Is making Android apps for everyone?

If you were wondering if you are the right person to start making Android apps, you should probably watch the video below. Thomas Suarez is only 12 years old and he can call himself a developer already. Are his apps super good? Probably not, but they do well enough to get him a lot of attention and a TED talk. Check it out and if you want to read more about him, go see his site carrotcorp.com or his Twitter profile. If you are a lucky iPhone/iPad owner, you might want to try Thomas's Bustin Jieber game as well.

What I'd strongly suggest to all those who want to start their Android adventure is:

Start small

You won't create another Angry Birds at your first try and, let's be honest, it won't probably even be a very good app. Think of something really simple or use an existing idea and try to make it better. Be it another cracked screen, farting app, soundboard or quiz, at least you'll finish it and belive me, that's already a huge achievement.

Learn as you go

Reading all the books and tutorials you can find might seem necessary, but too much information at once only messes up with your head and makes you discouraged. Learn while working on your small project and you will acquire just the amount of knowledge you need. Apart from that you'll have a piece of working code to publish or go back to later.

Get some help

There's a reason why when you go to school they don't just give you books and materials and tell you to study them yourself. It's great to have someone help you when you get stuck and explain more difficult aspects of a subject. If you know some Android developer, ask them for help or advice. If you can't find one, team up with a friend who also wants to learn it or at least search for similar people on the Internet. Unless you want to cope with the same problems others had when they started and which are easily solved.

Show off your apps

Don't just throw something away because it's not perfect. It will almost never be. Internet trolls can be annoying, but there will always be people who will like what you do and let you know about it. Don't be ashamed to publish your apps. There aren't many things that excite me more than seeing new downloads every day, even if there are only a couple of them. You also want feedback from people with different devices, resolutions, and expectations. Make sure you use them to improve and avoid future mistakes.


Now, if you're still not sure if you can create apps, go rewatch the video and think again.