Forem: Irina Chavlytko

Hybrid App Development: A Product Manager's Perspective

Irina Chavlytko — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:55:22 +0000

In the dynamic landscape of app development, the choice between hybrid and native paths has never been more critical. After a stint with native apps, my role as a Hybrid app product manager over the past seven years has provided me with valuable insights, which I can now share with those starting similar projects or facing decisions between native and hybrid approaches.

Hybrid vs Native

Native apps are created for specific platforms such as iOS, Android, or Windows Phone. They take into account the unique needs of each platform, utilising different programming languages like Objective-C, Swift, or Java. Developing native apps requires additional effort due to the platform-specific development tools, user interface components, and Software Development Kits (SDKs). Each native app is confined to a single operating system, which means that if you intend to launch your app on multiple platforms, you will need to develop separate versions for each one.

Hybrid apps are mobile applications that combine web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) with a native app wrapper. This approach allows them to run on multiple platforms, providing cost efficiency, while still accessing certain device features. React Native, Xamarin, Flutter, and Ionic are examples of popular cross-platform frameworks.

Trend or Reality

Hybrid app development, or so called, “cross platform app development” has been a trend for quite some time. The use of hybrid app development has increased significantly since the introduction of frameworks like PhoneGap and Cordova in the early 2010s.

Today, hybrid app development has become a mainstream option for businesses looking to create mobile apps. Many popular apps such as Twitter, Uber and Instagram are built using hybrid technologies. A significant proportion of the top 50 iOS retail apps in the United States, approximately 74%, are built using hybrid technology.

According to Persistence Market Research (PMR), the global cross-platform app development framework market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% and surpass $546.7 billion by 2033, primarily driven by the increasing adoption of mobile devices.

In May 2022, Stack Overflow conducted a survey of more than 70,000 developers hailing from 180 countries worldwide. When you look at the numbers, a staggering 65.36% of respondents reported using JavaScript, making it the most commonly used programming language for the 10th consecutive year. Following closely is HTML/CSS at 55%, with Java at 33%, Kotlin at 9%, Dart at 6.5%, Swift finding its place in only 4.91% of respondents' toolkits, and Objective-C being used by less than 3% of developers.

While termed a 2023 trend, 'cross-platform app development' is now a reality.

How does hybrid app development impact product managers?

-- You need to dedicate additional time to collaborate with the Design/UX team in order to create a uniform user experience across multiple platforms

The primary challenge is grasping platform-specific guidelines, such as those set by Apple and Google, to craft a user interface that caters to all mobile users. Moreover, users now anticipate a smooth experience as they transition between desktop and mobile. Achieving this is simplified through a hybrid cross-platform strategy, where you can provide the same features and user experiences on both desktop and mobile, all managed from a single codebase.

-- You have to interact even more closely with the Development team

The good news is that there is a single front-end team that works with all of the platforms. Hybrid applications have dependencies on different frameworks and libraries like Ionic, Cordova, which must be synchronised with the latest versions and modifications of the platform. Hybrid apps can access all native device features such as Touch. However, these apps still depend on native plugins, so a whole new device feature may not be immediately available as a native plugin. You as a Product Manager will need to understand the limitations of the specific framework (if they are) and dependencies on plugins.

-- You can spend more time on product discovery, focusing on what to deliver

There is no longer a need to manage two separate backlogs for iOS and Android, making it easier to maintain feature parity between both platforms and execute updates for both apps concurrently. The apps are uploaded for AppStore/ Google Play review as usual, the only difference here is still that Apple Store reviews still take longer.

-- You are able to iterate faster

Compared to native toolsets, many development teams find it faster to build hybrid apps using familiar web tools like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. This translates into faster iteration to test out new features and design concepts, and to respond to user feedback.

Besides, having a common codebase means that it is easier and faster to make bug fixes and release them to all of the clients.

The dawn of hybrid app development as a mainstream practice has opened doors to innovation and opportunity. As a product manager, flexibility and unity across platforms will be your guiding principles in this dynamic landscape. Welcome the shift, for the journey ahead is brimming with possibilities and progress.

How to become a more technical Product Manager?

Irina Chavlytko — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 09:11:04 +0000

The day-to-day responsibilities of a product manager, as well as “being technical” requirement varies widely depending on the industry and size of the company, as well as the part of the product you work on.

