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How to Find the Best Bubble Developer: So You Don’t Waste $10k on the Wrong Build

JAK

Jahanzeb Ahmed Khan

Founder

21 July 2025
Featured image for blog post: How to Find the Best Bubble Developer: So You Don’t Waste $10k on the Wrong Build. Most founders waste weeks $10k on the wrong hire. In this guide, I break down exactly what to look for, what red flags to avoid, and how to find a dev who can actually help you ship your MVP, not just drag blocks around.

How to Find the Best Bubble Developer: So You Don't Waste $10k on the Wrong Build

So, you need an app. You've heard about Bubble. You're smart enough to know you're not building it yourself. Great. But now you've got a bigger problem: how do you hire a Bubble developer who won't ghost you, destroy your budget, or deliver an app that collapses like a wet paper bag the moment a real user logs in?

Welcome to the real guide to hiring a Bubble developer. Not the PR-filtered version. This is for the founders who've already been burned or the smart ones who want to avoid it altogether.

The Classic Mistakes That Burn Money Faster Than Ads

Let's be honest. Most people hiring their first Bubble developer make the same three mistakes:

  1. They don't know how to evaluate technical skills.
  2. They write vague-as-hell project scopes.
  3. They prioritize cost over quality, and end up paying double to fix it later.

If you want to avoid the pain, start by fixing your hiring process.

Step 1: Know What the Hell You're Building

Bubble is brilliant for apps. Not websites. Not fancy Canva-like UIs. If your core product is mostly rows, columns, and user interaction then Bubble is your weapon.

If it's not, walk away now.

Step 2: Understand How Bubble Actually Works

Here's what they don't tell you in most salesy blog posts:

  • Speed to launch: 2 weeks to MVP is real if your developer isn't trash.
  • Scalability: Yes, but only if built right.
  • Hosting: You're locked in. If Bubble raises prices, you'll either pay or rebuild.
  • Cost: Expect 5-10% of your monthly revenue to go to Bubble infrastructure. If your dev can't explain Workload Units (WU), run.
  • Mobile apps: Bubble sucks at them right now. End of story.

Step 3: Agency vs Freelancer

  • Agencies bring polish, project managers, QA, and inflated quotes.
  • Freelancers move fast and cost less—but you must vet them. No one's checking their work but you.

Step 4: Don't Be a Clown With Your Job Post

You want quality applicants? Write a proper job post.

  • Describe the app like you're pitching it to investors.
  • Give a rough deadline.
  • Set a budget range.
  • Say where you want the developer to be based (or don't).

If you write "Build me an Airbnb for [X]," expect garbage.

Step 5: Learn to Vet Like a Pro

You don't need to be technical. You just need to be smart:

  • Portfolio: If their best work sucks, imagine their worst.
  • Testimonials: Great. But check what specifically people liked.
  • Community activity: Anyone deep in the Bubble forum trenches or active on twitter/Linkedin probably knows their stuff.
  • Certifications: Meh. Nice-to-have. Not a dealbreaker. Plenty of certified devs suck.

Step 6: Run a Mini Interview That Exposes the Clueless

Give them a simple-but-revealing challenge. Example:

You have Products with Title and Description. Filter a list of Products where either Title or Description contains a search term. How do you do it?

How do you incorporate user feedback in your development?

How do you go around product road mapping and scalability?

There are three valid answers. You're not looking for the perfect one—you're checking if they think, explain trade-offs, and actually know the platform. Remember great bubble developers are product managers, designers and developers all in one.

Step 7: Set a Payment Structure That Doesn't Screw You

Fixed rate > Hourly. Every. Single. Time.

Hourly rewards slowness. Fixed incentivizes results.

Pay 30% upfront. 70% on completion. That's fair. Never pay 100% before launch. That's how you end up crying into your Stripe dashboard.

Step 8: Protect Your Future

Don't just judge the output. Judge how the dev builds.

  • Ask about privacy rules.
  • Ask how scalable the database is
  • Ask how workflow units work
  • Ask about using reusable elements
  • Ask about API connector security
  • Ask how easy it'll be to add features later.
  • Ask what they'd do differently if they were scaling the app to 100K users.

If they stare blankly, you've got the wrong person.

Bonus: Want Help Hiring? We'll Do It (For Free, For Now)

At Wolf Nocode Studio, we audit Bubble apps for fun. We've seen disasters built for $30K+. We also build apps lean, fast, and secure. But here's the thing—we're also offering to help you hire the right developer. Even if it's not us.

We'll:

  • Clarify your project scope.
  • Source candidates.
  • Run technical interviews.
  • Give you our top picks.

All free (for now). Because we're testing this as a service. And if we help you save $10K on the wrong dev? That's a win.

Drop us a message if you're stuck or just want a second opinion.

That's it. No BS.

Just the truth about how to actually hire a Bubble developer without getting fleeced.

You're welcome.

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