I’m not saying that an idea isn’t worth something, it’s just that there are lots of ideas out there. I get a few each week. People always come up with ideas for apps and think they can make a quick buck by getting a partner to develop it for them. This is not unlike the days of the Internet boom, when people had ideas for Web sites.

It is common now for someone to get an idea for an app and seek out someone to develop it for them. But most developers do not want to work with someone who only brings an idea to the table. Developing an app is a lot of work, not just programming. After a few months of long days and no weekends, while the idea guy keeps telling you how to do it, is no way to start a business partnership. Imagine a guy who has an idea for a movie script. He teams up with another guy who writes the script, gets the actors and crew, shoots the movie, edits it, and takes it to market. How much was the idea worth? Idea generators always overvalue their idea and undervalue the work it takes to make it. An idea by itself, IMO, is not worth 50% of the final product.

So if you have an idea for an app, and you don’t have money to hire a developer, my suggestion is to learn some part of the app development process and execute it. This does not have to be programming. There is also design, marketing, and business to do. If you can bring something more to the table than an idea, it will help you get development partners that last without battles.