A presentation from the Mobile Barcamp in Ljubljana, 2011

1. Android developers,
meet real world
Life lessons of mobile business
Jan Isakovič
jan@artesia.si
twitter.com/iyan
četrtek, 26. januar 12

2. The world, as seen by some devs
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3. Application development
+ =
Idea Technical knowledge
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4. Users
image (c) TheOatmeal http://theoatmeal.com/
ZOMG BEST APP EVER
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5. Developer
image (c) Disney Corp
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6. Yeah, right.
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7. Idea / execution
I’ll make a 100% crowdsourced app that needs
thousands of active users - and I’ll release it
with no seed content. It’ll work!
Your brilliant idea probably isn’t. Ask around.
četrtek, 26. januar 12

8. User experience
I’ll just throw something together. People don’t
care about that anyway, it’s the technology
that matters.
Oh yes they do. Get a designer.
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9. The importance of tech
The cloud-based distributed platform uses an optimized query
engine to achieve real-time results on a data set ordered in an A*
tree.... ZZZZZZZZZ
Tech is largely irrelevant, especially for new apps and
services with no scaling issues. Sorry. Features matter.
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10. Privacy matters
Let’s make an app that will enable users to snap pictures of their
medical problems and send it to us for a remote diagnosis. We’ll
get a local doctor to help us.
Guess how many users did.
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11. Circumstances matter
Let’s make an app that will enable users to snap pictures of their
medical problems and send it to us for a remote diagnosis. We’ll
get a local doctor to help us.
... IN AFRICA
Best idea ever!
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12. Social aspect
Only losers use Facebook
-OR-
People will love making accounts on my mobile
platform and friending people
Social data is important and on Facebook. Don’t make
people re-enter their social graph - they won’t.
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13. Ease of use
I know! I’ll force users to register to be able to
use my mobile app and I will require them to
enter a CAPTCHA on the mobile app
registration screen.
...
četrtek, 26. januar 12

14. User feedback
I don’t need it
-OR-
The user comments and app rating will be fair,
coherent and constructive
User feedback is a black box of random. If you want
useful feedback, you will have to get it yourself.
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15. App promotion
If I build it, they will come.
No, they won’t. Promotion and sales are a big part of
software development.
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16. Competition
May the best app win!
Yeah.. not necessarily. Dirty tricks are part of the game
- be prepared.
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17. Ecosystem
My platform is the best platform ever and so it
shall remain.
.. said a Symbian developer, January 2011. Don’t get
tied down to one platform or provider.
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18. Venture capital
We got 1 million USD in funding! We’re rich!
You got 1 million because you probably need 2 million to
get to the profitable point - and you will have to come
up with the difference.
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19. Realism
If (Operator X / device maker Y) will preload
my app on their phones, the sky is the limit!
They won’t. Get real.
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20. Market share
If I get just 2% market share I will be more than
profitable!
The only way to get to 2% share is to fail while trying to
get 80% of market share.
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21. Market size
Japan: 2,000,000 subscribers
Slovenia: 30,000 subscribers (maybe!)
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22. .. any more examples?
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