Why 87% of Developers Struggle to Finish Projects—and How SPARK Can Fix That in 5 Steps
The Hidden Secret to Turning Any Unfinished Idea Into One Launch-Ready Product.
Every software developer has that project.
The one that started as a great idea but stalled halfway through. Maybe you got distracted, overwhelmed, or stuck on where to go next.
That was me—until I discovered the SPARK framework.
SPARK is a 5-step process that takes you from scattered ideas to a functional, user-driven product in as little as two weeks.
It’s simple, repeatable, and powerful.
When I first used SPARK, I was drowning in half-finished projects. Within two weeks, I had a live prototype in users’ hands, and within two months, I’d gained enough traction to pitch it to my team as a company initiative. That project eventually saved thousands of dollars for the company and placed me as a problem-solver who delivers.
Sound like something you need?
Here’s how it works.
The 5 Stages of SPARK
💡 Strategize: Start With a Problem Worth Solving
Think of this as the foundation of your product.
Without a clear why, you’ll waste time building features no one needs.
Ask yourself:
What problem am I solving?
Who benefits from this solution?
Don’t overthink it:
Take 10 minutes to write down answers to these questions in a shared doc or sticky note app.
Keep it visible during the entire project.
You want a one-sentence problem statement (e.g., “This tool helps remote developers schedule code reviews seamlessly.”).
🚗 Prototype: Build a Rough Draft in 7 Days
The goal here isn’t perfection—it’s proof of concept.
Focus on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): the simplest version of your idea that users can test.
Strip it down to essentials and prioritize speed over polish.
Use a checklist to outline your MVP:
What’s the core functionality?
What’s the simplest way to implement it?
What’s one metric you’ll track to measure success?
You want to focus on having a working prototype ready for user testing in one week.
📢 Announce: Share Your Product Publicly
Your work isn’t real until others know about it.
Announcing does two things: it builds accountability (you’ve told people, so now you have to deliver) and it invites feedback.
Write a short post or email explaining:
What you’ve built.
Who it’s for.
How people can try it.
You can draft a launch announcement in 10 minutes.
Use this template:
“Excited to share [product name], a [type of tool] that helps [audience] solve [problem]. Try it out here: [link]. I’d love your feedback!”
Ideally, you want at least 10 beta users or feedback responses within the first 3 days.
📣 Reach Out: Market to Your Ideal Audience
Great products don’t spread themselves.
Reaching out might feel uncomfortable, but it’s essential to gain traction.
Where does your audience hang out?
Reddit? Twitter? Slack groups?
Create a list of 3 places to post about your product.
Start conversations, answer questions, and share your link organically.
Action: List 3 communities where your target users hang out. Plan one post or message for each.
The idea here is to get at least one new user or conversation daily for 7 days.
🔄 Keep Improving: Iterate Based on Feedback
Once your product is out, the real work begins: improving it.
Collect user feedback through surveys, emails, or direct conversations. Look for patterns in their responses.
Use this data to decide what to keep, fix, or add.
Improvement isn’t just about building—it’s about listening.
Create a feedback tracker (spreadsheet or tool) with these columns:
User feedback.
What’s working.
What’s broken.
Suggested improvements.
Focus on having a prioritized list of 3 changes to implement within 14 days.
What Makes SPARK Different?
SPARK doesn’t just help you produce more.
It delivers actual results.
It allows you to analyze your product based on objective outcomes and anchor it to time and money, the two most important things in software development—in case you haven’t noticed.
The benefits are clear:
Time: Go from idea to prototype in 2 weeks.
Impact: Gain real users and actionable feedback within days of launch.
Upside: Use SPARK to build products that generate $10k+ in revenue (or savings)—and land your next big opportunity.
What’s the first idea you’ll SPARK?
Share it in the comments—I’d love to help you bring it to life.
Stay creative!
—Alberto
PS… If you’re enjoying Algorithmically Speaking, will you take 6 seconds and refer this edition to a friend? It goes a long way in helping me grow the newsletter (and help more software engineers achieve peak performance). Every time you get a friend to sign up with the link below you are 1-step closer to earning sweet rewards.
And if you want to be an even better friend, you can give the gift of Algorithmically Speaking by clicking the button below. Please let me know if you choose this option so I can send over a bonus as a thank you.
And finally, I’d love your input on how I could make Algorithmically Speaking even more useful for you! So please leave a comment with:
Ideas you’d like covered in future editions.
Your biggest takeaway from this edition.
I read & reply to every single one of them!
Hola, Alberto, otra vez.
Me gustaría preguntarte si podríamos poner otro artículo tuyo, en español (yo puedo traducirlo), en carreras.substack.com., con links y una descripción de tí y tu boletín, además de promoción en Substack por David y por mí. Se trataría de albexl.substack.com/p/what-i-learned-in-four-years, que ya se que es de pago.
I really liked step 2, I consider that rapid prototyping is a key point in any software project.