Often, the best ideas come when you least expect them. As an entrepreneur, I’m always chasing the newest and next best thing. The community of software developers here in Arizona has proven to be a trove of opportunity for partnership – and doing some good in the process.
While managing my way through an arduous patent application process for a venture into the world of e-sports wagering, I was tired of sitting around twiddling my thumbs. At the time, I was half-heartedly looking for programmers to help with a few side projects. And when a talented programmer told me he was looking for a job to support his family, who was I to say no?
That was when I was introduced to Waffle Smash: a mobile game rooted in helping kids, that has turned into a true sensation for all ages. I hadn’t been planning to invest in app development, but after I started swiping and getting addicted to the game myself, I couldn’t help but pursue the opportunity.
Waffle Smash was first created as a way for the programmer’s son, who has cerebral palsy, to practice dexterity and coordination using a mobile device. When I saw the game in its first iteration, the graphics and game play were rudimentary, but the possibility was clear. Throughout the process of building out the game, we constantly looked for feedback from users, developers, designers, and anyone who could provide us with an opinion on how to make the best product.
Arizona's growing tech support system
Along the way, I’ve been introduced to game development legends including the designers for "God of War" and "Tom Clancy’s: Ghost Recon." These relationships, and the landscape they were formed in, have been so crucial to our success. And with the landscape of trusted app marketplaces out there right now, we are reaching more consumers than we had ever anticipated. Coupled with the feedback systems in download spaces like the Google Play store, we’ve been given quick answers and troubleshooting assistance we need to be successful.
If we want to continue to build on the entrepreneurial spirit that has been so central to the American innovation economy, it’s critical that we support the app development marketplace. As lawmakers consider the state of competition in the world of apps and app stores with two bills pending in the Senate, I would hope they take the positive experiences of developers into account. The current infrastructure has allowed idealists like me to build and create success stories.
It's been a wild ride so far – literally and figuratively speaking as I drive our Waffle Smash-branded McClaren across the state. We’ve built an immense following for our product, which isn’t just giving regular users a new app to enjoy, but also helping kids across the country with mobility impairments.
Our recent work with Phoenix Children’s is only the beginning of how our app will bring joy to communities – and gamers – everywhere.
What started as a side project has turned into a successful mobile gaming experience, one that has an exciting future and an abundance of promise. If this is where my first unexpected app development venture led me, I can only imagine there are thousands of other developers creating meaningful products that we’ll see in the app marketplace soon.
Arizona resident Gary Denham is the founder and CEO of Wamba Technologies.
