What Questions Should You Ask Before Starting an App?

The excitement of a new app idea can be absolutely intoxicating. Your mind races with possibilities—this could be the next big thing, the app that changes everything. But here's what I've learned after building apps for countless clients: the difference between apps that succeed and those that disappear into the digital void isn't the brilliance of the initial idea. It's asking the right questions before you start.

Most people jump straight into discussing features, colours, and how the app should look. I get it—that's the fun part! But in my experience, skipping the foundation questions is like building a house without checking if the ground can support it. You might create something beautiful, but it won't last long. The apps that thrive are the ones born from thorough planning and honest self-reflection about what they're trying to achieve.

The best app ideas solve real problems for real people, not imaginary problems for imaginary users

This guide walks you through the questions that matter—the ones that will save you time, money, and heartbreak down the road. We're not talking about technical specifications or design trends here. We're talking about the fundamental business and user questions that determine whether your app will find its audience or get lost in the sea of millions of other apps. Some of these questions might seem obvious, others might make you uncomfortable. That's good—discomfort often means you're getting to the truth of what your app really needs to be.

Why Do You Need This App?

This is the question that stops most app projects in their tracks—and honestly, it should. I've seen too many clients jump straight into discussing features and design without properly answering this fundamental question first. It's a bit mad really, like deciding to build a house without knowing why you need more space.

When I ask potential clients "why does this app need to exist?", I often get answers like "because our competitors have one" or "because mobile is the future." Those aren't reasons; they're excuses for not thinking hard enough about the real purpose behind their app idea. The truth is, building an app just because everyone else has one is like throwing money into a very expensive black hole.

The Real Reasons Apps Get Built

After working on hundreds of app projects, I've noticed that successful apps typically exist for one of these genuine reasons:

• They solve a specific problem that people actually have (not one you think they should have)
• They make an existing process faster, easier, or more convenient
• They provide entertainment or social connection in a unique way
• They give businesses a direct channel to communicate with their customers
• They unlock new revenue streams that weren't possible before mobile

But here's the thing—even having one of these reasons isn't enough. You need to be able to explain why your app is the best solution to whatever problem you're trying to solve. Could a website do the job just as well? What about a simple email newsletter or social media presence?

I always tell my clients that apps are brilliant tools, but they're not magic solutions. If you cant clearly articulate why your business or idea specifically needs a mobile app, then you're probably not ready to build one yet. And thats perfectly fine—better to figure this out now than after you've spent thousands of pounds on development.

Who Will Use Your App?

Right, let's talk about something that genuinely makes or breaks mobile apps—knowing exactly who's going to use the bloody thing. I can't tell you how many times I've sat across from clients who think "everyone" is their target audience. Spoiler alert: it never is, and apps built for "everyone" usually end up pleasing no one.

Your users aren't just demographics on a spreadsheet; they're real people with specific needs, habits, and frustrations. A fitness app for busy mums will work completely differently than one designed for professional athletes. The mum might need quick 15-minute workouts she can do at home, whilst the athlete wants detailed performance tracking and advanced metrics.

Building Your User Profiles

Here's what you need to figure out about your potential users:

• Age range and tech comfort level
• What devices they typically use
• When and where they'll use your app
• What other apps they already love
• Their biggest daily challenges
• How much they're willing to pay for solutions

Create 2-3 detailed user personas with names, photos, and backstories. It sounds a bit mad, but when you're making design decisions later, asking "What would Sarah do?" is way more useful than thinking about abstract user groups.

I always tell clients to actually talk to their potential users before we start building anything. Not surveys or focus groups—actual conversations. You'd be surprised how often what people say they want differs from what they actually need. Understanding this difference early on will save you months of development time and thousands in revision costs.

The apps that succeed long-term are the ones that truly understand their users' daily routines and pain points, then slot seamlessly into those existing patterns.

Right, let's get to the heart of why your app needs to exist. I mean, there's no point building something beautiful if it doesnt actually solve a real problem for real people. This is where I see most app projects go wrong—they start with a solution looking for a problem, rather than the other way around.

When I'm working with clients, I always ask them to be brutally honest about what pain point their app addresses. Is it saving people time? Making something cheaper? Removing friction from a process thats currently annoying? Or maybe its connecting people in a way that wasn't possible before. The key here is being specific; saying your app "makes life easier" isn't good enough.

