The Apple Store an Independent Developers dream comes true
Wired is running an interesting article on the Apple ITunes Application Store (App Store) for people who are developing applications for the IPhone, and how they are literally going from Rags to Riches. What is particularly relevant about this right now, given the way that business is going right now on Wall Street, major layoffs at large companies like EDS/HP and others, it is probably time for independent developers to step up and get money for what they are doing.
The idea of micro development and then selling the more popular widgets you write is nothing new, Facebook has done this to the same kind of success, and dump sites like Programmable web where people can cut their teeth on building mashups, API’s and other sources of information delivery and consumption within the confines of a small application. The widgetized web has hit the mobile phone, and the ITunes App Store is showing the way for monetizing the products that are being developed.
The idea though is that it is not just games that are making the grade; for a while before it was removed the “how rich are you” app at 1000 dollars, a pop would have made a lot of money for the developer because there were people silly enough to purchase it.
The idea is so good, that other phone companies like T-Mobile are planning on following along with this to see how well it can also do for them. Of course, Apple gets their cut of the dollars being spent; meaning if the developer is doing well, Apple is probably doing better. Nevertheless, much like micro-loans, this is one thing that any decent programmer who has a beat on what is popular can make their own applications for a mobile platform. Game or GPS or whatever kind of application, the explosion of mobile programming, and how those programs are delivered has just fundamentally shifted. Moreover, Apple stands to gain a lot from this fundamental shift, along with legions of programmers who can make things, even if they are laid off from their primary employer.
While Verizon and others also have application stores that are accessible via the phone’s own browser interface, most of the applications there (at the Verizon store anyway) are dull little applications that are geared towards productivity. There is very little there that is “fun” like there are on Facebook and like there are on the Apple App Store. This is what makes this very interesting as a business opportunity and an opportunity for smaller companies, developers, and single developers to go forth, do good things, and make a dollar or more on what they are doing.
Tags: apple, app store, business, behavior, layoff, money, independent developer, developer, small business, itunes
“The Apple Store an Independent Developers dream comes true” should be “The Apple Store an Independent Developer’s dream comes true”.
Patrick, very true, it should be that way, but what I have found out with Word Press is when you use ‘ or ” in the title, it ends up as some goofy looking character string that hoses up the URL schema that I use on the site. Those strings can blow the URL, someday someone will figure this out, but until then, punctuation will be flaky in the titles.