4 ms·

What does that simile mean here? Build other people's apps?

mdonahoe 14y ago
I assume he is referring to Apple making tons of money selling app developers the tools they need to make apps. Iphones, macs, developer licenses, etc.
- stackthatcode 14y ago
  Indirectly. He's referring to developers, like you and me. But, Apple, being one of the smartest businesses on the planet, is playing the exact same game. If you actually strike gold with your app/unicorn, they win. If you don't, they're still getting paid. This is just smart business.
UntitledNo4 14y ago
When you build other people's apps you are still digging for gold, you just get paid to do it, hence eliminating the risks (and the gains too, if the App becomes popular). But what I think meant with this simile is that instead of being an app developer you can be a service provider to app developers. In his case, he became a consultant, in my case, I develop APIs and other server-side code for App developer, and sometimes also manage the whole setting up of servers for them. My guess is that after the first wave of success, many people without software development background joined the gold rush and only focused on learning how to write apps and later they found out there is more to it than that.
- jiggy2011 14y ago
  There is an exception though, which is building apps for some established brand who's business is not selling apps. Even some fairly small companies now want their own 'app' in order to seem hip and modern. This could be anything from a spammy push notification thing to a crappy game that has been rebranded. The purpose of these apps is not to have millions of downloads, but to have enough customers put it on their phones so that it helps them sell X more of Y where X is some number higher than what it cost to produce the app.
acangiano 14y ago
Contracting is more akin to mining for (high) pay. A better simile would be something like RubyMotion (http://rubymotion.com http://rubymotion.com) by my friend Laurent Sansonetti. That's selling pickaxes (and excellent ones at that). Training for iOS developers would qualify as well.
- carterschonwald 14y ago
  As a fellow tool builder (albeit in a different domain than mobile), i'm repeatedly impressed and awed by how well RubyMotion is done + how they've grown a nice community around it. (I can only hope I encounter remotely as much success as they once I launch! :) )

I assume he is referring to Apple making tons of money selling app developers the tools they need to make apps. Iphones, macs, developer licenses, etc.

stackthatcode 14y ago
Indirectly. He's referring to developers, like you and me. But, Apple, being one of the smartest businesses on the planet, is playing the exact same game. If you actually strike gold with your app/unicorn, they win. If you don't, they're still getting paid. This is just smart business.

UntitledNo4 14y ago

When you build other people's apps you are still digging for gold, you just get paid to do it, hence eliminating the risks (and the gains too, if the App becomes popular). But what I think meant with this simile is that instead of being an app developer you can be a service provider to app developers. In his case, he became a consultant, in my case, I develop APIs and other server-side code for App developer, and sometimes also manage the whole setting up of servers for them. My guess is that after the first wave of success, many people without software development background joined the gold rush and only focused on learning how to write apps and later they found out there is more to it than that.

jiggy2011 14y ago
There is an exception though, which is building apps for some established brand who's business is not selling apps. Even some fairly small companies now want their own 'app' in order to seem hip and modern. This could be anything from a spammy push notification thing to a crappy game that has been rebranded. The purpose of these apps is not to have millions of downloads, but to have enough customers put it on their phones so that it helps them sell X more of Y where X is some number higher than what it cost to produce the app.

acangiano 14y ago

Contracting is more akin to mining for (high) pay. A better simile would be something like RubyMotion (http://rubymotion.com http://rubymotion.com) by my friend Laurent Sansonetti. That's selling pickaxes (and excellent ones at that). Training for iOS developers would qualify as well.

carterschonwald 14y ago
As a fellow tool builder (albeit in a different domain than mobile), i'm repeatedly impressed and awed by how well RubyMotion is done + how they've grown a nice community around it. (I can only hope I encounter remotely as much success as they once I launch! :) )