To Code or Not to Code?

When it comes to building a complicated app full of exciting little things there are a couple of things that have to be thought about and are fundamental to the creation of such a project: time, money and ability.

When I set out on this project, the plan was to be able to learn coding in a comprehension and clear way before I got started with assignments and other fiddly little things that life throws my way this time of year. Sadly, because I was off being awesome in London, I wasn’t able to do that and so that great enemy Time has become precious and fleeting.

Do I have the time and the ability to be able to code the app the way I wanted to, from the ground up? I’m not sure. I’m really, really not sure.

So this throws some rather large spanners into already complicated works.

I’ve been advised that I don’t reeeeeaaallly have to build the app. As long as I put together a full, comprehensive development plan and bible (which could be anything up to 100 pages) then I’ve got a pretty good start, as well as developing networks with guys who already build apps and may be able to help me out in that regard. Which takes a weight of my mind, but equally makes me a bit sad inside.

Equally, there is a chance for me to build the app in a simple, stripped back and non-code-requiring way. Maybe. That’s still only a maybe. And although it means that if I could use it then I could genuinely have a working prototype to show people (which is amazing), there’s a part of me that feels like it’s a bit of a cop-out and that I’m sacrificing some key interactivity features for the sake of making things easier on myself.

It’s a difficult one.

I’ve decided, therefore, to go back to the start of this post and plan things as such: If I have TIME, I will code. If I don’t have time, I will consider MONEY. If I have some time and no money, then I will build according to my ABILITY of using a simpler program, with projected future possibilities built into the development plan. If I have ALL THREE, well, then I am going to attempt to code the shit outta this thing.

Is it just me, or does my plan sound like I still don’t know what I’m doing…?