Wooden Blocks with the text Faqs

Frequently Asked Questions

We're excited you're considering Naked's Design program. 

Please take time to review our FAQ during your Project Review period.

If you have any questions, please reach out to josh@nakeddev.com

Naked's Project Approval Process

Why is there a “Project Review” process in order to partner with Naked?

A few reasons:

1) Our client's success. Starting a new business and building an app is huge investment in time, resources, and energy. We don’t want clients to build an app we wouldn’t build ourselves, simply put. We’re at our best when we are passionate and excited about the problem we’re solving with our clients, and what we're creating together. 

2) Capacity constraints. Yes, we're rated #1 in a lot of categories so demand is one thing. But because we have an in-house, US-based team we have limited capacity each quarter (compared to hiring and firing overseas at a whim). Lastly, it’s extremely easy to overpromise and underdeliver in this business, but we’re laser focused on meeting every promise we make to customers in regard to quality, execution, and timeline. 

3) Hiring US-based talent. Try competing with big-tech over great California designers and developers, and you'll quickly realize you need to show them they'll be working on awesome projects that aren't destined to fail (everyone wants to see their work out in the world).

4) Naked's CLTV business model. We want to invest our resources into projects we believe have a long term Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). By choosing projects and Founders we believe will be successful, the higher the likelihood we have several Development, Marketing, Support engagements over the years (this part of why our average client relationship is ~3 years). 

5) Positive Reviews. Working with great people with great ideas begets great reviews, simply put.

Why does Naked have capacity constraints?

Since we are a US-based company with full-time US developers, designers, and marketers, we cannot expand and contract capacity as easily as dev shops who can hire and fire overseas contractors at a whim.

That said, this works for our CLTV business model. We want to focus on partnering with Founders to create app startups we believe in, and have the opportunity for several engagements over the long run.

Who is on Naked's Approval Board?

John Driscoll (CEO), Robby Boyd (Executive Creative Director), Jason Martinez (Co-founder, Chief Design Officer), and Brian Lora (CTO).

Our Approval Board also includes a rotating representative from equity stakeholders in our sister company, Naked Ventures.

What is Naked's Approval Board looking in Founders & ideas?

These are a few key factors:

  • Business Viability
  • Customer Desirability
  • Product Marketability
  • Technological Feasibility
  • Investor Fundability
  • Founder-Market Fit

The overarching questions we answer are:

1) Is the idea solving a clear problem - or is it a solution looking for a problem?

2) Did this idea recently become possible or necessary?

3) Is there a proven market? Are there any easily searchable competitors or proxies?

4) If an unproven market, can we find people online who have this problem and are searching for this solution?

5) Can we see several paths towards adoption and ultimately monetization?

6) Do we foresee technical and/or app store approval issues that would be high-risk roadblocks?

7) What is the Founder's motivation for creating an app startup?

8) How well does the Founder understand the problem they're solving, and the user their solving it for?

9) Does the Founder have expertise or market knowledge we can lean on when designing the MVP?

10) Does the Founder have entrepreneurial experience or has led other ventures in the past?

Money-Back Guarantee

How does the 'Money-Back Guarantee' work?

You can request a full, 100% refund within 24 hours after Discovery Day. Plain and simple.

We want to enter our partnership by giving you an amazing experience and full confidence we're the right team to execute your vision.

If we don't accomplish that, then we didn't 100% give you the clarity and confidence you need to move forward, and we wouldn't want you to be stuck with us either.

How do I request the refund?

Just email your Account Manager, and CC josh@nakeddev.com and john@nakeddev.com, within 24 hours after your Discovery Day to let us know.

We will then provide you a screenshot confirming the refund was initiated.

The refund will take 5-10 business days to fully process back to your funding source.

Can I have a client reference before signing?

In addition to our reviews on both Design Rush and Clutch.co - you can hear directly from our Founders in Naked's Client Testimonial Video below!

 

 

The Design Phase

Why is Naked's Design Program called an "Accelerator"?

We may be fast since we’re an in-house, US-based team… but that is not why we call our program an Accelerator. 

Accelerators are tech term used to describe organizations that provide consultancy, coaching, and support to growing startups by leveraging their experience of launching other successful startups. They help startups refine their strategy over time and avoid common pitfalls that lead to failure (regardless of how good the idea is).

This is the same philosophy we have when partnering with our Founders. We provide coaching, product strategy, GTM strategy, monetization strategy, investor strategy, and marketing strategy, all under one roof in order to give our cleints the best odds of success possible.

