developing mobile phone apps

accountingbod

Hello all

Now i know nearly everyone says this, but i have what i think could be a good idea for an app for android and iphone.

I have had a quick play with the google app development kit but not having a good knowledge of Java or any other programming and not having time to invest in learning i will need someone to help me develop the app.

Has anyone had any experience with any app building companies and did you find their rates reasonable? Also, has anyone ever brought in a grad student to help with work and how did this work out (either for free on profit shraing basis or as a paid graduate). I don't mind paying for development work so i'm not automatically thinking of the old 'hire a grad student for free' logic.

InsideInsurance

They are the same as any other developers that you can hire. Make sure you do your homework, ensure that you get full rights over everything created, ensure you understand what happens in 3 months time if the app stops working (cost, who would repair it etc).

You could use a graduate but none of the graduates with an IT related degree that I've known have been any better or worse at hands on programming/ application design etc than other non-IT grads and certainly very few are better than people with a few years hands on experience in a professional environment.

Do you have a realistic budget in mind? Are you wanting a professionally developed application with full support (and the costs associated) or would a bedroom coder who will get it working even if not the most efficient code but your at the mercy of their day job/ holidays/ desire to continue coding etc

accountingbod

thanks for the response.
Some useful considerations there and i think could be right about using a graduate - not to say that there are not any good ones out there, but for a professional, thought through product with some past experience a well established person/company could be the better way.

I'm not tooo sure of a realistic budget at the moment as i need to do more research in to fees but i was expecting it to be thousands rather than hundreds and this would be largely based on what you asked regarding the standard of development which would need to be supplied with full support.

I'll do some research and if i end up working with a good firm i'll post it as a write-up of the project if interested?
I'm a typically paranoid inventor/creative so my other concern would always be to talk to potential developers with a non-disclosure agreement in place although i think that discussion may be more suited to the small biz forum

Thanks again

paddyrg

ALL custom software development is expensive. A fresh graduate is probably/usually a waste of money, you need experience - someone who can take your spec/brief, translate it into a tech spec, develop to that against multiple resolutions, test it on multiple platforms, document it, and support it in user-tests and the wild. An amateur/fresh graduate will tend to rush into the fun bits without planning effective, solid code.

A pretty safe full-lifecycle advice for any custom software development is 5-figures before it is finished and right.

If your idea is brilliant, and you can demonstrate an actual market, you may find a dev house that'll go halves and put in the sweat equity if you put in the startup/promotional equity

InsideInsurance

TBH, an NDA isnt worth the paper its written on for these types of things because it is too easy for someone to immediately turn around and say they've heard the same idea before. That said, I would still get one signed even if its just for a psychological tool.

You can probably get a basic app developed for £X,000. For a more complex solution with full maintenance etc I would be thinking more a £X0,000 type price tag unless offshoring 99% of the work.