

Not 1 person after all this work? Is a sick joke being played with me? - kandarp

I don&#x27;t know if this is a rant or whatever, but it&#x27;s my story about my iPhone app.<p>I started out around in March, 2014, and pivoted a few times, and finally started working on this idea of anonymously sharing pictures in August, 2014, and have been working it insanely hard, long nights, my weekends, and giving far more than 100% to complete my app.<p>Now that I&#x27;ve completed my app, I started contacting people I knew. Result? No reply, no signups, no feedback.<p>Read through how to pitch Mashable&#x2F;TechCrunch, how to write that pitch email, what they need, a story, screenshots, etc. etc. My bookmarks are all filled with this stuff now, advices from people who have gotten covered, and I do thank you for those tips. On top of them, contacted many many review sites. What happens? Absolutely nothing.<p>I&#x27;m not angry, maybe a little sad, but more than anything else, I&#x27;m extremely surprised.. especially when I see some apps getting covered to death. Sure, TC, and Mash have very high caliber, but no one else?<p>I understand, esp. now that iPhone 6 and 6+ and the new iOS are out, that the amount of apps getting submitted have increased a lot, but not a single person has interest in my app? The very few who do, just look at the screenshot or whatever - I don&#x27;t know what they look at - and just say, &quot;not interested&quot;. Okay? So, just by looking at the box of pizza, you&#x27;re going to judge that the pizza tastes bad? Jesus Christ man...<p>Anyways, here&#x27;s the app store link: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;itunes.apple.com&#x2F;WebObjects&#x2F;MZStore.woa&#x2F;wa&#x2F;viewSoftware?id=905151810&amp;mt=8<p>I would really appreciate if the community could check out, and provide feedback. I&#x27;ve put a lot of hours into this, and tried to make it awesome. I don&#x27;t like boring things myself, and I&#x27;ve got 186 broadcasts, so obvio. it ain&#x27;t boring. :D<p>Thanks.
Cheers!
======
UnoriginalGuy
When I open the app the only description presented is this line:

> Note: Works only with iPhone and iPad. Does not work with iPod Touch. Not
> sure why App Store included that. I'm looking into this, thanks for
> understanding.

So literally the most important single line of the description, the only line
which people can see without hitting the "...more" button is there just to
avoid technical support enquiries!

That's just utter foolish. Move that junk down further into the description!
The first line should be a single line summary of what the app is.

Also sharing your life "anonymously" in a social network, with photographs of
all things, is a contradiction. It is pretty mind bending to imagine how those
things come together in a usable way.

Even after reading the full description I still don't really "get it." What
does this offer me that e.g. Snapchat or Facebook won't? What is the USP?

~~~
Gustomaximus
Riding on this comment as felt it is great advice. To add to it, this is the
classic case of a product with some potential (haven't used it so going by
concept only) that is communicated really badly. For me to understand to
product I had to think about how I would use it. I shouldn't have to. I've
found in similar situations that a technical person will focus on the product
in the belief that largely 'if I build a good product the market will come to
me'. As someone that has marketed a couple popular apps (I'm marketing end of
things by trade) I can say, I would prefer great distribution and marketing on
an average app than the reverse.

Broad stokes: consider a rebrand. Re-think it yourself or even better bring in
a good marketers to figure the best user case from a USERS POV. Find a
usercase that can make you standout and bring a real benefit to someones
world. Brand and describe around this scenario. Only then go to work on your
distribution strategy. Also be willing to buy some initial distribution.
Popular news sites and similar are blasted by new apps. While try to get on
their radar, don't rely on this.

------
benologist
Startup news sites are not a business plan and relying on them is a mistake.
Similarly, tons of material about startups is just advertising, the majority
of it should be ignored.

Building something people want is really hard, can take a lot of trying and
failing, and is the reason why almost every startup fails. You have to keep
trying until you figure it out. Think about who your ideal customer is and
how/where you can find them. Then do that until you have many of them.

