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How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

nathanbarry.com

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Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#81

Post by ja27 »

wallflower wrote: post #59
brador wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may laugh, but this is exactly the type of story we need to hear more about to balance the super hype around apps. Yeah, you could hit gold, but with a random roll you're much more likely to fire a dud. Anyone else with a crap-app story?

It is not a crap-app story per se, but I and many other developers I know have made all of our money from client work, not a dollar from the app store. Since we manage the provisioning etc. for the client and walk them through the initial paperwork, no one ever knows who built the (admittedly sometimes faddy) app. We do build our own apps but just for fun and personal use.

I'm curious how the mechanics work for publishing an app to the iTunes store for a client? Does the client create the account and handle publishing the app? (Do they need to sign the package, deal with XCode, etc.?) Or does the client create the account and turn it over to you to publish the app(s)? Or do you - the developer - publish the app yourself and pass the money through (which doesn't seem good)?

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#82

Post by pkamb »

ThomPete wrote: post #72
brador wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question, if I outsource my app idea to be made elsewhere through a freelanceer or agency, should I be worried? How would I protect myself here? NDA?

I outsourced my app http://finaltouchapp.com Its so simply anyone with a little programming flair could do it. It's never a real problem. People most of the times, don't see what you see. Worry less get more done.

I think I may have told you this before, but your sales website there kicks ass. Very nicely designed.

"Theme" it and sell it on ThemeForest or a similar site. You'd make more from that than from your app! I would buy one.

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#83

Post by shakes »

blhack wrote: post #36
codesink wrote: post #29

A good designer can score on the Appstore even if he is a novice programmer. Unfortunately that's not true for good programmers that suck at design.

This is true everywhere, not just the app store. A well-designed, but poorly coded site is going to do a lot better (generally), than a well coded, but poorly designed site. This is why I'm trying so hard to level my design skills.

This is why, as a developer, I married a designer.

Ok, that's not the only reason why, but it's worked out really well.

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#84

Post by xsmasher »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

This storey shows its not necessary to sell a million to make an app worthwhile. How many other niche apps are out there? Anything where you carry a computer or clipboard around is eligible. Specific to a task, or a general fill-in-a-spreadsheet-and-email-it app would fit the bill.

When I released an exercise-tracking app for the iPhone I got contacted by a zookeeper who wanted to adapt it to manage animal's feeding schedules.

I didn't take him up on it, but you never know what under-served niches are lurking at the fringes of the market.

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#85

Post by nathanbarry »

prawn wrote: post #79
kirubakaran wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He made something people want. That trumps programming excellence.

And I almost fell off my chair that it wasn't a fart app - nice to see someone put in real effort, create something useful to an under-served segment and see success from that.

This made me smile. Thanks!

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#86

Post by cwbrandsma »

orky56 wrote: post #9

I have a similar non-technical background (UX/design) and was curious how you were able to not get frustrated and outsource the development work rather than doing it yourself. If I was in the same position, I would get too restless and want it built right away. Any advice on how you got through that situation? Thanks.

From experience...it also helps to have some patient programmer friends around to help (I'm one of the developers that helped Nathan build the app). :)

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#87

Post by nathanbarry »

pkamb wrote: post #67
nathanbarry wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that was me. That Reddit thread was a lot of fun.

Link? What subreddit did you post on?

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/g2pgc/some_jerk_s...

It is a long thread so just search for "nathanbarry" or "onevoice"

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#88

Post by nathanbarry »

shakes wrote: post #83
blhack wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true everywhere, not just the app store. A well-designed, but poorly coded site is going to do a lot better (generally), than a well coded, but poorly designed site. This is why I'm trying so hard to level my design skills.

This is why, as a developer, I married a designer. Ok, that's not the only reason why, but it's worked out really well.

Now that is a clever idea.

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#89

Post by nathanbarry »

pkamb wrote: post #80

Very inspiring. Do you use AdWords or any other forms of advertising? What percentage of your sales are to people you contact personally?

I contact Speech Language Pathologists personally, and it is their clients that purchase the application. Maybe 20% come from personal contacts in some way.

No, I haven't used AdWords yet.

Re: How I Made $19,000 on the App Store While Learning to Code

#90

Post by nathanbarry »

wallflower wrote: post #62
nathanbarry wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, a programmer who can't design is able to release an ugly, but functional application. A designer who can't program will only make a beautiful but useless design. In this case I think the programmer has the advantage. Though my philosophy is to learn both.

> Though my philosophy is to learn both. How many of your friends are designers or artists?

I have a couple friends who are designers. But many more who are programmers.
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