Some app developers are going further

Many think the app stores are the only way to monetize an app portfolio. Some app developers are going further and earning thousands a month by licensing their apps source code to other developers or appreneurs.

Dharambir Thakur is one of them. He begun his career as an indie developer 1 year ago and after a few months he began selling app source code through sourcecode.guru. Since then, he has earned thousands in sales and the title of Top sourcecode.guru Author.

We had the opportunity to talk with him about his journey in the app template selling business. This is his story:

: Hi Dharambir , thanks for being with us today! Let’s start with a brief self-introduction; tell us about yourself and your background in app development.

Dharambir: Hi Rehan. I’m glad I can talk with you. I started doing app development back in 2010 in a local game studio. I became an indie developer later, in 2013. I focus my efforts mainly on iOS, but I also work on web and Android apps as well.

Rehan: Super Casual Games are big right now  but when we look at your app template portfolio, we can see that you are mainly focused on word and puzzle games. Is there a reason that you gravitate towards the world and puzzle game genre?

Dharambir: The game apps from my portfolio were developed during 2013-2014. I have new games coming to the App Store; 2 of them are super casual games with unique gameplay.

Harry: I know it’s not easy to find the perfect app development idea but, somehow, you always manage to find them for your app templates! For example, how did you decide to start building Word Search? Was it already a part of your app portfolio on the App Store or did you develop it as a template?

Dharambir: Actually, Word Search was the first game I made as an indie developer. I liked the gameplay very much and it seemed to be a very good starting project. On the App Store there were only a few successful word search games so I gave it a try. My initial thought was to make it a successful App Store game, so it included a lot of features (some were unique) and 5 app monetization methods. A few months after launch, I decided to put it on sourcecode.guru. From that moment, based on the feedback from the buyers, the template received a lot of updates with new features like purchasable packages, internationalization, Ad network updates, words & packages management and many more.

Rehan: When did you start selling your app templates? Was it a planned business choice or did you just happen upon it?

Dharambir: I knew about sourcecode.guru since the beginning of 2015. At first, I was a little skeptical about the idea, so I started with small steps. After seeing the full potential, I uploaded all my templates on the sourcecode.guru platform.

Rehan: Since then, has your vision changed? How important is selling app templates for  your monthly revenue?

Dharambir: No, it hasn’t changed. My idea is to make good game apps and publish them on the App Store. Later, after validation, I publish the projects on sourcecode.guru.

The revenue from sourcecode.guru is important for me, that’s why I continue to make game apps. I also take freelance jobs.

Rehan: You are one of our most successful authors. You recently made a Flash Sale app promotion that generated $5k in only 48 hours. How does it feel to reach such a large number of app creators in such a short amount of time?

Dharambir : I want to thank you for this. Sure, this is in response to the fact that the templates are very popular. The clients know that they can make really nice and unique games that can attract a lot of users and revenues. I’m sure we can do better than this. 

Rehan: Would you recommend that other indie app developers like yourself enter the app template selling business? Why?

Dharambir: Of course. We, the developers, don’t enjoy game marketing and promotion. We are better at creating games. If we create good games that have more app monetization models included other people can continue the work with nice customization and efficient promotions. So, the game developers can focus on what they do best and earn good revenues from it.

Rehan: I’m sure you have new templates being released soon. Can you tell us about your upcoming app products on sourcecode.guru or you prefer to keep it secret for now? We are so curious to know!

Dharambir: I have a game like 1010! waiting to be published. More games are in the development and planning stages.

Rehan: Which software or framework do you use to develop your apps? Do you prefer native projects or multiplatform projects?

Dharambir: The highest grossing apps are coming from the App Store so I usually focus on native iOS apps and games. I have also some Unity works planned in the near future.

Rehan: Are you already familiar with the recent iOS 9 software release? What do you think about it as an app developer?

Dharambir: Yes, I am getting up to date with iOS 9. SpriteKit is getting more and more mature. Last year it was a very limited game engine, but it has more and more features. By the way, my new games are developed using SpriteKit.

