Planning is a fundamental part of our lives. We plan our vacations, weddings, and even meals for the next day. It's a habit we've developed to avoid feeling lost. The same principle applies to complex tasks like app development. Without a solid plan, we risk getting lost in the process.
After more than ten years of building apps, I can safely say that I've mastered the process and know a thing or two about planning and building an app from start to finish (and beyond).
In recent years, I have focused on coding ideas to life in the shortest time possible (30 days). Imagine having a functional app coded in just 30 days, where you have all the standard features like authentication, navigation, settings, profile screen, dashboard (and much more), plus the core feature that makes up the app.
30-Day Plan: Step-by-Step Guide
You may ask yourself, ‘‘How is that even possible?‘‘. You may have looked at many websites and talked to freelancers or agencies. They charge you a lot of money and give you extended deadlines they might miss because they unnecessarily overcomplicate things or are not on the same page.
I carefully analyzed all my previous projects and clients and devised a simple three-step process: Prepare, Plan, and Execute, which relies on clear and transparent coLet'scation along the way. Let’s go into details.
Prepare (1-2 days)
Preparation is the key to success! In 1-2 days, I sit with the eager entrepreneur, and we write everything down:
What he wants to achieve,
How the users should interact and perceive their idea
The core feature and how it works
What colors should we use, and which message should it convey
and much more
Question after question, until we have everything written down until we paint the whole picture.
Plan (1-3 days)
In this phase, I sit in front of a blank canvas and start drawing a diagram of features and functionalities, identifying which pieces interact with which. I imagine the whole app living before me—everything defined and specified.
Execute (~25 days)
The clock starts ticking, and it’s a race against time that I need to win. Luckily, I came prepared! I have created tools, components, and plans that help kick-start the project and save me a month’s development time. The development looks like the following:
Day one. I create the project, added the most critical dependencies, and set them up,
Day two. I add the theme and colors, prepared the fonts, and created the splash screen.
Day there. I add authentication (login, register, forgot password, verify email..) and add crash reporting.
Day four. I create navigation for all screens, connect it with authentication, and prepare deep linking functionality.
Day five. I add settings and user profile screens and created the first build so the entrepreneur could review his app.
Day six. I add the dashboard with tab navigation and drawer menu (if needed) and add analytics and performance events to the app.
Day seven. I create a new App/Play Store app, fill in all the details, set everything up, and submit the first internal testing (private beta) build.
From day eight to twenty-two. I focus on the core feature, implement it, and ensure it works smoothly. Every few days, I create a new build for the entrepreneur to see the incremental implementation and get feedback.
The last few days will be used for minor changes and improvements, polishing everything, and submitting the final app build to the stores.
Communication
Communication is crucial to success. I regularly meet with the entrepreneur to catch up. We talk about the progress, how he likes the app, whether there are any changes or improvements we should focus on, and much more.
Now What?
If you are interested in my process and would like to see it in action, or if you have an app idea that you want to bring to life, you can message me to get a free quote and guidance.
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