App & Game Development: From an idea to a product people use

Executive summary

Apple reviewed 7.77 million app submissions in 2024 and rejected 1.93 million of them.¹
New personal developer accounts on Google Play must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for at least 14 days before they can apply for production access.²
Roblox reported 151.5 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2025, showing how large creator platforms have become for games.³
Shipping is a process with gates: idea, prototype, test, store review and launch. Each gate can be planned for.
We take ideas from concept to a released product, for businesses, founders and creators.

01Market context

Building an app or game has never been more accessible, and app stores have never been more selective. Apple rejected roughly a quarter of the 7.77 million submissions it reviewed in 2024.¹ Google Play now requires new personal developers to test with real users before going live.² Meanwhile game platforms such as Roblox reach audiences of a size few studios could reach alone.³

Exhibit 1 App Store review, 2024

Submissions approved (approx.)75%

Submissions rejected (1.93m of 7.77m)25%

Source: Apple App Store Transparency Report 2024, via MacRumors, May 2025. Percentages rounded.

For a business or a first-time founder, the opportunity is real. So is the cost of building the wrong thing, or the right thing in a way the stores will not accept.

02The challenge

Building too much. Months spent on features before anyone has tried the core idea.
Store surprises. Rejections for privacy, payments or content rules found at the end.
No launch plan. The app is live, but nobody knows it exists.
No plan after launch. Updates, support and operating costs were never budgeted.

03Our point of view

Prove the idea before building the product. We start with a clickable prototype or a small playable version, put it in front of real users, and only then build. Store rules, privacy and payments are designed in from the beginning. For games, we choose the platform to match the audience: a creator platform such as Roblox, mobile, or web.

04How we work

Shape. The idea, the audience, the one thing it must do well, and the business model.
Prototype and test. Clickable or playable prototype, tested with real users.
Build. The smallest version that proves the idea, with analytics and store requirements built in.
Release and grow. Store submission, launch plan, then updates based on how people use it.

Exhibit 2 Prove it before you build it

Shape
Audience and core idea

Prototype and test
Real users, early

Build
Smallest proving version

Release and grow
Stores, launch, updates

The Market Concepts.

05What you receive

A product brief and scope for the first version.
A tested prototype with user feedback.
The released app or game, with source code you own.
Store listings and a launch plan.
A roadmap and running-cost estimate for the first year.

06Measures of success

Prototype tested with target users before full build
Store approval at first or second submission
Active users and retention after 30 days
Revenue or business goal against plan

07Risks and governance

Children. Products for children follow platform and privacy rules for young users from the design stage.
Privacy. Data collected is minimised and disclosed in store privacy labels; UAE PDPL applies where relevant.⁴
Ownership. You own the code, accounts and content.
Payments. In-app purchases follow each store’s rules.

This paper is general guidance and not legal advice.

08Illustrative scenario

ILLUSTRATIVE — NOT A CLIENT CASE STUDY

A retail chain wants a loyalty app. The first brief lists 40 features. A two-week prototype tested with 15 customers shows that only three matter: points balance, offers and store locator.

Version one ships with those three, passes store review on first submission, and the next features are chosen from what customers actually use.

09Frequently asked questions

Can you build a game on Roblox?: Yes, as well as mobile and web games. The platform depends on your audience and goals.
Do you build for iPhone and Android?: Yes, usually from one codebase unless performance needs say otherwise.
I only have an idea. Is that enough?: Yes. The first step is shaping and testing it before any large spend.

App & Game Development