Munchkin Report: September 2015

It’s been a while since I posted a status update for Munchkin Report, but we’ve probably made more progress in the past 2 months than ever before. Here’s where we stand.

Recently Finished

Product

• Wrote a functional spec and made screen mockups for our iOS app
• Finished coding and documenting our logging API, which was a necessity for the iOS app
• Interviewed a bunch of iOS developers and finally found one that fit

Sales & Marketing

• Created a 12-slide pitch deck that we can use for live and web demos with schools
• Wrote a script for a quick start tutorial video that people will see when they start their trial
• Ordered stickers to give away in our intro kit for schools (part of our offline marketing efforts)
• Prioritized our launch list based on size (i.e., franchises, small schools, parents) and activity
• Drafted our behavioral emails for trial onboarding, activation, trial expiration, cancellation, etc.
• Planned out a partnership with a foundation that helps underprivileged children in developing counties, which is a central part of our company’s mission

Quotes for the iOS app ranged from $7,000 to $40,000. It was ALL over the place. I swear some of the devs I talked to had no idea what they were talking about. I didn’t tell them I was an engineer, and the bastards tried to fleece me. It must be scary for non-technical founders trying to navigate this process.

I did a short chat with the people over at trygigster.com. Their process is very streamlined. I sent them my spec and a few minutes later I was chatting with someone. The chat went like this:

Gigster: I looked at your spec and your app will cost $30,000 and take 6 weeks.

Me: You sure? It’s just CRUD. All the API work is done.

Gigster: OK, $15,000.

Me: That still seems high. The app is literally 8 screens.

Gigster: Yes, but you have email and that’s complicated.

Me: The email is handled server-side. It’s just another API endpoint you have to hit when the user taps a button.

Gigster: OK, $10,000.

This didn’t sit well. You also can’t talk to, select, or vet the developer they give you. It’s really intended to be a hands-off, premium offering. For me, that just didn’t work. Not a great option for bootstrappers, IMO. We had the best luck with indie developers. I’m not giving away the one I found (yet) because he’s awesome. :)

Up Next

• Plan and write our email launch sequence
• Formalize our partnership with a foundation that we plan to donate a portion of our profits to
• Work with our iOS developer to build and test the app (starting Oct 19!)
• Record quick start tutorial video
• Start compiling marketing ideas aimed at school/daycare directors
• Make a checklist of all channels/tactics, etc. we want to use for launch day
• Add attendance tracking to the product