TaxBird - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Everyone involved with TaxBird comes from a technology background. One of the co-founders, Brian, started his career as a coder, and in Basic...believe it or not.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

The biggest challenge was keeping the app simple for the end user even though there are a lot of complexities behind the scenes.

_{Jared Carr & Brian Ochs}

Brian Ochs - Currently retired, he splits his time between the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation, his app TaxBird®, advancing his woodworking hobby, traveling and being a dad. Prior to retirement, Brian founded Spire LLC, a data marketing and analytics company focused on grocery retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. After building a successful business with a unique philosophy and sharp focus on its employees and clients, Brian and his partners sold Spire to Datalogix Inc. in 2014. A year later, Datalogix was acquired by Oracle America and Brian retired in early 2016. Before founding Spire, Brian gained his practical business and entrepreneurial experience building and managing the technology suite at ImmediateFX LLC, a data marketing and analytics startup, for 5 years, and building and supporting the technology products at Datacor Inc, an ERP software company focused on the chemical industry, for 6 years. Brian also served on the Newtown Board of Ethics for 8 years, holding the position of Vice Chairman for 2 years and Chairman for 2 years. Brian graduated from Bucknell University in 1995 with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Computer Science.

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

Strava and AnyList. They are very easy to use and focused on doing one thing well.

How long have you been working on this app?

We have been working on TaxBird for about a year and a half.

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

Our users need an easy way to keep track of their days spent in each state. The app helps them remain aware of their residency counts and provides detailed support for filing taxes at the end of the year.

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.

Our app has a singular focus. We do not want to be all things to all people. We just want to make this one thing easier.

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

We have a lot of features being worked on but we're most excited about the Android version that's being developed and a new feature to allow users to plan their days in advance.

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.)?

We'd love to hear from our users! Providing feedback helps us continually improve our product.