The Journey of Software Creation: Phases of the SDLC
Every robust software product follows a journey—step by step, stage by stage. That journey is captured in the Software Development Lifecycle Phases. In this blog, we will explore the phases of SDLC in depth, explain why each matters, and guide you to adopt them effectively. Along the the way, you’ll see how those phases interplay, what deliverables each yields, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Software Development Lifecycle Phases
We will cover five key sub-topics:
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Overview and Purpose of SDLC
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Phase 1: Planning & Feasibility
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Phase 2: Requirements & Analysis
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Phase 3: Design, Implementation & Testing
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Phase 4: Deployment & Maintenance
Let’s begin with the fundamentals.
Overview and Purpose of SDLC
When you set out to build software, chaos looms unless structure governs the process. The Software Development Lifecycle Phases is the blueprint that channels ideas into functioning, maintainable systems. It defines the stages through which software passes, from conception to retirement.
At its heart, SDLC ensures these crucial aims:
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Clarity and alignment: Every stakeholder sees what is expected, when, and how.
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Quality control: Built-in checkpoints catch errors early.
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Risk mitigation: Risks are confronted before they blow up.
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Predictability: Budgets, timelines, and scope become manageable.
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Maintainability and sustainability: The product evolves gracefully rather than collapsing under new requests.
In many frameworks, there are seven phases: planning, requirements, design, coding (implementation), testing, deployment, and maintenance. Some models collapse or merge stages, but the essence remains consistent. Harness.io+2Atlassian+2
In the rest of this post, I’ll treat Design + Implementation + Testing as a combined “build phase” (for conceptual clarity), and Deployment + Maintenance as a “post-release phase,” to maintain five major segments—yet recognize that many methodologies iterate among them.
Phase 1: Planning & Feasibility
The first step sets the tone. If you rush it, downstream pain follows.
What Happens in Planning & Feasibility
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Goal definition: What problem are we solving? Who are the users?
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Scope scoping: Decide what belongs and what doesn’t.
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Stakeholder identification: That includes users, sponsors, and technical leads.
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Feasibility study: Technical feasibility, financial feasibility, timeline feasibility.
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Project charter / plan: Resource allocation, high-level schedule, risk assessment.
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High-level architecture sketch: Early ideas about modules, constraints, platforms.
A solid plan anchors expectations. Without it, the project drifts, teams conflict, deadlines slide.
Why It Matters
Planning gives you guardrails. If you define scope poorly, you invite scope creep. If you ignore feasibility, you may commit to an impossible system. If you skip stakeholder alignment, misunderstandings erupt.
A strong planning phase reduces rework, improves coordination, and ensures the rest of the journey has a firm foundation.
Phase 2: Requirements & Analysis
Once you know what you aim to build, you must nail down how it should behave. This is the heart of the SDLC.
Tasks in Requirements & Analysis
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Requirement gathering: Interact with users, stakeholders, domain experts.
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Categorization: Distinguish functional vs non-functional requirements (performance, security, usability, scalability).
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Prioritization: Must-have vs nice-to-have.
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Validation and review: Confirm with stakeholders that the documented requirements reflect reality.
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Creation of requirement specification (SRS / PRD): A formal document capturing all details.
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Requirement modeling: Use cases, user stories, data flows, state diagrams.
If requirements are vague, developers interpret wrongly. Later, you’ll pay for every ambiguity.
Tips to Do It Well
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Use prototypes or mockups to validate ideas early.
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Involve end users, not just sponsors.
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Use “requirement workshops” or facilitated sessions rather than one-on-one interviews only.
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Allow traceability (each requirement tied to stakeholders, design, tests).
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Guard against scope creep by establishing change control.
A rigorous requirements phase improves alignment, reduces surprises, and primes design.
Phase 3: Design, Implementation & Testing
This is where the software comes alive: you architect, build, and verify.
Design (Architecture & Detailed Design)
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Architectural design: Choose layers, modules, interfaces, data stores, communication protocols.
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Component design: Specify classes, data structures, algorithms.
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UI/UX design: Wireframes, navigation flows, styles.
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Security and performance design: Add caching, encryption, access controls.
