“We Need an App” Is Usually the Wrong First Question

A lot of app requests start with the solution already decided. Someone says “we need an app,” and the real question — what's the actual problem this is supposed to solve — never gets asked.

The question to ask first

What's the actual workflow, and does it genuinely need a native app — or would a fast, mobile-friendly website or an internal tool solve it for a fraction of the cost and the ongoing maintenance?

When a native app is actually the right call

• Offline access is a real requirement, not a nice-to-have.
• The app needs constant access to device hardware — camera, GPS, sensors.
• It needs to live on a home screen for daily, habitual use, not an occasional visit.

If none of those apply, you'll usually get something faster, cheaper, and easier to maintain by starting with the web — and you can always build the native app later, once you know the idea actually works.