I have a dream...

delaney001

Hi,
I want to develop an idea I have for an app. I know ye all just rolled your eyes and said here we go again, but stick with me. I'll try not to piss ye all off with the usual 'how much does it cost to make an app that I can give you no details on'. And I'll try use the word idea as little as possible.
Ok so initially I thought it would be worthwhile to do a free online developers course. But I've since realised it wouldn't be a good use of my time. Instead I should reach out to someone with the skills to do the developing part.
Therein lies the issue, I genuinely have no idea where to go bar here, to speak to someone who develops. So if any of ye could help me out with my questions below id very much appreciate it.
App: a sports app that lists results and fixtures for one sport only. similar to the livescore app but a few small differences. It'll be linked to to a host of different (but similar) websites for it's information. I'd also like it to be linked to a teams Facebook page or twitter. If that's not enough info just ask and I'll try answer, but being a noob I'm obviously afraid of giving away the whole 'idea'...

My questions:
Where would you advise me to go to try get it developed. Is there companies that do this or do you have to reach out to a individual?
What kind of timescale do these kind of things take. I know it's hard to say with limited info, but am I talking closer to a month or a year?
Any idea what kind of cost I'm looking at? Again any idea at all.
Regarding the cost if I pay someone to make this, will I need to bring them back everytime it needs updating or fixing? Or do people kind of plan that in from the beginning, that they will work on any changes required after launching?
Do developers look to get involved in the ownership of the idea or is it normally a straight payment system?

If I've pissed you off with my naive thinking/questions I'm sorry. If I haven't and your interested to know more,feel free to PM me.

Cheers

NotCominBack

How much have you got to spend?

delaney001

NotCominBack wrote: »

How much have you got to spend?

Ah sure I dunno really. If this was something I thought might actually make money (through advertising, it'd def be free to download) someday I could accept spending a decent bit on it.

But tbh I don't think id like to sink more than €3,000 on it. Am I mad to think of get anything off the ground for that kind of money?? (As per above I really am clueless to the kind of figures these things run to)

NotCominBack

you could get an app up and running for 3k - not sure about maintenance costs though, hosting, support etc - a good developer would be looking at 200 - 300 per day min for a build once you know exactly what you want, at 3k that would be 10 to 15 days work - IMO thats doable for a half decent app

delaney001

NotCominBack wrote: »

you could get an app up and running for 3k - not sure about maintenance costs though, hosting, support etc - a good developer would be looking at 200 - 300 per day min for a build once you know exactly what you want, at 3k that would be 10 to 15 days work - IMO thats doable for a half decent app

Thanks, I now have at least a rough idea of what kind of figures to work with.

NotCominBack

wouldnt go rushing out to spend 3k though without doing a lot of research first, vast majority of apps make little or no money

The Corinthian

3k won't get you far, certainly for the type of app you want to write. Ultimately you want to build an n-tier solution - an app client that hooks into a Web based application that pulls data from a database, which in turn needs to be populated and updated somehow. So you're not just building an app; you're building an app, a Web application, integrating it somehow into a data-source and then you're maintaining it. Bit more complex than Flappy Birds and so 3k won't last long - also because there's going to be other costs; hosting, marketing and potentially for data feeds or media assets also.

Realistically, you're going to have to take on a partner. Offering some of that 3k as an additional incentive will help, but ultimately you will need to sell them your idea (and with it a slice of the company). So ask yourself, why would they want to own part of this app? Why would they want to become your business partner (you currently bring an 'idea' and 3k to the table and that's not much)? Think of how someone who is not automatically as excited as you about it as you would assess your idea and why they may want to leave a perfectly good job to pursue it.

And the first step is for you to do a lot of research on the market, competitors and how your idea would become a successful business, because that is what people will come on board for at the end of the day, not an 'idea'.

Maximus Alexander

I had an idea for an app about five years ago, so I decided to start learning Java. I already had a background in IT / Engineering, but I wasn't a programmer. Over those years I've become comfortable in Java, C#, VB and SQL, as well as dabbling in C++, Cg and HTML5.

I've forgotten what my original app idea was - but now I have a job as a developer and I make games in my spare time for fun so it was worth it. Maybe consider doing that developer course. Most apps will never make money, but at least if you do the work yourself you're not sinking too much into it in order to find out and you'll learn some valuable skills along the way.

