Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Hotchkiss.
Hi Tracy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I think my story really started when my father brought home an old PC from work. It had IBM on the front, took floppy disks, and I was fascinated by it. Not just by what you could do with it, but by the bigger question: **How did it work?**
One day, while my father was at work, I decided it would be a good idea to take the computer apart so I could look at all the pieces inside. He came home and saw what I had done. Strangely, he didn’t get mad. Or maybe he did, but he didn’t say anything.
I managed to put it back together before he got home the next day.
And it still worked!
Looking back, that was probably one of the moments that pushed me toward technology. I didn’t just want to use computers. I wanted to understand them.
From there, I took just about every computer-related class and opportunity I could find. I eventually earned an **Associate of Applied Science degree**, along with a **Computer Support Specialist certification**, and later went back to school for my **Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science**.
My first programming class was Python, and I was hooked. Learning that I could create the software I had spent years wondering about completely changed the way I looked at technology.
One of my favorite college classes was mobile app development. My first game was called **Cathello**, a cat-themed version of Othello. It definitely didn’t fully work, but I loved the process of designing the screens and figuring out how everything worked together.
After that, I constantly found myself thinking, *I should make an app for that.*
Eventually I discovered **Flutter**, a framework that lets me develop apps for multiple platforms using much of the same code, and it just clicked with me.
Today I’m developing apps for both Android and iOS, with four apps currently on Apple’s TestFlight platform in different stages of testing and development.
The funny thing is that I still have the same curiosity I had when I took apart my father’s computer all those years ago.
The difference is that now, instead of only wondering how technology works, I get to build some of it myself.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road.
One of the biggest surprises for me was realizing how different learning app development in school was from actually trying to release an app on my own.
When I built my first real app, I thought the hardest part would be writing the code and getting it to work. I was very wrong.
School taught me programming, design concepts, and how to build an application, but nobody really taught me what happens after you finish building it. Getting an app onto Android and iOS introduced an entirely different world of developer accounts, app bundles, signing keys, certificates, provisioning profiles, version numbers, privacy requirements, store listings, testing tracks, TestFlight, and different stages of review.
I remember thinking, *I made the app. Why is getting it onto a phone so much harder than making it?*
There wasn’t a class that walked me through that part. I had to research it, make mistakes, troubleshoot errors, and slowly figure out the process for myself.
iOS added another challenge because I primarily work on Windows and don’t own a Mac. For a long time I assumed that meant iPhone development wasn’t realistically available to me. Eventually I discovered Codemagic, a cloud-based service that allows me to develop my Flutter apps on Windows and use Mac systems in the cloud to build the iOS version.
There were plenty of failed builds and moments when I had absolutely no idea what was wrong, but eventually I got my own apps running on both platforms. The first time I saw one of my apps running on an actual iPhone through TestFlight, I remember looking at it and thinking, *I actually did it.*
Another major challenge came when I decided to take a chance on myself and pursue programming full time. I left my job so I could focus on app development and try to transition into a programming career. I continued learning, building projects, and applying for positions, but I never even got a single programming interview.
That was discouraging.
I also started doing freelance development work, and one of my largest projects became a major learning experience. Because of an NDA, I can’t share the details, but the project grew considerably in scope and ultimately required more resources and collaboration than one developer could realistically provide. It never made it past the development stage, but it taught me a lot about defining project scope, setting expectations early, and making sure everyone involved understands what will be needed to move an idea from development into production.
Eventually my path took me back into IT, and that actually turned out to be a really good thing. Today I have what I would consider my own version of a dream job. It doesn’t involve as much programming as I once imagined, but it gives me the opportunity to use a wide range of technical skills, solve problems, work with people, and keep learning.
I realized I didn’t have to choose between having a career in IT and being an app developer.
Now I work full time and build my app-development business alongside it. That comes with its own challenge: time. I have far more ideas than I have hours available to build them. I frequently wish someone would add a few more hours to the day — and maybe a little more energy to my body while they’re at it!
I think that has been the pattern throughout this whole journey. I run into something I don’t know how to do, struggle with it for a while, and then figure out the next piece.
My path doesn’t look exactly the way I imagined it would when I first decided I wanted to become a programmer, but I don’t see that as a bad thing anymore.
