Constant Variables

Tim interviews Tom of Kindu, who shares how he developed a mobile app which attracted hundreds of thousands of users with no previous development or marketing experience.

Tim interviews Jonathan Richter of Winnona Partners, a mobile app consultancy, who shares the lessons he's learned around the business of app development which you can apply to your own iOS and Android projects.

Tim interviews Pedram Nastaean and Yomiyu Hirpa of Kwikly, an on-demand dental staffing agency, who share how they were able to launch a mobile-based company with minimal previous technical experience.

Mobile app developers throw around a lot of jargon and buzzwords, but you don't need to fear them! In this episode, Tim and Rob explain several common acronyms and terms you'll hear when working with a development team.

Validating an app idea requires objectivity, introspection, and a bit of blind faith. Tim and Rob discuss three metrics they use when approached to determine whether or not it would make a good mobile app.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why you need to find 10 people who are dying for your app to exist before you begin building it
• How much commitment it takes to see an app succeed
• The importance of thinking long-term when crafting an app idea

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded February 22, 2018 | Edited by Jordan Daoust

Even though we get paid to release apps for our clients, it has been a while since we've built and released one of our own. In this episode, Tim and Rob discuss the recent release of mncraft.beer, a new Minnesota brewery tracking app.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why we are app developers and not product namers
• How "free" work will always cost you *something*
• Making money isn't necessarily the only source of revenue
• That three years leaves a lot of time for self-improvement

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded February 1, 2018
Edited by Jordan Daoust

Show Notes:

• mncraft.beer
• Random Celebrity Generator
• Half Staff App
• FTP Camera
• Minecraft
• Mimi
• Leeann Chin
• Great Clips App

Most mobile applications (especially on-demand apps) require a server to keep everything running smoothly. In this episode, Tim and Rob explain what a server is and the role it plays in your mobile software system.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why the server is "The One App To Rule Them All"
• How "the cloud" plays into your server
• What is the "front end" and "backend" of an app
• Enough about databases and APIs to make you dangerous

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded January 11, 2018
Edited by Jordan Daoust

When building an on-demand app, who do you try to get on your platform first: customers or service providers? In this episode, Tim and Rob suggest 7 techniques you can use to sustainably grow your on-demand app.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to get large by starting small
• The value in acting as the service provider yourself
• Why getting your 1,000 true fans is crucial to success
• That money really does solve all your problems

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded December 14, 2017
Edited by Jordan Daoust

On-demand apps like Uber and Postmates are among the more technically complex apps you can build. In this episode, Tim and Rob explain how these apps work in an easy-to-understand way.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How your mobile apps allow users to browse products/services, place an order, and track the progress of the order in real time
• Steps you can implement to save battery resources for your service providers
• Why you need a third-party payment provider to do your credit card processing
• The way you can manage all of this chaos through an administrative dashboard

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded November 9, 2017
Edited by Jordan Daoust

A common way to cut down on mobile app development costs is to only build out one platform at a time. Tim and Rob explain the advantages to building on either iOS or Android, and provide tips for choosing which platform is right for your product.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Which platform tends to bring in the most money
• Which platform tends to attract the most users
• The reason "fragmentation" can play a role in your decision to develop for Android

This episode is brought to you by The Jed Mahonis Group, who builds mobile software solutions for the on-demand economy. Learn more at http://jmg.mn.

Recorded November 2, 2017
Edited by Jordan Daoust