The Art of the App Store: The Business of Apple Development

MANAGING YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Thus far in this chapter, you've been introduced to quite a lot of information to digest, such as procuring outsourced talent, determining how much this is actually going to cost, starting to think about your overall plan, and wondering how it's going to all come together.

Just remember, if you have an idea, there's a way to get it done, whether or not it ends up as grand or full-featured as you first envisioned. Cut back if you have to. Refine the design so that the core features stand out. And, if you ensure that it's as polished as it can be, most anything can have a chance.

The purpose of this chapter is to give you a reasonable expectation of the overall scope and cost of doing an app. As mentioned, depending on scope, time, and execution, that can mean anything from $5,000 to hundreds of thousands. Just plan accordingly.

The App Store as a Crowded Zoo

As you'll read in Chapter 3, the App Store is a chaotic, crowded, and exciting place — and growing all the time. Before you start production, it will be vitally important to do your competitive research and ensure that your planned app's core features haven't already been usurped by a competitor — unless you can do them better, and perhaps that's your plan.

By mid-2011, roughly 20 main categories and more than 400,000 active apps appeared in the iPhone App Store, with books, games, and entertainment totaling roughly 40 percent of the entire store (see www.148Apps.biz). This all shows that if you're ...