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Build a Business, not an App
- briandoll 9y agoRelated introspection: Engineers, built businesses, not apps: http://emphaticsolutions.com/2010/12/10/build-businesses-not-apps.html http://emphaticsolutions.com/2010/12/10/build-businesses-not...
- melling 9y agoA video version: https://vimeo.com/137539070 https://vimeo.com/137539070
- launchtomorrow 9y agoThis is a well put way to encourage engineers to think in terms of the business or social context of their inventions. I usually find that trying to work through a business model canvas or lean canvas helps point out which parts of the founder's thought process are missing or buggy. Takes 15 minutes to do it. Usually it's the customer or value proposition at the earliest stage, channel or pricing once the product is tech I ally validated.
- afinlayson 9y agoAlso correlated, don't build an app/business that is really just is just a feature of something else. I've got many LinkedIn job requests that are trying to build a company around a feature of a different company. Instagram + ???.
- riantogo 9y agoThe example is ironic because for the most part Instagram itself was a feature.
- tn_ 9y agoI have no idea how half my apps in 2010 got approved. it was really nice to see an app that i built in 1 week, bring in $1-3~ a day for a solid year. Then I spammed the crap out of that formula.
- 10dpd 9y agoMy very HN username is based around this idea of building a simple app and throwing it on the App Store and making 10 dollars per day, rinse and repeat..
- sutble 9y agoCan you provide a link to the apps in question? Most of my free apps don't get past 7 downloads total...
- ruang 9y agoDoes that still work now?
- tn_ 9y agoEh I haven't really tried in about 5~ years. I wanted to focus on more high quality content. It definitely died down near the tail-end of me experimenting with low-quality high-volume apps.
- AznHisoka 9y agoPlaying devil's advocate, my advice would be: build an app first, then a business. It's already hard enough to build an app that gets traction. Do the small stuff first, then worry about the bigger challenge later. You don't have a business without a good product (even a "minor" one that does 1 only single thing well)
- mromanuk 9y agoI think the OP is talking about focusing in the big picture and not just throwing your app into the app store, without caring for marketing, nurturing an community, etc. At least, that is my impression.
- ThomPete 9y agoAn app is just a way for your business to be realized. You can build as many apps as you want if you aren't actually solving anything (unless you are in consumer space then things change drastically) you are working on the wrong things.
- bluetwo 9y agoThat approach sounds like a hobby.
- alexasmyths 9y agoEasier said than done, but a rather valid trope that needs to be repeated every once and a while.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- skate22 9y agoI disliked the part where the author plugged their own app lol. Eveything these days is an ad.
- pcmaffey 9y agoActually, I'd say: Build an audience, not a business.
- nine_k 9y agoIt worked for Twitter.