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Evan Kimbrell

The mobile app development industry is growing at a blazing 43% per year and shows no signs of slowing down. This represents a huge opportunity for you - bigger than it's ever been before. Whether you want to code or not, you can capitalize on the over 16 billion dollars of money spent per year on mobile app development services. Part-time or full-time, you can build an awesome portfolio and an even better income taking on mobile app development projects.

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The mobile app development industry is growing at a blazing 43% per year and shows no signs of slowing down. This represents a huge opportunity for you - bigger than it's ever been before. Whether you want to code or not, you can capitalize on the over 16 billion dollars of money spent per year on mobile app development services. Part-time or full-time, you can build an awesome portfolio and an even better income taking on mobile app development projects.

Over the last four years I've personally overseen the launch of over 100 apps from concept to deployment. I've grown my business from one small client to over 100. Today, we make apps for big name brands such as Walmart, GNC, Dick's Sporting Goods, and other Fortune 500 companies.

I created this course to teach you how you can hit the ground running by starting a mobile app development business - no coding necessary. I see a lot of people floundering to start or grow their mobile businesses because they don't have the mentorship or the guidance to do it right. This course is my answer for all of you who have reached out for help. I've piled everything I know and everything that has made my business successful into this course. I'm going to show you how to jumpstart your business, grow it quickly, and manage your business like a professional - all from the comfort of your laptop.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction (26 minutes)
Course Overview
Join our community on Slack!
7 reasons to start a mobile app development business
Read more
The Sprintkick story
Section 1 review material
Review sheets & resources - all in one PDF
The Essentials (56 minutes)
The startup timeline
How does this work as a programmer / non programmer?
iOS versus Android
Native versus hybrid
Build yourself or contract?
In-house hiring or out of house?
In country or out of country?
Section 2 review material
Setting up your presence (65 minutes)
Focus on 80/20 solutions for your online presence
Looking at other studios
Going further in-depth looking at studios
Picking and configuring a template on Templatemonster
Picking and configuring a template on ThemeForest
Selecting a name
Advanced: Upgrade your presence with custom design
Section 3 review material
Finding subcontractors (66 minutes)
What makes a good long-term partner?
Intro to Elance
Intro to Elance 2
Intro to Upwork
Intro to Upwork 2
Intro to Freelancer
Finding freelancers elsewhere
Section 4 review material
Building a portfolio (22 minutes)
How important are portfolios?
Use these tricks to grow your portfolio faster
Thoughts about portfolios
Buying testimonials and case studies
Section 5 review material
Getting clients (71 minutes)
Strategy: Email scrape and blast
Strategy: Offer adjacent services to those hiring in-house
Strategy: Discount offers to groups
Strategy: Use your affiliations
Strategy: Tag your work
Strategy: Sell things that require maintenance
Strategy: This sucks let me fix it
Strategy: The perpetual discount
Strategy: Build something and give it away
Strategy: Making tutorials strategy
Section 6 review material
Building proposals (79 minutes)
Our technique, in-depth costs of everything
Types of proposals
Components of proposals
Tools for getting proposals done faster
How much do you customize?
Ballpark estimate versus exacto
Strategy: Introduce ideas and see if they stick
Section 7 review material
Managing clients (64 minutes)
Keeping the right distance
Confidence is key
Just enough jargon
Sniffing out their budget
Speed is important
Client budgets and the difference they make
Do you deliver what's good or what the client likes?
Don't talk about problems, say what's happening
Is the client always right?
Section 8 review material
Best Practices (102 minutes)
Should you submit the app for your client?
Under promise, over deliver
What is agile? Should I use it?
Price per project, price per hour
Should you worry about competition?
Hedging your launch date
Beautiful design makes beautiful development
Running without contracts
Red flags for bad clients
Rich clients versus successful clients
Tell when you're getting fizzled
Don't quote off the top of your head
Meeting in person
Is there a benefit to delivering early?
Repeat customers are the best
Avoid assumers
Section 9 review material
Internal management is crucial (44 minutes)
Intro to Asana
Getting more in-depth with Asana
Making Asana work for you
Turning Asana inside out
Section 10 review material
Free documents & resources
Our $4k NDA. Yours free.
Our standard Development Contract Template
Bonus Section

