Before You Code
by Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer
Product success is all in the planning.
Your idea is going to be BIG. You just know it. But before you hire your favorite developer to go build it, take a step back. Creating a brand-new product is a risk; many of them fail within their first year. Is there a proven way to set yourself up for success?
Yes! All it takes is some preparation. By taking the time to do upfront validation, planning and iterating before you build, you can avoid ideas that flop and create a product that exceeds expectations.
Before You Code
by Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer
Product success is all in the planning.
Your idea is going to be BIG. You just know it. But before you hire your favorite developer to go build it, take a step back. Creating a brand-new product is a risk; many of them fail within their first year. Is there a proven way to set yourself up for success?
Yes! All it takes is some preparation. By taking the time to do upfront validation, planning and iterating before you build, you can avoid ideas that flop and create a product that exceeds expectations.
Before You Code
by Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer
Product success is all in the planning.
Your idea is going to be BIG. You just know it. But before you hire your favorite developer to go build it, take a step back. Creating a brand-new product is a risk; many of them fail within their first year. Is there a proven way to set yourself up for success?
Yes! All it takes is some preparation. By taking the time to do upfront validation, planning and iterating before you build, you can avoid ideas that flop and create a product that exceeds expectations.
Plan your product's success - from start to finish
Before You Code covers every area of planning you need to create a viable, profitable product every time.
Business & Product Strategy
Start with the basics – how will you achieve company and product goals?
Business & Product Strategy
Start with the basics – how will you achieve company and product goals?
Business & Product Strategy
Start with the basics – how will you achieve company and product goals?
Research & Personas
Get informed – who's in your space now and what do your customers expect and need?
Research & Personas
Get informed – who's in your space now and what do your customers expect and need?
Research & Personas
Get informed – who's in your space now and what do your customers expect and need?
Design & Content Creation
Design intentionally – what's the best flow, structure, and messaging for your product?
Design & Content Creation
Design intentionally – what's the best flow, structure, and messaging for your product?
Design & Content Creation
Design intentionally – what's the best flow, structure, and messaging for your product?
Test & Measure
Iterate – what problems can you solve before coding to improve your product?
Test & Measure
Iterate – what problems can you solve before coding to improve your product?
Test & Measure
Iterate – what problems can you solve before coding to improve your product?
Preview the book!
Take a sneak peak at the inside of the book, right now!
Click the book image on the left to access.
Table of Contents
Here's what's inside the book
1. Understand Your business
Your product has the best chance of success if you take time to define what your business is trying to do. Then use that to inform decisions about your product.
1. Understand Your business
Your product has the best chance of success if you take time to define what your business is trying to do. Then use that to inform decisions about your product.
1. Understand Your business
Your product has the best chance of success if you take time to define what your business is trying to do. Then use that to inform decisions about your product.
2. Plan Your Projects
Organizing your projects will save you from distractions and keep you focused on the end goal.
2. Plan Your Projects
Organizing your projects will save you from distractions and keep you focused on the end goal.
2. Plan Your Projects
Organizing your projects will save you from distractions and keep you focused on the end goal.
3. Conduct Your Research
Gaining a deep understanding of your different audiences through research sets you up for decisions and pivots that keep you successful.
3. Conduct Your Research
Gaining a deep understanding of your different audiences through research sets you up for decisions and pivots that keep you successful.
3. Conduct Your Research
Gaining a deep understanding of your different audiences through research sets you up for decisions and pivots that keep you successful.
4. Define Your Audience
Put your research data into a useful, helpful format to keep your team honest and help you make smart product, design, and workflow decisions.
4. Define Your Audience
Put your research data into a useful, helpful format to keep your team honest and help you make smart product, design, and workflow decisions.
4. Define Your Audience
Put your research data into a useful, helpful format to keep your team honest and help you make smart product, design, and workflow decisions.
5. Establish Your Brand
Branding is all about perception, so it’s important to build your brand intentionally rather than letting it happen by chance.
5. Establish Your Brand
Branding is all about perception, so it’s important to build your brand intentionally rather than letting it happen by chance.
5. Establish Your Brand
Branding is all about perception, so it’s important to build your brand intentionally rather than letting it happen by chance.
6. Craft Your Content
The words, images, icons, videos, language, and graphics you use need just as much consideration as the workflows and design of your product.
6. Craft Your Content
The words, images, icons, videos, language, and graphics you use need just as much consideration as the workflows and design of your product.
