Last August I posted on my debacle with the first app developer I
hired. Unfortunately, the news on the second guy I hired is equally disappointing. Last May, I contacted a developer whose app I had downloaded and
liked. It had animation, was interactive and fun. Fred and I Skyped and got to
know each other a bit. We discussed what type of app I wanted and if he
could produce it. He assured me he could and felt it would be a fun app
to develop. We had a contract and agreed on a price. A few weeks later he produced the
characters and showed them in animation form and, as per our agreement,
was paid the first installment. We remained in weekly contact so that I
could stay up to date on the app's progress. Then suddenly, his personal
life began to unravel. Our weekly meetings turned into once every two
weeks and from there petered down into no meetings. He stopped answering
my emails. I did not know what to think. I continued to periodically
send emails hoping to hear from him. Finally, I did.
Fred
responded to my email four months later, in January of this year. He
explained a bit about his absence and said he was ready to continue
developing the app. I breathed a sigh of relief. We began Skyping again.
This lasted about two months. Then just as suddenly as Fred had reappeared,
he disappeared. Has his personal life taken over his professional
life? Again, I do not know what to think. I do know, though, that, a
year later, I have nothing to show for the initial monies I paid him.
What
lessons have I learned the second time around? I have learned that
too often there are individuals who say they can produce the app one
wants, but the reality is they cannot. My app involved animation and
interactivity. I now believe that those two components are still
difficult to produce in an app, especially if they are the heart of the
app. For now, it is best to develop an app that uses
minimal to no animation.
I still feel that if one has a good idea for an
app it is worth developing. Although there are companies producing many
apps, there is still room for the individual. Even though I have been
twice burned, I would still recommend going it alone. It gives one
control and most of the profits as well.
