Conversation Starters

● Building, writing software is hard and not for everyone so don’t feel bad if it is not for you.

● Hackathons are not the solution to your development challenges.

● Use free, open source resources to get you started, then find the best process for you to learn.

So you want to build a mobile app?

Building a mobile application is not building a company, it is just an app!

Does anyone care other than you?

David's notes

Have you done any research on the solution you're trying to bring to the marketplace? Does it have any competitors? If not, is it such an obscure niche that you'll struggle to build a sizable user base?

Just An App – Other Concerns

● Where is the content coming from?

● What is your marketing plan?

● Where is the website?

● How will you get noticed?

● Who will support the app/website/data storage

● What will keep people engaged?

Don’t Forget About User Experience and User Design…

Mobile apps don’t come with a user’s manual

What’s An App - Terminology

● Mobile Web Application/Site

● Web Based Hybrid Mobile Application

● Javascript-Hybrid Mobile Application

● Native Mobile Application

● Progressive Web Application

Mobile Websites

● Web site modified to support mobile web browsers

● This is the baseline that you should look to support

● Google has modified search to prioritize mobile enabled sites

● Can be addressed using responsive design or mobile specific frameworks when building app

Web Based Hybrid Mobile Applications

● A website packaged in a native container

● Popular Framework is Apache Cordova aka Phonegap

● Provides access to native functionality through plugins

● User’s download application App Store & Google Play

● The User Interface is still web based technologies

Web Based - Hybrid Frameworks

● Ionic Framework - AngularJS

● jQuery Mobile

● Touchstone - ReactJS

● Sencha Touch

● KendoUI

● Intel XDK

JavaScript - Hybrid Mobile Applications

● Programing in Javascript - compiling with libraries to generate native code

● Provides access to native functionality through javascript libraries/APIs

● User’s download application App Store & Google Play

● The User Interface is NATIVE not HTML/CSS

JavaScript is Everywhere Where is My Data Stored?

JavaScript - Hybrid Mobile Frameworks

• Appcelerator - JavaScript

• Xamarin - C#

• ReactNative - Javascript

• RubyMotion – Ruby

• Telerik – Full Suite of tools Native & HTML • (Telerik)NativeScript - JavaScript

Why Does This Matter?

• This information is to educate you on options for your mobile development solution.

• You don’t have to learn objective-c, swift, java, C# to get your project jumpstarted.

• Educate yourself to protect yourself and your vision.

Where is My Data Stored?

• Build & Host your own backend

• Let some one else build it for you

Hire a Team?

• Database Developer

• Operations Resource

• Ruby, PHP, NodeJS or Resource

• $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Not So Fast…

Do I have any clients yet?

Integrated Backend Platform Solutions

• Kinvey – Data, Analytics, Push, 3rd Party API

• Parse – Data, Analytics, Push

• Appcelerator - Data, Analytics, Push, 3rd Party API

• Backand - Data, Analytics, Push

• Ionic – Analytics, Push

Data Integration

• Most have JavaScript libraries

• All Support REST API

• Some are free, others have starter pricing

• IMHO, Best & least expensive way to get Solution up and running

Quick Summary – Getting the MVP Built

There are more cost effective ways to build the initial MVP of your mobile solution than build a native objective-c, java application; know your options

Quick Summary – The WHOLE Product

Your PRODUCT is more than an application, factor in all aspects of a complete solution to make sure your vision can be achieved

Quick Summary - Back-end

You don’t necessarily need to hire a Ruby, PHP, NodeJS resource to build your backend database, there are more cost efficient options for the early phase of your solution

Firebase