THE HAYSTACK METHOD

A Word From Elaine Are your games gathering dust because you have no one to make them? Have you been burnt by rogue developers? Is your app development turning into an app nightmare? Here is the best way I have found to find and hire Rock star Developers. In return for this ABSOLUTELY FREE knowledge which should save you THOUSANDS of dollars Id really appreciate if you could share this post with three of your best friends. Lets get the word out about how easy hiring great developers can be. So without further ado, welcome to the Chocolate Lab Apps super successful Haystack Method.

The Haystack Method HONEST In my experience 90%+ of developers on the big outsourcing sites will try to take advantage of your inexperience. They will charge you too much. FAST Spending 6 painful months begging your developer to finish your game is not fun. GOOD TECHNICAL SKILLS Hiring a programmer who cant do his/her job will make you cry. The Haystack Method is my tried and tested way to find Rock star Developers. By using this method you will maximize your chances to find developers who are:

STEP 1 Post A Job

Post A Job Post a job on a freelancing site looking for a developer. For example you could post: iOS developer wanted for exciting games project/photo app/utility app. Just make sure to keep it short and vague, not giving out too many clues about the app.

STEP 2 List Out Ad Companies

List Out Ad Companies Write out a list of Ad companies you want to use in this app (RevMob, Chartboost, Playhaven, Airpush, etc) and any other pieces of extra code you may want use like multiplayer, Nextpeer, Flurry, appirater and so on.

STEP 3 Invite Developers

Invite Developers Search in freelancing sites for the names on this list and invite those developers to your job. If they have SDKs listed in their profile there is a higher chance they can integrate them.

STEP 4 Review Applicants

Review Applicants 24 hours later, log on and review all the applicants. Refuse all/any Skype requests. Delete ALL Chinese applicants. Yes, all! Ive had too many bad experiences working with Chinese developers.

STEP 5 Choose Applicants Wisely

Choose Applicants Wisely Choose your applicants wisely. Delete any applicants who do not have 0 stars or 5 stars. If they have 1 - 4 stars someone already had problems with them and you do not want them. 0 or 5 star contractors have no documented issues yet.

STEP 6 Ask This One Question

Ask This One Question Email your shortlisted contractors with this one question. No full length emails. Just one question. How long does it take to integrate Chartboost?

STEP 7 The Final Step

The Final Step Delete any that do not reply in 12 hours. Delete any contractors that say over 1 hour. This work takes max 30 minutes. If they all say over 1 hour, delete all contractors. Start again at step 1.

Advice From Elaine Follow the Haystack Method until you have a shortlist of 3 or more Rockstar Developers. These developers have a much higher than average chance of being honest, fast to respond, and skilled in their job. Now is the time to get a little more specific. Do you want to make the worlds best photo app? Or a new racing game? Get your potential contractors to sign an NDA and then you can start to investigate more into their specific skills to see if they match what you want. Compare their best prices and how fast they can do this work.

Advice From Elaine If they look and sound great, then hire then for a small job (under $150) first. See how well and how fast they do it. If they prove themselves to be a ROCKSTAR, then if you are happy you can hire then for your bigger job. DO NOT SKIP THIS TEST OR YOU MAY LOSE MONEY!

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