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Design validation: Do design reviews, peer reviews, prototyping.
Design turns requirements into blueprints.
Implementation (Coding)
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Developers write code in modules based on design.
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Coding standards, version control, code reviews, and pair programming help maintain quality.
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Integration among modules happens gradually.
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Logging, error handling, and instrumentation are implemented.
This is the creative, painstaking work: transforming specs into an executable system.
Testing & Verification
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Unit testing: Verify individual modules.
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Integration testing: Ensure combined components work.
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System testing: Test the system end to end.
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Acceptance testing: Validate with user or stakeholder criteria.
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Regression testing: Confirm new changes don’t break existing features.
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Performance, security, usability testing: Nonfunctional attributes tested here.
Issues found here lead back to design or coding for fixes.
Why This Combined Phase Matters
This trio is where your vision becomes reality. Design without rigor invites architectural debt. Coding without discipline invites bugs. Testing without breadth invites failures in production. By weaving these tightly together (especially in iterative or Agile methodologies), you reduce handoff waste, mitigate risk, and keep quality high.
Phase 4: Deployment & Maintenance
Even perfect software must live in the wild and evolve. This last phase ensures that.
Deployment
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Release planning: Decide rollout approach (big bang, phased, blue/green).
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Infrastructure setup: Servers, cloud, databases, networks.
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Data migration: Move legacy or seed data.
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Installation & configuration: Deploy binaries, set up access, configure parameters.
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Smoke testing / sanity checks: After deployment, test core features.
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Rollback plans: In case deployment fails, safe fallback options.
A deployment mistake can cost users and reputation. So plan carefully.
Maintenance & Evolution
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Bug fixes: Address issues surfaced by real users.
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Updates & enhancements: New features, performance improvements.
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Support & monitoring: Use logs, metrics, user feedback to detect problems.
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Refactoring & technical debt management: Prevent code from degrading.
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Versioning & patch management: Maintain multiple versions over time.
As users interact, new demands arise. The maintenance phase is often the longest in lifecycle.
Iteration & Feedback Loops
In many modern projects, deployment and maintenance feed back into planning and requirements, starting fresh cycles. This builds adaptability and continuous improvement.
Best Practices, Models & Common Pitfalls
Before concluding, let’s round off with advice, models, and what to avoid.
Popular SDLC Models
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Waterfall: Linear, sequential. You finish one phase fully before beginning the next. Best when requirements are stable.
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Agile / Scrum: Iterative, incremental cycles (sprints). Each sprint includes planning, implementation, testing, deployment. Great for evolving projects.
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Iterative: Similar to Agile; build in versions, refine over time.
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Spiral: Combines iteration with risk analysis in each cycle.
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V-Model: Extension of Waterfall, aligns testing to each development stage.
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DevOps / CI/CD: Emphasizes continuous integration, continuous deployment, plus operations.
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Hybrid / bespoke: Teams often blend patterns based on context.
Each model has tradeoffs: flexibility versus predictability, documentation versus speed, control versus adaptation.
Best Practices to Follow
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Involve stakeholders early and continuously
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Maintain traceability across requirements, design, tests
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Automate testing and deployment where possible
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Conduct frequent reviews and retrospectives
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Manage technical debt proactively
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Document sufficiently, but avoid over—documentation
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Use metrics and monitoring to guide improvements
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Adopt change control and versioning disciplines
Common Pitfalls
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Skipping or rushing the requirements phase
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Poor stakeholder engagement
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Overengineering early design
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Lack of automated tests
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Unplanned scope creep
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Improper deployment planning
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Neglecting maintenance and monitoring
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Treating phases as silos—forcing rigid handoffs
If you watch out for these traps, you increase your chance of project success.
Closing Thoughts
Understanding the phases in an Software Development Lifecycle Phases isn’t academic—it’s practical. Whether you’re launching a startup’s MVP or managing a large enterprise system, a disciplined approach saves time, cost, and frustration.
The journey through planning → requirements → design/implementation/testing → deployment → maintenance is not rigid. Real projects often loop, adjust, revisit earlier stages. But by naming these phases, assigning deliverables, and building feedback loops, your team gains clarity, confidence, and continuity.