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Coming from limited programming experience it was quite a leap to get comfortable with iOS app development.  One of the critical moments for me was when I decided that I needed more help than books and screencasts could provide.  I needed some hand-holding, so I looked to the Pragmatic Studio for a 4-day intensive training called the iPhone Studio.  I was so excited to go, and looking back I’m so glad I did.  To know why, watch the short testimonial video below:

This video was recently featured on the Pragmatic Studio blog if you’d like to see what they have to say.

In the video I also mention my latest game, Catch a Match.  It’s a classic memory matching game for kids with beautiful artwork and sounds.  It’s free, and available for iPhone and iPad.  Go get it!

If you look back almost a year ago on May 9, 2011 I did a short video post showing a prototype of a little game I started for my son, Micah.  At the time I was just excited to have something game-like running on my iPhone.  Prior to that I had been focused on productivity apps, like Time Off and Mommy’s Milk.

I figured I would add a few more features to the game, polish up the graphics a bit and throw it on the store; but anything worth doing is worth doing right.  So I sat down and tried to think of ways where I could really make this thing shine in the store.

The first thing you have to do is know the competition.  I studied other memory matching games for kids and identified several ways where I wanted to distinguish Catch a Match.  I’ve been learning that execution is often the key to success.  You don’t always have to have a groundbreaking idea.  There are lots of apps on the store, but there’s plenty of room for improvement among them.  My goal was to make the BEST app of its kind on the store and distinguish it in the following ways:

1. Clean and simple design.  We can guarantee your eyes wont bleed, and your kids wont get lost in confusing menus.
2. Competitive pricing.  You get the “Dogs” match pack with 3 difficulty levels and timed or two-player modes for FREE.  Additional match packs are 2 for .99¢, which is half the price you’ll find in other apps.
3. Quick and Responsive.  Many games feel clunky when you’re re-setting the board or flipping the cards, but all of the animations in Catch a Match are buttery smooth.
4. Themed Match Packs.  We go the extra mile and design each match pack around a specific theme that includes custom artwork for the game board and complimentary sound effects.
5. Universal App.  Catch a Match is currently available on the app store for iPhone, but a universal app is pending review and will be coming shortly!

I’m really excited to have Catch a Match in the store, and so far the feedback has been extremely positive!  In just 12 days we have already received 14 ratings, all of which are   ★★★★★!

Download Catch a Match for FREE on the App Store

Follow me on Twitter (@heyscottyman)
Follow BraveBit on Twitter (@bravebit)

I know what you’re thinking, how can you get your hands on one of these bad boys?  It instantly upgrades your coolness factor by a power of 10!  Right?  Ya know?!

BraveBit T-Shirt!

I wanted something BIG, preferably new, and ideally something from Apple, but not necessary.

I liked the size, crisp detail, and color of the 27″ Apple Cinema displays, but I was worried about the gloss. I’ve never liked the glossy glare on my MacBook Pro, so I pretty much ruled it out.

Apple 30" Cinema

I considered the 30″ cinemas, but there were a couple problems.  Price was the first thing, they were the most expensive of all the monitors I was considering. Standard resolution was the second. (At the time I thought that the 2560×1600 thing was what I wanted, but I’m currently not convinced that it’s better.)

The 30″ Dell Ultrasharp was the same size as the cinema, it also came in matte finish, it offered the high resolution and came at a more palatable price. But there was one thing I was worried about.  A lot of reviews talked about how the anti-glare matte finish made the screen look “crystally”.   Who wants that?! But I figured that it was the lesser of two evils when compared to the “mirrory” gloss on the Apple displays.

Dell Ultrasharp 30" Display

I ended up buying the Dell, but I had so much buyer’s remorse that I immediately cancelled the order.  Then something interesting happened…

Funny thing is that when I was talking the the sales rep about canceling they offered to lower the price of the monitor if I would reconsider!  I thought about it, but decided to continue with my cancellation. But then the sales rep offered to lower the price even more if I would reconsider again.  I was floored. This has never happened to me before. The deal was even more tempting but I decided that I still wasn’t convinced that this was the monitor for me.

I saved my money and gave myself a break from monitor shopping. After all, I have a pretty good 24″ Gateway monitor already. My only complaint about it is that the green hues tend to be brighter no matter how I calibrate the darn thing.

iMac 27"

Later that year I ended up buying a 27″ iMac. I needed a new computer at that time, so it seemed to be the logical choice. I could finally get a bigger and “better” monitor while also upgrading my mac as well.

