[mertbio]

DHH really needs to control his temper. Instead of focusing on the discrimination of his app (while there are other apps similar to HEY Calendar, why theirs rejected), he keeps mentioning about Apple’s 30% commission but this commission only applies to small number of developers. If you don’t earn more than $1 million in a year, you only pay 15%. If you earn more than that but have subscriptions (like HEY) then you pay 15% after the first year of the subscription.

I think he should just focus on the discrimination part instead of mentioning about the tax or Apple being a monopoly. I don’t how mentioning those things is going to help him to solve the issue. (Since it is already decided by a judge that Apple doesn’t have a monopoly on the App Store)

[Terretta]

And, shops with no monopoly and less customer loyalty are charging by and large the same percentage.

For that matter, even supermarkets charge for shelf positioning.

[hamandcheese]

Yea, but your choice of neighborhood doesn't lock you in to only being allowed to shop in a single supermarket.

[Terretta]

In a lot of neighborhoods that's exactly what it does.

Also, you can shop for iOS apps in other places, like https://setapp.com/.

[hamandcheese]

> In a lot of neighborhoods that's exactly what it does.

In what country/world/universe? I frequently go to a Costco that definitely isn't in my neighborhood. Haven't had any visits from the supermarket police yet.

Also, that's not an alternative store, that's simply a subscription app bundle.

[wbkang]

It's still a valid point. Is it ok to take 15% more if you make more money? Does the marginal cost of supporting an app _increase_ as opposed to stay the same or decrease?

[Terretta]

Depends on the app, but for some apps, the more users, the more your cost per user increases, because of the type of user in each cohort.

Early adopters tend to explore and self-support more. Late majority need more TLC.

[hamandcheese]

Those costs would not be borne by Apple, though.

[Terretta]

On the contrary, these users ask Apple for support for all manner of not-Apple app things.

[hamandcheese]

Even my very tech illiterate mother knows the difference between a 3rd party app she downloaded and first party Apple apps.

Even still, people might ask Apple for support, but I highly doubt they receive any support beyond a generic message informing them to contact the app developer.

[cma]

No it also hurts small developers that need funding. Publishers and investors work on a hit model, giving advances to lots of small projects in the hopes that they have a hit. If all hits at taxed at 30%, then the available funding for everyone goes down.

If the government added an additional 50% tax on books that sold over a million copies, it would affect funding for many more authors than the ones with books over the threshold.

[dann0]

Luckily, small developers are unlikely to reach the $1m pa to qualify for the 30% fee. They’ll be subject to 15%.

[cma]

Reread, I wrote about small developers getting way less funding, because the successful ones that grow into big companies fund the rest of the investors' portfolios, similar to all other publishing.

[cachehit]

>DHH really needs to control his temper.

What good would that do?