Behavior Analysis & the iPhone®
Once upon a time, long ago before I fell under the thrall of software development, I trained as a Behavior Analyst, specializing in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB).
I periodically get interested in Behavior Analysis again and go through a period of rebuilding my library and reading. But I always find myself under the thrall of computer programming again. Always sooner rather than later.
I never succeeded in combining the two interests: Behavior Analysis and computer programming.
Maybe it is time to try.
iPhone App as Behavior Analysis Tool
I am currently hooked on the iPhone. I just published one iPhone application, CT RVParks. It is now available on the App Store. I will focus my attention on iPhone development for the forseeable future.
I love the idea of the App Store: a consignment shop for iPhone software. I have the software development expertise. Now I need someone with ideas in a content domain to partner with.
Do you have a need that a tiny hand held computer with built-in wireless communications could fulfill IF someone would write you a piece of software?
Need a hand held device that can record data? Analyze data? Chart it? Tell you when thresholds have been hit? That can time events? Will download or upload data? Kinda like a Skinner box in your hand?
Or any other need that we might use the iPhone to satisfy. Let's talk about it.
I'm very flexible, but here is a crude outline as a starting point.
Our Investment
I have no cash to invest. What I have is my time, labor, software development expertise, equipment, and so on.
I expect that you would be investing time, labor, etc., also. You would need to have at least an iPhone for testing purposes.
So: we are risking our own sweat and time. No money, unless you have special needs, and have the money.
Cash Incentive
I need to spend my working time on things that have a good potential to make money. I assume the same is true for you or the organization you represent.
As a starting point: we would split the proceeds from sale of the app 50/50. Apple takes 30% off the top for running the store, handling sales, etc. Which means we would be splitting the remaining 70%: 35% each. We may want to change the allocation depending upon who does what work and how much work.
There must be a market for the iPhone application. The smaller the market, the more we would need to charge. Consider that on a $10 application we would be getting $3.50 per copy. We would have to sell a LOT of copies to make it worth the work of creating the application.
For a $100 application, we'd be getting $35 each. It would require fewer sales to produce a decent income, but would be a much harder sell unless the app were a "must have" for the target audience.
So: what is the "must have" quotient of your idea? And could the target population pay a price that makes it worth our while? Is your idea so great that the target customers would buy an iPhone to run the application?
Your Role
You are the content expert. You have the need, or work in an environment with a need, or whatever.
You define the general behavior of the software, where it will be used, how it will be used, define in general terms the data involved and where it flows.
You define what the screens will contain, the tasks the sofware will help the user accomplish, whatever.
You will do application testing at all stages of development. To do testing you need an iPhone and iTunes® on either Mac OS® or MS Windows®.
My Role
I bring your idea alive on the iPhone. If necessary I build a web site to go with it. That is, I do all the computer programming.
As functionality changes I provide you with new builds so that you may provide feedback to me, and to do testing.
I will get the app accepted by Apple and available for sale on the App Store.
Our Interaction
I do software development in an extremely iterative and exploratory manner. I do NOT do grand requirements and design documents. I have done my share of requirements and design docs as a corporate programmer, but have no desire to do so ever again. Let's keep it light and interactive.
That said, there is a need to know where we are going. We just need to avoid putting so much blood sweat and tears into a plan that the plan drives us in a set direction in spite of any new realities.
We will outline usage scenarios: how will people use the application; tasks and task ordering; branching of tasks; etc.
We will divide these scenarios into three groups: must-have, should-have, and nice-to-have. We will only implement the must-have group, at least in version 1.0.
We will prioritize usage scenarios. I will start building chunks of it. We will evaluate. We will change.
I live and work in Brookings, Oregon. You don't (I assume).
Our interactions will be primarily via electronic means: email, phone, chat, Skype, whatever.
If the application has a lot of potential, I might be willing to travel to meet with you at some point.
Got an Idea?
Drop me a line at tomd@mactom.com.
Oh yeh, check to see if someone else has already done it. I have some existing apps listed here on my Behavior Analysis: Existing iPhone® Apps page. If one exists that fills your need, buy it!
Also check the App Store. I have done some searching, but little comes up.
Even if someone has already done something similar, maybe you/we could vastly improve upon it.