Sioux Falls designer’s book lowers tech hurdles app developers face

It’s a challenge that many entrepreneurs face: Having a vision for a new mobile app, but lacking the technical know-how to bring the idea to fruition. Happy Tapper founder Carla White calls these people “ideapreneurs,” and she’s written a whole book for them. White got the idea after completing her first product, Gratitude Journal, in…

It’s a challenge that many entrepreneurs face: Having a vision for a new mobile app, but lacking the technical know-how to bring the idea to fruition. Happy Tapper founder Carla White calls these people “ideapreneurs,” and she’s written a whole book for them.

White got the idea after completing her first product, Gratitude Journal, in 2008 when iOS apps first came on the market. Back then it wasn’t as simple as turning to a guidebook for assistance: They didn’t exist.

“Everything was a challenge pretty much for everyone who was creating apps,” White told Silicon Prairie News. “We were all trying to figure it out together. The benefit of that is the app developer community is quite friendly and a bit like an open source community.”

Idea to iPhone: The essential guide to creating your first app for the iPhone and iPad,” published by Wiley, provides a step-by-step look at creating apps for iOS devices, from concepting and designing to testing and going live. White said that the technical barriers of coding and design can be daunting to first-time developers.

“I think a lot of great ideas are being missed because people don’t have the technical skills or don’t know where to begin with creating apps,” White (right) said.

Navigating the world of app development presents technical and business challenges. White said it’s important for entrepreneurs to know who to hire and who to trust with developing their apps. It’s not just about having ideas, but “knowing what to ask (developers) and how to engage them and keep them interested through the length of the project.”

“Idea to iPhone” is adapted from a shorter ebook White wrote in 2009. She’s been working on this updated 294-page book which was released June 4. It features contributions from fellow Sioux Falls, S.D., app creator Montessorium among others.

“Whether you’re just getting started, need a refresher, or could use some helpful tips, this is a wonderful book,” said Montessorium co-founder Bobby George on his company’s blog. “The tone is refreshingly accessible, informative and friendly.”

 

Credits: Carla White photo from happytapper.com

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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