Identifying Real vs Imaginary Problems

Here's the thing—just because you find something frustrating doesn't mean millions of other people do too. I've seen countless apps built around problems that only existed in the founder's mind. Before you commit to building anything, you need to validate that other people actually experience this problem and would pay (with money, time, or attention) to solve it.

Talk to potential users. Ask them about their current workarounds. How do they handle this situation today? If they're not already trying to solve this problem in some way, that's a red flag. People who are genuinely frustrated by something will have cobbled together solutions, even if they're imperfect ones.

Problems Worth Solving

The best app problems fall into these categories:

• Something people do regularly that takes too much time or effort
• Information that's hard to find or scattered across multiple sources
• Processes that require too many steps or involve waiting around
• Social or professional connections that are difficult to make
• Tasks that people forget to do or struggle to stay motivated with

Remember, you're not just competing against other apps—you're competing against people doing nothing at all. Your problem needs to be painful enough that downloading, learning, and using your app feels worth it.

How Will Users Find and Download Your App?

Right, so you've got your app idea sorted and you know exactly who its for—but here's the million pound question: how will people actually discover it? I mean, there are literally millions of apps out there competing for attention, and getting noticed isn't as simple as just uploading to the App Store and hoping for the best.

First things first—your app store optimisation (ASO) needs to be spot on. This means choosing the right keywords, writing compelling descriptions, and creating screenshots that actually show people why they should care. I've seen brilliant apps fail because their store listing looked like it was thrown together in five minutes. Your app icon alone can make or break someone's decision to download; it's the first thing they see, so it better grab their attention.

Where Will Your Marketing Efforts Focus?

You need to think about where your target users spend their time online. Are they scrolling through social media? Reading industry blogs? Searching Google for solutions to their problems? Each channel requires different content and approaches—what works on TikTok definitely won't work on LinkedIn!

The best marketing strategy is building something people actually want to tell their friends about

Don't forget about word-of-mouth marketing either. Some of the most successful apps I've worked on grew organically because they solved real problems so well that users couldn't help but share them. Build sharing features into your app from day one, make it easy for people to invite friends, and always give users a reason to come back. Because honestly? Getting someone to download your app is hard enough—keeping them engaged is where the real challenge begins.

What Features Must Your App Have?

Right, let's talk about features — because this is where most people go completely mad and end up with an app that tries to do everything but excels at nothing. I've seen it happen countless times; clients come to me with feature lists longer than a shopping receipt, convinced that more features equal more success. Actually, its the complete opposite.

The best apps I've built focus ruthlessly on their core purpose. Your features should directly support the main problem you're solving — nothing more, nothing less. If a feature doesn't make your users' lives better or help your business goals, it shouldn't exist. Every feature you add increases development time, introduces potential bugs, and makes your app more complicated to use.

Must-Have Features vs Nice-to-Have Features

When planning your app, you need to separate features into two categories:

• Must-have features — These are the absolute basics that make your app function; without them, your app is useless
• Nice-to-have features — These might improve the experience but aren't necessary for launch
• Core user actions — The 2-3 things users will do most often in your app
• Account management — Sign up, log in, password reset (if your app needs accounts)
• Basic settings — Privacy controls, notifications preferences, essential customisation

Here's something I tell every client: build your first version with the minimum features needed to solve your core problem. You can always add more later based on user feedback. But you can't easily remove features once users expect them to be there — trust me on that one!

Feature Planning That Actually Works

Start by mapping out your user journey from opening the app to completing their main goal. What steps do they need to take? What information do they need to provide? Where might they get confused or frustrated? Each step in this journey might require different features, but keep them as simple as possible.

How Will Your App Make Money?

Right, let's talk about the elephant in the room—how exactly is your app going to bring in revenue? I've seen too many brilliant app ideas die because nobody thought about monetisation until after launch. That's like opening a shop without knowing how you'll sell anything!

There are several ways apps can make money, and honestly, the best approach depends entirely on your users and what value you're providing. Freemium models work well when you can hook users with basic features then charge for premium ones. Subscription models are great for apps that provide ongoing value—think fitness tracking or productivity tools. One-time purchases still work, but they're becoming less common because users expect regular updates and new features.

In-app advertising can generate decent revenue, but here's the thing—it only works if you have loads of active users. And I mean loads. The average revenue per user from ads is pretty low, so you need serious scale to make it worthwhile. Plus, ads can really hurt the user experience if you're not careful about placement and frequency.

Don't try to implement every monetisation method at once. Pick one primary revenue stream that makes sense for your users, then test others later once you've got traction.

