An Unexpected Dilemma
To the uninitiated the answer to this question might seem obvious, but in reality it is not. Every app launches with bugs. Every app launches with an app description and an icon that could be better thought out and further tested. Every app launches with features missing that at least a segment of the user population would gain benefit from or are annoyed in their absence. So this is a very relevant question indeed.
Faced with these issues and the fact that most solo or small company app developers do not have a strictly defined timeline for app development and release, it can be difficult to decide when the time is right. So I have developed this list of questions:
# 1 Are you ready to share the app with close friends and family?
If so you are at least ready to release a beta version of the application for testing. This is true whether you are releasing your first app as a hobby or whether you think you have the next Uber on your hands.
# 2 Are you ready to share the app with your extended network of friends?
Is this still true even if in the back of your mind they are more likely to judge you than to accept and support you? If app development is a hobby or side hustle for you, you are probably ready at this point. Politely let everyone know why you have been a recluse for the last 6 months and ask them to check out your work and provide their honest feedback. Don’t badger them, and you will be surprised at how helpful and supportive they can be.
# 3 Are you ready to pay money to market this app to the general population?
If yes, you have a strong indication that you are ready for launch. Be smart though and don’t sink your life savings into an unproven venture. Make you marketing moderate and carefully targeted with an eye toward ranking for your top keywords so that your investment has strong downstream effects in the long-term.
A Justification for all of This Subjectivity
If you have noticed, these questions all stem from your subjective comfort level with the app rather than from some objectively defined criteria. The fact is there is no such set of criteria that applies to all apps and all situations, and before release no one is more familiar with your app than you. Further, if you are not willing to answer these questions in the affirmative, then you are not likely to make hard decisions or do the timely work that it requires to make sure your app is a success all the way to the finish line. You will evade the difficult tasks and may not take full ownership in the consequences, feeling safe in the knowledge that the app was not your best work and not ready for prime time from the beginning. Responding to frustrated customers is hard enough for something that you believe strongly in. If you are not properly prepared, it can be very easy to give up, admit defeat and move on to the next project.
If you answer question 3 in the affirmative, be careful that you can also answer yes to 1 and 2. In some ways it is easier to push an app out to strangers that you would not share with people you haven’t seen since high school. It is surprisingly easy to hide in the comfort of the obscurity provided by the enormity of the app marketplace.
If you are asking yourself or your team this question, take a moment for some soul searching, and remember to always keep moving forward.
Getting Started With Android 