Did you ever dream of being the entrepreneur who created ‘that’ app?
Here are a few loose guidelines to help you along that process:
Come up with the ‘million-dollar idea’
All great ideas address a specific problem – one that can be, and needs to be solved. Successful entrepreneurs solve problems in a way that we cannot imagine, through using innovative methods or processes that make it, in retrospect, look easy!
Look around you; every product and service you use now was created to solve a problem. Start by looking at problems in your daily life and keep a list of them. Once you have the list review it and see which ones can potentially be solved with an app.
Refinement and research
Once you’ve identified several needs which could be targeted, reach out to others and see if they are having similar problems. It is important to remember that not everyone may have the same problems as you, but they may have in the future – the tricky part is gauging the problem against it’s need.
Write down every idea
Once you have identified a need and decided to address it, you can start to elaborate on the details. When you are noting your ideas down, be as detailed as possible and make sure to note down everything that comes to mind – even things that might not seem helpful now, or may seem like a terrible idea.
Once you have finished noting down all you can, cherry pick these to construct a layout and the main, necessary features of the application – this gives you a base to work from.
Remove non-core features
From the previous notes, look closely at features that you can put aside and ignore for the immediate future - do not start out offering the world. You want the initial costs of the app to be as small as possible in the first release. The sooner you can get a basic app out there to market (to test the waters and gain feedback/interest) the better. There will always be room for additional features down the line.
Put user experience first
Even the greatest ideas fail if the user experience isn’t satisfying. If the user doesn’t ‘get’ the app, then it will never take off, regardless of how great the features are. Features are important, but how users perceive and use the app initially is crucial for longevity and uptake.
Hire a developer
You need to find a developer that suits your needs and fits the scale you are looking for. You can look for a freelance developer, directly approach a development company, or even do it yourself. This can prove to be the most difficult part of the process, as often you need to be able to work with other people to define your vision and have them buy into it, whilst meeting your budget.
Keep the updates coming
You should have released the first version with only a limited feature set. Now you can continue to evaluate the feedback over time, and look to tailor your development schedule around this. It is then a cycle of looking at your analytics and feedback, whilst continuing to update.
It’s important to note the steps above are not set in stone but are a simple guideline for moving yourself along the exciting journey of creating your first mobile application.
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