Everything begins with an idea. The idea for your app doesn't have to be fully formed, in fact it's probably best to avoid working everything out until you're certain the plan makes full use of everything iOS has to offer.
 
To begin with, every app needs an Application Definition Statement, which is a clear, solid statement about the apps main purpose and its intended audience. The application definition statement is defined early to help create a list of features from your idea, and is used continually throughout the process to ensure *you're still aiming towards your target*.

Once we know what we want the app to do, it's time to plan what we want the app to look like. But it's not just the aesthetics which need careful consideration, the flow of the app needs a lot of attention; how the app behaves when the user interacts with it, how things animate inside the app etc.
 
This is usually done by illustrating each of the views inside the app but it can also include building a working prototype to ensure it's works as good on the device as it does on paper.

It's time to roll the sleeves up and get building. But it's also never a case of, we'll see you in 3 weeks and show you the finished product. Along the development cycle, you'll be sent beta versions of the application which you can try out on your device, and get a hands on perspective of how things look, feel and work. So you're always involved and in control of the app.
 
It's never too late to make changes even at this stage, and the sooner you decide to make them, the more time is saved.

As the project nears completion, it's time to start some end user testing. Using an awesome service called Testflight, sending out beta versions for your users to test out is really easy to do and more importantly, really easy for your users to get involved.
 
End user testing is really important as it's a great opportunity to get feedback about the design, the usability, the features. It's also a great way of finding potential problems before they make their way onto the app store.

Finally we're ready to send it to Apple for review before they make it available on the App store. The review process usually takes about a week to complete, this is where they'll thoroughly test the application to ensure it works as described. Things they'll be looking out for are; that the app doesn't crash, that it doesn't compromise the privacy or the security of the users' information etc.
 
Once the app passes the review process, you're notified immediately. You have full control over when the app is launched into the app store, so you can choose for it to be made available straight away, or at a later date to tie in with a PR push for example.

Yay we're in the app store. The fun isn't over yet though, although looking at real time downloads on launch days is exciting. Now it's in the wild it's important to keep track of user feedback, what they're saying on the app store reviews or contacting you directly about and to act on that feedback if needed.
 
It's also important to monitor performance and usage of the app, there are a lot of services out there such as Localytics, Flurry, RESTful Metrics, Mixpanel to name a few, we'll set you up with what's right for you.