Thank you all for the kind remarks! And sorry for not posting a reply sooner 
Wheel, I haven't read those books but they seem like ways for the authors to make money, not the readers. Sure, anything is possible, even making thousands of dollars after releasing your first app. But that is far from realistic. And as far as how long it takes, it's deceiving. Sure, it might take a week or two to do a simple app as long as you have the prerequisite knowledge (Objective C programming, XCode environment, Apple registration/submission process). But even if that's the case, how do you get people to know about your product and download it? Even free apps are hard sells.
I think we did pretty well getting the app in the app store in under 4 months soup-to-nuts (includes time for learning the previously mentioned prerequisites). Our app has some tricky client-server logic to work out, and there are many edge cases and scenarios to handle, even though the app has the feel of a simple app (which is what we wanted, and is often harder to develop). If all I wanted to do was post a pic to a web page, it would have been done a couple of months sooner.
But I do think the hardest part is just finishing one. Not because it's hard, but because it seems so few people actually do it. I've been to a bunch of meetups for iPhone developers and I'm surprised at how many people have apps they have been working on for a while, but none in the app store. I'm not sure what causes the delay, but it could be a lack of focus or confidence in the product. Either way, this "finishing" phobia of sorts appears to be a road block for many apps. So to recap:
1. Have an idea (any idea will do)
2. Learn how to develop
3. Finish it!
3. Sell/market it (because this should be happening during development)
