Michel Tobon, a senior front-end developer, explores the economic and practical differences between native and hybrid mobile application development, drawing from his personal experiences and career insights. He highlights the early challenges of mobile web applications and the evolution towards hybrid solutions, which allow developers to use web technologies to create mobile apps that can run on multiple platforms. Tobon recounts a case where initial skepticism about a hybrid app's scalability was overturned after testing on a native device, ultimately leading to a successful deployment. He discusses the cost implications of native vs. hybrid development, noting that hybrid apps can be more economical due to shared codebases and reduced development times compared to maintaining separate native apps for iOS and Android. Additionally, he emphasizes the role of automated CI/CD processes, like those offered by Ionic's Appflow, in streamlining deployment and maintenance, reducing idle times, and enhancing efficiency. Ultimately, Tobon suggests that hybrid development can be a strategic choice for businesses seeking to maximize resources while ensuring broad platform compatibility.