6. Craft Your Content
The words, images, icons, videos, language, and graphics you use need just as much consideration as the workflows and design of your product.
7. Organize Your Information
How do you structure a new product or website? What flows make sense? How should you organize your navigation? What should you include (or exclude)?
7. Organize Your Information
How do you structure a new product or website? What flows make sense? How should you organize your navigation? What should you include (or exclude)?
7. Organize Your Information
How do you structure a new product or website? What flows make sense? How should you organize your navigation? What should you include (or exclude)?
8. Create Your Wireframes
Put it all together by sketching out some wireframes. No design knowledge needed – just grab a Sharpie and some blank paper.
8. Create Your Wireframes
Put it all together by sketching out some wireframes. No design knowledge needed – just grab a Sharpie and some blank paper.
8. Create Your Wireframes
Put it all together by sketching out some wireframes. No design knowledge needed – just grab a Sharpie and some blank paper.
9. Test Your Interactions
How do you know if your decisions are the right ones? Test them with real or potential users.
9. Test Your Interactions
How do you know if your decisions are the right ones? Test them with real or potential users.
9. Test Your Interactions
How do you know if your decisions are the right ones? Test them with real or potential users.
10. Measure Your Impact
Track patterns and measure your results with the hard numbers of your business.
10. Measure Your Impact
Track patterns and measure your results with the hard numbers of your business.
10. Measure Your Impact
Track patterns and measure your results with the hard numbers of your business.
11. Analyze Your Results
The jury is in; you have feedback and data! Now it’s time to analyze, prioritize, and make some changes.
11. Analyze Your Results
The jury is in; you have feedback and data! Now it’s time to analyze, prioritize, and make some changes.
11. Analyze Your Results
The jury is in; you have feedback and data! Now it’s time to analyze, prioritize, and make some changes.
About the Authors
Heather ONeill
Strategic Product Partner
Heather O'Neill is a product strategist and anti-capitalist tech consultant with over 16 years of experience creating meaningful products for the people who use them. As the CEO of Pixels for Humans, Heather helps tech start-ups solve their toughest challenges and grow into mature, community-focused businesses, that center people over profits.
A problem solver at heart, Heather also works with design teams to define problems, hypothesize solutions, and track success in their work. Heather is the recipient of the 2023 Innovation Excellence award, the 2018 Women in Tech, Tech 10 award in Rhode Island and has taught workshops at Harvard Extension School, O’Reilly, UXPA International, and more.
Heather is also an adjunct professor at Lesley University in Boston, where she teaches Design Leadership, UX and HTML as part of the Interactive Design program.
Heather earned a dual BA in mathematics and music at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating Cum Laude in 2006.
Heather ONeill
Strategic Product Partner
Heather O'Neill is a product strategist and anti-capitalist tech consultant with over 16 years of experience creating meaningful products for the people who use them. As the CEO of Pixels for Humans, Heather helps tech start-ups solve their toughest challenges and grow into mature, community-focused businesses, that center people over profits.
A problem solver at heart, Heather also works with design teams to define problems, hypothesize solutions, and track success in their work. Heather is the recipient of the 2023 Innovation Excellence award, the 2018 Women in Tech, Tech 10 award in Rhode Island and has taught workshops at Harvard Extension School, O’Reilly, UXPA International, and more.
Heather is also an adjunct professor at Lesley University in Boston, where she teaches Design Leadership, UX and HTML as part of the Interactive Design program.
Heather earned a dual BA in mathematics and music at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating Cum Laude in 2006.
Jen Kramer
Technology Instructor
For over twenty years, Jen Kramer has been educating clients, colleagues, friends and graduate students about the meaning of a “quality website.”
An award-winning instructor, Jen has taught web design, educational technology, and storytelling principles to students from Harvard University and other academic institutions, and students learning in conferences, workshops, and corporate environments.
She currently serves as Director for Learning Design and Technology at AnnieCannons, training, preparing, and connecting individuals who have experienced human trafficking to sustainable careers in tech.
Jen is a prolific video author, creating over 90 training courses for LinkedIn Learning, Frontend Masters and others. Previous book titles include Joomla Start to Finish (2010) and Joomla 24-Hour Trainer (2011).
Jen earned a BS in biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a MS in Internet Strategy Management at the Marlboro College Graduate School, and a graduate certificate in Learning Design and Technology from Harvard University Extension School.
