App Dev 101: How do you Choose an App Developer? Reaction

Some folks at Appiction on YouTube made an interesting video on how to choose the right developer. As the best Calgary Mobile App Developer we have a biased opinion on who that is, but does Spencer Forrest agree with us? Or is he a bit off? Check out the video below:

A quick summary on what Spencer believes you should look for:

• Remember that this is an investment, nobody builds investments for fun and you should expect a high quality return on what it is you wanted.
• Consider the size of the developer, do they have the knowledge, team, and resources to take your vision to completion?
• Consider how long the developer has been around, are they out of their garage or do they have a nice office in a nice building?
• Consider the knowledge level and experience of the people there. Are you going to have to pay out of your pocket to help train them for what your app needs?
• How thorough is the planning phase? Do they have a plan in mind or is your app going to keep changing throughout the development process due to poor planning?
• What are some of the previous portfolio pieces the developer showcases? Are they high quality or are they poor quality and uncreative?
• Do their previous apps draw you into the app and make you want to use it?
• Is the quality of the app and the code high enough standard for the app stores? Does anything violate the the the app store/phone’s restrictions?

So..? What do we think?

For the most part, YES! These are great points of things to pay attention to and look for when choosing who to pick when making your app! The only problem I have with this is that some of these might be a little off in terms of priority. Let me explain..

• Consider the size of the developer, do they have the knowledge, team, and resources to take your vision to completion?
• Consider how long the developer has been around, are they out of their garage or are they have a nice office in a nice building?

These are great statements with a lot of truth to them. It’s important to partner with a developer who didn’t learn to code your apps by simply watching on YouTube with no experience or education. It is also important to not give a big project to an understaffed company as you will likely wind up waiting far longer than necessary for your app to be complete. The problem I have with these statements are what it could also imply. I recognize that Spencer was trying to spit out as many quick points as he could in 2 1/2 minutes but it’s important to understand the context.

There’s a very distinct difference between paying for what’s necessary, and paying for something unexpected and it’s important to differentiate between the two

Technology and innovation nowadays allow companies to replace human workers with robots and automation (we will save my thoughts on that for another day). The same trend also applies to developers. Technology is making the lives of those who work with it a lot easier, making your average graphic designer, be well rehearsed in website coding as well. A smaller team than you expect shouldn’t necessarily deter you from using them, it should demonstrate that each member of the team may bring different things to the table. You also should not rule out the fresh graduate who is eager to join the workforce. The right mind under the right leadership can absolutely help you achieve your apps potential, and be able to bring something new and innovative to the table as well.

The problem with technology is that it is always changing. Facebook has likely already done a few updates while you have been reading this article. Some people in the industry may be stuck to the old way of doing things being the “best way,” and no matter how many years of experience they have, that may not necessarily be the right choice for your business.

• Consider the knowledge level and experience of the people there. Are you going to have to pay out of your pocket to help train them for what your app needs?

This is a very true statement and is simply unacceptable. If your app developer and his team don’t know how to make an app, they shouldn’t be doing it.. simple logic. However, with technology always changing you shouldn’t expect your developer to know absolutely everything… let me elaborate:

Say you make an app that connects to Twitter and Twitter suddenly does an update that limits the apps functionality from what it used to be. You cannot expect your developer to be alerted to every change made in every aspect of your app in no time at all. Say perhaps you are wanting to explore the VR  (Virtual Reality) market using app technology, (this sounds super cool someone please come to us with an idea!). It is wrong to believe that your developer will immediately know how to do that. Some learning may be required and there’s nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s a good thing since it implies that your idea is ahead of the game.

What is WRONG is if you’re forced to PAY for more than what you initially believed. Hidden charges and fees, or paying for things you didn’t know you needed unexpectedly is a wrong practice. Paying out of your pocket to teach a developer how to code is also a wrong practice. There’s a very distinct difference between paying for what’s necessary, and paying for something unexpected and it’s important to differentiate between the two.

Some good points

Now that we cleared up a couple points let’s reaffirm what we believe are important points.

• It’s important to inspect your developers portfolio, more projects = more experience and it also gives you an idea for what you can expect.
• Get your money’s worth – You aren’t making that big of an investment for disappointment. Be part of the planning, communicate effectively, and always be sharing your vision to make sure you are satisfied with the results.
• Again… Planning, make sure you’re part of every step of the planning phase and be open to critiques in your idea that your developer will put forward. Remember that you are also paying them or their opinion so they should absolutely have one!

A couple of our own points to consider

We may be a bit biased as to where the best Calgary Mobile App Developers work. However if you’re still unsure about who to pick, consider a few of our personal questions to ask yourself:

• Does your Developer manage and plan for your budget?
• Has a clear target audience been outlined?
• Do they perfect one platform first or just try to push the product unfinished to as many places as possible?
• Has a good agreeable price been established?

You can read our more in depth article here for how to choose the right developer!

You guys seem to know what you’re doing, could we maybe chat about an idea or two?

We promise we are nice! We would love to sit down with you and help you PLAN an app that’s exactly what you hope it will be! Please visit the Contact Us section of the website and we will make an appointment to chat about your next great app idea! There are no Calgary App Developers like us, come see why!