can apps be business - the ideophone story
DESCRIPTION
This presentation examines whether mobile apps can be a business after all. Provides examples showing what worked and what didn't in Ideophone, the startup that built a bunch of innovative consumer apps for commuters.TRANSCRIPT
NOyes
NO 7/8
yes 1/8
a dose of reality
• Global app revenues $25 billion (somebody’s making money for sure, yaar)• 50 percent of app revenues are shared between just 25
developers!• 24 of them are game developers• 60% are below “app poverty line”
Source: mobiThinking, Distimo, VisionMobile
why this kolaveri?
Supply-side surplus Photo: The Hindu
Zero {entry barrier, variable cost, switching cost} => crowded market => No profits for nobody!
Well, more like thisPhoto: Nisha Sondhe
Low entry barrier, playing for passion, zero money and visibility, hoping to be Tendulkar some day
Is there some hope?
People don’t pay for apps…
But, they do for this.Photo: Italian Business
And this.
Apps with real world fulfilment win!Others go to bin unless they pull off a Whatsapp or an Instagram.
The whys and hows
Meaningfully mobile, not me-too
Uses the form or function or availabilitySomething that can’t be done on a PCAt least for some peopleThink camera, location, SIM card, payments, consumption, generation…Defensible, the more people use it, the harder it should get to copySomebody should be able to pay
16
Suruk GPS based Digital Meter
60,000+ usersacross
140 countries
Suruk is a travel companion for auto-rickshaw and taxi commuters. Helps people in metering their rides, share the driver conduct and find the optimal route.
Partnering with another company for an on-demand auto-rickshaw routing solution.
17
One Touch SOS Personal security, a touch away!
3800 SOS sent in
40 countries
SOS Nigeria
Accurate location of the user is sent to pre-defined contacts as an SMS in case of distress.
SOS as a subscription service integrated with police, fire, and ambulance control rooms in Nigeria
Partners
Nigerian Police
18
Kopa Easy ride sharing for events
App to find people attending events and share rides with them.
Social network integration
Lead generation for events
Partnered events
Product Conclave
19
Partner
Pyka Journey aware wakeup alarm
Cloud telephony system wakes up passengers in time before their destination.Pilot tested with Indian RailwaysGetting launched as a paid service in partnership with IRCTC
Then what went wrong?
Bit more than what we could chew!
Make mistakes but not ours. All the best.
With partners in crime
Anenth, Sandeep, Kingsley, Koushik and yours truly