Pathway series: Formulating a framework for product development
by Quasortech Labs
Software products
'A software product is the result of creative and technical efforts aimed at delivering valuable solutions or services to users, businesses, or organizations through the application of computer programs and technologies'
Above statement highlights four key dimensions - creative effort, technical effort, business service, and technology - all essential to structuring and guiding effective product development.
This article explores how Quasortech Labs identified core components and built a reusable framework to support both product development and business launch - grounded in these foundational elements.
Product framework's target segment
Creating and launching a product framework varies widely by target segment - startup, small business, or large enterprise.
Startups, for example, often begin with a fresh, innovative idea. Their process typically involves: Defining the concept - Identifying essential components -Developing a minimum viable product (MVP) - and Launching it to the market quickly.
In contrast, larger organizations, with multiple departments and hierarchies, need complex cross-functional collaboration supported by robust platforms and processes to deliver scalable, high-value, and integrated solutions.
For this exercise, Quasortech Labs focused on building a product development framework specifically tailored to the needs of startups and small businesses.
Product Development: A Blend of Creative Insight and Scientific Method
Before we unpack the framework, there’s a fundamental question worth exploring:
Is software product development primarily a creative process, or a technical one?
Our perspective: it’s both.
Software product development typically begins as a creative process - driven by ideation, exploration, and a clear vision that shapes its initial direction.
As the product matures, this creative phase evolves into a structured, technical process involving engineering, systematic planning, and disciplined execution.
Yet, even as it becomes more methodical, creativity remains central throughout the product’s lifecycle - fueling innovation, adaptation, and differentiation.
Crafting an Effective Product Development Framework
At Quasortech Labs, we embraced an innovation-first mindset to develop a reusable product framework.
Key insight: Innovation and execution aren’t separate - they must coexist while retaining their unique roles.
The challenge: How to structure execution without stifling innovation?
While innovation resists rigid boundaries, structured execution is vital for repeatability, scalability, and efficiency. Our framework fosters creativity within a disciplined execution model.
Guiding principles for
Product Development Framework
We established two core guideline categories:
Creative Aspects
Leveraging Cross-Disciplinary Insights:
Rather than starting with structured processes, begin by exposing teams to cross-disciplinary trends, user stories, and analogies from unrelated domains (biomimicry, art, etc.). This fuels divergent thinking and expands the problem space
Framing Open-Ended Challenges:
Use frameworks like "How Might We" questions or Design Thinking empathy maps to define challenges without prematurely narrowing the solution space.
Visual Concept Modeling & Lightweight Idea capture:
Encourage storyboards, customer journey maps, and low-fi prototypes to turn abstract ideas into visual testable concepts - favoring flow over rigid documentations.
Progressive evaluation:
Adapt evaluation criteria to idea maturity: early-stage ideas focus on insight and originality, while later stage emphasize feasibility and impact.
Scientific Aspects
Systematic Executing of Creative Concepts:
Establish clear workflows and structured handoffs to efficiently move concepts from ideation to implementation.
Define readiness criteria, align cross-functional teams, and ensure the original creative intent is preserved throughout execution.
Applying engineering best practices:
Leverage engineering best practices, agile methods, and automation to improve quality and consistency. Use sprint planning, iterative development, and CI/CD pipelines to streamline delivery. Automate tasks and testing to reduce errors and speed timelines, ensuring scalable, reliable outcomes aligned with the original vision.
From these guidelines, we developed a foundational framework consisting of:
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A set of protocols, templates, best practices, and reusable components for the scientific aspects.
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A flexible set of recommendations for nurturing the creative and innovative aspects.
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Integration mechanisms to ensure both creative and scientific elements remain aligned and continuously inform each other.
The Framework
Ensuring business viability - not just technical feasibility - was central to the framework. With that focus, we developed the following core components:
1. Viability assessment framework:
A decision-support tool designed to help businesses evaluate the feasibility and long-term potential of a product initiative before committing significant resources.
Key features:
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Market demand analysis
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Financial forecasting
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Operational capacity assessment
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Resource planning and allocation
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Sustainability and risk evaluation
Output: A structured collection of templates and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for:
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Marketing models
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Sales and operations models
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Revenue and cash flow models
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Resource allocation models
2. Valuation and Investment Model:
A model designed to help investors and businesses make informed decisions when evaluating the attractiveness and feasibility of investments.
Purpose:
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Provide clarity to investors and stakeholders
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Help businesses determine market positioning and financial attractiveness
Structure:
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Templates and standard procedures for evaluating:
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Business valuation
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ROI estimates
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Investment readiness
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3. Product Engineering framework:
A blueprint for development teams to:
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Collaborate effectively
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Manage technical complexity
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Deliver rapid and high-quality solutions
Key elements:
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Engineering guidelines and best practices
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Technical toolsets and automation platforms
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Rapid development methodologies
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Alignment with product vision and user needs
Bringing all these components together, Quasortech Labs proudly presents
KA - Product Model Framework
A comprehensive framework designed to support the full journey of a software product - from conceptualization and development to business validation and market launch.
Contact us to learn more about our Product Model Framework