About this series:
vWorker has recently conducted case studies of successful employers and workers on the site. During the next few weeks, we’ll be releasing a new story each week; describing the story of how an employer was able to use vWorker to develop/enhance their business or how a worker is able to financially support themselves through the work earned on vWorker.
Nir Caspi and Aaron George (Co-Owners of AppVenturous, LLC):
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| Nir Caspi |
Nir and Aaron (screen name AppVenturous) graduated from the University of Arizona in 2009. They had both found full-time jobs after graduation, but were looking for a way to earn extra income on the side. They were both fascinated with their iPhones, and all of the games and apps available for download on the App Store. They knew they had to find a way to merge their passion for apps with a way to earn the extra income they needed. So they started by creating a few gaming apps of their own. They eventually began outsourcing the work on vWorker, and with time, were able to create their own company named AppVenturous. A year and a half later, they have been able to develop apps for multiple business clients, and also had one of their apps reach the App Store Top 25.
Nir and Aaron shared the following with us about their experiences on vWorker.
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| Aaron George |
1a. Why did you start your business?
After graduating from the University of Arizona at ages 22 and 23, we started AppVenturous, LLC from the couch of our Scottsdale, AZ apartment. We both had iPhones and were constantly talking about the new games and apps we downloaded, and how much our phones have enhanced our lives. This led to us coming up with our own ideas for the next great apps. We were both also working full-time jobs at the time and wanted a way to make money on the side, with a minimal time investment. So we finally decided to feed our entrepreneurial spirit by creating apps of our own. We started out smaller than anyone could imagine…drawing our own graphics with Microsoft Paint and spending $100-$200 on development. Now, about a year and a half later, we have developed apps for multiple business clients, and we recently had our first app reach the App Store Top 25.
1b. What unique need/niche do you fulfill?
At the time we started, we knew that gaming apps were the most popular and were generating the most revenue in the App Store. Therefore, we started out by creating various simple and addicting games to simply act as time-killers for the average iPhone user. In addition to creating gaming apps, we have now branched out to various utility apps, as well.
2. How did you find vWorker? What obstacles did you run into that vWorker helped you solve?
We found out about vWorker through a blog we read about outsourcing app development. The two main obstacles that vWorker helped us solve was a lack of significant start-up capital, and of course, having zero coding and technical knowledge. Both obstacles were easily solved by vWorker by matching us up with workers that could bring our ideas to life, for a fraction of the cost of going through an American-based company.
3. Who were your key virtual workers?
We have done a lot of our work with Zanazan Systems.
4. How has your business grown?
Our business has grown tremendously over the last year and a half due to our ability to learn about the app industry, how to effectively use the vWorker site, and how to create projects by combining various workers that specialize in different areas. Our initial apps that were released did not even recoup their investment. However, one breaking point in our business was when, through an article in a prominent business journal, a company reached out to us about buying one of our apps. The sale of this app led us to be able to develop higher quality projects with better graphic design and functionality. Finally, after a year and a half in business, we had our first app reach the Top 25, and furthermore, it was ranked as high as #2 overall in the free app category. The ads in this app alone generated our highest revenue stream to date, earning several thousand dollars per week, and surpassing revenues from all our other apps combined. It is still doing very well, although it is no longer in the Top 25.
5. What advice do you have for others who are starting the same way you did?
Stick with it. Everything takes longer than expected. Starting a business is about the learning process and making mistakes that you learn from and improve upon. Even after our initial apps proved to be less than successful, especially for how high our hopes were, we continued to develop and create projects. We analyzed why these apps did not perform as well as we thought, and improved upon our mistakes by learning how to more effectively use the site to create higher-quality projects.
Our favorite feature on vWorker is being able to receive bids from different workers all around the world, so that we can see roughly what any given project will cost us. With the model that the site has provided, workers compete for our business by promising better work for lower cost. In this way, we can ensure that we are getting the best possible deal, while still achieving optimal quality.
7. What has been your experience in mediation/arbitration?
We have had no problems in the arbitration process. There have been times when we received less than satisfactory work or projects that were not completed by the deadline, and vWorker always settled in our favor. The escrow process is fantastic and a perfect way to make sure both parties are getting what they are expecting.
8. Do you have any tips/tricks/secrets about vWorker that you’ve learned that you’d like to share?
A tip that we can offer is do not just accept the lowest bid on your project. It is true that you get what you pay for, and a worker will not be motivated to create high-quality work on a big project for a low cost. Sometimes, you have to go with a better worker with a better profile because spending a little more will pay off tremendously in the long run. Also, be generous and give bonuses if you are truly satisfied with the work. Treat your workers with respect and loyalty, and they will be more willing to provide you with higher quality work in the future.
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© 2001-2011 Exhedra Solutions, Inc.
© 2001-2011 Exhedra Solutions, Inc.