Transaction-based models work brilliantly for marketplace apps or anything involving payments between users. You take a small percentage of each transaction, which scales naturally with your app's success.

The key is understanding what your users value most and how much they're willing to pay for it. If you can't clearly explain why someone would give you money for your app, you need to go back to the drawing board. Simple as that.

What's Your Budget and Timeline?

Right, let's talk money and time—two things that make or break every app project I've ever worked on. And trust me, I've seen plenty of both spectacular successes and expensive disasters over the years.

First up, budget. I know it's tempting to think "how much could an app possibly cost?" but the reality is that app development costs vary wildly. A simple app with basic features might cost £10,000-£25,000, while a complex app with custom features, integrations, and advanced functionality can easily run into six figures. The key is being realistic about what you actually need versus what would be nice to have.

Breaking Down Your Budget

• App development (design, coding, testing)
• App store fees and developer accounts
• Third-party services and API costs
• Marketing and user acquisition
• Ongoing maintenance and updates
• Server hosting and backend costs

Here's something most people don't consider: your launch budget is just the beginning. Apps aren't like websites that you can build once and forget about. You'll need ongoing funding for updates, bug fixes, and new features—usually around 15-20% of your initial development cost per year.

Timeline-wise, most clients underestimate how long things take. A simple app typically needs 3-4 months; complex apps can take 6-12 months or longer. And that's assuming everything goes smoothly, which... well, let's just say Murphy's Law applies heavily to app development!

My advice? Add 25% to whatever timeline you think you need, and make sure you've got enough budget set aside for post-launch improvements. Because once users start actually using your app, you'll discover things you never thought of during planning.

Who Will Build and Maintain Your App?

This is where things get properly interesting—and honestly, a bit stressful for most people. You've got three main options here: hire an in-house team, work with a freelancer, or partner with an agency like mine. Each has its pros and cons, and the right choice depends on your budget, timeline, and how much control you want over the process.

In-house teams give you complete control and dedicated focus on your project. But here's the thing—building a quality mobile app requires iOS developers, Android developers, backend engineers, UI/UX designers, and project managers. That's a lot of salaries to cover before you've even launched! Most startups simply can't afford this route, which is why freelancers and agencies exist.

Freelancers vs Agencies: The Real Difference

Freelancers can be brilliant—I've worked with some incredibly talented individuals over the years. They're usually more affordable and can move quickly on smaller projects. The risk? What happens if they get sick, take on other work, or simply disappear? I've seen too many projects stall because a freelancer became unavailable at the worst possible moment.

The cheapest option upfront often becomes the most expensive in the long run when you factor in delays, quality issues, and the need to start over with someone new

Agencies bring teams, processes, and accountability. We've got backup developers, established workflows, and skin in the game for your project's success. Yes, we cost more than a freelancer, but you're paying for reliability and expertise across multiple disciplines. When you're planning your app strategy and gathering stakeholder requirements, you need a team that understands project discovery inside and out—not just coding.

The key question isn't just who's cheapest, but who can actually deliver what you need, when you need it, and stick around to maintain it afterwards. Because trust me, maintenance is where the real long-term relationship begins.

Conclusion

Building an app isn't just about having a good idea—it's about having the right answers to the right questions before you start. I mean, I've seen brilliant concepts fail because someone skipped the planning stage and jumped straight into development. Don't be that person!

Every question we've covered here serves a purpose. Understanding your why gives your app direction; knowing your users shapes every design decision; identifying the real problems your solving keeps you focused on what matters. And lets be honest, figuring out your marketing strategy and revenue model before you build anything? That's what separates successful apps from expensive learning experiences.

The budget and timeline conversation is where things get real. Sure, everyone wants their app built yesterday for pennies, but understanding the true cost—both in money and time—helps you make smarter decisions about features, platforms, and development approaches. Same goes for choosing your development team; whether it's an agency like us, freelancers, or building in-house, knowing what you need makes all the difference.

Here's the thing though—asking these questions isn't a one-time exercise. Your answers will evolve as you learn more about your users, test your assumptions, and see how the market responds. The companies I work with who succeed? They revisit these questions regularly, adjust their approach, and aren't afraid to pivot when the data tells them something different.

Take your time with this process. Get input from potential users, research your competition properly, and be brutally honest about your resources. Trust me, a few extra weeks of planning can save you months of rebuilding later. Your future self will thank you for it.