It may not be the path I originally pictured, but it feels a lot more like mine.
As you know, we’re big fans of THDev. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business focuses on creating apps that are practical, personalized, and built around the people who are actually going to use them.
One of the things I enjoy most about app development is taking an idea that may still be a little rough or hard to explain and helping shape it into something real. A client doesn’t necessarily need to come to me with every screen mapped out or every technical detail figured out. Sometimes they just know they have a problem they want to solve or an idea for something that would make life easier. I enjoy helping work through that process with them.
The app-development world is also changing very quickly because of AI.
Today, everyday people have access to tools that can help them brainstorm an app, design screens, generate code, and even create working prototypes without having a traditional programming background. I think that’s exciting. More people can experiment with ideas that might never have gotten past the “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” stage before.
But creating the first version of an app and actually turning it into something people can use are two very different things.
That’s another area where I want my business to help. Someone may want to build their own app and use AI to do a lot of the development themselves, but then reach the point where they don’t know what to do next. I can help them work through the structure of the app, troubleshoot problems, improve the user experience, think about accessibility, test it, and guide them through the Android and iOS release processes.
I don’t think every good app has to be something completely new that nobody has ever thought of before. What matters to me is whether the app actually fits the person using it.
Sometimes an existing app does most of what someone needs, but not quite in the way they need it. Maybe it has too many features, maybe the layout is confusing, maybe it doesn’t fit their workflow, or maybe it wasn’t designed with their particular audience in mind. I like being able to build something more focused instead of forcing the user to adapt to the software.
Accessibility is a big part of that philosophy for me. Technology is only useful if people can actually use it. When I’m designing an app, I try to think about things like readability, clear navigation, visual cues, contrast, button size, how much information is being presented at once, and whether the user can understand what they’re supposed to do without fighting the interface.
Accessibility also goes beyond the traditional idea of disability. People interact with technology differently. Someone may have a visual or physical limitation, difficulty concentrating, be overwhelmed by too much information, or simply not be very comfortable with technology. Good design should take those differences into account.
My background in IT support has influenced that quite a bit. I’ve spent a lot of time helping people when technology doesn’t behave the way they expect it to. That has taught me that what seems obvious to the person who built something is not always obvious to the person using it.
I also want my services to be approachable for smaller businesses and individuals who may have a good idea but don’t have the budget for a large development company. Whenever possible, I can work with clients to scale a project, focus on the most important features first, or create a custom plan that fits their needs and budget. Not every project needs to start as a huge, expensive application.
I think what sets me apart is that I don’t see app development as just writing code.
I can work with someone who wants me to build the app for them, or someone who wants to be more hands-on and build it themselves but needs help getting through the technical parts. I don’t expect people to already know programming terminology or understand how app stores work before they come to me.
I also offer a referral program for people who connect me with new clients, because word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are incredibly valuable when you’re building a small business.
My job is to understand what someone is trying to accomplish, help them find the best path to get there, and make the technology less intimidating along the way.
For me, the best app is the one that makes sense to the person using it.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I think the biggest thing I would want people to know is that I still feel like I’m just getting started.
Technology changes incredibly fast, and lately AI has made that change even more dramatic. Things that felt completely out of reach for one person only a few years ago are suddenly possible. I find that exciting rather than intimidating. There is always something new to learn and another way to turn an idea into something real.
I also hope people don’t assume they need to be programmers to have an app idea worth pursuing. Some of the best ideas come from people who simply know their own field, their own challenges, or the needs of the people they serve. The technical part can be learned, built, or supported.
For me, this has never really been about making the most money or having the most popular app in the store. Of course, I want my business and my apps to be successful, but what really keeps me doing this is the process of creating something useful from an idea. I love solving problems, building things, and seeing something that once existed only in someone’s head actually running on a phone.
There are still so many things I want to build, and probably far more ideas than I will ever have time for.
But I’m certainly going to try!
Pricing:
- App Idea & Planning Consultation — First 30 minutes FREE
- Build-It-Yourself / AI App Support — Custom Pricing
- Custom App Design & Development — Custom Quote
- Accessibility & Usability Consultation — Starting at $40/hour
- Accessibility & Usability Review — Starting at $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tracyhotchkissdev.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570778870371
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-h-697bb614a/
