How to make an app in 30 minutes

In 2014, when the famous messaging mobile App Whatsapp was acquired by Facebook for $19bn, each of the 55 employees if given an equal share would fetch $350m. Millions of apps have been published by the Google Play Store and Apple Store over the last few years. What most of us fail to understand is that App Development, in its most basic form, is a very simple and straightforward task.

Most of us have ideas which we think can change the world. But we usually:

1. Procastinate / Assume that the ideas are beyond us, and do nothing.
2. Work on the idea and try to bring out the most perfect version, which somehow keeps going far away, each time we inch closer to it.

Therefore, Minimum Viable Product (MVP):

This post aims to detail a short process to make a simple app (let’s call it “The most minimal Minimum Viable Product) in 30 minutes (or even less).

This process consists of two stages:

1. Make a website

2. Convert the website into an app

Let’s see each of these stages in detail:

1. Make a website

In this phase, the aim is to make a website / blog using simple free online tools such as Blogger or WordPress. Below is an example of setting up a website on WordPress.

Go to Wordpress.com > Get Started (obviously)

Let’s start with a blog, though you could choose a website / portfolio / online store too

Select any random theme to get started

Choose a website address (if you’re using xxxxx.wordpress.com, it’s free! )

And choose the free option again! :)

Create your account

And your Wordpress site is ready

This is how it looks (Default). So we customize (right-bottom corner)

So, we customize it (just changed the name, and tagline :P)

Lo & Behold! Your website is ready.

Stage 1 ends here! Now, let’s move to making the app!

2. Convert the website into an app

For this stage, I will be using an online service called Appmaker.

Go to Appmaker.xyz, and click on “Get Started”

Even though there’s a direct option for WordPress based app, since Web App’s are easier, we’ll go with it

Fill in the details

You could use this time to cook Maggi noodles!

Time to taste success, or Maggi noodles, or both

Copy the .apk file to phone, and install

And there you go!

So wasn’t developing a mobile application a cakewalk?

Note that the app is not yet ready to be published to the AppStore (though it can be done via an addon purchase on Appmaker). However, you can definitely share it with your friends, via mail, bluetooth or any other means.

You have “the most minimal Minimum Viable Product” ready-to-go.