[biggbubba00]

I read in an article and 60% of mobile app developers don't break even when making their apps. And that the odds of being successful as a lone developer are slim.

But I have a question. Percentage wise: how many developers in the market ACTUALLY know how to code? There has to be a lot of people who use software without actually knowing how to code.

Does anyone have any comments about the success rate of being a mobile app developer? Take away all the people who just use software to develop their crappy applications. What are the chances of success in the mobile app business when you actually know what you're doing.

[glassp]

Just so you know, I don't have any experience in Android or anything else, just iOS.

At first, it seems like you're hardly going to have to code to make a fairly simple app. With Xcode(program for developing iOS apps) you can build the visuals with dragging and dropping, and personally I thought I wouldn't have to code much.
When you're actually making things happen (making things move, making buttons actually do stuff, changing labels) you're going to spend a lot of time coding.

It also depends on what you're doing; if you're making a normal app (using a storyboard(thing to place buttons and labels, etc)), then you'll be in between the storyboard and the .swift files.

If you're in SpriteKit, which is for games, you'll be coding 99% of the time.

If you know what you're doing, and you advertise things right, you can make some money. My dad made a simple app (tbh the app looked kind of ugly) and he didn't advertise it at all, and he's gotten a quite a few downloads. I think if you spend time making a good app you can easily make money. If you make a game and it hits the front page (flappy bird, etc) you'll be rich.
Apple does take a large percentage of the money, though.

[Truth]

less than 1% of apps are financially successful

[+Haze]

less than 1% of apps are financially successful

Where's your source? I'd like to see it.

[Truth]

Where's your source? I'd like to see it.

google and I guess I was wrong its less than 0.01% my bad.
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2648515