When businesses invest in new software, they want that investment to be a success.
Yet one of the most common reasons projects stall, underperform, or fail to gain adoption isn’t technical – it’s about who was (and wasn’t) involved along the way.
At Big Fish, we’ve spent more than a decade helping companies design and build custom software that solves real business challenges. And we know that a successful software project depends on having the right stakeholders represented from the start
Below are the five stakeholder roles every software project needs.
1. Executive Sponsor
Every successful software project needs a clear voice that represents the company’s business goals.
This is often a department head, VP, or owner. Someone who understands both the company’s strategy and the outcomes the software should achieve. The executive sponsor sets direction, defines what success looks like, and ensures the project stays aligned with broader business priorities.
Without this role, software projects can drift into “feature creep” or lose sight of their purpose. An engaged sponsor helps keep the team focused on outcomes.
2. Operational Lead
If the executive sponsor defines why the software matters, the operational lead defines how it needs to work.
This person has a deep understanding of the day-to-day processes the software will support. This includes how information moves through the business, what slows people down, and where the pain points live. They translate business goals into practical needs.
When we designed an app for an electric utility company, for example, the department manager played a pivotal role. They helped our team understand how technicians received and completed work orders. That insight directly shaped the app’s feature set and usability considerations.
3. End User Representative
The people who will actually use your software are the ones who know what will make it intuitive, or frustrating. Their insight can be the difference between a tool that gets used every day and one that is met with resistance.
An end user representative (often a trusted employee from the field or front line) can surface real-world challenges your leadership team might not see. They help identify where extra taps or steps create friction, and how features will fit into existing routines. They solicit feedback from other end users.
Their early input doesn’t just improve usability; it builds buy-in. When users feel heard, adoption comes faster, and ROI follows sooner.
When users feel heard, adoption comes faster, and ROI follows sooner. Share on X
4. IT or Data Stakeholder
Even when you partner with an external software development company, internal IT still plays an important role.
Your IT or data stakeholder ensures that integrations, compliance requirements, and technical dependencies are accounted for. They help your software partner access the right data sources, maintain security, and plan for how the new system will fit within your broader technology ecosystem.
In projects that involve regulated data or complex integrations, this stakeholder is essential. They don’t need to drive the design, but their early input can prevent compatibility issues later.
5. Your Software Partner
Your software partner, whether internal developers or an external team like Big Fish, translates your business vision into something real, functional, and intuitive.
The earlier you bring them into the process, the better. They can help uncover opportunities you hadn’t considered, validate assumptions, and identify potential risks before the project begins.
In our Software Blueprint process at Big Fish, for example, we start by learning your business goals, interviewing key stakeholders, and mapping out the app’s core workflows.
This collaborative foundation leads to a clear scope, accurate budget, and a final product that aligns with your company’s priorities.
Bringing It All Together
Successful software isn’t just about writing great code – it requires collaboration.
When each of these perspectives is represented, your project benefits from clear direction, real-world insight, and technical confidence. You don’t need dozens of people in every meeting; you just need the right mix of voices guiding the process.
That’s what turns an idea into software that works for everyone who depends on it.
Ready to plan your software project the right way?
Start with a Custom App Blueprint from Big Fish. You’ll get a clear scope, timeline, and budget, before a single line of code is written.
