Building a desktop app begins by selecting an appropriate platform approach: native across Windows/macOS/Linux, cross-platform frameworks, and the distribution method. A clear MVP and an early prototype validate workflows, performance requirements, and the overall user experience on real hardware.

As the product evolves, stability, updates, and packaging become essential. Proper management of file systems, permissions, offline capabilities, and integrations (device APIs, peripherals, enterprise authentication) ensures reliability in daily use, while an update system and crash reporting ease ongoing support.