

Whether I should go for a venture funding to get my app noticed?  - Ramanean

I have created android  app "TextOnly-Browser" which makes it easier for user to read articles on android phones..It also saves  on data usage and load times are faster when compared with a normal browser<p>I have emailed(multiple times) almost all the top tech blogs but none of them seem to be taking notice of it...<p>Some of the questions I like to ask
a)Why there is such a dislike towards startups or apps which are boot strapped?<p>b)Only when you get venture funding from some dumb xyz venture you seem to get noticed by these blogs<p>c)It's not only for mine..I have also noticed other apps/sites getting rejected like this..<p>I have seen even dumber apps than mine get funding from incubators/ventures and get noticed..So whether I should also go for venture funding???
======
senko
There's no dislike; there's thousands of apps and app authors out there; the
tech blogs are overrun with people pitching their apps; you need to stand
above the crowd - and not by trying to shout more, but by being outstanding in
some way; as for the marketing part, here's a classic article:
[http://blogs.balsamiq.com/product/2008/08/05/startup-
marketi...](http://blogs.balsamiq.com/product/2008/08/05/startup-marketing-
advice-from-balsamiq-studios/)

There's a number of ways you can market your app: submit to app directories,
use AdMob and other ad platforms, "sell" a compelling story involving your app
(see kreci's series of "independent developer progress update" articles, he
posts them regularly), etc.

Sorry if this is a bit harsh, but: you seem to think venture funding is a way
to raise your visibility - which is partly true, but if you can't get the
blogs to write about you, how do you plan to get people to write you cheques?
Also, unless your app is truly groundbreaking and has potential to grow into
something much more (eg what Rovio did with Angry Birds), is there really a
point in trying to get funding?

~~~
byoung2
_unless your app is truly groundbreaking and has potential to grow into
something much more (eg what Rovio did with Angry Birds), is there really a
point in trying to get funding?_

Exactly. How is this app different/better than the many great Android RSS
reader apps out there. What sort of business model could you build around your
app? Text-based ads? I think venture capitalists and tech bloggers alike would
ask these questions before giving you the time of day.

~~~
Ramanean
It's not a RSS reader..It displays a list of articles from a site and once you
click on article it would display only the content of the article..I have
already listed the reasons above

Main features:Less data usage,Low load times for users,easier to read content

Business model 1:I am going to let website publishers display their textlink
ads in between the paragraphs of an article (They would have their own links)
My revenue stream: A link in the list of articles as well as a link at the top
of article

Business Model 2:A single link between the paragraphs by revenue sharing
between the publisher and myself

~~~
byoung2
_It's not a RSS reader_

I know it's not an RSS reader...my question is why would I use this app
instead of just using an RSS reader. I'm not going to browse Engadget or
TechCrunch on a text browser if I just want to read the articles...that's what
their RSS feeds are for, and there are some very nice apps for reading them.

~~~
Ramanean
It's not a RSS Reader/Text Browser..It's somethingt hing like
Readability/Instapaper which would just display content of any article..(The
problem here is I don't know by what name I should refer my app :D)

The apps you are referring to may do it only for certain sites with RSS feeds
but not for all sites..That's where the difference between mine and others

This app gives you a readability experience for all websites(Just displaying
the content of an article)

First it would display list of articles ---> Then Choose a article --->
Displays only the content of an article

------
pedalpete
I've read many of your comments below, and you seem absolutely convinced that
the only way to get coverage is by having contacts in the industry, or by
being in Silicon Valley.

Well, I can tell you as somebody who is definitely not in Silicon Valley, has
never raised money, has no contacts with tech blogs and has been featured on
TechCrunch, TechRadar and others, that it isn't only about connections.

You are absolutely convinced that your app should be covered by these blogs,
but the blogs are covering apps that are new/different/special.

I don't mean to be harsh, and it doesn't mean that your app doesn't have a
market, but the 'features' you are touting about text-only, less data usage,
less costs, etc. Aren't selling points for the general population. I live in
Canada where data usage costs are MUCH higher than in the US so you'd think
that I should care about these things. But the plain facts are that css,
images, etc. are barely a minor percentage of data usage. Video uses data,
music to a lesser extent, skype, etc. These are the data hogs. You've created
a product that might fit a very small niche, and you sound like you are trying
to get the major outlets to cover it. That isn't going to happen unless you
can pitch them a story about why it matters, and where it has made a
difference.

Think about how your app has actually helped somebody do something that they
couldn't do otherwise. What is the true benefit of text-only web? Make it
personal.

By the sounds of things you may be trying to pitch your app based on
'features' which rarely matter. Twitter wasn't the blog darling because they
only allowed 140 characters, they got all the attention because they allowed
you to communicate quickly with a large group of people, and the brevity made
the content easy to digest. 'Tell your friends about the great band that's
playing at xyz, with Twitter'. What would your headline be? Is it interesting
and would anybody care?

You've got to work on your marketing, though I also think you need to work on
the reason your product exists.

~~~
Ramanean
I think I am communicating it in a wrong way...I think I should change the
name of the app first!!

Yes I think I need to work on my marketing vigorously

~~~
pedalpete
Oh, I just came across this link on TechCrunch. Perfect example of the human
story, even if it is completely off topic and unrelated, it made it on to
techcruch because it is something funny, and most importantly human relatable.
<http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/16/jeremy-and-his-mom/>

We've all had times when Mom embarrassed us because she wanted us to call,
right?

------
benologist
You're focusing on the wrong blogs. Find ones that specialize in reporting on
Android app, that's where your potential users are, not on TC getting the
latest Apple news.

~~~
Ramanean
I already have mailed them and no response...You got to have friends in the
industry or you got to be from Silicon valley to get into there

~~~
benologist
Then find a way to get their attention.

Or run ads for your app.

Or come up with some crazy viral marketing scheme.

Or build another app and double your chances of success.