~~~
kandarp
Thanks for the advice. :)

~~~
benologist
You might like this as well, I came across it the other week it details how
one startup got their initial traffic. This stuff really is hard so don't feel
bad if your ideas fail, I'm pretty happy if I have one non-shit idea a month
that ends up helping at my startup as most simply do nothing!

[http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237922](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237922)

------
chriskottom
During all the months of work on this, at what point did someone tell you,
"I've been looking for something exactly like this."

At the risk of straining the analogy, the pizza might be tasty, and the box
might be attractive and functional, but if a pizza delivery guy showed up at
your door unexpected and unannounced, would you just pay him, or would you be
more likely to say, "I didn't order this."

------
morganf
So here's what "they" don't tell you: building a successful startup -- even by
moderate definitions of "successful," such as, "reaching a point that lets you
only work 4 hours/week" \-- is what economists call a "superstar economy."
Kinda like being a musician or a basketball player: 99.99% of the starving
artists or guys in the neighborhood playing hoops make $0.00 from it, but one-
in-a-million make a killing. There's a small "middle class" in the ecosystem
(people who don't strike the goldmind but do just fine) but, for all practical
purposes, it's really, really tiny, too.

So, therefore: building your own app and putting it into the app store is
helluva lot like trying to make your garage band a big hit. You must remember
these three things to start your own band (or your own startup):

1.) Expect your band will never make a dollar. (Similarly, expect the startup
to never make a dollar.)

2.) You must love creating music and feel such a deep calling to create that
music, that you will obsessively create that music with the band, even
remember #1, that your band will never make a dollar. (Yup, you must be so
obsessed with your company's mission and vision that you'll do it even
expecting it to fail.)

3.) You must be emotionally ready to play the lottery. If you're not
emotionally ready for the lottery, stay home.

4.) Similarly, you must instinctively feel like you are blessed by Fortuna,
because luck needs to be on your side not just tonight but for the whole
journey.

5.) It's a f---load of hardwork to get people to notice what you do, and to
get them excited about it. Are you prepared for that overwhelming, intense,
nonstop amount of hardwork?

6.) You know what's even harder about the hard work? There's no one to tell
you what to do. You don't even know if what you're doing is the right thing or
not. There is a way to change what you're doing and create something that will
get people peeing in their pants with excitement. But you need to figure it
out. No one will tell you, ever. In other words, more painful then 24
hours/day of work is 24 hours/day of work and not even knowing if you're doing
the right work....

7.) Unless you happen to have a very strong mentor or model, it makes the
incredible amount of hard work still even harder. Jimmy Page was the highest
paid studio musician in England before he went to start his own band. He had a
series of great mentors to teach him the path. A good mentor will teach you
what to listen to and what to ignore. You probably want to ignore this
rambling post here.

Okay, 3 minute break over, back to work.... :)

morgan

------
itazula
I think it is unclear what "... sharing your life anonymously" means. For
example, if I told my friend that I'm using this app, and he follows my
broadcasts, and he pretty much knows that I'm the only one using this app,
won't he be able to deduce that it is me that is broadcasting? (You mention a
"broadcast map" as well; well, if I live in Timbuktu, and I'm the only person
there, won't my friend know it's me?) Also, in the text accompanying the first
screenshot, you say, "... sharing it with the entire world." Saying that
doesn't match up with the idea of having "followers." Now, I think I know what
you mean, but the two groups ("followers" and "the entire world") don't match,
and create a dissonance in my mind that gets me close to just rejecting the
whole thing outright.

I'm sure you gained a lot of valuable experience programming-wise. To a
programmer, that's something tangible. Not only that, but you persevered and
got the app into the App Store.

------
flinkblinkhink
Said gently, but this app isn't interesting. That might be why. This is the
hardest thing about software development, building something people want. You
have built something people don't want.

~~~
ZenoArrow
Exactly. It's a good first app, but essentially it's an image forum, not
something I need a dedicated app for, especially as it doesn't have an
existing active community.

Kandarp, next time dream bigger, that's my only advice to you.

------
leepowers
I don't get it. I don't know what your app does. The app may be interesting
and compelling. But there's nothing on the iTunes page that explains what the
app does. Why is Katy Perry on the app page? What does she have to do with it?
How does a well-known celebrity jive with an anonymous app? Did you get
permission to use her likeness? I'm so confused.

 _Okay? So, just by looking at the box of pizza, you 're going to judge that
the pizza tastes bad? Jesus Christ man..._

Actually, yes, people judge pizza all the time based on factors unrelated to
the quality of the product. Why do you think Papa John's, Dominoes, Pizza Hut,
etc. spend so much money on advertising?

To extend the analogy, I don't even know what's in the box. Your app could be
pizza. Or it could be tuna fish. I have no idea what I'm getting.

------
pedalpete
I don't have any iOS devices, so I can't download it, but apparently at least
one person has downloaded it, as their is a review on the apple store that
says the app crashed and never worked on his iOS6 iPhone 4.

As far as getting users, why are you coming to HN looking for users? You
clearly read HN, you read about how to do PR and pitch, did you miss
everything on how to find product market fit? Did you miss everything on
research before building, or building MVP and getting friends to try your app?

I don't think you app is a bad idea, but it isn't something I'm going to jump
on until I know other people are using it. If nobody is using it, their are no
anon 'broadcasts' to be shared. You have a classic chicken-egg problem. Nobody
is using your app, so their (likely) isn't any content their which is making
people interested in viewing that content.