If to review job descriptions for Product Manager role, you won’t often find Computer Science degree or a technical background as a “must have”. Nevertheless, most roles contain some sort of “being technical” requirement. These are some wordings from Product Manager job descriptions:

Knowledge and understanding of user experience and technical application concepts
Good technical aptitude and understanding of the mobile apps development process, methodologies and frameworks
You have a strong understanding of technologies, architecture and the right way to build ecosystems
Technical understanding of APIs and a shared platform architecture

So if technical degree is not mentioned as a requirement, what does it mean exactly to be technical enough for the Product Manager role, and what is more important - how to get there?

Below is the suggested list of concepts that should be within your technical reach as a product manager:

The concepts of front-end and back-end
The main differences between mobile and web in terms of product architecture and development
iOS vs Android: impacts on design, rollout possibilities, app store submission rules, etc.
Basic concepts of APIs and how they can connect different systems
Basic understanding of the concepts of coding environments (staging, pre-prod, production), as well as branches and pull requests
Data management and architecture concepts, understanding the basics of data storage, modelling, and dataflow
Basic understanding of the cloud computing

Here are some of ideas where to start in order to get to “technical enough” stage:

Take a course for product managers who need tech skills, like https://productdo.io/tech_pm. What is good about taking a course - it touches most of the topics expected from Product Managers to understand, there are lots of links to resources for further reading, plus you will save time by getting the distilled info all in one place.
Get acquainted with Apple Design Guidelines where you can find lots of useful information in a structured way and totally free: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/platforms/designing-for-ios/).
Learn Google Material design guidelines (https://m3.material.io/)
Learn HTML or JavaScript to better communicate with front-end engineers - there is a free CodeAcademy course for HTML basics
Learn SQL so you can do data analysis and better understand and measure metrics - there is a course on DataCamp on SQL that is perfect for starting out
You can also read books that introduce the concepts and best practices of software architecture, like Software Architecture in Practice (3rd Edition) by Len Bass, Paul Clements, and Rick Kazman. Another great site with a detailed resource is Microservices.io by Chris Richardson.

By learning these skills and the technical language, you can earn more respect from the engineers in your teams and improve your strategic thinking skills. This strengthens your position in your product role and will make you a more successful product manager and build the best product possible with your team.

Books for tech women to read and reflect

Irina Chavlytko — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:21:13 +0000

I’ve been in tech for more than 15 years, but only recently I’ve started reflecting on my experience there as a women professional and sharing my thoughts with others. The questions I sometimes ask myself are: why do the meetings I participate usually have 10 men and only me as a woman? how did I convince myself that the part of the product I am responsible for is easier compared to those run by men? and why did I feel so miserable after giving a birth to my twins that I was about to quit my job?

I am happy to list the books I’ve read, as they’ve helped me to find some answers and inspire to continue. I am sure you’ll find a lot of insights in stories shared by different women, and you’ll be probably surprised to know you are not the only one who face some of the challenges.

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez (Amazon link)

Though not about tech in particular, this Sunday Times bestseller reveals how, in a world built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half of the population, sometimes with disastrous consequences. The authour brings together a range of case studies, stories and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the profound impact this has on us all. The book is described as “a book that changes the way you see the world.”

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (Amazon link)

The book was published in 2013, and since then has been criticised a lot for putting the responsibility on women to forge ahead on their own. Those days Sheryl Sandberg served as COO of Facebook, now Meta, a position from which she stepped down in August 2022. Despite criticism, “Lean In” is still a great book for women as it addresses the difficult choices and questions which women face during their work and personal life.

3 paragraphs on the book are devoted to balancing the family and work, while the rest are about how women can take charge of their own careers and push forward at a time when gender bias is more alive and well than most of us may want to admit.

Female Innovators at Work: Women on Top of Tech by Danielle Newnham (Amazon link)

The main idea behind was to tell the stories of women innovators who can become role models for students and women in tech, “by sharing them we might have a better chance of changing the face of tech, in terms of its history, as well as its future”. This book features 20 interviews with female innovators who have climbed to the very top of their career ladders within tech. It features Martha Lane Fox, Lynda Weinman, Gwynne Shotwell and more, and focuses on the different ways women have made it to the top of their professions and offers advice on how to achieve career goals.

The Adventures of Women in Tech by Alana Karen (Amazon link)

Alana has spent more than 20 years working in Google, being the tech company veteran and leader she wrote a book inspired by women she met in tech - women with diverse backgrounds, education and ambitions. The Adventures of Women in Tech delves into why women join tech, the challenges they face, and the skills and support they need to succeed and stay in an often challenging environment. In twelve chapters filled with intimate stories, insights, and advice from women working in technology companies and start-ups, Alana Karen demonstrates that we all belong in tech.