iOS Hiring Developer Concerns

[laxplayer22]

I'm about to hire a freelance app developer.

My main concern is, even after the app is complete, that I will be reliant on the developer to maintain it. An obvious concern is if they go MIA or increase the price.

I have no experience with apps.

1. Would I be able to edit it?
2. Would I be able to replace the developer if necessary?
3. Is there an admin panel or anything to edit like I can with Wordpress?

Thanks to anyone who can assist.

Alex

 

[Punkjumper]

You can only edit it in Xcode, no admin panel. Unless there is a server component then it's possible for an admin panel to adjust stuff from the server but not anything with the app. Include in the contract that you want the source code then any developer can update it. Expect to pay a developer on a regular basis to maintain it.

 

[daflake]

Alex,

You need to make sure your contract is sound before you hire someone. As far as coding is concerned, no, without some skill I doubt you will easily be able to modify it but if he codes correctly, it should be commented so that you at least know what the code block is trying to accomplish.

My advice? Hire a lawyer to draw up the contract based on your concerns.

 

[xStep]

What ever you do, include in the contract that you receive and own all the resources. So, source code, images, and audio. Whatever is involved in creating the completed product.

A non-compete clause of some time limit is also wise.

Finally, pay for a developer license and set that up under your company name and submit the app via that account. You could leave this to the end when ready to submit.

 

[1458279]

These are all good points, but I would add in what tools are being used so that you don't get trapped into a corner.

Example: Some use Xcode/ObjC to develop apps, others use Corona or some other 3rd party tool to develop a program that runs on all platforms.

Some use Apple's SpriteKit, others use Cocoa2D, etc...

If the contract programmer has a background in certain tools, he'll likely want to use those and you might find it hard to get another programmer that knows those tools well enough to do the changes you want.

I'd get a listing of all tools used so that you can determine how popular they are.

Graphics are a concern as well, some graphics (IIRC Vector) can scale while others don't.

Apple now supports several screen sizes, making and keeping track of all the graphics can become a job. Not to mention legal rights to the graphics. Some programmers are not artists and some just grab graphics where they find them without getting legal rights and some sites that sell graphic sets have legal limits. You don't want to be stuck in a spot where you have to redo everything because of a legal snag.

Whatever you do, make sure you don't pay all upfront and have a bulk of the money due after it's complete. So many stories about not getting a complete package after most of the money is paid.

Don't forget that Apple can reject any app for many reasons, have the contract cover these things in advance so that you know who's job is what.

 

[iizmoo]

I'm about to hire a freelance app developer.

My main concern is, even after the app is complete, that I will be reliant on the developer to maintain it. An obvious concern is if they go MIA or increase the price.

I have no experience with apps.

1. Would I be able to edit it?
2. Would I be able to replace the developer if necessary?
3. Is there an admin panel or anything to edit like I can with Wordpress?

Thanks to anyone who can assist.

Alex

1. Realistically, probably not
2. Yes, but it depend on what your old developer did and the skill of the new developer. Let say your original developer is incompetent, the new developer would probably just end up rewriting most of the app. So your milage here can varies drastically. This is a problem even for people who are familiar with technical projects, unless you're a software engineer and can do the QA yourself, this is always a risk when getting others to do the work.
3. No

Native mobile application development is on the higher end of software product development. It's not for the weak or inexperience. You don't sound like you have a good grasp of this, might want to hit up a technical cofounder before you go down this path. Or even if that's not possible, become friendly with someone who has a lot more experience with the tech stuffs and ask them to help overwatch the project management.

Another thing is to ask yourself if you really really need a native app. For a lot of cases and when resources are limited, a responsive web site might be a better strategy. It's not a replacement for, or has as much depth, but the development risk profile is a lot lower and changes cost less money.