I’m really excited to have had the chance to interview two of the most successful iPhone apps developers out there. They are Mike Moon and Quoc Bui, co-founders of Free the Apps!. Free the Apps! is a leading independent iPhone app developer and even though Mike and Quoc are tech-geeks, they have been able to leverage the power of outsourcing to create an $800,000/year business and earn incredible passive income – only working a handful of hours per week.
I’ve been following their progress for a while and I have to say it’s been incredible and inspiring. Their inspiration has pushed me to test the waters on iPhone app development. So, without further ado, here’s the interview with Mike and Quoc on how to create an iPhone app with no previous experience.
1. I’m familiar with you guys, but tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you start your iPhone app business (Free The Apps!) and achieved this huge success?
We’re best friends that grew up together. After graduating college and working the 8-5 grind for a few years, we both just finished reading “The 4 Hour Work Week.” We were playing golf in San Diego one sunny day and started talking about the book and the new iPhone craze. We thought this was a great opportunity for a shot at passive income. We talked about all the garage start-ups that were becoming millionaires and we were attracted to the fact that this was a relatively low risk opportunity that had huge potential. We wanted to keep our first app simple and low cost, so we created Crop for Free. Crop for Free was successful and was mentioned in the New York Times.
2. What has been the most important aspect in creating a successful app business?
Keeping things simple. Start simple. You can also build upon your idea. By starting simple, you run into less issues, get your product out in a shorter time, and it will even end up being cheaper.
3. I know you are tech-geeks, but how can someone with no coding experience or low resources create an app?
Simple. Outsourcing! Why not leave this up to the experts? There are plenty of seasoned experts out there that will turn your ideas into a product. Too many people get stuck behind the hurdle of programming, but the fact is that even programmers outsource.
4. I see you outsource, do you think this is crucial to create a good app? Where can you find people outsource, or good developers?
Finding a good team and having a great idea is what is crucial to creating a good app. There are tons of professionals on Elance.com and Odesk.com that will help you get started.
5. Now, many people might be interested in developing an app but have no idea how much they cost to develop. Can you tell us how much (average) should anyone expect to spend while creating a “simple” app like Convert Units for Free or a more complex app like Angry Birds that includes high quality graphics and/or real-life motion?
You post on Elance.com and Odesk.com for free to get bids and get a rough idea of how much your idea will cost. By posting on these sites and getting bids, you can take the average cost of hiring a team of developers. This is the best way to gauge how much your project will cost. Apps can cost anywhere from less than $1000 to $10,000+.
6. Is there any program/software in particular you must learn how to use in order to develop an app? If so, what is the learning curve?
It might be helpful if you know how to compile in Xcode, so you can run your source code on the simulator on your computer. Your developers can help you with this if you are not experienced in this area. You also the option of having your developers create and ad-hoc version of the app and it is as simple as dragging and dropping to install it onto your device. They can even submit the application for approval to the App Store for you if you are not comfortable with this. Discuss all this with your potential developers that bid on your project.
7. For a newbie, do you recommend them to develop their first app as a paid app or as a free app? Why?
I would recommend to do both. Have a paid version a free version. The free version should have ads to monetize them and upsell the paid version. You can limit features/functionality of the free version. This way, you can cover both paid and free categories, while making money from both. You want to get as much exposure as you can get.
8. Do you think apps are a viable option for a passive income or does it require constant trade of hours for dollars?
I do think it is a viable option for passive income. The hours are up to you. You alone can decide how often you want to update your app and/or create new apps. We spend an average of 4-12 hours a week updating our current apps, creating new apps, and discussing any new ideas we might have.
9. Where can our readers find more about you?
http://www.freetheapps.com
Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/freetheapps
Fan us on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/FreeTheApps
Norbert here… Thank you so much Mike and Quoc for this great interview!
I also want to mention that Mike and Quoc have this incredible guide; “How to Make iPhone Apps With No Programming Experience”. I’ve read it and I can say it is one of the most complete iPhone app development guides out there. Honestly, this guide is the base of my iPhone app development experimentation. Everything I know about app development was learned through their guide. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in experimenting with app development because I know it is useful and inspiring for those interested in the iPhone app business.
Here’s the link to find out more about Free The Apps! guide.
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