Shredder - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

No, the limit of my coding experience was writing VBA code for macros in Excel. Originally, I attempted to learn JavaScript, but work and social commitments made that impractical. Instead, our team focused on where our strengths lie...the design of the app and marketing strategy, and we outsourced the development to the experts.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

There were two main things which we struggled with. The first was to balance the impulse of adding all the "bells and whistles" and features which would bloat the app but not add much value, against adding features which genuinely improve the quality of the finished product. The second was the development of the "Increase/Decrease" feature. We knew from the start that we needed to include this, but initially you entered a minus value if you wanted the times to decrease each interval. I am much happier with the finished product where you choose from the drop-down menu. This took a while to add but I think it was well worth the extra time to make something simpler and better to use.

_{Muhammed Ali}

Muhammed Ali was born, raised and educated in Manchester, UK where he still lives. He has worked in a number of different roles ranging from a manual labourer in an engineering factory to a data analyst for an insurance company. His interest in app development was forced into the background during the last few years due to his busy lifestyle. But after signing up for a weight loss group in his office, he decided that he wanted to lose weight as fast and as safely as possible: this became the seed that created Shredder HIIT. He maintains that even if nobody in the world uses the app, he has done enough research to know that Shredder will be the tool to finally allow him to reach his weight goals, meaning that all the time and money invested will be worth it. A firm believer in online privacy and the open source community, he built these fundamental concepts into the app from day one.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Oh wow there is a few but my top 3 are: DuckDuckGo - because I think it's the best internet browser for privacy. Whatsapp - because that's the way we all stay in touch these days. Imgur - because it always makes me laugh.

How long have you been working on this app?

A few months. It is a very simple app so that made the development phase much faster than other apps. For example we did not need things like social media integration or personal logs. We focused entirely on making sure the app does one thing, but did that thing perfectly. I really do not like "Jack of all Trades" / "Master of None" apps which are filling the market.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

It is all about efficiency of time against results. For example, I could go for a brisk walk on the treadmill for two hours, or I could do a 20 minute HIIT workout and burn the exact same amount of calories - who would choose the two hours? I wanted to develop HIIT exercises so they become even more efficient. By adding the ability to increase the time of each interval, the user is forced to push themselves harder and harder - burning more calories, losing more fat, and boosting stamina. Everyone does HIIT Exercises these days, Shredder gives you that edge over everyone else. How many times has a final been won, or a Gold medal, or a championship because one athlete could give one last burst of energy in the dying moments? That's what Shredder is for. Somebody might be the best in the whole world for 30 seconds of high-intensity activity, but if you can do 40 seconds, 50, 60 and longer, they will be left in your dust.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

There is no other app in existence that does what Shredder does - and we would love to see someone prove us wrong. There are ten thousand interval apps which only differ in their bleep or bloop sound effects or color schemes. We rebuilt interval timers from scratch by adding the ability to increase or decrease each interval by an amount you choose. It is a simple but profound change, and it makes all the difference.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

We are about 99.99% happy with the app as it is right now, so any future changes or releases will not be anything dramatic. We want to add a few cosmetic changes and expand on the ability to build your workouts: but nothing major. We *might* consider adding social media integration but it depends on how invasive the app becomes. We are very serious about protecting our community's privacy above all else.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

The app is completely free for full functionality, just give it a shot. It is the best form of HIIT ever created, and we are giving it away to the world because we believe that if you want to lose weight or get in shape, or even become an elite athlete, you should not be restricted because you cannot pay for it. This app is made for all skill levels, and it honestly is the best on the market. Again, we would love to be proven wrong.