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Ask HN: Can I earn 2000$ in 3 months by making sample apps/wireframes?

9 points by sourabh86 ↗ HN
Hi, I am an android app developer(5+yrs exp) with a day job. I don't usually do freelance due to time constraints, but need an extra $2k by November this year. A lot of my friends usually approach me with an idea for an app and ask if I can help them out in visualizing it or if I can make a sample app which they can use to take feedback from potential users and investors. It doesn't take much effort and I generally do it for free. This led me to think that there must be a lot of people out there with similar needs, where I can do such work for a small fee instead of committing to a complete app. Wondering if such kind of work can generate the required amount? Do people really want help with such tasks or only my friends have this particular requirement? I am not on any freelancer websites and not sure if registering now would benefit me as I hear people don't trust noobs on such websites.

21 comments

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hgarg
how much time you can devote to this, given that you have a day job too?
sourabh86
Can give ~2 hours a day.
df-official
If you really need the money that bad, you will be able to give it 8 hours per day. There are 24 hours in any given day and you can live off of 6 hours of sleep.
sourabh86
Day job is usually not limited to 8 hours. Commute to work itself takes ~3 hours of my day. I've 3 other small android apps I need to support in my personal time. 8 extra hours doesn't seem plausible.
hgarg
drop me an email - harish at bignumworks dot com
df-official
It's entirely possible. 99% of people will give up because they realize how much work being independently employed is. I did it once when I needed cash for college tuition. Needed roughly $2,000 and made it in 3 months or so.

If you are in such desperate need, commit now and start today. Otherwise try to find a freelance position or something with more structure.

taphangum
I founded http://myapptemplates.com a few years back. It does exactly this - and makes a decent amount (I no longer own it though). I can put you in touch with the new owners if your designs are good. Maybe you can work out some sort of deal with them.
sourabh86
That'd be great! Can I get an email address or something?
taphangum
yep - you can contact me at tapha [at] live dot co dot uk
louisswiss
Possible? Yes. Easy? Probably not.

By just taking on wireframes/samples you'll need to find multiple customers consecutively (eg they need to be one each week, as two simultaneously would be too much work on 2h/day)

Why not instead offer to port an already successful iphone app to android? You have over 2 months and only need to find one client...

I know we have a couple of smaller projects we'd definitely pay 2k + for if done properly.

sourabh86
Connect over email?
louisswiss
(y) louis at mondable dot ch
sourabh86
Does not seem to be a correct email. Am I missing something? mail me at sourabh86 at google mail?
msencenb
I've got a small bit of Android code I'm going to need developed soon (1 JSON API to get info from, 2 screens). Do you have an email you can be reached at?
garethsprice
Avoid freelance marketplace websites! They're a race to the bottom, where you're competing against people in the third world who work for peanuts, for clients who expect to pay peanuts.

$2k in 3 months, at 2 hours a day. Lets say you need 50% of that time to hustle up clients, so you have 254=40 hours a month, or 120 hours total (and you don't even have to work weekends). 60 billable hours, so you'll need to charge 2000/60= $33 an hour to make your goal which is far below what any professional developer should be charging (assuming you're in the US).

One good client should be enough. The hard part will be finding that client. Go to your local meetups, user groups, cold email intros to local agencies (agencies are great for overflow work), local startups who have an iPhone app but not an Android app, etc. Have coffee, pick up a few lunch tabs, establish good relationships. Relentlessly follow up and ask for projects. Don't underprice. Whatever you think is reasonable, double it and practice saying it with a straight face in the mirror.

sourabh86
Makes sense, I just need to find more people and charge now on.
bbcbasic
You need to make $22 a day after taxes (or $31 mon-fri).

Maybe get a second job? Does your company offer overtime pay?

sourabh86
Nope no overtime. Looking to develop such small demo apps because I have time constraint, might not be able to commit to second job.
bbcbasic
Ok if you want to do the demo apps here is what I suggest:

1. Build a list of potential customers. Ideally names and phone numbers.

2. Write a script of what you will say on the phone.

3. Call them all with the aim of booking a half hour appointment (in person or Skype if too far away).

4. In the appointment find out more about their problem and pain points, see if you are a good fit to help, try to close the deal. Require upfront payment.

5. If in 20 hours of cold calling you can't get anyone to hand you cash then pivot.

...Or beg or borrow :-). Or maybe get that second job and resign after 3 months.