This is part of the problem with anon apps, where people can't try before
installing. There is no point in me telling a friend, hey download this app
because I'm in it, because... if I'm anonymous, they aren't going to see who I
am anyway. What is your pitch to your friends as to why they should use this
app? What do they say. Get 5 people you know to install and use it, then
adjust based on feedback.

~~~
kandarp
Yeah, and that's another thing when the app is new. It's kind of a human
nature to quickly write a bad review, than a good one. I'm in touch with the
App Store on the removal of that review, because it doesn't accurately
represent the app's functionality.

Back to the main point... I do have 186 broadcasts, and each of these
broadcast stories have 1 or more pics. I love taking pics, and sharing with
the world, and I have uploaded quite a lot of content. I do agree with you
that the apps like mine can have chicken-egg issue, but when there are in
total 300+ pics to get started, you'd think at least someone would be
interested.

The app has anonymous profiles, so it is an anonymous network, where you can
follow other users, like their broadcasts, comment, etc.

The __purpose __of this app is, you take pics (random, nature, selfie,
whatever you like) and anonymously share with the world by creating a
broadcast story (that can have 1 or more pics). Kind of like Tiiny by Kevin
Rose, but in a network.

Yeah, I know what you're saying - if you're anon., how will you tell your
friend "Hey, I'm on this by this name, let's share pics."

Thanks for the feedback.

~~~
allenbrunson
i'd say the most damning thing i see here is that you are indeed getting
feedback, but your answer is basically "sorry, you people are wrong."

your response to a bad review is to try to get apple to remove it? good luck
with that. even if you could, which is doubtful, your response should be to
figure out that guy's crash and fix it.

also, why on earth would you exclude the ipod touch? it has a camera, and
therefore should be fully equipped to run your app. and i bet you are now
going to state a reason for that which as lame as all your other "reasons."

i did much the same thing you did: i wrote an iphone app by myself, and did
what i could to promote it. it was a modest hit, and ended up making me about
15 grand. but that was way back at the dawn of the app store, when the
competition was less. my not terribly flashy app wouldn't stand a chance
today.

~~~
kandarp
lol, where did I say you people are wrong. I've, in fact, said "thank you" for
the feedback.

I didn't mean it that way, anyways, sorry if you think that way.

If the app's got problem, sure, I'll fix it. But I've tested it on multiple
devices, and there are definitely a few people who have used it, and it has
worked. I didn't test on ipod touch, so I can't say for sure if it'd work on
it. I had built it mainly for iPhone, but the way it works is if you select
device family 1, ipod touch gets included. And this person's review says
something like ipod user.

So, the app could've crashed, because it was ran on a device I didn't build
for? idk. I'll be taking a closer look next time.

Thanks anyways.

------
8462646
You need to relax on the analogy. Consider - why does someone look at a box of
pizza and decide that it tastes bad? Why does someone looking to buy a watch
walk past a jewelry store? From the app preview alone, I can tell you that
there is nothing really standing out here. Why do I want to share anonymous
pictures of Katy Perry? If I want to share anonymous pictures, I already know
of Snapchat. If I want to share anonymous text with a random group of people,
I'll use Yik Yak or Secrets. If I want to share photos, I can use Facebook or
Flickr. I can make an 'anonymous' account on Flickr to share photos. Why do I
want this app on my phone?

You need to work on the pitch a bit more. Just throwing together the words
"anonymous" and "pictures" doesn't do it for me. Also, try not to take it so
hard. When you said "Jesus Christ man...", I got the impression that you were
taking this pretty rough. It's nothing personal, but in a world with so many
apps already, why should I add your app to my home screen? Why should I spend
another 10 minutes a day with this app?

~~~
kandarp
Hmm. The people I've talked to so far think this app has a place, it's not
"nothing" definitely. But, I think I do need to work on the pitch more.
Clarify it to the point that people can associate them or their lives with the
app, and realize why they need to use it.

About taking it hard. Believe me, it has been insane the last few weeks. After
working so hard, launching this, writing emails and contacting so many people
and whatnot, when absolutely nothing happens, it feels bad.. True, no one is
obliged to use it, or even look at it, but ya, it felt bad. Nothing much. :)
It might look like it, but I didn't take it that bad. I've gone through this
type of stuff in this field before, and the thing is - take the rejection,
learn from it, move on, and build something even better next time.

I posted this is another reply, but the main purpose of this app is to share
your life anonymously. Take a bunch of pics to create a broadcast story, give
it a caption, and broadcast. Now anyone with the app can see it. It's like how
Secret and Whisper are, but with Broadcast, you are part of an anonymous
network. Another huge difference between those apps and Broadcast is that you
can take more than a single pic. Why's this of importance? Because many times
when you need to share something, you can just snap-snap-snap (or choose)
multiple pics easily, and share. This creates a broadcast story, and aligns
more with expressing yourself.

