Why You Should Never Hire for App Shipping (Without Vetting)
Not all developers are equal. Here are the 5 questions that separate who's shipped from who'll waste your time.
You've been hurt before. A freelancer ghosted mid-rejection. Another crashed your app. Now you're scared to hire anyone.
Here's the fix: Ask the right 5 questions. They'll separate people who've actually shipped from people who'll waste your time.
The 5 Vetting Questions
Q1: "How many apps have you shipped to both app stores?"
- Good answer: "I've shipped 8 iOS apps and 5 Android apps."
- Red flag: "I've built lots of apps." (Vague; they probably haven't shipped any.)
- Minimum: 5+ apps to both stores
Q2: "Show me an app you shipped that got rejected. What was the rejection? How did you appeal?"
- Good answer: They show you the rejection email, the appeal, and the live app
- Red flag: "I've never been rejected." (They haven't shipped enough)
Q3: "Can you guarantee approval, or do you charge extra if the app gets rejected?"
- Good answer: "Approval is included. If Apple rejects, I fix it for free."
- Red flag: "That depends; rejections might be extra." (Shifting risk to you)
Q4: "What happens if Apple rejects the app? Do you handle the appeal?"
- Good answer: "Yes. I analyze the rejection, write an appeal if appropriate, and resubmit. It's all included."
- Red flag: "Appeals are extra." (They're nickel-and-diming you)
Q5: "Can you provide references from real founders who've paid you to ship?"
- Good answer: "Yes, here are 3 founders. Feel free to contact them."
- Red flag: "I can't share client names." (They don't want you finding out clients were unhappy)
Scoring System
Give 1 point for each good answer:
- Score 5: Hire them
- Score 4: Likely good; check references
- Score 3: Risky; only if references are great
- Score 0–2: Pass
What To Do Next
- Make a list of 3–5 potential developers
- Ask them these 5 questions in writing
- Check their references via email
- Hire the one with highest score + best references
Don't hire without vetting. This will save you $5K–$10K and 8–12 weeks of frustration.
If you're ready to hire and want someone vetted, let's talk.