Developing software in a solo environment has its pros and cons. On the upside you have complete reign over the code base (no problems with ownership here), freedom to follow specific designs and an ability to express your creativity. On the other hand, the very nature of the activity can be your down fall; tunnel vision and shortsightedness can eclipse all of your efforts.

There is a way out of this quandary and its called peer review. The mere mention of “peer review” can strike fear and foreboding into the hearts of developers. But, like it or not, this egoless programming practice has the power to deliver.

Outside input can lead to an increase in production quality and ultimately product appeal. Here’s a few ways to get outside input and ideas if you’re flying solo:

• Direct communication with friends. Friends that you’ve made through previous jobs, ventures, or virtual contacts made real are great sources of input. When in the same industry they can provide a unique perspective. If it has been a longtime since you’ve touched base then invite them out for lunch, or better yet a beer, in order to reconnect.
• End Users. The end users of your product are an extremely valuable source of feedback. While a user may not be privy to the nitty gritty code details they will have an opinion about what is good or bad about your interface. Running a public or private beta will give you the chance to gather valuable feedback and roll it into a product before going live with it. For iPhone development take a look at TestFlight which is an awesome service for distributing beta builds and getting feedback from your test team.
• User groups. There is a good chance that there is a Cocoa developer group that meets regularly in your area. A few places to start would be CocoaHeads, NSCoder Night, and if you’re in Austin CocoaCoder. Getting out and mingling with other developers is a great way to cultivate ideas, get feedback and make a few friends. Try giving a short presentation to the group on some code or a technique that you’ve been working on. Not only will this give the group a chance to discuss a topic but it can help you validate ideas or to open up new avenues of thought.
• Virtual community. Participation in online forums, email lists, IRC channels, and of course blogs can be another source of outside input. While readily available the quality of this sort of feedback can tend towards the inflammatory. Be sure to research your questions and always interact per the guidelines of your chosen group. Oh, and be sure to don your flame retardant suit before dipping your toes in.

Whatever avenue you pursue to gain outside input it has the ability to not only improve on your own designs but to also increase your creativity. New ideas yield more new ideas and so on. So, if you’re feeling like you’ve hit a brick wall or that you need a second opinion try getting some outside input.