[DenisM]

You can always find someone who does well and make a news article out of it. I didn't do nearly as well. :) My take on it is that you can succeed in the following ways:

1. Have an already established brand in other platforms

2. Be first in some area (too late now)

3. Somehow establish critical mass of users to have a lot of reviews/downloads. Lot's of reviews - top ratings - lts of eyeballs.

4. Have an app that people show to each other and thus make it popular (like a fun game).

5. Have some really unique features (they will get duplicated though)

For example, there is about a dozen apps for managing passwords (with encryption to protect against loss of the iphone). The three that have most reviews, and thus are most popular, are the ones that have estalished brands on Palm, Windows Mobile or Desktop Mac (eWallet, SplashId and 1Password). Others are lingering around (like my Memengo Wallet) with hardly any attention at all. I expect a race to the bottom with brand-names standing on their customer loyalty and thus selling for small sum aroud $3 while no-names will go for free.

Which brings me to the point I wanted to make here: writing software is easier than making people use it, even if Apple handles the sales transactions.

[ashu]

2. Be first in some area (too late now)

I don't think that will be true. Ever. You can always innovate.There are always new things to do. Or old things to do in new ways. Or so says the idealist in me.

But your other points are really good, especially the marketing one. Just making a very solid app isn't good enough for the iPhone platform. You need a carefully thought out marketing strategy.

Edit: I guess the marketing part is true about everything you do.

[pchristensen]

I agree with the disagreement. Google was late to search, the iPod was late to mp3 players, the iPhone was late to smart phones, YC was late to investing, etc, etc, etc.

[DenisM]

There is limited amount of things which people look at for 1 second and say "oh, I get it". Most of these things are likely already represented. Things that require 5 seconds until the "I get it" moment will require some incentive to spend those 5 seconds - either sky-high ratings, friends advising, known brand etc.

[ashu]

True. Until somebody comes up with something and you go "Doh, how come I did not think of that?!" or "Man, that was just genius..."

[Tichy]

Yes, but the talk here was about a crosswords application, not a strike of genius.

[bootload]

"... There is limited amount of things which people look at for 1 second and say 'oh, I get it' ..."

You are not taking into account new technology and the way it disrupts the market. The technology leaps come in spurts so it is more a case of waiting for the next wave, iterating while you do so.

[Tichy]

Of course you can still create an iPhone app that becomes a success. But I imagine on the first they, people were kind of hungry to try the new app store and their new iPhones. They would have bought just about anything (wasn't "Flashlight" in the top 10?). Once they have bought two or three games, how many more will they buy? So coming out with a cool game a couple of months later is a huge disadvantage.

[13ren]

5. Have some really unique features (they will get duplicated though)

Someone told me "You have limited time to make money". Does that time give you enough money? Or can you add another unique feature in that time? I'd like a business that lasts for all time - like coke/wrigley - but technology revolutions make it impossible. However, it is possible win one revolution...

Unmet demand is the incentive for copying - without oxygen, no competitor can beat you. Do you neglect, alienate or reject any market segment who wants/needs your product (including being too expensive)? Do any aspects of your product (including links in the chain of purchase) turn off customers?

For online software, lots of clever people can reverse engineer it; and customers can learn about it, trial it, adopt it and integrate with their lives/businesses. These are buffers, not "barriers to entry". It takes some time, but doesn't stop competitors - if there is unmet demand.

The best way to stop your competitors from serving your customers... is to serve your customers.

[DenisM]

In most of the iphone apps the set of needed features is small. Once users are satisfied with functionality they look for convenience and then price.

Features are not a sustainable advantage, only temporary.

[chris_l]

"Technology gives you a shot at Marketing" - Seth Godin

[tstegart]

how much marketing and work are you doing outside of the App Store?

[DenisM]

None. I have put all my efforts to ship the app and was very exhausted by it. Now that it's out there I can start marketing, probably this weekend.

[tstegart]

What will you concentrate your efforts on? Any particular strategy?

[DenisM]

I have a number of ideas, but I'll probably keep them secret for now. Sorry. :-)

[pageman]

2. Be first in some area

- there's always a "blue ocean" where you can innovate - read up on The Intersection (The Medici Effect)