How to Find a Good Mobile App Developer

Mobile apps are booming. With mobile internet usage on the rise, and people growing more attracted to their phones every day, companies realize that having a powerful and engaging mobile app is necessary for their future survival. 

According to Statista, 134.5 thousand new Android apps were released to Google Play in May 2019. In 2022, 97 thousand apps were released just in October. 

The destiny of the mobile app depends on many things. But if the company is new and doesn’t have a strong brand yet, the key success factor becomes finding the best app developers for startups in the US that will understand the task and execute it perfectly. 

But finding good developers, both for mobile app development outsourcing and in-house hiring can be difficult. So we’ve created a list of tips that will make this process easier for anyone needing qualified and engaged team members. 

What to know before looking for a mobile app developer 

Hiring a good mobile app developer doesn’t start with CVs, interviews, or asking them about the mobile app development tools they use. It begins with the key team members and managers sitting down and brainstorming ideas that will become the foundation for a fruitful and efficient partnership on mobile app development.  

• Understand what problem you are solving and who your target audience is. This is the critical information you must be ready for before talking to any programmer. Understand what value your future application will add to the end users’ lives. 

• Not all developers can work with the platform you need and create the services you want. Identify the essential requirements and other basics before looking for candidates. This will save you money and headache. 

• Consider validating your idea before making the hire. Sometimes startups reach out to Emphasoft to build an MVP because they don’t have the time or resources to do that themselves. They want to ensure the idea has real market potential, and we enable them to do that with minimal costs. Then, once the MVP is verified, they either proceed with hiring internally or outsource the product to us. But the bottom line is – they make sure bigger investments are worthwhile by running quick user tests with a cheaper option (MVP) first.

Hiring a mobile app developer: Your Options

Once the key information about the app is established, it’s time to decide what hiring format would make the most sense in a particular scenario. There are three options that everyone from a startup to a small business to a huge corporation has: in-house hiring, going with freelancers, or outsourcing. 

In-house 

Good for staying in control but costly in the long-term, especially if you need a complex mobile app that requires an entire team of developers but who won’t have enough workload to justify keeping them on the payroll once the mobile app is live in the app store.

Freelance 

Cheaper route but risky as most freelancers are good for selected tasks but lack the strategic vision and expertise to build a mobile app from scratch. Plus once they’re finished with the task, you may never see them again, leading to all sorts of troubles when an update or an upgrade of an app is required and someone else can’t figure out what’s going on in the initial code. 

Outsourcing 

Outsourcing sits in the middle between in-house and freelancing. It allows you to start development within days and access a pool of highly qualified developers without having to hire them all full-time. You’ll need to be ready to give up some of the control though and dedicate time to finding the right technology partner.

What to consider when talking to potential app developers 

Because you’ve done your homework and identified the problem your app will be solving, the features you need, and other details, you have a list of points that you’ll need to pay attention to when interviewing candidates to make sure you find the right person. 

Here is a quick checklist to help you in the process. 

• Experience (the type of apps they’ve built before and their role in previous projects). 
• Hard skills they have, such as programming languages they code in, platforms they work with (i.e. iOS), and other helpful tools they use in daily work.
• Soft skills – are they good communicators? Are they empathetic? Hard skills are important but the new hire has to match with you and the team on a personal level, otherwise, you both won’t get the most out of this partnership.
• Portfolio and references. You don’t want a pig in a poke when hiring someone to build your mobile app. Ask for a portfolio or references from previous workplaces. 
• Their capacity and timelines. It’s best to clarify what kind of workload you are expecting and see if the candidate can match it. 
• If you’re not talking about an in-house hire, then it’s best to establish how open the developer would be to long-term cooperation. Once the app is launched, it must be updated and maintained. Even if you’ll be hiring someone else for those tasks, it’s good to get confirmation from the developer that they will be available for queries on the original code, logic, or anything else. 

Bonus tips: These often go without saying, but still: hire within your budget and make them sign an NDA. No matter how talented the candidate is, if they’re not in your budget – they’re not the right fit. And as for the NDA, it is a standard practice that you should always follow to protect your business against any malicious action or neglect. If the developer doesn’t want to sign an NDA – it is a red flag, walk away. 

Don’t limit your search options 

There are many ways to find talent for your mobile app development project. Sign up on hiring platforms, and ask around to recommend good developers. Partner with freelance HR specialists who will bring you, top candidates, for a commission. Check for industry-specific events and seek candidates. 

The Verdict 

The mobile app market is very lucrative and is forecasted to generate $935 billion in revenue this year. Mobile apps help businesses promote themselves, boost customer loyalty, and stand out. However, it is hard to make yourself see when there are 255 billion mobile apps being downloaded in 2022 alone. 

So when a company chooses to create a mobile application, it has to understand exactly who the app is for and what makes it special before the full-cycle development starts. Once that is clear, and professional software developers are hired, the process needs to be monitored carefully to ensure the mobile app is robust, UI-friendly, and generally enjoyable to interact with. Because customers today will not tolerate buggy and cumbersome apps when there are so many alternatives out there. 

Whether you dive into mobile app development on your own or with the help of an agency, take the time with the ideation stage and don’t rush through development and testing, and you will have much higher chances of building an app that makes a difference.