from your target countries;

Fourth, post the alpha version of your software as a free downloadable opt-in offer. Get the first names, emails and / or mobile numbers of your target users in exchange for your software's alpha version;

Fifth, send follow-up emails with beneficial content relevant to what your target users want in your niche;

Sixth, send a broadcast email to remind users that they can post their relevant questions, concerns, problems, issues and so on in your site's community tech support portal;

Seventh, use your user-generated data to come up with ideas for the beneficial features of your software's fully functional version, and add these functions to your software; and

Eight, send out a broadcast email and set up another opt-in page, both promoting the fully functional trial version 01 of your software to your existing alpha users and new users...

That's it. Hope this helps...

You need to listen to this podcast from Pat Flynn
SPI 046 : Building a Lucrative Business with No Ideas, No Expertise & No Money with Dane Maxwell

He interviews a guy named Dane Maxwell who goes into great depth about exactly how he finds and develops software. Really good stuff.

Then, listen to this one, where Pat interviews one of the people who took action with Dane's lessons, and walks you through his specific success story.

To me, this approach seems like the best possible way to develop software, especially if you're starting from scratch without an idea.

You can create a thread on forums.digitalpoint and warriorforum asking markters what are their big problem which can be done by a software.
Also check marketplaces for hot selling softwares!
Chris

You can quite easily start a thread and spit ball with other software engineers in the appropriate forum, and also create threads on other forums too.

First, do a search on this forum. The question comes up every so often, "hey guys, if you could have any type of new, slick software, what would it be?" You might be surprised at the harvest there.

Be careful taking surveys though. People are very quick to say they want something when they have nothing at stake. When it comes time to actually buy something, it's often a different story.

Here's a Google search results page. The query was: hottest new internet marketing software. Good luck...
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...eting+software

I would say . . . do your market research. Before you build a list, start a business, or develop software, I think it is critical to look seriously into the market, not only for problems to solve and ideas to consider, but so that you can gauge the kind and level of demand there is for the specific things you plan to create and market.

Asking people in the niche for their ideas and opinions about what is needed can certainly be a part of that research, but there is more to it than that. You should develop a "perfect customer" profile so you know who you're targeting, where they hang out online, and what sites they frequent.

You want to learn all about the competition in the market, the products already in the market, and how well those products are being received. As you do this type of analysis, it becomes apparent where you can effectively advertise, where your potential partners/affiliates might be, and what the competition is offering to your potential customers.

It's sad that so few marketers on this forum actually do any type of market research prior to creating a product or web site. They could save themselves so much time and effort if they would first just do some simple research into the demand for their idea.

Good luck to you,

Steve