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Running a Mobile App Dev Business: The Complete Guide with these activities:
Review Mobile App Development Fundamentals
Reviewing mobile app development fundamentals will help you better understand the technical aspects discussed in the course, even if you're not a coder. This will allow you to communicate more effectively with subcontractors and clients.
Browse courses on Mobile App Development
Show steps
  • Research the different mobile platforms (iOS, Android).
  • Learn about native vs. hybrid app development.
  • Understand the basics of UI/UX design for mobile apps.
Read 'The Lean Startup'
Reading 'The Lean Startup' will provide a solid foundation for building a successful and sustainable mobile app development business by emphasizing validated learning and customer feedback.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Lean Startup'.
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Reflect on how these concepts apply to your mobile app development business.
Create a Sample Proposal
Creating a sample proposal will allow you to practice the techniques taught in the course and refine your ability to estimate costs and present your services effectively to potential clients.
Show steps
  • Identify a hypothetical client and their needs.
  • Research the costs associated with developing the app.
  • Write a detailed proposal outlining the project scope, timeline, and cost.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Build a Basic Website
Building a basic website will give you hands-on experience with setting up your online presence, as discussed in the course. This will allow you to showcase your services and attract potential clients.
Show steps
  • Choose a domain name and hosting provider.
  • Select a website template or theme.
  • Customize the website with your company information and portfolio.
  • Publish the website online.
Attend Local Tech Meetups
Attending local tech meetups will allow you to network with other professionals in the industry, learn about new technologies, and potentially find subcontractors or clients.
Show steps
  • Search for tech meetups in your area.
  • Attend the meetups and introduce yourself to other attendees.
  • Exchange contact information and follow up with interesting connections.
Read 'Never Split the Difference'
Reading 'Never Split the Difference' will improve your negotiation skills, which are crucial for managing clients and subcontractors effectively.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Never Split the Difference'.
  • Read the book and take notes on key negotiation techniques.
  • Practice applying these techniques in real-world scenarios.
Create a Client Onboarding Document
Creating a client onboarding document will help you streamline the process of bringing on new clients and ensure that they have a clear understanding of your services and expectations.
Show steps
  • Outline the key information that new clients need to know.
  • Create a document template that can be customized for each client.
  • Include information about your services, pricing, and communication protocols.