Jen Kramer
Technology Instructor
For over twenty years, Jen Kramer has been educating clients, colleagues, friends and graduate students about the meaning of a “quality website.”
An award-winning instructor, Jen has taught web design, educational technology, and storytelling principles to students from Harvard University and other academic institutions, and students learning in conferences, workshops, and corporate environments.
She currently serves as Director for Learning Design and Technology at AnnieCannons, training, preparing, and connecting individuals who have experienced human trafficking to sustainable careers in tech.
Jen is a prolific video author, creating over 90 training courses for LinkedIn Learning, Frontend Masters and others. Previous book titles include Joomla Start to Finish (2010) and Joomla 24-Hour Trainer (2011).
Jen earned a BS in biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a MS in Internet Strategy Management at the Marlboro College Graduate School, and a graduate certificate in Learning Design and Technology from Harvard University Extension School.
Heather ONeill
Strategic Product Partner
Heather O'Neill is a product strategist and anti-capitalist tech consultant with over 16 years of experience creating meaningful products for the people who use them. As the CEO of Pixels for Humans, Heather helps tech start-ups solve their toughest challenges and grow into mature, community-focused businesses, that center people over profits.
A problem solver at heart, Heather also works with design teams to define problems, hypothesize solutions, and track success in their work. Heather is the recipient of the 2023 Innovation Excellence award, the 2018 Women in Tech, Tech 10 award in Rhode Island and has taught workshops at Harvard Extension School, O’Reilly, UXPA International, and more.
Heather is also an adjunct professor at Lesley University in Boston, where she teaches Design Leadership, UX and HTML as part of the Interactive Design program.
Heather earned a dual BA in mathematics and music at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating Cum Laude in 2006.
Jen Kramer
Technology Instructor
For over twenty years, Jen Kramer has been educating clients, colleagues, friends and graduate students about the meaning of a “quality website.”
An award-winning instructor, Jen has taught web design, educational technology, and storytelling principles to students from Harvard University and other academic institutions, and students learning in conferences, workshops, and corporate environments.
She currently serves as Director for Learning Design and Technology at AnnieCannons, training, preparing, and connecting individuals who have experienced human trafficking to sustainable careers in tech.
Jen is a prolific video author, creating over 90 training courses for LinkedIn Learning, Frontend Masters and others. Previous book titles include Joomla Start to Finish (2010) and Joomla 24-Hour Trainer (2011).
Jen earned a BS in biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a MS in Internet Strategy Management at the Marlboro College Graduate School, and a graduate certificate in Learning Design and Technology from Harvard University Extension School.
Execute each lesson, using the accompanying workbook!
We don't want you to go it alone; that's why we've created a companion workbook to help you work through the activities in each chapter. Email us with your receipt for the book to receive your workbook for free!
Here's what people are saying
Reading Before You Code has changed the way I work with clients entirely! I've seen an instant shift in the way they view the work I'm doing.
If you need a better understanding of how to build a great digital product and the value of planning first, then you need this book!!!
Ehi Aimiuwu
Digital Media Specialist
Reading Before You Code has changed the way I work with clients entirely! I've seen an instant shift in the way they view the work I'm doing.
If you are a freelancer, start-up or a larger company and you need a better understanding of how to build a great digital product and the value of planning first, then you need this book!!!
Ehi Aimiuwu
Digital Media Specialist
Reading Before You Code has changed the way I work with clients entirely! I've seen an instant shift in the way they view the work I'm doing.
If you need a better understanding of how to build a great digital product and the value of planning first, then you need this book!!!
Ehi Aimiuwu
Digital Media Specialist
Before you Code gives you a comprehensive view of what needs to happen before you write and ship your code. Whether you're creating a brand new product or evolving an established one, you'll gain insight from following what O'Neill and Kramer preach!
C. Todd Lombardo
VP, Product & Design
Before you Code gives you a comprehensive view of what needs to happen before you write and ship your code. Whether you're creating a brand new product or evolving an established one, you'll gain insight from following what O'Neill and Kramer preach!
C. Todd Lombardo
VP, Product & Design
Before you Code gives you a comprehensive view of what needs to happen before you write and ship your code. Whether you're creating a brand new product or evolving an established one, you'll gain insight from following what O'Neill and Kramer preach!
C. Todd Lombardo
VP, Product & Design
Before You Code
Product success is part of the plan
By Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer
Foreword by Sarah Doody
Before You Code
Product success is part of the plan
By Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer
Foreword by Sarah Doody