How long to you plan?

Tought we could discuss about how long it takes for you to get your forum up and running? How long do you plan and install mods before you open up to the public?

Do you invite some people before you open it?
Do you install any mods before or do you do that later?
How many days/months/years does it take from that you got you forum installed and open it up for public?

 

I'd say that the whole planning process takes me roughly a week or so. This includes the following:

• Brainstorming (the name, the domain, visual appearance, etc)
• Installing and configuring the software
• Implementing a custom designed skin (hiring a designer, tweaking the look, etc)
• Adding the final touches
• Opening the community to the public

I'm a fanatic when it comes to getting things perfectly right, so it takes quite a bit of time for me to get everything up and running. If I see something that doesn't look right, I'll fix it immediately. I'll sometimes hold a "test run" - meaning that I invite only a select few people to join at first so I can gain feedback from them, whether it be positive or negative.

 

Yes I can also be like that i want everything perfect and if it is not perfect then I will not be happy

 

After I've decided upon a name, URL, etc. and have the board up, I do very little planning. I just get all of my ideas out by doing everything as it comes to mind; I'll sit there for hours to progress as far as I can.

During this time is when I setup the forum structure, install mods, find a style, adjust the settings, and everything else that goes along with setting up a forum.

Once everything is pretty close to how I like it, I will invite a few close friends or colleagues and see that they think of it and then work on it from there.

 

Planning takes me anywhere from 4 weeks - 2 months...

Mainly because I like to have everything ready. The skin, the forums, the rules, privacy policy, terms of service, my advertising partners, sponsors, default modifications, tech support members, etc.

Do you invite some people before you open it? Yes, I invite beta testers to come and look out for bugs, kinks and ask if they have any further feedback or suggestions for the site.
Do you install any mods before or do you do that later? I do modification installs before opening the site. And when I open, as people request, I consider then add them.
How many days/months/years does it take from that you got you forum installed and open it up for public? Aforementioned; 4 weeks - 2 months

 

I'm pretty much the same exact way. It may take me more than a week, but this is more or less my process.

 

Well to be honest - and don't laugh at me... It took me two years! Yes you read correctly 24 months or 730 days or 104 weeks or just easier two years lol.

I run an Australian based Sports Network, and just like anywhere in the world Australia is swamped by sport websites, you have the main runs owned and operated by the large media outlets who have thousands/millions of dollars to throw at the website development, you then have the smaller ones of a group of journalists or whatever that threw a website together for them to use as a portfolio for their work while they apply for jobs to become sport reporters - you then have all of the little fan websites - Everton Fans etc etc.

So I spent a good six months looking over my competition, looking for a gap in the market, signing up/taking part in their website/forums and reading their suggestions and feedback boards to see what my target audience wants to see added.

I then started designing the actual website and then moved onto the forums, and then finally contacted sporting associations, organisations and teams from Around Australia and the Globe who I now have 100 that have added me to their media release lists.

Once all this was done I asked a few mates to come and sign up and tell me what they thought and after a number of edits and improvements I officially opened to the public on Jan 01 2009.

 

Merk, you are way more thorough than I. My process is basically to make sure no one else has implemented the same idea and then go for it.