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Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

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Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#1
What are the main challenges if you want to create a hustle? Design, idea, tech stack, icon, or screenshot creation?

I want to go all in and create a mobile application; I even have an idea, but I wanted to ask for help in terms of the main problems I'm about to face to avoid or plan them.

Thanks

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#3
(1) Asking about tech stack is a red flag. If you have a tech stack that you like, are proficient with, and wouldn't want to give up you have a big advantage over somebody who doesn't have that.

(2) The above particularly holds if you are doing something that is risky because it is ambitious in terms of technology, business, or something else. You've got a certain "budget" for risk in your project and if has high risk in certain areas you want to eliminate risk in other areas. (Especially your tech stack)

(3) In the end I think business trumps everything else. If you've got something that people will pay for or that will accomplish a goal of yours that's what you need to keep your eye on.

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#4
Dealing with the app stores. Hands down. The DUNS number, the certificates, the keys, identities, and profiles, the app review, the maintenance and updates on ever-changing APIs, SDKs, xCode, etc. Their needless updates will outpace your ability to keep up.

Anything to do with the actual code of your app is fine. Once you have to interface with Google and Apple, it's an endless nightmare.

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#5
It seems everyone will have different pain points, depending on their skills and aptitude for various aspects of the overall project. One person may be great with writing up app descriptions, making screenshots, and marketing, but struggle with actual development… while others will be just the opposite.

If I had to guess, it seems your main challenge right now is getting started, so you’ve created this post as a way to procrastinate, thinking if you do enough research, you can avoid any issues. The best way to go is to start. You’ll run into some issues, and when you do, you’ll be able to look for ways to solve those specific problems. Asking blanket questions like this will leave you worried about problems you may never personally experience.

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#6
Look into making your app a Progressive Web Application (PWA). PWAs run in/on both desktop and mobile Chrome based browsers which dominate the web. And depending on use case (e.g. single-user apps or games) PWAs can be setup to run completely offline further emulating "native" mobile apps.

Just 2 of several PWA benefits: - You can publish and host PWAs almost anywhere. No playstore required. But the option to go the playstore route remains open to you as playstores do accept PWAs. - Done right a single code base, because it runs in the browser, just works on desktops and mobiles, while you still have the ability to modify app behavior based on the platform you can detect at run time.

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#7

Dealing with the app stores. Hands down. The DUNS number, the certificates, the keys, identities, and profiles, the app review, the maintenance and updates on ever-changing APIs, SDKs, xCode, etc. Their needless updates will outpace your ability to keep up. Anything to do with the actual code of your app is fine. Once you have to interface with Google and Apple, it's an endless nightmare.

Is it something that you can investigate? I mean, like guidelines.

Or is it something you just need to accept?

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#8

(1) Asking about tech stack is a red flag. If you have a tech stack that you like, are proficient with, and wouldn't want to give up you have a big advantage over somebody who doesn't have that. (2) The above particularly holds if you are doing something that is risky because it is ambitious in terms of technology, business, or something else. You've got a certain "budget" for risk in your project and if has high ris…

wow,

greatest piece of information I've heard lately.

It really looks like I was investigating wrong things, and I should focus more on business and monetisation part.

Kudos!

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#9

Look into making your app a Progressive Web Application (PWA). PWAs run in/on both desktop and mobile Chrome based browsers which dominate the web. And depending on use case (e.g. single-user apps or games) PWAs can be setup to run completely offline further emulating "native" mobile apps. Just 2 of several PWA benefits: - You can publish and host PWAs almost anywhere. No playstore required. But the option to go the…

You are the second person to emphasize the difficulties of working with the App Store and Play Store.

To be honest, I hadn't heard of PWAs, I'll definitely have to study the information about it.

As I understood from your explanation, this is something that will work on both web and mobile platforms. Is it some kind of React Native? If we talk about the stack.

Re: Ask HN: Mobile developers, what are the biggest challenges in creating app?

#10

It seems everyone will have different pain points, depending on their skills and aptitude for various aspects of the overall project. One person may be great with writing up app descriptions, making screenshots, and marketing, but struggle with actual development… while others will be just the opposite. If I had to guess, it seems your main challenge right now is getting started, so you’ve created this post as a way…

You're completely correct, I guess))

This is a very valuable comment and the kick I may have been looking for asking such general questions here.

You are right to just go and defeat the dragon, but I wanted to hear the path of other people who have been there, because to get to the dragon you have to go through the forest and not get lost.

I'm actually grateful to everyone who took their time and shared nuances I didn't know about before.

Grateful to you, too, for the kick I needed.

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