1. Tell us about your experience with Windows Phone.
My experience with Windows Phone has been great. Earlier, I mostly developed desktop applications and mobile application development, which initially seemed abstruse. I found the Windows Phone SDK amazing because it gives developers a lot of freedom to build apps the way they want it to be and makes the whole process look very simple. There is a lot of support material available to work on Silverlight and XNA framework that makes it easier to move down on the learning curve. Yes the SDK is awesome, but the story doesn’t end there. Working with Windows Phone is not just about developing great apps, but also publishing them on the Windows Marketplace and simultaneously nurturing them. Everything starting from the certification procedure to managing published apps is extremely smooth on the Windows Phone Dev Center. Developers can easily track their apps for reviews, downloads and other vital statistics and make updates in no time. This really helps developers understand their users and strive to build better apps. 
2. What inspired you to start developing? What age were you when you started?
I find pleasure in creating new things. I started developing at the age of 18. Development to me is first thinking of ideas, and then bringing those ideas to life. There have been numerous advancements in technology in the last two decades and as a result, life today has become a lot simpler. But, we still need to go a long way to meet problems such as healthcare, education, poverty and hunger. Growing up, the solutions that I saw in the form of software or applications, which I felt were making the world a better place, gave me the inspiration and courage to become a developer.
3. Please talk about the apps that you have built
I recently got my first app called Lose to Win published on the Windows Phone Marketplace. It is a game where, to win all you have to do is lose. The rule is simple, the player who loses according to the traditional rules of tic-tac-toe, wins the game. So while you are trying to lose the game, the other player (or computer) is busy doing the same, which is where things start getting interesting. Within the first 20 days of being published the app has got over 1,000 downloads and some amazing reviews from all around the world.
I am overjoyed to see people playing the game, because they play it as if they are playing chess. They give up to 3 minutes before every move and till the very end it is hard to know who will win (or lose….well you know what I mean).
4. Is there anything that you have had to overcome while developing? Did you ever hit a bump, what/how did you learn from it?
An important aspect of development is to think from the user’s perspective. There have been times when after having made a prototype of my app, I found that some users were not able to utilize all functionalities that the app served. I learned that it is important for a developer to know what user-goals his/her app supports and what steps does a user take to achieve them. So before I start developing an application, I ask myself these questions and it really helps me simplify the user interface. 
5. Do you have any advice for your fellow students?
I think the problem I have faced the most as a student is “how to think out of the box”. Every time I come up with an idea which I feel is awesome, I look it up on the internet and eventually find apps or solutions already built on those ideas. It is indeed hard to think of something which is novel. However, I feel one of the several ways to overcome this is - Start demanding more!
If it’s the case of Windows Phone development, demand everything you can imagine from your phone even if it seems impossible at first. Now once you have a bag of demands, pick them out one by one and go look for supplier apps on the marketplace. If you find them, well that isn’t bad is it? You just got what you needed. But if there are no apps that meet those demands - Congratulations, you have found an idea upon which you can build an app. You’ll be successful because if you really need it, there are probably thousands out there who need it as much as you do!
Be sure to connect with me on Facebook and follow my blog for news about my developing project. Cheers!