If so, and only the later posts are about hiring, what, I assume, means you were hiring only after you've found about initial success, how come the first version ever came out?
Beside that, great story, great spirit, congratulations, I admire everyone actually getting things done :)
I'm not sure I understand the question, but I think you're asking how I made the app at all if I'm not a dev/designer?
I outsourced 95% of it. I created the initial mockups by hand and did some of the debugging, but the core app development was done by contractors. And yes, for $500.
The point is it wasn't great, but it was good enough to test the market.
Beside that, great story, great spirit, congratulations, I admire everyone actually getting things done :)