What is the Design phase of building an app?

Simply put, this is the exciting first step to building an app.

At Naked - it's a holistic process. This is where we focus your big vision, the problem you’re solving, your preferred aesthetics, your ideal user, and potential roadblocks. We then combine all of those factors into a lean, beautiful app design with frictionless usability - all perfectly tailored to your market - so you go to market with the highest odds of success.

Your Design screens and other assets are created in the industry-standard design platform called Figma - and will be shared with you at the end of the Design process.

These screens are what we use to create your Figma “prototype”.

Lastly, we'll provide you with an  ~80 page app "blueprint" called a Development Scope Document - which is detailed documentation of the architecture of your app, the user stories, integrations needed, key technical assumptions, and the overall scope of your app.

Will I have a fully functioning app after this Design phase?

Not yet. The Design phase is the first of two phases before launching your app to the app stores.

Design gives you your blueprint to creating your app, so all of the screens, user flows, and overall User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) of your platform.

Development is the next phase, where your app get fully built then submitted to both iOS and Android stores.

What is a Figma "Prototype"?

A clickable, interactive prototype (composed of your Design screens) that looks and feels like an app. This is not a fully launched app.

These screens are created throughout the design process in both mid and high-fidelity to test that the user flows created are navigable and that the app is easy to use.

This Figma Prototype is clickable, screens can be swiped through, and pop-ups can appear. Clickable prototypes are invaluable to testing UX before committing to full development.  They are also great for presenting to investors to get funding, as it shows your vision and the value your app provides to users.

If your app idea requires a web version and a mobile version, you will receive a Figma Prototypes for both versions.

Will my app be built for both iOS & Android?

Yes - Naked develops using a cross-platform compatible framework that means your app will on both Android and iOS.

What is my level of engagement during the Design phase?

Here is a visual breakdown of the time requirement on your end throughout the Design process:

TIMELINE

 

Does Naked own any part of my IP or my app?

No Naked does not own anything related to your app. You own 100% of your app and all of your user's data.

What comes after the Design phase?

After Design comes the Development phase. Development where our US-based developers turn your Design into a quality, fully functioning app that is submitted to both the iOS and Android stores.

Do I have to go with Naked for Development?

No. You are by no means beholden to choose Naked as your long term developer partner after Design. With your Figma Prototype, wireframes, and Development Scope Documentation, at that point - any reputable developer will be able to build your app.

Even after Development, you can opt to go with any other Developer in the future as well.

You might be thinking... separating Design / Dev is a risk for Naked, right?

Yep. But we're okay with that.

We're confident clients will want to work with us even more after Design and Development (not less). Otherwise, we didn't earn it.

What else can Naked do for my app startup?

Pretty much anything a growing startup needs.

Marketing / long-term technical Support Product Demo Videos / Download Funnels / Commercials / Logos / Naming / Brand Books / Incubation / etc. 

You name it - we have some of the best in the biz doing it.

The Development Phase

How much will Development cost?

It's not possible to know how exactly how much an app will cost without thorough discovery, consultation, UX iteration, and research of the third-party APIs/services required for your app.

That said, we understand ball park estimates are important. The vast majority our development project are between $60k - $100k as we consult clients towards impactful, yet lean MVPs.

Note that for complex apps with novel features, intricate database requirements, or dense API interactions (such as fintech or machine learning solutions), it can be higher.

However after we align with your vision on Discovery Day, we will set up a Development Expectations meeting with you and our Co-Founders to ensure we are building within a scope that you can ultimately move forward with.

Do I have to pay for Development in a single payment?

No, you do not. Since we mainly work with new Founders and startups - we know cash flow is tight as you get started.

Since we're committed to the Founders and projects we approve, we're comfortable taking on some invoice risk and spreading payments out over a period of 10 months if needed.

In most instances, we can get development kicked off with as little as ~$25k down so we can focus on getting your product to market as fast as possible, which for many reasons, increases your odds of success.

What is the "Development Expectations" meeting?

This meeting will be scheduled with you, Jason Martinez, and John Driscoll within 3 weeks of Discovery Day.

The purpose of this meeting is to be proactive about the scope of Development, and give you a more accurate Development estimation once we have a deeper understanding of what we're building.

This also gives John an opportunity to consult on trimming down features during the Design process if needed to ensure we're creating an impactful, yet lean MVP.

Why is a “lean” MVP so important?

