Building a desktop app begins with selecting an appropriate platform approach: native options (Windows/macOS/Linux), cross-platform frameworks, and how you plan to distribute it. Defining a solid MVP and an early prototype helps confirm workflows, performance requirements, and the overall user experience on real hardware.

As the product evolves, stability, updates, and packaging take center stage. Managing file systems, permissions, offline functionality, and integrations (device APIs, peripherals, enterprise authentication) ensures reliable daily use, while a robust update system and crash analytics ease ongoing maintenance.