One of the first decisions a tech startup needs to make, once it is ready to start turning its big ideas into actual software products, is to decide how its flagship app will be engineered.

Two broad pathways lead forward from this point. The first is to program a separate app for each operating system it will inhabit: One for Android, and another for iOS. This pathway, though difficult, has much to recommend it. Natively designed and programmed apps, provided they are coded well, run fast and perform smoothly. Because they are designed specifically for each operating system, they can also take full advantage of those operating systems’ unique features and capabilities.

The downside, of course, is that it is no easy task to program one useful app — let alone two distinct versions of it. As bugs are found and new features are added, the necessary changes will need to be made twice so as to update the app for each operating system. Under such conditions, every slight change in layout could require double the commitment in terms of time and effort.

Startups in particular should understand the dangers of this approach. New apps tend to need frequent updates, and the young companies that make them often have limited human and monetary resources with which to work. A decision in favor of native app development could soon result in your software team becoming overwhelmed by programming issues.

The other pathway available to digital startups involves cross-platform app development. This option uses off-the-shelf software tools which can take a single programming file and make it run on both Android and IOS. Most startups will benefit more from this approach, for the reasons outlined below.

A worthy trade-off

It’s natural to want the best of both worlds — a high-quality app that runs perfectly on all mobile devices. But being a startup is largely about managing trade-offs in a world of very limited resources.

Designing two apps simultaneously will overwork your team, while designing just one native app could cut your customer reach in half. The middle ground, a cross-platform solution, fits nicely in the Goldilocks zone by offering an acceptable level of difficulty on the back end, a good quality result for users, and maximum market reach.

In the lifespan of almost any app, the early years involve the greatest number of rethinks, revisions, and refinements. Cross-platform app development frameworks let startups accelerate their app development process, adapt to changing requirements, and deliver positive user experiences on all popular mobile devices. Specific advantages include:

• Rapid Development: Cross-platform frameworks enable the creation of reusable UI components, saving money and effort when building new features or making updates. This reusability boosts the speed of the development of applications across multiple platforms without compromising quality.

• Stability: Startups prioritize stability and up-to-date frameworks for their application development. Cross-platform app development offers a consistent user experience across different platforms. Updates can promptly be synced over all platforms and devices. Its ability to create robust mobile and web apps makes it a top choice for startups.

• Consistency between Platforms: Modern cross-platform frameworks are extremely convenient and dynamic. Compared to native app development, it is much easier to build a highly-functional app using React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, or Adobe PhoneGap.

• Rich User Experience: It is hard to sync development projects while developing multiple apps. Cross-platform mobile development tools allow developers and designers to build a uniform user experience that app users can enjoy.

• Short Time to Market: For startups, development time is crucial. Cross-platform frameworks’ code reusability accelerates app development, allowing quick launches and subsequent updates.

Start as a jack of all platforms, and master them later

Success in the startup ecosystem is by no means guaranteed, even with a strong idea and a talented team. Entrepreneurs should remember that their chances will be improved through realistic resource management — particularly during times of flux — and a commitment to building a strong foundation for future progress.

When setting out to build a robust, scalable, and efficient app, it is better to aim for goodness rather than perfection. Achieving this more modest goal can lead to precisely the sort of financial security and talent development that will make future efforts at achieving perfection possible.

Startups have a short runway, and cross-platform app development can get your company off the ground quickly. Much later, when the app is in its final foreseeable form, the time will come to invest in the speed, versatility, and custom design made possible by native platform app development. Your customers will then appreciate the new, seamless performance of the natively programmed version, which will feel like a welcome improvement for an app they have already come to rely on and enjoy.