Thread: Need partner for indie Mac App Store business

I want to go into business developing apps(games, mostly) and selling them on the Mac App Store, but a few obstacles stand in the way. Like how I'm broke and only have access to PowerPC Macs, which aren't compatible with the App Store at all. What I need is a loyal stooge to partner with, somebody who has a modern Mac to compile my software on and submit it to the App Store with, somebody who can set up an Apple Developer Account for me.

And yes, that means you'd have to shell out $99 of your own money. But! To reimburse you, I'll give you the first $99 that I make. And guess what? After that... I'll happily split all the money with you 50/50. Which, honestly, you'd deserve because you would be the one enabling my entire business venture. Plus, I'll share my code with you and can probably tutor you to a fair extent, if you want me to.

Age doesn't matter, experience doesn't matter, gender doesn't matter. All that matters is that you have the modern Mac, the $99, the enthusiasm to work with me on this, and that you won't rip me off. I wish I could choose everybody that fits the description, but I only need one partner. So I apologize in advance and profusely if I don't pick you. Seriously.

(Becuase I bet tons of people will be clamoring for this job that sounds like a half-baked scam, haha. P.S., I'm aware there probably aren't many(any?) Mac users here, but my search is going badly and I'm getting real desparate about now.)

"Hi, I wanna sell stuff on the Mac App Store. I think ya'll should give me the $1000 or so dollars I need to get an ADC account and a new-ish Mac with Lion because you... Should."

Would that go over well at Kickstarter? I'm guessing, probably not.

Ask random benevolent strangers to fund what will be another dime-a-dozen app developer as far as they know, or ask one person to invest $99 with the incentive that they'll be paid back in full and receive a 50% cut of my profits(and get to use my frameworks to rapidly develop their own apps, and get a free education in C/Objective-C/OpenGL 1.2(woo!) if they need one). I think the latter has better odds of working, although they're still probably pretty grim.

My entire household is as broke as I am. Friends, ditto. Extended relatives, N/A. I'd take another option if I had one, but, yeah. Not happening.


Demo'ing my apps? Eh, might not be such a hot idea. I could say "here's the app I'm developing. It does so-and-so which is obviously really popular, but pretty much no other develeper on the App Store is doing it right now. Plus, it does so-and-so in a more effective and complete way than any other app I know of that does something similar, on any platform. Maybe it won't make you a millionaire, but it's definitely going to make your $99 back. And more on top of that". Then some Mac App Store developer reads my comment, and boom, suddenly my app isn't as unique anymore and I'm beaten to the punch while stuck in purgatory arguing about how being my business partner would be a really good deal. And then I smash my head into a wall.


Professional programmers? Bah, I bet even professional programmers would like to collect royalties in perpetuity for just compiling somebody else's software and submitting it to Apple. Got a sweet work-to-money ratio going on there.


But even if most of the regulars are pros, aren't there still a fair number of novices and intermediates here who'd benefit from my free tutoring offer?

Writing whatever software I want, with nobody to answer to, from the comfort of my own home and getting paid for it is pretty much my master plan in life. "Truly invested" might be an understatement here.

You probably wouldn't have to fix my code. If it compiles and works under Tiger, then it should compile and work under SL/Lion as long as I stay away from the deprecated APIs.

I'd be willing to give you a large cut of my profits, but Hell, if you want a smaller cut...

You can't cover the ADC membership? Could you at least cover a portion of it? The whole $99 is probably out of my reach(unless I start mugging people), but I might be able to scrounge up some part of it if the planets align. I'm not sure it could be anything substantial, though.

how about going to a local print shop- there may well be a mac on site, you could talk to them. - print is a tight business, they may welcome a little extra revenue, if you could demonstrate safety in your work.

Show some demos of your other stuff then. Show anything that proves you have the slightest idea in what you are doing.

Hell if you are as good as you think you are, then $100 isnt big money, but of you are a newb with more chutzpah that ability then its not the investment that you make it out to be

@Soma


Hah. My development machine is a used(and damaged, yay!) original eMac I got a couple of years ago before the reverse mortgage ran out. I'm willing to part with half the profits because that's how badly I need help to buy an ADC membership. I could sell a few things, but seriously, that wouldn't cover it. It probably wouldn't come anywhere close, either.


There aren't many indie forums with a job board(that I can find), and I'm kind of hesitant to start crossposting this because a copypasta spree will make this seem like even more of a scam than it already does.


@rogster001


That's a really clever idea, actually.


@Fordy


Should I write some boring demo just to prove I have any idea what I'm doing? I will if it'll help.

Originally Posted by woodpkrfrommars

@Fordy


Should I write some boring demo just to prove I have any idea what I'm doing? I will if it'll help.

Yes.