Many reasons. Building small to start is the cornerstone of software best practices for a reason:

  1. Lower costs

  2. User data is cleaner / easier to analyze

  3. Time to market is shorter

  4. Risk of false assumptions is lower

  5. Ability to pivot and iterate higher

  6. Lower friction UX

To boil the reasons down - it keeps overall risks lower and increases your odds of building a successful app company. 

We encourage you to research your favorite apps and review their product roadmap from inception to what you see today - and check out the funding they needed to get to where they are now. You’ll see starting small, and building step by step is the playbook of successful app startups.

Make sure to watch John’s video on this topic here as well!

What makes one app cost more than another?

An oversimplification is a) number of features b) number of user roles c) number of third party interactions and integrations d) how long it takes to build each feature e) how long it takes to build the backend database and architecture.

These questions can only be fully answered after the Discovery / Design phase.

How long does the Development phase usually take?

A conservative timeline expectation for development is 5-8 months. We will be able to provide you an exact estimated timeline after the Design phase.

Note that this includes testing phases, app store approvals, and launching your app to the app stores.

Add'l Note: the Development timeframe is in addition to the Design timeframe (which is 4-6 weeks).

What if I want to add new features after launch?

Iteration based on user feedback is the name of the game, so this is normal. We can add to your app on a feature-by-feature basis after launch, or if you're scaling fast, we can assign a full time development team to your project.

Does Naked help with technical Support & Hosting after Development?

Yes! Naked provides 24/7 technical support for your app after launch to ensure your app remains bug-free, and attain the software gold standard of 99.9% uptime as you scale.

Can Naked help with Marketing my app?

Absolutely. Our business model relies on long term relationships with Founders who create successful app companies. This inevitably means clients will need a Marketing Strategy and a Download Funnel.

It’s key to begin strategizing for user growth before your app launches. For some apps (like marketplace apps) it's imperative for your success.

The benefit here is that you will be working with a team that specializes in mobile app “growth hacking”, as well as a team that is already intimately familiar with your product, your target audience, and the dream outcome you offer to your users.

What are monthly maintenance costs after the app is launched?

This depends on your app's data requirements and its third party integrations - however a great rule of thumb is between $900 - $1200 per month.

Important App Terminology

What is a Figma "Prototype"?

A clickable, interactive prototype (composed of your Design screens) that looks and feels like an app. However, this is not a fully launched app.

These screens are created throughout the design process in both mid and high-fidelity to test that the user flows created are navigable and that the app is easy to use.

While there is no code behind these yet, buttons can appear to be clickable, pages can be swiped through, and pop-ups can appear. Clickable prototypes are invaluable to testing UX before committing to full development.  They are also great for presenting to investors to get funding, as it shows the full vision and the value it will provide to users.

Figma Prototype files Naked provides you can be viewed on either your desktop or mobile device. If your app idea requires a web version and a mobile version, you will receive a Figma Prototypes for both versions.

What is a "high-fidelity, graphically designed" screen?

It’s a screen that looks like the fully polished, finished product (aka any of the screens you’re used to seeing on your favorite app.

We will build 5 of these high-fidelity screens during our Design program. However, we also build all of your UI/UX using mid-fidelity screens for wireframes (typically 40+).

What is a "mid-fidelity" screen?

It’s a screen that has all the elements of a fully functional screen but does not have the final graphics/animations/colors/images on top of it yet.

It’s a cost-effective way for you to get through Design and wireframe all of your user journeys, user stories, UI/UX for a Figma Prototype as well as effectively scope Development.

Once you go into Development, we will turn all of your mid-fidelity screens into finalized high-fidelity screens.

What is an "MVP"?

Minimum Viable Product. There is room for interpretation on what "minimum" and "viable" mean, depending on the agency you ask.

At Naked, this means a truly "stripped down" version to minimize false assumptions and allow space for the market to dictate the direction of the product (so you ultimately create something people love).

What are "wireframes"?

A visual guide for the layout of all of the screens on an app or website, in addition to the structure of all the elements on each individual screen. 

Think of all of your app screens laid out on a desk in front of you. How do they interact? What is the user's journey between each feature? What should they see, and what's the easiest, most frictionless way for the user to navigate your app?

These are the questions that wireframing answers, by drawing the connections between your screens.

It allows you to see all of your UI/UX laid out right in front of you, easy to visualize, and ready for Development.

What is UI vs UX?

UI: “Look and feel” of the app aesthetically (we want it to scream high quality)

UX: how the user experiences navigating the app (we want illicit feelings like enjoyable, easy, intuitive, intelligent, etc)

A great chart by Coursera is below:

Chart_UI vs UX