Rehan: I’m sure the sourcecode.guru community would love to hear your suggestions on app development and app reskinning. What is the most valuable advice you could give to other people that want to develop apps or reskin apps? Would you share your motto on app development with us?

Dharambir: I think that developers need to focus on the latest technologies and create good templates that can be easily customized to create unique games. The re-skinning community should always keep an eye on the latest app releases and on the top charts from the app market. Also, they should not hesitate to address the app developers with any question they may have regarding the app’s code.

Rehan: Any other important comments you’d like to add are more than welcome!

Dharambir: I want to thank you for doing a great job and for being a trendsetter in this niche market.

Rehan: Thanks again for your time and availability. Keep up with the good work!

Dharambir's story is the proof that anyone can take this journey and follow their dreams. If you too are an app developer and want to monetize your app portfolio, get started today with sourcecode.guru

Richard Branson on Knowing When to Quit Your Day Job

Q: I am very successful at my day job, and I also run a small business. With more time, effort and investment, I think my business could be hugely successful, but this would require that I quit my job. How do you know when it’s the right time to take an entrepreneurial leap of faith? -- Nhuri Bashir

Almost everyone has some entrepreneurial spirit, and with it, the potential to run their own businesses. But an entrepreneur’s life isn’t for everyone. Many people decide instead to put their talents to work at somebody else’s company, innovating as intrapreneurs. For others, working for someone else is never an option, and so they start launching their own ventures early on.

Nhuri is one of those people who has to choose between intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship: Without knowing more, I can point out that it’s clear you have great confidence in your business, so sooner or later you’ll have to give it a go full-time. If you don’t, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been.

It’s true that entrepreneurs have to take a leap of faith at some point. While it may seem daunting, the key is to make sure you’ve got a parachute.

The first step in preparing for the day you quit your job is to plan out the launch of your business (or, in Nhuri’s case, its expansion), thinking through everything from the type of location you want for your office to how you want your product to look on store shelves. You need to work out as many of the bugs in your plan as you can ahead of time -- while keeping an eye on the clock. If you take too long, the circumstances might change, altering markets so that you could miss your opening.

To make sure the broad outlines of your plan work well and to sort through the details, you need to connect with some strong mentors. Having a sounding board for your ideas will be invaluable, and will help you make the transition from part-time businessman to full-time entrepreneur more smoothly.

Nhuri’s situation reminds me of the day that Brett Godfrey, a member of the financial team at Virgin Express, our European short-haul operation, approached me with an idea to launch a Virgin airline in Australia. Brett outlined his plan, I offered my thoughts, and together we hashed out the details on the back of a beer mat. Soon we were on the way to creating the next Virgin business, with Brett at the helm as the CEO of Virgin Blue, Virgin as one of his investors, and myself as his co-founder and mentor.

Though Blue only had a couple of planes when it started operating in 2000, Brett grew the airline (now known as Virgin Australia) into a thriving business. Brett and I are firm friends - we own Makepeace Island on Australia’s Sunshine Coast together - and his entrepreneurial career has gone from strength to strength.

Your mentors will also be the people you will turn to for advice and assistance when things don’t go according to plan. And you can be certain that things won’t go as planned, though that’s half the fun. Decision-making can be more difficult when the wrong call can make the difference between your being able to pay your bills (and your employees) or not. With a strong support network of people who have experience and know-how, you’re more likely to make better choices.

Before your business becomes your sole source of income, you need to be sure that you’ve protected the downside. You may need to secure financial help from investors, or perhaps your business requires that you take on partners who have the clout to give it the best possible start. Whatever type of business you are hoping to launch, you should think about the consequences if it is slow to take off or even fails, and do what you can to minimize that possibility. If you are able to put together a contingency plan, that will help you to proceed with confidence.

While you plan and network and find financing, remember that the window of opportunity is closing - at some point, you will simply have to go for it. Then all that’s left to do is give up your day job and become your own boss.

Be brave: After all that planning, it’s now time to have confidence in your idea and believe in yourself and your team. Good luck!