AnCatDubh

delaney001 wrote: »

It'll be linked to to a host of different (but similar) websites for it's information.

Just one thing to consider is the content which you propose to link to which (assuming is original content) will be copyright of the site's owner, and to be ethical about the whole thing you will need to either (a) have permission to lift their content for free, or (b) licence that content from them. It will very much depend on who those sites are - some may not care in the slightest, but if your app were to get popular you will be at their behest in terms of 'allowing' you access their content. Others may be perfectly agreeable if you licence their content appropriately, and others will refuse point blank and greet you with an introduction to their legal advisors :eek:

Not in the slightest bit trying to dissuade you (and, perhaps you have the angle above already covered), but just trying to steer you in the right direction of all things to consider prior to you investing your money into it.

Good luck with it.

delaney001

The Corinthian wrote: »

3k won't get you far, certainly for the type of app you want to write. Ultimately you want to build an n-tier solution - an app client that hooks into a Web based application that pulls data from a database, which in turn needs to be populated and updated somehow. So you're not just building an app; you're building an app, a Web application, integrating it somehow into a data-source and then you're maintaining it. Bit more complex than Flappy Birds and so 3k won't last long - also because there's going to be other costs; hosting, marketing and potentially for data feeds or media assets also.

Realistically, you're going to have to take on a partner. Offering some of that 3k as an additional incentive will help, but ultimately you will need to sell them your idea (and with it a slice of the company). So ask yourself, why would they want to own part of this app? Why would they want to become your business partner (you currently bring an 'idea' and 3k to the table and that's not much)? Think of how someone who is not automatically as excited as you about it as you would assess your idea and why they may want to leave a perfectly good job to pursue it.

And the first step is for you to do a lot of research on the market, competitors and how your idea would become a successful business, because that is what people will come on board for at the end of the day, not an 'idea'.

Thanks, really appreciate the in-depth response. I actually have someone else with me who is as interested, so I think if we really felt it was going to work, we could probably drum up 8/9,000 between us.

But market research is where its going next. We have a lot of it to do, but hopefully it'll end up being positive. I'm sure everyone says it at some stage (foolishly) but I really am confident about it. I think it has a great chance.

delaney001

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Just one thing to consider is the content which you propose to link to which (assuming is original content) will be copyright of the site's owner, and to be ethical about the whole thing you will need to either (a) have permission to lift their content for free, or (b) licence that content from them. It will very much depend on who those sites are - some may not care in the slightest, but if your app were to get popular you will be at their behest in terms of 'allowing' you access their content. Others may be perfectly agreeable if you licence their content appropriately, and others will refuse point blank and greet you with an introduction to their legal advisors :eek:

Not in the slightest bit trying to dissuade you (and, perhaps you have the angle above already covered), but just trying to steer you in the right direction of all things to consider prior to you investing your money into it.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for your reply. I'll hopefully be pulling from a lot of sites, but they're actually all similar themed or run by similar organisations. I have a gut feeling that there wont be any issue with the content, if it works the way I see it going, if anything it will help the original creators, or if not help it will get them their original aim via a different route.

But you are definitely right some people may take a very different view to it than I am expecting. Thanks for pointing it out to me, I prob would have taken it for granted I could take the content and forward it on on my own medium. I imagine its the kind of thing where asking permission before would be a lot easier than looking for it after the fact.

The Corinthian

delaney001 wrote: »

Thanks, really appreciate the in-depth response. I actually have someone else with me who is as interested, so I think if we really felt it was going to work, we could probably drum up 8/9,000 between us.

All I'd say is choose carefully when you take on a business partner. Make sure you compliment each other, rather than essentially do the same thing, that they have the character and discipline to carry a business and consider how their role will likely evolve over time - finding that you're carrying dead weight two years down the line is never nice.

But market research is where its going next. We have a lot of it to do, but hopefully it'll end up being positive. I'm sure everyone says it at some stage (foolishly) but I really am confident about it. I think it has a great chance.

Just focus on it being a business, not an 'idea' or simply a technical project. You might want to seek advice from more business orientated fora too, such as the Entrepreneurial & Business Management board.