App Savvy: Turning Ideas into iPad and iPhone Apps Customers Really Want

352 Pages·2010·13.66 MB·English

by  Ken Yarmosh

Advance Praise for App Savvy
“Focus on making apps that people enjoy using and want to tell their
friends and colleagues about. Having customers who evangelize your prod-
ucts is far more important than a short-term purchase spike because you’re
selling your app for $0.99 rather than the price it is actually worth.”
—Justin Williams, Founder of Second Gear,
http://www.secondgearsoftware.com/
“Whether you’ve already launched a few apps in the App Store or are someone
who has a unique (and possibly great) idea for a new app, this book is a must-
read. Covering all the aspects of app development, marketing, and beta testing,
App Savvy is the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to enter the huge market
of the App Store. What really impressed me is the attention to the smallest de-
tails Ken put in describing often-underrated stages like ‘idea evaluation’ or the
importance of hiring the right team. Even if you have already released an app,
you need to read this book. It will make you more competitive in the App Store.
Guaranteed.”
—Federico Viticci, Editor of MacStories, http://www.macstories.net
“Ken has outlined a comprehensive and well-grounded soup-to-nuts strategy
for any company looking to create value via mobile applications. By combining
solid principles for mobile strategy as well as practical guidance for execution,
he makes for a great sherpa in navigating this terrain.”
—Navin Ganeshan, Chief Product Strategist at Network Solutions,
http://www.networksolutions.com
“App Savvy is a great product management primer, focused specifically on
mobile apps. It takes you from idea to getting your app in the App Store. Lots of
technical tips make the book ideal for people who are just starting out creating
an iPhone or iPad app, and each chapter has an interview or two with people
who have actually done it.”

—Steve Johnson, Product Management Evangelist at Pragmatic Marketing,
http://www.productmarketing.com

App Savvy
Turning ideAS inTo iPAd And iPhone APPS
CuSTomerS reAlly WAnT
Ken yarmosh
Beijing · Cambridge · Farnham · Köln · Sebastopol · Tokyo
App Savvy
by Ken Yarmosh
Copyright © 2011 Ken Yarmosh. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
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Interior Design: Josh Clark, Edie
Copyeditor: Audrey Doyle Freedman, and Nellie McKesson
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Printing History:
First Edition: October 2010.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and
author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use
of the information contained herein.
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claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and O’Reilly Media,
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This book presents general information about technology and services that are constantly
changing, and therefore it may contain errors and/or information that, while accurate when it
was written, is no longer accurate by the time you read it. Some of the activities discussed in
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sent the views of O’Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-449-38976-5
[M]
To Daddo.
This all started with Q*bert.
Psalm 136:2

ConTenTS
Foreword ...............................................................................1
Preface ..................................................................................3
STrATegy
1. YOU HAVE AN APP IDEA…NOW WHAt? ........................ 17
The “New” App Store 18
Looking at the Numbers 19
Evaluating Your Idea 20
The App Store 20
Quantifying Your App 28
Know Thyself and Thy Resources 39
Interviews 41
Digital Post: Mike Rundle 41
Mobclix: Krishna Subramanian 46
Recap 50
2. FINDING YOUR INNER APP ........................................... 51
Getting Familiar with Apple Devices 51
Before That…Think First, Design Later 51
Breaking Down Devices and Device-Related Features 52
iOS 4 63
Approaching App Innovation 68
Your Heart and Brain 68
When Being Blue Doesn’t Mean You’re Sad 69
Other Differentiators 76
Interviews 77
Smule: Jeff Smith 77
Sophiestication Software: Sophia teutschler 79
Recap 83
ConTenTS
3. FROM IDEA tO CONCEPt ............................................. 85
Customers Are the Key 85
Why Customers? Why Now? 86
Who Are Your Customers? 87
How to Find Your Customers 90
What to Discuss with Your Customers 97
Creating a Concept App 101
Artistically Challenged 101
Understanding Wireframes 102
Reengaging Customers 107
Interviews 108
KISSmetrics: Cindy Alvarez 108
Balsamiq Studios: Peldi Guilizzoni 111
Recap 113
develoPmenT
4. FOR HIRE: IDENtIFYING HELP .....................................117
Your App team 117
Skills 118
Vetting Help 122
Costs 124
Finding Resources 129
Streamlining Solicitations 130
Where to Look 130
Make Your Decision 134
Interviews 136
GetAppsDone.com: Davide Di Cillo 136
AppStoreHQ: Chris DeVore 139
Recap 142
5. GEttING A WORKING APP...........................................143
The Development Process 143
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