This document provides an overview of the Android app development process from idea generation to publishing on the Google Play Store. It discusses developing a minimum viable product (MVP) with the highest return for investment and risk, field testing the app, and methods for driving installs and user retention after publishing. The example app described aims to help people quantify the quality of their daily commutes.

1. ANDROID APP
DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY
From Idea to Product
By Gerard Cordero
11-13-2014
http://goo.gl/Vrhm1W
http://goo.gl/0HNqMb

2. WHY DEVELOP APPS?
• Everyone has their own motivations!
Skip to 20:57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEW_dq_5XxI

3. ENTIRE PROCESS
1.Start with a Simple Idea
2.Learn Android development
3.Build, Test, and Adjust many times
4.Cut it down to Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
5.Adjust and Test until MVP works well
6.Get initial Feedback
7.Create Twitter account, G+ Page, Blog, Email, Domain
8.Create Icon, Promo Graphic, Feature Graphic,
Screenshots, Video, Descriptions
9.Create Signed APK
10.Publish to https://play.google.com/apps/publish

4. IDEA GENERATION
• Key: Product Differentiation!
• Make it an Intersection of several ideas
!
!
!
!
!
• Must solve an Unmet Need or Problem
• Pick something You are Passionate About

5. DEVELOPMENT TIME
• Budget 3 months @10-15 hrs/wk (nights, weekends)
• Factor in time for:
• Getting Stuck
• Tidying up and Reworking your Code
• Overbuilding to look ahead
• Simple UI but tons of sophistication behind
• Handle many subtle Scenarios
• Perfection takes infinite time, do many releases!

6. REVENUE MODELS
• Options:
1.Paid App
2.Free
3.Free with Advertising
4.Free + Paid App (2 apps)
5.Free + One-Time In-App Purchase (IAP)
6.Free + Subscription In-App Purchase (IAP)
• Very difficult to start at higher than Free!
• If you’re heavy on custom Cloud functionality, One-Time IAP
will erode your profits over time (use Subscription IAP)

7. CUSTOM CLOUDS
• Glue Logic + Persistence for Apps
• For most apps, it’s inevitable!
• Cloud Solutions:
• Google App Engine - You manage Code only
• Google Compute Engine, Amazon EC2, Microsoft
Azure - You manage OS + Networking + Code
• Use SSL for security
• Cheap but not free (at a million users?)

8. MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT
(MVP)
• Definition: Product with the highest return on
investment versus risk
• Risk = Development Time
• Basically, it’s the minimum set of features that makes the
product acceptable to users
• You want to see how Users react to your MVP, before
you decide future features
• If you have more features, shelf them, trim code to MVP

9. FIELD TESTING
• Test, Test, Test
• Test all anticipated situations
• Fix problems
• Repeat

10. GAINING AND KEEPING
USERS
• Building and Publishing the app is the easy part!
• How to drive Installs and Usage?
15:18 - Installs
25:39 - Marketing
33:38 - Retention
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3HwEiZMREA

11. FINAL PRODUCT
• Objective: Help people quantify their commute’s quality
• Ex. In Los Angeles, everyone knows their commute is
terrible. But what makes it terrible?
• Travel Time: 38 minutes @15mph, 2 mins @0mph,
moving slowly for 21 minutes, Commute Grade 74%, C
http://goo.gl/0HNqMb

12. http://goo.gl/
0HNqMb