How much does it cost to build an app?

This is the most common question we get asked. Very generally, most of our projects are in the 150K-500K range. Mobile apps typically start at around 250K including a web component. Of course there are much more expensive projects as well. Uber (not our app) famously cost over 1 million dollars to build. Every project is different and the cost of your project will depend on a few things:

• What does it need to do? Each feature has a cost. Apps like Facebook have many features, while some apps such as Whitagram (which makes pictures square by adding a background) only do one thing. Generally, the more features, the more cost.

• Who is it for? Apps that need to broadly appeal to the general public and handle every case intuitively tend to cost more than apps that are for a narrow group of people who can be trained to handle tricky situations.

• What platforms do you need to support? We use a technology that allows us to write one codebase for Apple and Android products at the same time. We then use a separate codebase for the web. This means it’s more expensive to do mobile and web than it would be to just do mobile, or web.

• How slick should it be? A really smooth, pleasant, intuitive user interface can make your product stand out and can literally mean the difference between success and failure. It also takes time and there’s a cost to that time. Generally, the more you want to emulate neat things you’ve seen in commercial apps, the more you will spend.

We can provide more specific information on the cost of your particular project in a high-level estimate after the first meeting. This will be a broad range - think X-2X - and is meant to help you make an early decision about whether the basic numbers work before you invest in design and scoping. Design and scoping allows us to get to a fixed number.

Do you take equity for development?

We don’t, because we don’t believe it’s generally in the either party’s best interests to exchange equity for development work. We want you to be successful and happy and we want the same thing for our business. We pour our heart and soul into the work requested and you own it 100% once it’s paid for in full.

I have a project that was started by another company and now I need to find a new partner. Will you work on it?

Yes, if we feel it’s a good fit all around. That comes down to a few things:

• Is there a technology fit? Do we feel confident that we can do a good job on this project given the technical constraints already in place?

• Is there a values and culture fit? This is a consideration for any new project, and it’s especially important when a lot of the groundwork has already been laid. To learn more about our values, read our Manifesto.

• Is there an expectations fit? Does it need some light polishing, a total overhaul, or something in between? Both we and the client need to be in agreement about what is needed and the resources required to get there.

Do I own the code?

Yes, for most purposes. We do work for hire which means that we don’t attempt to retain any ownership over the code once it’s paid for. You can do whatever you like with it once it’s paid for in full, including take it to another developer. We do use open-source components and those components have specific licensing that normally prevents you from “owning” them, but you can use them and for most purposes that’s all you need. We also follow best practices and use proven patterns, meaning that there may be substantial amounts of code that is re-used among multiple projects. For example, a login form is a common feature present in many projects. We don’t re-invent the wheel when we do this, we use similar or even identical code among many projects.

Do you sign NDAs?

We will look at any NDA you want us to, and most we are able to sign. We don’t sign NDAs that say we will not work in a particular industry (we’d go out of business if we did that) or that make any designs or other work product the property of the client prior to payment changing hands. Please email NDAs at least 24 hours in advance of the first meeting so we have a chance to read them. We will not sign a previously unseen NDA on the spot, as we need a chance to read through and make sure we understand what we are agreeing to. This is for your benefit as well as ours.

Do you offer support after the project launches?

Yes, and it’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to thrive for 16 years. We know that code is just part of what we do — it’s the wraparound services that enhance success that keep clients coming back. We can’t wait to tell you more about our support at your first meeting.

Will you tell me if you think it’s a good idea or not?

Yes, and also no. There are great ideas that fail and ridiculous ideas that succeed. We aren’t fortune tellers. What we can and will do is identify potential risks and opportunities with your idea and share those with you candidly. Occasionally, we’ve told clients we don’t advise putting money into their idea because of specific threats that didn’t have clear counter measures. Fairly often, we’ve suggested clients align their resources behind the portion of the idea that had the strongest market appeal or some other asset. We want you to succeed, and we’ll advise you honestly and to the best of our ability to maximize the strengths of your ideas. We can’t and don’t guarantee outcomes — and you shouldn’t trust anyone who does.