Post: #1

Anyone in the community ever created or had one created and sold in the app store? I'm looking for some input on outsourcing the development and entry into the market.

Post: #2

I have a product/UX background. Have designed apps currently in iOS app store and google play.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Outsourcing development can work if you have the data model/backend of your product worked out, and just need some help with the front-end, but even then, it's problematic (my new favorite word).

The good development shops are located state-side, might be out of your budget (think $50K min per platform), and honestly are only good for huge companies (think Pepsico, Unilever, etc) that don't have tech talent in house and want an app for marketing purposes. App development is different than using an ad agency or web dev agency, where an agency is often better than doing things in house. Ads or marketing websites are relatively static properties (don't need to be changed on a technical level frequently), whereas an app is your product, and you really need in house talent to change things as you get continual feedback from users and pivot with regards to your features.

Outsourcing development overseas (usually to India, or Eastern Europe), comes with its own can of worms. The short of it is that you get what you pay for.

So, what you ideally should do is find a technical cofounder who agrees with you on your vision for you app. How is it going to change the world (cliche I know)? Or in less grandiose and cringeable terms, how is this app going to serve the needs of your target users?

You should be able to find someone willing to work with you if your idea is good enough. If not, use an overseas shop to build a rough MVP on the cheap, and then lather, rinse, repeat with trying to find a cofounder, MVP in hand.

Post: #3

Thank you for the great input! I've read that creating a minimum viable product (MVP) is the most ideal route to shop around for early stage investors. Ideally, I'd like to create an app that automates and centralizes already existing features on both IOS and Android. Though I don't know anything about developing, I imaged it might be more straightforward than a typical "from scratch" app?
Is there a vertical venture capital market in this realm that I should be targeting?

Post: #4

Venture funding for mobile has fallen off somewhat. Take a look at this graph on mobile funding levels from CB insights:



There are still VC's investing in mobile (obviously), but the days of pulling $1MM in seed from an institutional fund on an idea are over unless you have a successful exit under your belt already.

As we've been discussing on the tech startup analysis thread, there has been a recent uptick of VC activity at the high end of the market (liquitidy events for some of the unicorns that have been private for a while), but at the low end the market is still on a downswing from its peak in Q3 '15.

You need to have a team, have users, and most importantly demonstrate you have a sustainable business model before getting VC in the mobile space these days. Angel/Seed investing is different, that depends on where you're at geographically and some other factors (personal network, etc).

Post: #5

At the OP: you need to find a technical cofounder. If you don't come from at least a product background this is going to be very painful to outsource. The horror stories you hear from shops in developing countries are mostly true.

If you go the offshore route, consider your 1st product iteration to be just a mockup.

Post: #6

I do have some ideas I want to develop into apps. Although I'm currently learning the technicals necessary to make them viable, I think partnering with someone more technical will speed the development.

However, I am worried that the so called partner may elope with the idea and develop it himself. what prevents him from telling someone else about the idea even after signing a non disclosure? I can't afford legal cost especially if he sells the idea to a big company.

I once had the idea of developing something like shazam yrs before they developed it. To the app gurus, can an app like Shazam be developed by one full stack developer in 6 months?

Post: #7

(08-09-2016 07:18 PM)Touchmybanana Wrote:  I do have some ideas I want to develop into apps. Although I'm currently learning the technicals necessary to make them viable, I think partnering with someone more technical will speed the development.

However, I am worried that the so called partner may elope with the idea and develop it himself. what prevents him from telling someone else about the idea even after signing a non disclosure? I can't afford legal cost especially if he sells the idea to a big company.

Ideas are a dime a dozen - next to worthless. It's implementations that make money.

In terms of small-team app development, even in the unlikely case that someone did agree to take on your idea and you're just the "ideas/marketing" guy, if you're not actively contributing to a significant portion of the codebase it puts you on extremely shakey ground...as you seem to have noticed.

Outsourcing development should be an option of last resort, not first.

I think it would be a more productive use of time to keep developing your software design skills so you could partner with a team on equal footing. Again, good ideas are a dime a dozen. If this one doesn't pan out, another will come along.