If you plan to build, an app, a website or a game, and need some technical support to code that magic for you, make sure you choose the right partner! 'Right' is not always the 'cheapest' partner! In my case, 'cheapest' will always be a dreaded title. Let me share my tale in ___ words:
Couple of years ago from today, I had an idea for a mobile app. Action was constraint by budget and time. I waited for a while and then at the right time (read: a short break) went for it with all guns blazing (read: no money). I started making a few calls to people whom I'd worked with and was confident of their technical expertise, trying to get them excited about my idea. I had worked on the logic, flow and the wire-frame of the app. What I wanted help with was fleshing the code. People whom I were confident of, turned out to be 'expensive'. I dug deeper and finally found this 'inexpensive' and 'impressive' start-up! Close to about 10 skype calls (We were continents apart - another constraint) and multiple mails later, we agreed to start working on the app!
I was asked to wire 50% of the total project cost as the advance to initiate work. I agreed to do so, since I understood how start-ups operate (can't really trust just another bloke with an idea). The first 2 weeks (briefing/lay-out/design/UI-first cut/journey) were quite punctual and the team appeared to be diligent, right on with the weekly call schedule. The agreed time required for the whole development was 1.5 months. Third week onwards, the weekly calls started getting rescheduled or cancelled - owing to hectic work. I had no option but to be patient with them. In no time, we were just a day away from the agreed launch date with a 'broken' app (don't want to get into the horrific details - the app looked like it suffered from bionic cirrhosis).
Let me cut the story short because you are busy: The app was not launched for another 2 months and it was never launched the way I had intended it to be (read: bug free). Getting the right partner/agency on-board is the most crucial part of the plan! Do it right, Do it once. Fail this, and you spend more time and money than what you'd scoped for - word.
Happy building.
