App Doctor offers on-demand, hourly app service

For start-ups, applications are often a nuisance. Not only is it tough to develop one, but it's also a hassle to maintain and fix any issues. You're lucky if there's an app developer in the founding team, but oftentimes that's not the case. Then it becomes a continuous struggle to search for external developers who'll get the job done right.

This is where App Doctor comes in. The company offers a platform where start-ups can find hourly developers to whom they can outsource all their needs.

Coupons may be purchased and used any time users need a talented developer on an hourly basis. The business specifically targets start-ups that find searching and hiring developers too difficult or pricey.



Customer satisfaction is high because service is offered on an as-needed basis, according to the company. App Doctor's founder Hur Seok-kyun (third from left) served as head of IBM sales and Korea chief of an Indian IT outsourcing company. He knows the ins and outs of the world of developers like no other.

When users purchase a "Developer Hourly Coupon," which is offered in values of 20 hours (700,000 won), 40 hours (1.2 million won), and 160 hours (4.2 million won), customers can use it over a 6 month period of time. Coupons may be partially redeemed.

"Service Request System" is App Doctor's competitive edge. The company uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to find the most optimal match between the requested project and one of their developers. It also calculates the amount of time needed to complete the project.

Existing outsourcing platforms resulted in customers getting matched with developers with skill levels that were all over the place. Customers aren't able to verify the developer's capability beforehand, so it was always a hit or miss. App Doctor resolved this situation by building a solid pool of talented developers.

Only those who have passed App Doctor's screening test are assigned a project, therefore there are no duds in the bunch. About 10,000 qualified developers are currently registered with App Doctor.

In the first half of next year, the company plans to develop a highly advanced AI algorithm that can calculate a project estimate, make developer recommendations, and even recruit developers.

Write to Namyoung Kim at nykim@hankyung.com