This also turned out to be an interesting story…

I bought the iMac and took it home.  The glare was actually tolerable, but not ideal.  The problem was that now I was missing the portability of my laptop!  Again, I felt like I had made another major purchase blunder.  The buyer’s remorse was just as strong as when I bought the Dell monitor earlier in the year. This time I was concerned that Apple might not take it back, since I had already begun using it for about a week!  I assumed there would be some kind of re-shelving fee or something at the least.

Apple Stock 2011

So I took it into the store and the return was a breeze! Way to go Apple, no questions asked. Wonderful customer service.  But then another amazing thing happened!  When they refunded my credit card for the iMac they had reimbursed me too much… more than a couple hundred dollars too much!  We went back to the clerk and pointed out their error.  The clerk went to his supervisor in the back and then came back out after a few minutes.  He turned my wife’s attention to a computer screen and pulled up Apple’s stock price.  He said something like, “look, Apple made like a billion dollars last year, so… just don’t worry about it.”  We were floored.. again.  We pushed back, wanting to be certain of what was going on.  He reiterated that it was OK, we can keep the full amount they reimbursed us, and “don’t worry about it.”.  We left the store stunned. I couldn’t believe that Apple PAID me to return their used product!  Wow.

MacBook Pro 15"

It really was a blessing because in the end what I decided to get was a Macbook Pro, 15″, matte screen, with a RAM upgrade.  It’s been the perfect workhorse ever since!  The extra cash that Apple was so kind to insist I not worry about was reinvested back into them anyway via those additional upgrades

So what about the BIG monitor?  Well, I decided to hang onto my 24″ Gateway, and I use that beside my MacBook Pro. They really are the perfect pair.

If Apple brings back the 30″ Cinema then I’m definitely going to be interested. In fact, after reading the latest blog post by Noel I’m starting to feel convinced that the 30″ might be something to reconsider, but they’re still pricy and harder to find on Craigslist here in Grand Rapids, MI

Thanks Noel, for the great analysis of your monitor experience!  In the end it seems like we both learned the same lesson:  “don’t settle”.  Get whatever suits your needs because you’ll be “stuck” with it for a while

BraveBit App Studio Logo

I finally did it, I’m taking the PLUNGE.  I’m going Indy!!!!!

I’m very pleased to announce BraveBit App Studio, my new company

When did this happen?
August 2011 is when I quit my day job and formed an LLC.  I’ve been busy traveling for conferences, consulting, and developing apps that I am a little late to get this blog post up.

Why start a company?
Because I’ve always wanted to!  I can’t help it, there’s just something inside of me that chafes at the idea of being an employee.  I’m looking forward to having more freedom in my schedule, more focus on my apps, interesting contract work, and more engagement in the developer community.

What’s the focus?
The two platforms I’m focused on are iOS and the web, in that order.  Ultimately I want to continue making my products the best in their categories, while also creating new ones.  Of course I’d love to say that my apps are doing so well that I can pay the bills with them, but unfortunately that is not the case; therefore, I am mostly focusing my efforts on contract work right now, and there’s plenty of that to go around.

I don’t have any plans in the near term to hire employees or grow a large studio.  The main reason is because I want to remain accessible to my family.  I don’t want to become too busy and lose sight of what matters most.  So a small, manageable consultancy with independent app development feels right for us.

Why quit your day job?
Prior to working for myself I had been at Ministry Sync for the last 3 years.  They make event-management software for non-profits that is completely web-based.  It’s a great company, and the decision to leave my post was a very difficult one to make.  It’s rare to find a job where you can work from home, where you trust and respect your employers and they do the same for you, where the clients you serve are actually saving lives and making the world a better place.  I had a lot to “lose” by leaving Ministry Sync, but since the beginning we all knew that I was just meant to be there for a season. I’ve always wanted to be more independent, and the time had finally come.

Ministry Sync is a company on the rise, they have big things ahead of them, so I’m pleased to say I’m still very involved with the company.  To make the transition easier for both of us, I proposed a retainer agreement.  This helps them keep one of their main projects on schedule, while also helping me to start my company with some stable work coming in.  I recommend this strategy for any aspiring Indy devs out there.  It creates a win-win situation for everyone.

Is now a good time?
Since I began learning iOS, I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences and met a lot of great people.  By going to conferences, blogging and building respectable apps I’ve earned my place in a booming industry.  There have been several companies, some with household names, that have approached me with full or part-time work.

The market for people with mobile app design and development skills is unprecedented, so the door couldn’t have been more open.  This is important to note because I view the entirety of last year’s work as an investment.  The markets have been a mess for a while, so I decided to stop investing in what I could not control, and start putting my money into my own skill set.  Learning iOS development has cost me thousands of dollars in time and training.  I’m not one to spend that much on just a hobby, I’ve been seeding this company, waiting for the right time to officially launch it.

