Nikos Papadakis
Handing Over the Project to Another Development Team
Being a software consulting company we build apps for our customers. Sometimes our engineers start a completely new project for the customer and build a new app from scratch. Engineers love these rare "greenfield" projects. But most of the time we take over a software project to work on some pre-existing app, a project with history. For a seasoned software engineer working in a software consulting company, joining a new project is a routine event. After a software project takeover the project is not really new - there is some code, the app already has some features. So we…
I Have an App Idea: Now What?
I have a great idea for an app! Now what? What should I do next? You have an app idea which came into your head and doesn't go away. It bothers you and you can't just move on with your life. You really want to build your app. Perhaps you want to run a business and make money with your app? Or maybe you want to make the world a better place? Or both? Where should you start? Take a deep breath and calm down. Here is the plan. You may feel like you have an app idea, but you do not have it yet, not until you have it written. Only…
Making Money With a Mobile App: Monetization Strategy
Consider a mobile app that is being actively developed. We are talking about a "live" app, one that has a team of software engineers continuously working on new features and regularly releasing app updates. For example, it could be an app with educational games for kids. Or it could be an app that helps people to find a team for a friendly soccer game at a nearby field. Or maybe it's an app that helps people track their sugar level and insulin injections. The company building the app needs to eventually make some profit, so they…
Explaining App Idea to Software Engineers
How do you explain your idea to another person? It is natural to share your thoughts, plans and ideas with close friends, but talking to strangers may feel awkward. If your friend does not quite understand your idea, it is no big deal. But if the experts you hired to implement your idea misunderstand your requirements, you are at loss. When someone wants to build an app, they need to explain their idea clearly to the engineering team. Communicating requirements is not easy. It takes effort to come to a shared understanding, as everyone sees…
App Development Cost or Dollars per Month
If someone asks "How much does it cost to build an app?", what answer do they expect? Probably the answer should be a number. If so, a number of what? Well, the cost is measured in dollars, right? While for a one-time purchase the cost is in dollars, building an app is not a one-time expense. In fact, building and maintaining the app is an ongoing process, so its cost is measured in dollars-per-month. It should come as no surprise for a business person, as the cost of running a business is a certain amount of expenses per month. And as long as the monthly…