It’s been a while since I posted, but I’ve been busy working on multiple apps. Have made a lot of decisions recently about which app to work on next, how to design it, how to monetize it, etc etc. I believe I have a plan now for the next four apps: today I submitted the paid version of app #3 to Apple for their review. The developer is beginning the pared down version (which will be free), which should be ready in a few days. Then I’ll have him do a similar app for app #4, with just a few changes in the logic to make it different than #3. I think this app (#4) has more potential than app #3, and it shouldn’t cost much at all because the changes to get to app #4 using the source code from app #3 are small.

Then, app #5 will be a larger project. I’ve been working on the design for a few weeks already, and believe it will be a great app. It is much more visually appealing than any of the other apps so far, and will be my first app with in-app purchases. It’ll take me a couple more weeks to finalize the design and finish getting the art files made up (including animations). I’m thinking about using my same developer for this, even though it’s a larger project. He’ll be more motivated to work on it because he’ll get paid more, but I’m still trying to be realistic on timeframes. It’ll probably take him a month to build it, another month to work through the issues, and one final month for me to get the small tweaks done to get it to feel right.

App #6 will be a different game entirely, but one that I’ve already figured out the mechanics for… like app #5, it’s a totally new concept for a game and I believe it will have big appeal. It’s a slightly bigger project than app #5.

App #7 is a new version of app #5, but with a bunch of levels and different challenges to accomplish. It’ll be the biggest app yet with the biggest potential.

I’m really excited these days with the progress in designing the new apps and working through the challenges.

In addition to submitting app #3 today, I just submitted an update to app #2 to Apple. Hoping it will improve visibility in the app store and improve downloads.

Last few days have been spent testing new builds of app #3 and making strategic decisions about app #4.

App #4 is definitely going to be a bigger project than the first 3 apps. The big decisions I’ve been working through have been:

• Whether to have levels or one board that randomly generates the board for each attempt.
• Whether to have advertising within the app.
• Which in-app purchases should be available and how to prompt for them.

I’ve now sorted through these issues for the most part and I’m now running tests with sample attempts at the game, while I continue to make adjustments to the game board and menu layout.

Additionally, I’m leaning toward hiring a different developer because I’m not totally confident my current developer can handle a larger project like app #4.

June Goals & recap of May Goals

Ok, I’m a few days late with my June goals. However, I’ve been thinking about them for the last few days and wasn’t ready to put them in writing until today. Here they are:

1. APPS – Get app #3 into the App Store, both free and paid versions. Find a developer for app #4. Finish artwork for app #4.
2. LEARN – continue iOS development book (this will fill in the time after everything I can do on goal #1 each day).
3. BLOG – blog each day about my progress the previous day.
4. PLAN – spend a few minutes each night planning what I want to accomplish tomorrow.
5. BALANCE – spend time each day thinking about what I’m grateful for.

The recap of my May goals:

1. APPS – Get app #3 into the App Store [could have made this without the strategic shift in the game that happened near the end of the month… in hindsight, it’s better to not make this goal and have a better app with more potential than to make the goal with a worse app].
2. LEARN – continue iOS development book (this will fill in the time after everything I can do on goal #1 each day). [Did a little bit in this book – not a lot since I was spending most of my time working on the app #4 and other app ideas].
3. BLOG – blog each day about my two hours the previous day. [Did not achieve this goal – my blogging faltered a bit].
4. BALANCE – spend time each day thinking about what I’m grateful for. [Did achieve this].

New builds galore

Each of the last few days I have received a new build of app #3 from the developer and tested it, validating the prior defects, logging the new defects, and sending the new issues back to the developer. He has been good about fixing things, but it seems like each time he fixes something, he breaks something else. I’m getting antsy to get this app done and I’m sure the developer is ready to be done with this one as well. I’d like to get it submitted to Apple this week so I can get moving on the next one, which I believe has a lot more potential and will be more complicated. Also app #4 will be made for iPad as well as iPhone, so there will be more work involved.

Spent my time yesterday finalizing the icon (which I’m doing by myself for this app since it’s so simple) and preparing the screenshots and metadata for app #3. Also got the leaderboards all setup in iTunes Connect. Hoping I picked good keywords for this app… guess we’ll see after it hits the store.

Got another build yesterday for build #3. Spent my time testing it, logging defects, validating fixed defects, and sending the current list of defects on to the developer to fix in the next build. The app keeps crashing about every 10 minutes… hope he can get it fixed!

I keep checking in on app #2 to see how it’s performing since going live a week and a half ago. It’s fun to watch it increase in downloads even though I haven’t changed anything… hope it keeps going!

If a tree falls in your front yard, and you want to ignore it, did it really fall?

Got a new build of app #3 yesterday morning from the developer. Which meant that I had to find time to get it tested without holding him up. Between church and Mother’s Day excitement, the morning and early afternoon were already gone… then as I’m getting ready to do some app testing, my neighbor knocks on my door to tell me that my giant tree just snapped in half in the wind. WTF! It was leaning on my house, which meant that I had to start cleaning it up right away before it caused any damage. That used up the rest of the afternoon. Then we ate dinner and put the kids into bed and it was 8:30 before I had a chance to get to the app testing. Oh well. At least I got it taken care of and sent back to the developer (he was likely asleep, on India time) while all the excitement was happening at my house anyway.

App #3 making progress… app #4 re-prioritized

Received a new build of app #3 from the developer early Saturday morning. I spent the entire morning on Saturday testing and documenting and preparing the feedback email for the developer. It’s making progress with each build.

Also, I’ve changed plans for which idea will be app #4… I’m going to build one of the ideas that came out of my migraine brainstorming session the other day. I think it has so much potential and I’d like it to be ready in time for an event in August where I could show the app as a vendor. That means we’ll need to hurry and finish up app #3 and so I want to make sure I’m not holding up the developer when he’s working on it. Also, I need to get through the design phase of app #4… it’s currently just an idea with some rough sketches.

New idea brainstorming session while recovering from a migraine

I had a migraine headache yesterday and took a sick day from my office job. So I spent some time working on new ideas while I was resting away the migraine. I like to give myself a challenge by asking my brain to come up with a new idea, and then let my brain go to work on it by putting away the laptop, the notebook/pen, turning off the music, etc. and just taking a nap or resting on the hammock. This is one of my favorite times in life… when I get to let my brain work on a challenge.

I came up with 3 new game app ideas that I think have real potential. I have to say that this may have been the most productive migraine I can remember.

Making progress on app #3

Yesterday, I skyped with the developer about app #3. He’s making progress on mode #1 and has started on mode #2 – there are 4 modes, so still some work left. Hopefully he’s making progress getting through the long list of items I sent him yesterday. I haven’t begun testing on the other size of device yet – still only on mine to this point. I’m sure there will be more issues once I begin with the other size… but I didn’t want to overwhelm him with too many findings at once. I think it’s still likely that app #3 will be done and in the store before the end of the month (my May goal #1).

So far, I like the gameplay – it’s easy to know how to play, but difficult to go really fast at it because it requires just a little bit of thinking before you can tap… seems like a good balance between simple and challenging.