I agree that retention is a key metric in a time when everyone is talking about growth. Retention isn't going to be sustainable for apps that aren't core utilit

I agree that retention is a key metric in a time when everyone is talking about growth. Retention isn't going to be sustainable for apps that aren't core utilities. The biggest problem in mobile is the amount of resources invested in developing apps that just clearly aren't core utilities. Photos (Instagram), messaging (SMS, Beluga, Twitter, etc.), voice, maps (Foursquare?), email, web browsing (Chrome), and music (Rdio, Spotify, Pandora, etc.) are the only core utilities right now in my view. Notice the omission of video (too early) and games (trends and time wasters). The only exception I can think of is Uber, an episodic utility that is doing very well. I'm sure there are others. http://cdixon.org/2012/05/21/four-use-cases-for-mobile-apps/ http://cdixon.org/2012/05/21/four-use-cases-for-mobile-apps/