Building a mobile-first startup business

Are you thinking of starting your own business? Do you have an idea yourself and would like to make an app? I'll take you through my journey as an engineer from the beginning to a full company.

Transcript

1. Building a mobile- first startup UIKonf 2020 01 Dal Rupnik @thelegoless
2. 4 years ago In a galaxy, far, far away.
3. 1. The Idea “I can make anything, but I don’t have an idea viral enough!”
4. Talk to your friends! Maybe one of them has a simple problem that needs solving? “You know what would be amazing? If I could <insert the idea here>”
5. The Market Look around App Store! Why are you using this particular app? Which problem does it solve for you? What important feature is it missing?
6. Blub Blub Inc. Once upon a time there were four boys who grew up with speech problems.
7. Validate it cheaply and quickly. Focus on the main idea first. Focus & Prototype
8. 2. MVP Mindset Minimum Viable Product Our first MVP: - only for iPads - only in Slovene But it served its purpose!
9. Third Parties Libraries for common solutions. Services for more complex utilities. Use free plans or extensive trials for startups. Remove and replace them later.
10. 3. Technology Ship minor bugs and less than perfect UI. MVPs can be scrapped. Many startups go through multiple MVPs.
11. Business models Should make sense for your app. Analyze apps in a similar field.
12. App Store Ready to publish your first MVP. First rejection? Don’t worry. Make your app visible!
13. Funding Private seed camps, accelerators Government funding Networking and communication are key.
14. Marketing Viral apps like Flappy Bird are rare. Who is your ideal customer? Simple ads first, then grow to the more complex ones.
15. Marketing Test run some ads. Search Ads, Facebook…. Is an influencer or blogger willing to do you a favor? VOICE RECOGNITION 1000+ BONUS VIDEOS 300 ROLE-PLAYING FILTERS
16. 3. Know your user Get feedback, do interviews. Give rewards. Market changes changes over time. Do not stop learning.
17. User interface design
18. Animations are really great…
19. How is your app really used?
21. Unit Testing Do not spend too much time unit testing early MVPs. Cover critical parts (such as payments). People can help you with manual testing.
22. Business Growth 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Your product will expand to other platforms. Does your product work on the web? When do I need a backend?
23. Server-side tech Quick solutions with client side frameworks: - CloudKit - Firebase - MongoDB Realm - Parse
24. Server-side tech ✔ A platform with all of the features you need (but not much more). ✔ Do your own research. ✔ Pick what makes most sense.
25. Other mobile platforms How much codebase can you share? Depends on the technology stack. Don’t try to do everything yourself. SPEECH BLUBS SPEECH BLUBS
26. Scaling the code Separate into internal frameworks. Remove the smallest third party libraries. Framework-oriented architecture.
27. Scaling the codebase Refactor and clean when you develop a feature that uses old code. There will always be some technical debt.
28. You started alone, the app was your baby. But now, it’s time to let it go. Letting go of control
29. 5. Empower your fellow rowers.
30. Build an engineering culture Leave some freedom. It is entirely unique to your company. Start building your own.
31. Into the numbers Familiarize yourself with: KPI - Key Performance Indicator LTV - Lifetime Value CAC - Customer Acquisition Cost UE - Unit Economics Have a good and stable analytics system.
32. Paywalls Experiment with different prices, offers, and discounts. Engineer the storefront in a way that it is easy for you to change it. People are happier if they can try the app for free. Facial recognition technology stimulates role-playing. 50% OFF ONLY YOU ONE MONTH FREE TRIAL
33. 1. New operating system release 2. New device releases 3. Different marketing audiences 4. Seasonality Conversion rate
34. 5 tips for your business ✔ You do not need a viral idea, just a good team, lots of hard work, and a little bit of luck. ✔ Keep a MVP mindset. ✔ Do not release a perfect app. ✔ Know your user and your customer. ✔ Empower your team.
35. Thank you! Dal Rupnik @thelegoless Blub Blub Inc.