Thanks for the feedback. :)

~~~
8462646
Oh no, don't get me wrong. I didn't mean that you app is "nothing" \- I only
mean that there isn't anything standing out here. I think something that might
help the pitch is to make it more personal. Show how I can quickly share
photos from the beach with my family. Don't forget the App Store now supports
preview videos as well, that might help.

------
petervandijck
Boring icon, stock-photo screenshots, bad description, bad review => nobody
will download your app like this.

First, you need to talk to people and have them try out your app. Email your
friends. Get them to use the app, at least try it. Get feedback. It's not
marketing you're missing, it's product. Good luck!

------
MalcolmDiggs
Not every app 'clicks' instantly with users. Sending them directly to itunes
might not be the best way to convert them. Have you tried sending folks to a
landing page first (so can prime them on the idea, show them a cool video,
etc)?

The other advantage of this method is that once users are on _your_ site
(instead of the itunes store), you can get better analytics and behavior
tracking (to understand when/why/where users are exiting the conversion
funnel). Additionally, once your landing page is setup you can run more
traditional marketing campaigns (adwords etc) to that site, and try all kinds
of different ways to pitch the product to the potential users.

Don't give up man, marketing isn't easy.

~~~
kandarp
I do have a landing page.

Thanks for the feedback.

------
seekingcharlie
Golden advice: What a user says, is very VERY different to what a user does.

Good, USEFUL, apps do not require a pitch by the founder to get someone to
sign up. The product needs to sell itself.

Just from looking at your app on iTunes, the biggest flag for me is: Why would
I want to use THIS when I have Instagram? What problem does THIS app solve
that others don't (if any)?

Someone else mentioned it here, but I've gotta ask: At what point did you hear
someone say that they really needed something like this in their lives vs
something like this 'has a place'?

------
avadhbsd
Hey KANDARP,

I guess, It must have been an experience to get through all that. You may have
gone wrong this time and who knows.....you just have to be right just one
time.

Ship early, fail early.

One more: You need a copywriter.

Best of luck.

~~~
kandarp
Thanks.

------
munimkazia
Okay, I am just going to say what's in my mind. It may sound harsh, but it's
what I think of it.

Maybe this pizza tastes good, maybe this pizza tastes bad. But what if I don't
really want pizza at all?

I don't see one reason for using this app. Even if I wanted to build up an
anonymous online profile which people could follow, I'd probably use one of
the other networks out there which have a greater reach. You are really not
offering anything different which makes me want to use your app.

------
rpietro
I don't have an iphone and so can't install it, but here is a question: if
it's anonymous posting and in a social network, maybe there is a lack of
incentive since I don't know who will be following me and I can't be
identified. but this is just a guess. what is the closest anonymous social
network you're trying to emulate?

btw, when you had your initial idea did you run it by people who resembled
your target audience or did you go straight into production mode?

btw, you now have comment that says "never ran just crashed. deleting"

------
rmsaksida
Some comments:

\- This looks a bit like Rando, but Rando was more interesting. Even the icon
of your app is plain.

\- No Android support is a dealbreaker for a huge number of users, including
me.

\- Your only customer review is rather negative.

Work to make your app more appealing (read more about Rando, if you are not
aware of it), port it to Android and try again. I'm sure you'll have better
results next time.

Good luck!

------
ivv
On the app's first screenshot, I'd put pictures that tell someone's story
instead of sunsets and clouds (and definitely not any stock photos). If people
are to download the app to peek into one's life, that life should be worth
peeking into.

Kind of like Secret. Most people download it to read someone else's secrets,
not to share their own.

~~~
kandarp
Each picture is a broadcast story. You can tap on it to open it, and swipe
through the pictures in it to view that story.

------
patmcc
I was willing to download it, but the first line "Note: Works only with iPhone
and iPad. Does not work with iPod Touch" prevented me. I have a modern iPod
touch (same generation as iPhone 5). Why won't your app work on it?

~~~
kandarp
I've not tested it on iPod touch. If you could please try, that'd help.

------
allwein
According to the app site, the product is in Beta and you're only "allowing"
Mashable readers to use it. I'm not a Mashable reader, so punt. Also, how is
this at version 2.0.3 already with no version history?

~~~
kandarp
You can download from here:
[https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftw...](https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=905151810&mt=8)

Thanks.

------
Spoom
How many users said they wanted this before you started building it?

------
mesozoic
Seems similar to unseen. They are doing very well last I heard but they had a
very tight niche target of universities.

------
no_future
>Anonymous profiles

You just defeated the purpose of anonymity

