Can a Single Person Develop an App? Have you ever had the idea of an app in mind and thought it could be a successful one? I personally have done that numerous times. Almost every business has shifted to offering its services and products through applications. Ordering food, transportation, clothes, streaming music, watching movies, etc. It surely turned into a major part of our daily lives. This has led to a great increase in demand for mobile applications in all fields. And with the high demand for apps, the demand for skilled app developers increased as well. Coming up with an idea is the first of many steps to making an app.
It also depends on a major factor, which is skills. Every app developer must have the skills required for mobile app development in order to execute ideas flawlessly and create a successful app. In this article, you’ll learn all about the skills required to make an app for both Android and iOS. and many things you should know in your journey, and how these skills are enough for a single person to develop an app.
The App Development Journey: Cost and Duration
First, when you first start thinking about developing your own app as a single person, the two questions that may come to your mind are; “How much does it cost to make an app by yourself?” and “How long does it take to build it by yourself?”
So, let’s answer these two questions and not keep you curious, shall we?
Pricing
App development pricing depends on many factors,
- The first and foremost is complexity. The complexity of your app is not limited to only the idea, it can also be the complexity of design, content, development process, features, etc.
- The type of app also plays a major role in the pricing scheme of your app.
- The platform you intend to release your app on is also something to consider in app development pricing.
Apps usually cost around an average of $150,000. They could reach as high as $200,000 or more or as low as $80,000 or a bit less. Pricing is not a fixed element, as it can vary significantly according to type and complexity, as mentioned above. Also, deciding whether to hire an app development team or work on it alone can make a great difference.
Duration
If you decide to go through the app development process on your own, make sure to prepare to spend most or all of your time on it.
The duration of app development also depends on many factors, such as pricing. A smaller, less complex app will take less time to develop than a big, more complex app. Each step in the app development process takes time. For example, researching an app takes up to 1–2 weeks on average. Design and UI can take 6 weeks, development 15 weeks, and testing 3 weeks. In total, the average time taken for the process would be 23 weeks and could reach up to 38 weeks.
Bear in mind that these numbers are calculated according to the work of app development teams. meaning that if a single person starts developing an app on his own, the estimated duration can be quadrupled.
Skills required to Develop a Mobile Application
Knowledge of programming languages
The first and most important skill needed to be found in an app developer is a great knowledge of programming languages. It’s necessary for an app developer to be aware of all the programming languages available. Programming languages used vary according to the operating system they are intended to be used on and also according to the type of app. For instance, The top app development programming languages used at the moment are:
- Java
- JavaScript
- Swift
- Kotlin
- Python (Remote vacancies for junior Python developers)
- Objective-C
- C/C++
Each type of app and platform has its own programming language that needs to be used correctly to ensure coming up with a sound app that is free of errors or bugs and can run seamlessly.
General Business Knowledge
General business knowledge and skills are essential for every field and aspect of life, not just app development. Understanding the business side of the app development process helps the app stand out. Whether marketing, SEO content strategy, customer support, business management, or data analysis skills indeed strengthen where your app lies within the market. It makes the app more visible and contributes to earning higher revenue in the future.
Cross-Platform App Development Skills
Cross-platform app development refers to the ability to develop apps on various platforms and having knowledge of all aspects. A skilled app developer should be adaptable and capable of creating an app that runs smoothly on all platforms without glitches or errors. This aims to reach all potential users and segments.
Project management
Effective project management skills are vital to developing a successful mobile app and are one of the most important non-technical skills every app developer should have. It’s the core of organizing the whole process and staying on track, making sure that each task is done on time to avoid any delay. Project management includes the capability of
- Task delegation
- Scheduling
- Communication
- Time management
All these major and crucial skills that can be mentioned alone lie within project management skills, and it’s what distinguishes an app developer.
Design Skills
First impressions always matter, and design skills are very important for creating a unique user experience. The look and feel of an app should be well-structured and consistent; this is the first thing that the user encounters and observes about the app. A well-structured design and user interface are said to always motivate users to come back to the app after using it for the first time. Good design skills are a necessity, as they boost customer satisfaction by improving the app’s functionality and accessibility, therefore helping create a unique experience that users can enjoy during their interactions with the application.
In conclusion, we’ve touched on the question of whether a single person can develop an app, and we mentioned some hints about what factors are necessary to be a skilled app developer. In fact, you could develop an app as single person without a team. You can start learning, working further, and improving yourself to start your app development journey confidently. You can get started right away with the nandbox app builder! The no-code app builder makes it easy for you to start on your own and work on all your skills while developing a native app with a variety of features to choose from.
