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Building a mobile app can be an exciting venture, but there are many challenges that developers and founders often don’t anticipate. Here’s a breakdown of the key insights shared by Erik from Flywheel Studio, which shed light on what really goes into developing, launching, and maintaining a successful mobile app.

1. The Real Work Begins After Launch

One of the biggest misconceptions in app development is that the hard part ends once the app is live. In reality, launching your app is just the beginning of a long journey. Here’s what happens after your app hits the App Store:

• User Feedback and Support: Once your app is live, users will start providing feedback, reporting bugs, and requesting support. Even with a 99% working product, that means you’ll still have 1% of your users facing issues. As your user base grows, so do the number of complaints and support tickets. For instance, with 10,000 users, even 1% means 100 potential complaints daily. Managing this volume can be overwhelming if you don’t have a support structure in place.
• Bugs and Feature Requests: Even the best apps experience bugs. Users will request new features or improvements, and you’ll need to respond quickly. Most founders aren’t prepared for the ongoing nature of this work, but it’s critical to treat your app like a “living, breathing organism” that requires constant attention and improvement.

2. Budget for Post-Launch Development

Another common mistake is spending too much of your budget on the initial version of the app. While it’s tempting to invest heavily in the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or V1, it’s crucial to save funds for future iterations. Eric emphasizes the importance of saving a portion of the budget for V2, which allows you to implement feedback and improvements based on real user data.

If you exhaust your budget on the initial build, you won’t have the resources to respond to user feedback, fix bugs, or add features that will keep your app competitive.

3. Managing the Technical Ecosystem

Running a mobile app involves more than just development. Once the app is live, you’ll need to manage a complex technical ecosystem that includes:

• App Store Compliance: Regular updates to comply with App Store and Google Play guidelines are necessary. These platforms frequently update their policies, and non-compliance can lead to your app being removed.
• Vendor Management: Ensuring that all third-party tools, APIs, and integrations are functioning smoothly is a continuous task.
• Analytics and Tracking: Understanding how users interact with your app, where they drop off, how many convert to paying customers, and other key metrics requires robust analytics. While this may sound straightforward, setting up customized tracking is often complex and requires ongoing development work. Each app has its unique metrics, and what works for one may not be relevant for another.

4. Building the Right Team

You can’t run a successful app without a team. Managing support, fixing bugs, improving features, and handling analytics often requires several roles. According to Eric, you’ll need at least five distinct roles to keep things running smoothly. It’s essential to plan for this from the start—whether by hiring in-house or working with an agency.

Without a dedicated team, you won’t have the bandwidth to address ongoing issues, make improvements, or scale your app effectively. Flywheel Studio and other agencies provide these services, but Eric notes that it’s crucial to understand the investment required in maintaining and improving your app.

5. The Grind of Achieving App Store Success

Achieving success in the App Store is an arduous process. Here’s an example of an app that became number one, which took:

• 15 months of development
• 603 user interviews
• 246 builds
• 57 rejections
• 2,300 bug fixes
• Onboarding 1.6 million users

This level of effort requires not just time, but a budget that can sustain ongoing development, bug fixes, and feature additions over an extended period.

6. You Need a Distribution Plan

A common reason why many apps fail is the lack of a solid distribution plan. With 500 apps hitting the App Store daily, simply launching your app and waiting for users to find it won’t work. You need a clear, well-defined plan for getting users to download your app.

In the early days of social media, apps benefited from viral sharing features, but that era has largely passed. Today, successful apps are typically niche, vertical-specific applications that have targeted marketing and distribution strategies. Eric stresses that agencies can offer advice, but founders must come prepared with a distribution plan.

7. Final Thoughts

Launching and maintaining a mobile app is a long-term investment that requires a dedicated team, a substantial budget, and a clear plan for growth. Success doesn’t happen overnight—it’s a grind that involves continuous development, bug fixes, feature additions, and user engagement.

To succeed, you’ll need to:

• Prepare for post-launch feedback, bugs, and support.
• Save budget for future updates and iterations.
• Build a team or hire a partner to help manage the technical, support, and analytics aspects.
• Have a clear distribution plan to acquire users.
• Be ready for the long haul, with the budget and patience to achieve your goals.

If you’re looking for guidance on any of these aspects, Flywheel Studio can help. Reach out for assistance on how to navigate the complexities of app development and growth.

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