Disqus - Friends of joestampone

Re: Technical = Coder. Non-Technical = Non-Coder. - Find Office Space - 42Floors

Jason Freedman — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:11:43 -0000

We have this problem in industries where education and pedigree aren't as important. When someone says they studied law at Yale, you know that they have a certain level of training.
When someone says he or she is a coder, you have no idea--they could be anywhere in the full range of talent.

Re: Why Technology is Driving More Urban Renewal

Justin Bedecarre — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 06:20:27 -0000

Hey Mark and Brad, I recently answered a question on Quora that addresses this issue and includes Techcrunch posts and my infographic that I included here as well. http://www.quora.com/Pinter...

Re: How Much Does It Cost To Make An iPhone App?

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:50:04 -0000

David Li's answer is definitely the most accurate. The average quote for a non-game app will typically range between $1-5K, and elaborate games can absolutely exceed $100K. But Ryan Tinker's answer ($12-20K just for a test app, up to $100K for "official") is way off. Maybe his startup ended up paying that amount because they had investor money and they felt it was justified / could afford it. Whatever the case, I know for a fact that you can safely pay less than $5K TOTAL (in some cases, less than $2K) and make a solid app with a great ROI.

If you're getting a complete app developed for under $500, you're not going to be happy with the results. Period. Don't use any of those "free app generator" sites. They're all garbage, and you can't build a truly valuable / profitable app with such generic tools. A junior level programmer will usually charge $125/hr, but you want to stick with a flat rate to have your app developed. Otherwise, your programmer will very likely end up billing you more hours than they originally quoted, and they'll have no incentive to finish the app quickly.

Another thing to consider is the cost of a good designer, which is equally (if not more) important. My designer charges $125/hr, but you absolutely should not skimp on this. An amazing designer who can improve an app's UX is worth their weight in gold. Sometimes the programmer can handle both coding and design, but those who can do both WELL are pretty rare.

The best strategy is to have your programmer incorporate three iterations (i.e. fixes) of your app's build into their quote, with a bonus if they finish the app on time. Divide the app up into 3-5 parts, make each component into a separate milestone, then set dates for when they can expect to be delivered. Also have them handle posting it to the store, which is slightly technical, and be sure to have your app developer account set up ($99/year to Apple).

But before you commit to doing ANY of this, you need to make sure the demand for your app idea actually exists. Spend a few weeks monitoring the top charts first (top paid, top free, top grossing). Are people actually downloading and paying for similar apps? Has someone already developed your idea and failed to find an audience? If the demand isn't there, you probably will not see a return on your idea...

Re: With gratitude: 12 months best seller!

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:24:07 -0000

Big congrats, Shaa :)

Re: Rosie Schaap: ‘Bars are great laboratories for storytelling’

Charlie Hoehn — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:23:50 -0000

Good insight. There's a much greater degree of honesty that comes with drinking in a social setting. Chuck Palahniuk actually wrote most of Fight Club in bars, asking people what their biggest fears and regrets were (http://charliehoehn.com/200...

Re: Session

Charlie Hoehn — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:45:51 -0000

Thrilled to hear it, thanks so much Liz.

Re: Session

Charlie Hoehn — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:47:57 -0000

Agreed, which is why I recommend books. Journalists consistently deprive people of useful and accurate information. Authors tend to do the opposite (but hey, I'm biased)

Re: Session

Charlie Hoehn — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:48:36 -0000

Re: Session

Charlie Hoehn — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 12:09:26 -0000

Thanks for the comment, SW. The problem doesn't lie so much with the journalists (who are typically well-intentioned), but the incentives of the industry the work in. Almost every news outlet makes their money through advertisements. In order to earn a profit, these outlets need as many people to see their ads as possible. And because they’re all selling the same product, they have to fight for our attention every single minute.

How do they win our attention, generally speaking? By providing useful and accurate information, or by shocking and enraging us with sensationalist headlines and artificially inflated drama?

The sad truth is that most news outlets don't stick to very rigorous standards when it comes to investigative reporting, biased agendas, relevant information, facts, whether they’re poisoning their audience’s psyche, etc. What they report on is determined by the numbers: page views, shares, and eyeballs for their ads. The news can be helpful, but I believe it does far more harm on a personal and cultural level than most of us recognize.

http://www.theguardian.com/...

Re: Learning to Play and Boosting Productivity – with Charlie Hoehn

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 13:04:38 -0000

Awesome. Thank you so much Lisa, so glad to hear it :)

Re: He did $2.6M in sales, so why was he so anxious? – with Charlie Hoehn

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:26:54 -0000

My pleasure Robert!

Re: He did $2.6M in sales, so why was he so anxious? – with Charlie Hoehn

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:27:09 -0000

Awesome, thank you Brian.

Re: He did $2.6M in sales, so why was he so anxious? – with Charlie Hoehn

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:27:15 -0000

Awesome, thanks! Andrew was great to talk to, he's such a nice guy and an outstanding conversationalist. Tucker Max kept telling me he was the best guy to do an interview with, and I'm inclined to agree :)

Re: He did $2.6M in sales, so why was he so anxious? – with Charlie Hoehn

Charlie Hoehn — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:27:41 -0000

Wahoo! Agreed on Flux, it's awesome.

Re: Recession Proof Graduate VIP | Welcome To Recession Proof Graduate VIP (4:00) | Accelerate Your Career

Charlie Hoehn — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 17:07:54 -0000

I know. This is one of my favorite videos of all time.

Re: 80-20 Business Idea Validation (Fastest Way To Start A Business)

Charlie Hoehn — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 14:21:18 -0000

You forgot step 7: Throw a "bone broth launch party" and FAIL TO SERVE ANYONE THE PRODUCT. #neverforget

Re: Real Estate Crowdfunding Checklist for Investors

Dan Miller — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 10:59:59 -0000

Thanks, Chris. Really appreciate your thoughts and feedback.

- Dan