To your developer, it’s a lot more complicated.
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Trigger warning for developers: this article may use words and phrases like OAuth, APIs, SDKs, databases, fast, easy, and uncomplicated together — sometimes even in the same sentence.
For years, I searched for the perfect to-do list app. I wanted to find an app that would help me keep track of my weekly, monthly, and yearly priorities. But, none of the to-do list apps I found on the App Store did what I wanted them to.
Finally, I decided to build my idea myself. After several experiments with everything from YouTube courses on Swift to MIT App Builder, I realized I couldn’t do it alone. I jumped into our local tech Slack channel and began asking experienced mobile developers for help.
“It super simple,” I told them, “really easy. My idea is so basic you could do it in a day. I’ll pay you.”
I figured a to-do list was one of the first things you learned to build in CS class. It had to be so easy that a developer could build it in their sleep.
Day 1: Hello World
Day 2: To-Do List App
Again and again, the moment they heard “easy,” “simple,” or “basic” developers seemed to snap. It was as though I’d somehow triggered a flashback to whatever…