Check out our top app dev interview with Thomas Castel, a successful indie iOS app developer who has created 14 apps featured on the App Store.
“As software engineers, we knew how to develop apps, but we quickly understood that we were completely unable to sell them. So we focused on improving ourselves in this area…”
I would love to hear more about what this looked like. As a long-time developer with 2+ decades of experience, app creation is not that hard. But actually selling it? And with a “zero-dollar marketing budget” to boot? I want to hear more.
I really need some help and some advice. I have been an indie apple developer for the last six years. To start off I took a personal loan and bought a MacBook and paid 99 dollars for an apple developer account. I made several free and paid apps on apple’s app store. I also marketed myself as an apple developer. I made several apps for people as well. All those clients stiffed me financially when the app was built and published. Now I am at a lost. My Macbook broke (Cracked screen, bad motherboard, etc) and unusable. My apple developer account had to be renewed two weeks ago. I had no money to renew the account so I had to let it expire.
Now I need some advice on what to do next. On my own, my apps generated less than 15 dollars a month. Every year I have to pay 99 dollars for the apple developer account. I have so many ideas for apps but I financially don’t have the resources to do so. I have asked several people to financial support me in this endeavor but no one has. I ever quit my full-time job and found a part time job to spend more time making apps. I just need to know where to go from here. When I ask for donations people think I am desperate. I can’t get a loan. I am thinking of giving up on my dream. Any suggestions? Please email me at timbojill@gmail.com as well as commenting here.
I suggest you to find full-time job based of iOS development experience.
And keep trying to build apps at free time. Don’t give up.
From my experience, I left my full-time job about 5 month ago, built 1 app and earn only 7$. Also I read several development books.
Now I intend to find full-time job as iOS developer and continue trying developing apps at free time.
Also I suggest you to read Chad Mureta’s book.
From my little experience I came to that promotion off apps is not less important that development.
Good luck!
What makes it more difficult is my location. I don’t live in California or New York.
Zero dollar marketing strategy is successful for them, but it doesn’t mean this strategy suits to everyone. Long ago app discoveries was easy, now it’s not easy discoverable as there is over 2 Million apps in app store and another over 2 million apps in google play store. According to my experience, if you want to do profitable app business, if you invest 50% in app development then another 50% should be invested in marketing beside free marketing.