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The Mobile App MVP (FinTech or Health-Tech Startup)**

This is often the most expensive and "mysterious" service for a client, making it the perfect place for agencies to hide high margins or outsource to low-quality white-label shops. As an expert, this is where you test their knowledge of React Native vs. Flutter vs. Swift/Kotlin and how they handle the App Store/Play Store ecosystem.

  • The Persona: "Dr. Aris," a specialized practitioner in NJ (e.g., Physical Therapy or Cardiology) who has designed a unique method for patient tracking and habit formation.
  • The Goal: A mobile app where patients can log data, receive push notifications, and view progress charts. It needs to sync with a simple web dashboard for the doctor.
  • Budget Anchor: Aris has $30k–$45k in seed funding or personal savings. He is looking for a "functional MVP" to prove the concept before seeking a larger $500k+ investment.

The Outreach Script (Email / Contact Form)​

Subject: Inquiry: Mobile App MVP Development (iOS/Android) for Health-Tech Concept "Hi, I’m Dr. Aris. I’ve developed a protocol for patient recovery and I’m looking to turn it into a mobile application. We need a basic MVP that allows users to create a profile, track daily metrics, and receive push notifications. I also need a small admin portal so I can see my patients' data. I’m debating between building natively or using something like React Native to save on costs. I need to get a version into the app stores within 4 months to show my investors. Do you handle the full lifecycle from UX design to App Store submission? And how do you handle HIPAA-compliant data storage for a project like this? Thanks, Aris."

The "Deep-Dive" Secret Shopper Questions (For the Phone/Zoom Call)​

  1. The "Cross-Platform" Test (Architecture):
  • Question: "Do you recommend React Native or Flutter for this? And if we go that route, will it feel 'janky' compared to a native Apple app?"
  • What to look for: Do they explain Bridge vs. Skia (Flutter) or Native Modules? A pro will explain that for a CRUD/Tracking app, React Native is indistinguishable from Native and saves ~40% on dev costs.
  1. The "Lifecycle/DevOps" Test (Agile):
  • Question: "How do we test the app before it's on the App Store? Do I have to plug my phone into your computer?"
  • What to look for: Do they mention TestFlight, Firebase App Distribution, or Expo Go? If they don't have a clear beta-testing pipeline, they aren't an agile firm.
  1. The "Regulatory/Security" Test (PhD/Medical Terminology):
  • Question: "Since this is health data, we need to be careful. How do you ensure the Data at Rest and Data in Transit are encrypted and compliant with privacy standards?"
  • What to look for: Listen for AES-256 encryption, TLS/SSL, and HIPAA-compliant hosting (like AWS Nitro or specialized GCP instances).
  1. The "Push Notification" Test (Engagement):
  • Question: "Notifications are key for us. How do you handle those? Is it a custom server or a service?"
  • What to look for: Do they suggest Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), OneSignal, or Expo Notifications?
  1. The "App Store Submission" Test (The "Hidden" Labor):
  • Question: "I’ve heard Apple rejects a lot of apps. Do you stay with us through the rejection/approval process, or does your job end once the code is finished?"
  • What to look for: A "Partner" firm includes submission and 1-2 rounds of rejection fixes in their quote. A "Body Shop" will charge extra for it.

App user engagement and retention

  • is there a reason in the App for your users to virally invite their contacts? if not, create a reason to drive down Cost-Per-Install

How to Grade Them (Your Internal Research)​

MetricRed Flag (Web Agency pretending to do Apps)Green Flag (Mobile Specialists)
Tech Choice"We'll just make a responsive website and wrap it.""We recommend React Native for your budget/speed goals."
Backend"We'll build a custom PHP backend.""We'll use a BaaS like Supabase or Firebase to ship the MVP faster."
MVP VisionWants to build every feature at once.Suggests a Minimum Viable Product to get to market in 12 weeks.
UX DesignStandard web-based UI.Understands Human Interface Guidelines (iOS) and Material Design (Android).