Career center

Learners who complete Running a Mobile App Dev Business: The Complete Guide will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Mobile Application Entrepreneur
A mobile application entrepreneur creates and launches their own mobile app startup. This involves identifying a market need, developing an app concept, and managing the entire development and marketing process. The course is perfectly suited for entrepreneurs looking to start a mobile app development business. It details how to jumpstart a business, grow it quickly, and manage it like a professional. It can help entrepreneurs with growing a portfolio and getting clients, which are essential to the success of a business.
Mobile Application Project Manager
A mobile application project manager oversees the planning, execution, and delivery of mobile app development projects. This role requires strong organizational and communication skills to coordinate developers, designers, and clients, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. This course provides valuable insights into managing mobile app projects from inception to deployment and guides one towards building proposals and managing clients. The course can help a project manager understand timelines as well as how to manage the relationship with the client.
IT Project Manager
An IT project manager plans, organizes, and oversees the completion of specific IT projects ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to the required standards. This is similar to the mobile application project manager role. This individual can also use this course to build relationships with clients and manage relationships with subcontractors. This course can help those who wish to transition into a mobile application project manager role.
Business Development Manager
A business development manager identifies and pursues new business opportunities for a mobile app development company. This includes market research, lead generation, and building relationships with potential clients. The course can help a business development manager understand how to find clients and build a portfolio. This role also would incorporate building relationships with clients and generating leads. The strategies on email scraping, offering adjacent services, and using affiliations are particularly helpful.
Mobile App Consultant
A mobile app consultant advises businesses on the best mobile strategies and solutions to meet their needs. This includes assessing business requirements, recommending app features, and overseeing the development process. This course may be helpful to consultants who wish to offer advice on mobile app development, how to find subcontractors, and ways to build a portfolio. The course provides an overview of the mobile app landscape and helps a consultant understand the factors that contribute to a successful mobile app development business.
Freelance Mobile App Developer
A freelance mobile app developer works on mobile app projects for various clients on a contract basis. This role requires technical skills in mobile app development as well as business acumen to manage projects and clients. This course may be useful for freelance developers who wish to improve their business skills. It offers instruction in building proposals, managing clients, and best practices. Moreover, the course includes a discussion on finding subcontractors and negotiating with clients.
Software Development Manager
A software development manager leads a team of software developers in creating mobile and other applications. They are responsible for project planning, resource allocation, and ensuring the quality of the software. This course provides insights into the mobile app development process, including team management best practices and client relations. The software development manager may find the material on internal management and workflow to be quite helpful when organizing the team. The manager may find that the course's advice on best practices is particularly helpful in improving team efficiency.
Technology Sales
Technology sales professionals focus on selling software development services to clients. They need to understand the technology and business aspects of mobile app development. This course helps sales professionals understand costs, construct proposals, and successfully manage clients. A technology sales professional can use the material in the course to help build their understanding of the sales process. The professional can improve their ability to explain the details to clients by leveraging the knowledge gained.
Digital Strategist
Digital strategists help businesses use digital technologies to achieve their goals. They may formulate marketing campaigns. The digital strategist can leverage this course to build mobile apps for clients. This course can help them discover new strategies to help a business achieve its goals and to advise their clients appropriately.
Information Technology Consultant
An information technology consultant provides expert advice and guidance to businesses on how to effectively use technology to achieve their goals. This includes assessing their current technology infrastructure, identifying areas for improvement, and recommending and implementing solutions. The course's focus on the mobile app development industry and ways to find clients and build portfolios may be useful.
Software Engineer
Software engineers design, develop, test, and maintain software applications. They apply principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis to create solutions for various needs. The course's focus on the mobile app development industry and ways to find clients and build portfolios may be useful. This would be most helpful for Software Engineers interested in freelancing opportunities.
Chief Technical Officer
A chief technical officer oversees all technical aspects of a company, including mobile app development. This role requires a strong understanding of technology, business strategy, and team management. This course provides insight into the mobile app development business, client management, internal management, and best practices. The course's discussion of best practices is helpful in improving the company's competitive advantage.
Digital Marketing Manager
A digital marketing manager develops and implements digital marketing strategies to promote mobile apps and attract users. This includes app store optimization, social media marketing, and paid advertising. This course features numerous business strategies for finding clients and constructing business relationships. The strategies related to portfolio building, sales, and client management can be very helpful.
Product Manager
A product manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition of a mobile app. This requires a deep understanding of user needs, market trends, and technical feasibility. This course may be useful for product managers who work with organizations that have mobile app development divisions. The frameworks for client management, product development, and navigating the market are all present in this course.
Application Architect
The application architect designs the structure of applications. The architect must select appropriate architectural patterns, frameworks, and technologies. This course may be useful for learning the fundamentals of creating proposals for clients. Additionally, they can learn about the process of mobile application development. The application architect must possess strong abstract reasoning abilities.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Running a Mobile App Dev Business: The Complete Guide.
Provides a framework for building and launching successful products and businesses. It emphasizes validated learning, rapid iteration, and customer feedback. Applying the lean startup principles to your mobile app development business can help you minimize risk and maximize your chances of success. It is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions.
Teaches negotiation skills that can be applied to various aspects of your mobile app development business, such as negotiating contracts with clients and subcontractors. It provides practical strategies for building rapport, understanding the other party's perspective, and reaching mutually beneficial agreements. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference.

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