It’s o cial: mobile apps are now integral parts of life (even old ladies gossip about them at countryclubs). Formerly a millennial phenomenon and currently a multi-billion dollar industry that is clearlyhere to stay, the mobile app industry is the way of the future (and the present).

So, how can an entrepreneur achieve longstanding recognition in this crowded eld? What areconsumers looking for? How can you build a successful app?

We enlist the help of Rameet Chawla and Ryan Matzner, who run the show at Fueled, our mobiledevelopment shop that works with startups and more established enterprises alike, to give us someinsight. With over a decade of experience in the technology industry and relationships with hundredsof startups in New York City, the duo boasts an understanding of both the technical and social aspects ofapp building. Who better, then, to share all of the industry’s secrets?

Ladies and gentlemen, here’s your everything guide to building your very own (and very successful)mobile app:

HOW DO I FIND A GOOD DEVELOPER?

Remember: credentials precede promises… and reputation supersedes all else. Chawla suggestsreaching out to agencies that have won awards, have been mentioned on tech-related news sites, and,most importantly, have the sort of experience that your specific app requires.

“If [your] app [has] a heaving programming or coding component to it, [you] don’t necessarily want togo after an agency that only has experience with more simplistic apps,” he says.

U S E R M A N U A L

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: THEULTIMATE GUIDE

CAN I START BUILDING THE APP MYSELFBEFORE REACHING OUT TO A DEVELOPER?

Yes. “We call [them] ‘rescue projects,’” says Matzner. “[These are projects that] people have startedelsewhere and they end up coming to us because they realize that these promises someone else madewere completely empty, or they didn’t know about us when they started and they have figured out somepitfalls with their current setup.”

HE CONTINUES, “THEY’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHOCAN ACTUALLY FINISH THE APP AND GET SOMETHINGRELEASED. OR, THEY’VE RELEASED SOMETHING AND ITJUST DOESN’T WORK AND HAS ONE STAR IN THE APPSTORE, AND THEY NEED HELP FIXING IT.”

ALTHOUGH STARTING TO WORK ON THE PRODUCT ONYOUR OWN IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE, MATZNER EXPLAINSTHAT THE APP WILL MOST LIKELY NOT POSSESS “THESAME POLISH AND QUALITY AS A PRODUCT BUILT BYPROFESSIONALS.” A SKILLED PRODUCT TEAM WILLUNDOUBTEDLY BRING MORE EXPERTISE TO THEENDEAVOR.

HOW IS A MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT TEAM SET UP?

Matzner breaks it down for us: “A development team […] is sort of like a Broadway play. You have theactors on stage, but then there’s a whole bunch of stu happening behind the scenes. An app that getsbuilt properly is sort of similar.”

A successful team should include:

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUILD ANAVERAGE APP?

Aaron Cohen, a highly-respected top representative at Fueled, gives us some insight: “With Fueled’sexperience you’re going to nd that you’re going to need at least $150,000 to build the rst version ofyour product.” This budget, he continues, would probably be the same regardless of the shop hired.Although Fueled has built version one products for as little as $150,000, the agency has also catered tocustomers who had more extensive requirements for their minimum viable product (MVP)–costingthem as much as $500,000 for their first version app.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS AN MVP?

“As we like to say, the de nition of MVP is completely context dependent,” explains Cohen. “If you aregoing for a social media play, you want to test assumptions about how people want to share content,then you can probably get your app out of the door for $100,000-$150,000. But if you’re an e-commerce play, you need to integrate advanced payment services, pro les, databases, perhaps anemail marketing system, then you’re looking at involving back-end engineers, creating custom back-end systems, and the price tag can very quickly escalate.”

One way to estimate the amount of resources needed in the rst 18 months of operation “is to look atthe amount of money that successful startups raise for the first year or two of their operations,” explainsthe expert. “Traditionally, a startup will get going with a seed round or a friend-and-family round of$250,000 to $500,000. That will allow them to run the company for 6 months or so. Generally, theythen need to raise a bridge round. Another $500,000 to a million dollars, which will really let them takewhichever prototype or proof-of-concept they validated in the rst phase, take that to a higher level,[and] really polish it up for widespread consumer release.” The result? About a million and a half dollarsto operate a startup for the first 18 months.

A deeper analysis of an app’s cost and development time.

A designer who creates all the visual content that will be coded into the projectAn account manager who acts like a liaison for clients and works with product managers andproducers to coordinate the completion of different tasksA product manager who executes the functions of a director by overseeing the app

OUR TOP SITES FOR DESIGNINSPIRATION

OUR TOP SITES FOR DESIGNINSPIRATION

WHAT IF I HIRE A FREELANCER OVER A SHOP?

Hiring a freelancer results in a decrease in costs… and an increase in risks. Risks may includeinefficient work ethics and habits, miscommunications, and a lack of consistent efforts and availability.Unless catching a lucky break, hiring a freelancer will most likely lead to an end product that won’tmatch its original footprint.

Think of building an app as you would think of lming a movie from scratch. Budget and motivationsare key components, and your dedication to the task at hand will be of paramount importance. You willbe putting as much e ort into a one-dimensional app as you would when scraping together a casualstudent lm. On the other hand, if you’re working on the next world-changing app, the time and powerinvested in the product will resemble that required to roll out the next summer blockbuster.

When employing all these resources and energy into the product… wouldn’t you want to rely on acompany whose entire day is dedicated to you as opposed to a freelancer who constantly deals withother clients as well?

ULTIMATELY, WHAT IS THE SUCCESS OF MYAPP TRULY BASED ON?

App development is a science based on trial and error. The secret to eventual success involves temperedexpectations. The most common success stories are based on a solid beta test or a proof-of-concept thatis splendid enough to generate another round of funding and maybe even attract some press.

Most app developers have big dreams for their grand product before even entering the scene. But,remember: to traverse a mile, you must take your rst step. So come up with a grand idea, believe inyourself, and enlist the help of professional developers who can turn your vision into a reality that willchange both the mobile app industry and the lives of the consumers.

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About Mary Hurd

Mary HurdAuthor

06/01/2016