Headquartered in Mountain View, Easilydo, is a provider of virtual assistant mobile app that organizes all software applications in a handheld device. The company recently raised $4.3 million from Mayfield Fund and U.S. Venture Partners.

It is a mobile first world. More than 300,000 apps have been developed in the past three years, and more than 1.2 billion people access the web from their mobile phones. Moreover, “there’s an app for that” seems to be the go-to answer for every question today, but the key is to have an intuitive, beautiful and thoughtful design. So how does one go about getting there?

None of us will wake up one day and magically understand how to combine the above-mentioned necessities in a way that will provide optimum functionality for our potential users. I took on this challenge to write about our learning as Easilydo just launched a virtual assistant mobile app. This journey followed a three-pronged mantra that guided our efforts every step of the way.

1. Conduct usability and functionality tests more frequently than you think is necessary. Just because a team of 10 understands the product does not mean the average person will feel the same way. They may not even see a need for the product yet. For this reason, it is important to invite users from all walks of life during different phases of the app’s conception and creation to collect user feedback. Every piece of feedback that we received was valuable, but the caution here is to know which feedback to act on immediately versus which feedback to keep in mind for the future. Test with as many potential users you can, and as many times you can. It is well worth the time and effort.

2. Test, experiment, repeat. And when in doubt, do NOT trust your gut. There are many inexpensive tools like Justinmind that let you experiment and test your ideas without sacrificing your budget. Take full advantage of them and be clear about what you are testing in your experiments.

Iterate on design, not on code. Test your concept and functionality with mock-up designs instead of spending costly hours coding your latest ideas. When conducting user studies on new designs, try to be as open as possible to new feedback, and be prepared to hear that the user is horribly confused. This process allows one to decide whether the idea is ready for consumers before they invest time and money in coding. Having said this, be prepared to re-write and re-architect your solution at least two to three times before it will be ready for show time.

3. Be flexible throughout the process. Most importantly, you must be flexible about your main concept, open to hearing how users perceive your product and prepared to take a few side steps to get to where your product needs to be. Surround yourself with people whose ideas you trust, even when their opinions differ from yours.

There are many paths to successful execution of building a mobile app, but no matter which path you choose, be prepared to embrace the bumps in the road. Ample user feedback, measured experiments and a solid dose of flexibility will act as your guide throughout the process. And while you may sacrifice time, money and a good night’s sleep, the end result is worth it all. Here’s to the journey!