Mobile Orchard recently had the privileged of interviewing David Appleyard, author of iPhone App Entrepreneur, which will be available today. You can check out the contents and read the forward.
Mobile Orchard: First, tell us a little about yourself and the book, iPhone App Entrepreneur.
David Appleyard: I’ve been an avid Apple enthusiast for several years – more or less since the announcement of the very first iPod. Not as long as many of the people reading this blog, I’m sure, but it feels like a long time! I started working for Envato a couple of years ago, with the launch of Mac.AppStorm.
We’ve since then expanded the network out to a couple more websites, including iPhone.AppStorm which launched on the 22nd December 2009. After almost a year of talking with iPhone developers, pulling apart apps, and always being on the look-out for the “next big thing”, I thought it was time to put some of my thoughts about development down in a longer format.
The book is designed to take someone through the decisions they need to make when developing a new iPhone app. It doesn’t delve into technical or programming discussion, but rather looks at choosing an idea, marketing, pricing, the App Store, and all the other issues you encounter as an iPhone developer.
MO: What level of iPhone app developer is it targeted at?
DA: In principle, the book is targeted at a beginner/intermediate level. That said, it contains contributions from lots of very, very talented developers. Their experience and insight is really valuable to experienced developers as well as those new to the game.
MO:What kind of research did you do for the book?
DA: Research came from a few different angles. First and foremost were the in-depth interviews conducted with iPhone developers. These include companies such as Avatron, Bjango, The Iconfactory, 37signals, Simplenote, and Sophiestication (Sophia Teutschler). The experience that these developers had to share was immense, and really helped to shape the direction of the book.
In addition, we ran two surveys – one with around 80 iPhone developers, and another with over 1,000 iPhone users. These helped to both understand what challenges developers face, as well as what users are looking for in an app. Some of the results were exactly what you’d expect, but others were particularly fascinating. I was amazed at how important people found interface design to be!
MO: How did you select the developers you interviewed?
DA: For the in-depth interviews, I approached a mix of developers known for being experts in different fields. For instance, The Iconfactory are known for their gorgeous interface design, whereas the Simplenote team have perfected the technical aspects of seamless syncing between different devices.
MO: How did you get involved with writing a book on iPhone development any way?
DA: I worked as the editor of iPhone.AppStorm for almost nine months (I have just passed this responsibility onto a new editor, Josh Johnson), which put me in touch with all manner of amazing developers. The book is published by Rockable Press, part of the Envato banner under which iPhone.AppStorm falls.
MO: What experience do you have with creating iPhone applications?
DA: In terms of actual experience in programming a native iPhone app from scratch, very little indeed. I’ve created websites and web apps for the iPhone, so have something of an understanding of many challenges from that perspective.
I think that the outside perspective I have – as someone who critiques and reviews iPhone apps – allows me to give a broad image of what works and what doesn’t in an app. It’s also important to be very impartial when writing a book such as this, and I don’t have the underlying aim of promoting an application that I’ve designed myself!
MO: Will this book help someone interested in iPad app development?
DA: Absolutely. Reference to the iPad is made throughout, and it’s designed to be very much a companion for iPad development as well. Although the larger screen certainly brings different challenges from an interface perspective, everything else is perfectly relevant. You’re still trying to promote your app, keep things simple, make good development decisions and work within the confines of the App Store.
MO: Besides buying your book, what advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting into iPhone app development?
DA: I think that one of the most important things emerging from the book research is to just get your hands dirty and try developing something. Many interviewees discussed how their first attempts at app development were simple, un-polished, and – in many cases – a complete flop! There’s no pressure to make your very first venture a smash-hit.
Also, do your best to seek out developers in your local community. It’s likely that a regular iPhone/Mac developer meet-up happens somewhere nearby, and there’s no substitute for sharing a few beers with fellow developers. You don’t need to make this a once-a-year occurrence at WWDC!
MO: Any great iPhone dev sites out there that developers must read?
DA: I’d be remiss not to mention own our development tutorial site at Envato, Mobiletuts+, which is turning into an absolutely wonderful resource for mobile developers on any platform.
MO: What is your favorite iPhone app?
DA: I’m torn between Instapaper and Reeder. By far the task I use my iPhone for most is reading, and it’s almost always done in one of these two applications. Both are wonderfully designed, understatedly simple, and do their job perfectly. Simplenote comes in at close second.
MO: Anything else you would like to say?
BA: Thanks for giving me the chance to write a little about the book experience, and for running such as wonderfully useful resource for developers! If you’re about to get started developing your first iPhone app, I wish you all the best. I hope you enjoy the whole process from start to finish!
MO: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions, David.
We hope you enjoyed this interview and also wish David luck on his book launch. Be on the lookout for a giveaway involving iPhone App Entrepreneur.