I'm working on an iOS application that will need to have a server that will provide anonymity of data and posted content as well as the metadata.

Sure, it's correlative for technical reasons, iTunes / AppStore does not provide (yet, might change) a mechanism for that, so 3rd parties have to build their own. I recently discussed with people from Adjust and I was really impressed. HasOffers / MobileAppTracking seems to be a good choice as well.

As the host of 'The App Guy Podcast', I can introduce you to a few good developers ranging from inexpensive locations to $100 per hour top rates. As a quick guess, this type of app will start from $900 using a cross platform solution (Like Titanium Studio) to $5000 for Objective-C apps written on xCode Let me know if you want an introduction by contacting me through my website or podcast Paul Kemp - The App Guy Podcast http://TheAppGuy.co/

Assuming you have actually identified someone in this role and you're asking about the legal side of things, I'd say that beyond a legal entity by which to enter into an employment or contractual agreement that has the standard assignment of rights, confidentiality, etc, you're probably fine for now. Depending on where you're operating from and whether you actually have an actual office or not might impact your need for a business license. But if you're asking how you would actually identify this person, that's a much different answer. The reality of it is that unless you have already raised or can self-fund a full-time salary of an iOS developer (which will range $85,000- $140,000 for just salary anywhere in North America depending on experience and location), you're better off looking at a mobile development agency. Also, many great iOS developers lack strong back-end skills, so in order to publish an app, you're likely looking for two engineers, not one. Those that pass themselves off as "full stack" are usually marginal at both. So either you have to be able to show that you have raised or can self-fund two people's salaries for a year, or you won't be able to attract full-time talent. Also, I haven't mentioned anything about design, which depending on the nature of the app, would require a third person at least on contract to design and iterate the user experience. In most cases, non-technical founders that want a product built should find a reputable mobile agency to build the first version of their app. I know of several and am happy to provide further information, if you're serious about building your app. Beyond the cost of building a single platform app with a contractor (I would budget $50k at a minimum), you should also be sure you have at least $50k in customer acquisition budget comfortably allocated and that's just to take a "realistic shot" at having an app get any traction. So if you can't raise or spend USD $100,000, I would say that as a non technical founder, you're better off pursuing a different line of business. That's just the reality of the mobile app marketplace today.

I tried Basecamp, Jira, Unfuddle, Trello and PivotalTracker before for different projects which were developed with agile approach. All of them worked fine to me and I needed some time to setup my framework and processes there. I think it would be worth checking Trello or PivotalTracker which I personally like more than Basecamp because of better agile oriented structure.

So here are two strategies: Follow the money You need to go where the money is spent on developing/design. I would approach startups at WeWork and also get in contact with the MBA programs of the universities in NY. Instead of giving a better price (finders fee) to actual projects build the relationships with those that will start startups. If you build their first project successfully then you would have started a long term relationship with someone that will have many years in front of them needing development work. I will also approach Angels/VC and let them know you will give a good price to portfolio companies that get referral by them Follow the volume Accelerators/Incubators: Go to where the volume is: remember that the conversion rate on leads is small. Focus in the places where many projects will be built and where you can find those guys that don't have the technical skills. PS: This are not strategies I did but I would if I was in your situation. :)