How have things been going so far?
I LOVE IT!  I really, really do love running BraveBit App Studio.  My wife and I are partners in everything, including this business, so it’s been fun to work together on it and let the Lord lead us.

There are a lot of logistical challenges of course, things like health insurance, business insurance, bank accounts, negotiating contracts, invoicing work, pursuing leads, etc. But it’s all part of the fun.  It does take longer than you might expect to “manage” the business, but there’s so much more satisfaction in it.  It’s like owning a home. You have a lot more headaches than if you were renting, but ask any home owner if they would trade in those headaches for their old apartment, and I think most would say “no way”.

As for business, it’s fun to watch the Lord lead us and provide for what we need at each new step. Work has been coming in, too much to take on in fact. I’ve actually been growing a waiting list of clients because I’m booked until the new year!

The only down side to this is that my own apps take a back seat to the client work.  I’m actually looking forward to the company’s first “dry spell” because then I can actually catch up on some of my own projects.

God is so good, and He always provides for his children.  One thing He knows we all need is support and encouragement.  He has certainly provided that.  My family and friends have all shown a lot of faith in the business and have prayed for me and cheered me on.  Even my former employer, Ministry Sync, sent me off with their prayers and best wishes.

I’m truly blessed.  I thank the Lord and I thank all of you.  I’m excited to finally be taking the next huge step in my appventure!  I plan to continue posting on the blog and keeping you all informed.

If any of you has questions about going Indy or would like prayer for your appventure, please drop me a line anytime!

For a first-time conference my expectations were exceeded.  CocoaConf was strictly focused on delivering top-notch tech talks. There weren’t any vendor booths, no business/marketing tracks, no sales presentations, etc.

First off, you should know that the WiFi was good, the food was great, the swag was cool, the sessions were solid, and the attendees and presenters were all brilliant!

Cocos2D Talk - Photo by Ed Crockett

I learned a LOT from the sessions, which included everything from Core Graphics, MapKit, Cocos2D, NSURLConnection, etc.  Daniel Steinberg gave the keynote talk, as well as a couple others, and it was great to see my old Sensei again. (Daniel was one of my instructors, along with Matt Drance, at an iPhone Studio I attended a year ago).

It was fun to see people that I had only ever known on Twitter before, and hang out with so many smart people.  I really liked the way lunch and dinner had everyone sitting together at round tables. It felt easier to get to know everyone over the meals. The people that hosted the conference are essentially one big family, literally, and that made the whole thing feel more “homey”.

Me, Presenting "Time Off" - Photo by Ed Crockett

One of my personal highlights was the “We Made and App For That” segment on Friday.  6 developers had about 6 minutes each to present their app to the whole audience.  I had the privilege of being able to show a demo of Time Off and was really encouraged that it was voted 2nd best app presentation The other apps were great as well, check them out:

1. SG Project Pro
2. Time Off
3. Naggy
4. SousChef
5. MemClip
6. Timestream

If I’ve managed to talk you into attending this great conference, then you’ll be glad to know that they will be doing it again in Columbus, OH next year.  This year they also have plans to host an event in Raleigh, NC in December!

www.cocoaconf.com

Here’s the entire Flickr set of photos from the conference.

Daily Report of the Best Free Apps

As it turns out, Time Off got a LOT of attention during the FREE 4th of July sale on Monday.  I had some wonderful re-tweets on Twitter and was even featured at FreeAppReport.com, I think those played a vital role in the success of the day. In my heart-of-hearts I hoped for a couple hundred downloads.  Low and behold I had nearly 1,900 downloads on July 4th alone!

Nearly 1,900

I was also told by @NextTopApp, but didn’t see it for myself, that Time Off was a Top 10 Free Business app at one point that day!

The following day the price went up to $1.99, which is still 60% off the regular $4.99 price. (Go get it!)

I really didn’t know what to expect, but I was hoping that the boost from July 4th would begin to pay off.  I could just imagine people going back to work after the holiday and telling their coworkers all about this fantastic app they found over the weekend, called Time Off.  Ya, I was dreaming alright.

But later that night I scrolled through the “Top Paid” Business apps and discovered that my baby was sitting square in the #100 spot!  I also found out from a friend that it was in the Top 200 Grossing Business apps as well!

I was absolutely floored.  When I saw that I flew outside and ran circles in the back yard shouting “Number One Hundred!!  Number One Hundred!!”  I tried to keep a straight face as two boys rode past on their bicycles…

At that point I just had to start imagining what kind of sales volume must be going on in the app store.  Are we talking hundreds? Or even thousands like the day before? I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but it was hard not to. The only thing I could do was go to sleep and check the reports in the morning.

