A to Z Tech Terms for First-Time Founders

If you're starting a tech company and feeling overwhelmed by all the confusing words developers throw around — don't worry. You're not alone, and you don’t need to be a coding wizard to understand your product.

Here’s a simple glossary of the most important tech terms to help you feel confident in conversations with your team, investors, and developers.

The Beginner’s Glossary for Tech Founders (No Tech Skills Needed!)

Agile

A way of building software in small steps so teams can adjust as they go. Think of it like planning a trip one stop at a time instead of the whole route all at once.

Alpha Testing

Early testing done by the internal team before the product is shared with anyone outside.

API (Application Programming Interface)

Like a waiter between two apps — it helps them talk to each other and share information.

Backend

The “behind the scenes” of your app — where data is stored and rules are followed.

Beta Testing

Testing done by real users before the full launch to find problems.

Bug

A mistake in the code that causes something to break or not work right.

Business Analyst

The person who figures out what the business needs and helps turn it into a plan for the tech team.

CI (Continuous Integration)

A system that checks new code quickly to make sure nothing breaks. It’s like spell check, but for code.

Cloud

A fancy way to say your data and software live on the internet, not just one computer.

Codebase

All the code for your app stored in one big folder.

Dependencies

Other tools or code your software relies on to work. If one breaks, your app might break too.

Deploy

The moment your new code is sent live and becomes part of the product users see.

End User

The person who uses the app — usually your customer.

Framework

A set of tools developers use to build apps faster and more easily.

Frontend

What the user sees and clicks on — buttons, pages, and designs.

Full Stack

A developer who works on both frontend (what users see) and backend (how it works).

Git

A system that helps developers track and manage changes to the code.

Github

A website where teams store and share their code using Git.

Hotfix

A fast, emergency fix for a bug in a live app.

Kanban

A way to organize tasks using boards and cards. Think sticky notes showing “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done.”

Load Test

A test to see how your app performs when lots of people use it at once.

Low Code / No Code

Tools that let people build apps without writing much code (or any code). Great for non-technical founders.

Machine Learning

When a computer learns from data and gets smarter over time — like how Netflix recommends shows.

Maintenance

Regular updates to fix bugs, add features, or keep your app working smoothly.

Metric

A number you track to see how your product is doing (like number of users or speed).

Mobile Application

An app built to run on phones and tablets.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

The simplest version of your idea that you can build to test if people want it.

Performance Testing

Checks if your app runs fast and doesn’t crash under pressure.

Product Owner

The person in charge of deciding what gets built and why — usually speaks for the customer.

Project Manager

Keeps everything on track by managing tasks, deadlines, and people.

Prototype

A model or mock-up of your app to show what it might look or act like — no code needed.

Pull Request (PR)

A developer’s way of asking to add their new code to the main codebase. Others check it first to make sure it’s good.

QA (Quality Assurance)

The team or process that checks for bugs before the app goes live.

Regression Testing

A test to make sure new changes didn’t break old features.

Repository (Repo)

A place where your code is stored (usually on Github).

Roadmap

A plan showing what features or goals your team will work on next and when.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Apps you pay for monthly and access online — like Google Docs or Zoom.

SCRUM

A way to organize work in short time periods (called sprints) with regular check-ins.

Technical Debt

When code is written quickly without best practices. It works for now but can cause problems later if not cleaned up.

Tech Stack

The collection of tools and programming languages used to build your app.

Test Case

A set of steps to check if a part of your app works as expected.

Test Plan

A document that lists everything that needs testing in a new feature or version.

UI (User Interface)

All the buttons, colors, and layouts users interact with.

Unit Test

A tiny test for one small piece of the code to make sure it works by itself.

User Interface (UI)

Another way of saying what your users see and interact with on the screen.

User Story

A simple explanation of what a user wants to do, written from their point of view.

UX (User Experience)

How easy and enjoyable your app is to use.

Web Application

An app you use in a browser, like Gmail or Facebook.

Still feeling stuck or have questions about your own product?

We help founders like you turn ideas into working apps — without getting lost in the tech lingo. Get in touch with us for all your software development needs.