A couple of years ago I started to learn to code with Flutter and dart in order to code my own mobile application, Tribe Check. In addition to learning the technology, and before my product was available to all on the stores, I encountered many challenges, technical, of course, but also administrative. Here is an overview of my main challenges as an independent app-maker, starting as a digital designer!

Finding my own routine (and sticking to it)

At the moment I made the decision to become an independent app-maker and entrepreneur, I was employed, and I could not afford to dedicate all my time to this new endeavour. So the first step was to find and block time for this project in my everyday routine. I started by reducing my employment hours to 80%, giving me one day a week to fully devote to my learning process, and later my app-making activities. Then I invested in some material and applications to help me (a new laptop, ergonomic mouse) and updated my workspace (installed Flutter, Visual Studio Code and Android Studio, etc.) These commitments put me on the right track.

Keeping the routine was hard. There are moments when I lost motivation, or was tempted to shift priorities. And there was a moment when the end seemed too far out of reach to even bother! Having a coach really helped me through this phase. And my favorite secret trick was to treat myself with a banana sweet at the end of every day I made progress!

Learning to code

I had learned to code with C++, Javascript, Java, php and HTML in my early university days, so I wasn’t starting from scratch per say. But it sure felt that way! I started with a few video tutorials on Youtube, then followed Google’s code labs for Flutter, soon trying to apply to my own project little by little. If you’re interested about my learning process, I covered this bit in a previous article: From UX to app-making: a self-taught journey.

Learning to code was hard and time-consuming, but it was also very satisfying from the beginning. I felt so proud to complete the code labs! In terms of coding, here are the main technological challenges I struggled with:

• Choice of technology
• Installing Flutter
• Managing environment variables
• (Every configuration in command line basically)
• State Management
• App icons for Android and iOS
• Keeping up with the extensions updates
• Queries vs. streams
• Notifications (local vs. Firebase)
• Publish for iOS without a Mac
• iOS Cocoa Pods
• App Check

And probably others I have since forgotten. All this to say there are hiccups and grey hair on the way, but part of the fun is brainstorming to find the solutions! And when you do… 🤯🎉

Start building a community around your app as soon as you start coding: this will make the beta testing phase much easier and faster.

The last 7%

Once Tribe Check was working on my devices, Android and iOS, I made the mistake of thinking I was almost there… Well not at all. I wasn’t expecting the final steps, and it took me a good 3 months to complete all that needed doing:

• App security
• Play and App stores setting-up
• Legal aspect
• Beta tests process
• Cleaning up code
• Testing
• Testing
• Testing…

Publishing on the stores

Publishing on the stores was honestly the hardest, most discouraging part of the whole process. Because everything is ready, but there are so many gates to pass!

• On the Play Store, most new apps must undergo a beta testing phase, including 12 testers who keep the app installed for 20 days. This applies to all personal developer accounts created after November 13, 2023. This can be timely, because during this phase there is a red warning on your app listing, which is quite scary to non-expert beta testers.
• On iOS, your app must be validated before production, and it includes some administrative and legal paperwork according to your publication settings, permissions and destination countries. In my case, I am still stuck with France related to encryption.

The key here is to get started: you won’t get all the answers right away (some will take months), but keep filling out forms and be patient. For my next apps I will start this whole process much earlier on.

Coding and engineering as food cooks in the kitchen… My daily life as an independent woman app-maker 😂

Recruiting beta-testers

As a personal developer account created after November 13, 2023, I discovered the beta testing requirement to publish an app on the Play Store. And when I got to this gate it was 20 users, not 12. I started with friends an family, but 20 users is quite a lot, and there is this red warning I mentioned on the listing, which discouraged users who did not know me personnally.

Luckily I had a good network on Linkedin, which I was able to activate to recruit my last beta testers.

All in all, I think this mandatory beta testing phase pushed me to start communicating about my project a lot sooner that I expected. Create a newsletter, a website, etc. And that would be my advice to myself and any independent app-maker wishing to publish on the Play Store: start building a community around your app as soon as you start coding: this will make the beta testing phase much easier and faster.

How to recruit users for my app? How to get ratings and feedbacks? And how to later monetize it? And on top of that, how to find the time to continue coding while I do this?

Communicating

Which brings me to my last challenge: communicating about my app. I have a Master in Marketing & Communications, so I thought this phase would be easy… Wrong! I have been at it for several months now, struggling between communication, marketing and advertising. Basically, how to recruit users for my app? How to get ratings and feedbacks? And how to later monetize it? And on top of that, how to find the time to continue coding while I do this?

I don’t have the answers to these questions yet, but I am planning on soldiering on through this challenge too, exploring and learning on the way. Keep posted for the next steps!