So I woke up on the 6th and was eager to see some dollar signs   To my surprise there were only 12 apps sold on the 5th. Ya, it’s not a typo, I said “twelve”.  Hmmph.  My mind started reeling to figure out how my app could be considered a top “Paid” or even “Grossing” app in it’s category with so few sales. I suppose it’s possible that there’s just no money in business apps, but there must be more to it than that.

My suspicion is that Apple’s formula for displaying top apps is a little “funny”. I would think that changing from the “free” to “paid” status would be some kind of a reset switch, but apparently not. I was able to earn a top status in the free category and that buoyed me in the paid category as well.  I wondered if there was just some kind of delay, maybe due to time zones or something, so I gave it some more time. Surely by the end of the week I would be back at the bottom of the heap.  But as it turns out I’m still holding my position in the store.

Time Off - #89 Top Paid Business

Out of 4,291 “paid” Business apps in the store, Time Off is currently #53 in What’s Hot, #89 in Top Paid, and #192 inTop Grossing.

Ultimately I have mixed emotions over the whole thing. On the one hand I’m glad that my big “Free” day was so successful, and that it lifted my app out of obscurity. On the other hand I feel a bit misled by the app store.  My ranking in the “top __” lists fluctuates day by day, so clearly the stats are updated regularly, even within hours I’ve noticed.  So it just doesn’t compute in my mind when I see such a good ranking in the app store and such low sales in iTunesConnect.

I Googled around a bit to learn more about how the app store rankings work. This was the most insightful article I could find. If anyone else has any good resources, please post them as comments!!

At the end of the day I am very glad to have so many customers, it’s a great feeling. I’m still trying to make the most of this week while the app is on sale.  I was fortunate enough to have my app review aired on the Today in iOS Podcast this week!  That was fun

People need to know about the app in order to buy it and there’s still a LOT more work I can do to get the word out, without spending a fortune on marketing either. More on that in future posts!

Thanks for checking in with me.  Until next time…  God bless!

Family

The very next day after Time Off was approved I was headed out to Nebraska for some much needed “time off” of my own.  I had a great time there visiting with family at our massive reunion.  The picture only shows about 1/3 of my family (more than 100 in total).

It was a challenge to take my mind off of my apps while I was there. I was checking the reports every day, and thinking a lot about how I’m going to get the app noticed in the store. There are  about 500,000 apps, and it’s proven to be more difficult than I thought.  I really struggled over the price, and wondered if $4.99 was too high.  I absolutely think it’s worth that much, but you can only charge what the market will bear. I sought advice from some other alumni of the iPhone Studio that I attended last year. (That group of people has been so fantastic to be a part of!)

We had some good discussion about different price points and sales strategies.  I coupled that with wise council from my lovely wife and other friends, and of course a LOT of prayer.   For Mommy’s Milk, I decided to make the app free for a while, just to see what happens. I saw an immediate spike in downloads and that was encouraging. I have hope that it can someday be monetized with ads, and depending on what happens with Lodsys I might be able to implement some In-App Purchase to remove the ads or enable additional features.

As for Time Off, I really want to give the $4.99 price more time, while also experimenting with other price points to see the difference in performance and get more exposure.  I decided to make it FREE for the July 4th holiday, and for the rest of the holiday week it will be $1.99 (60% off).  That allows me to test a couple different angles and see what happens.

So go ahead and get it while it’s still cheap!  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-off/id414400455?mt=8&ls=1

As it turns out, things have been going VERY well so far this week. Check back in a day or two to hear some exciting results!

Time Off App

Woooooooohooooooooo! I can’t scream that loud enough. I can’t believe the day has FINALLY come! My “Time Off” app is at last published in the iTunes app store and ready for sale

I started planning this app more than a year ago, at the end of last April. Then I had some rough sketches in May, some early Photoshop mockups in June, and after I got some training I was able to start coding in July/August. Since then I’ve steadily programmed every feature and polished every pixel.

That means I’ve been at this in my spare time for over a year now!

It feels like it’s been such a long arduous journey. I’ve worked on a couple other app projects along the way, but this has been my primary focus and now it’s “done”. I know software is never truly done, but I’d like to think it is for the time being

If you recall, I originally submitted my app in January of this year, and it was approved, but it wasn’t quite ready in my opinion. I wanted to get all of the major features in there and make sure it was as rock solid as I could make it. Needless to say, I am very eager to see how it performs in the store, and just as eager to hear what users will say.

It’s available NOW, in the app store, for only $4.99.  Get it while it’s hot!

PS – Don’t forget to tell a few friends about Time Off!  I need your help to get the word out : ) Much appreciated. God bless!