I have an idea for a mobile app. Does it make CENTS?
C - Do I control it? The development and the app itself, yes, but I don't control Google Play Store or Apple Store. A risk I would have to take. I could sell the app myself from a website but that is well known to not be effective when it comes to mobile apps. A good recent example is a big mobile game launching on Android, the developers didn't want to pay Google their royalties for the store so they only sold it from their website. A few months later they caved and started selling it on Google Play, and this was for a pretty massively popular PC game. So, using the store is pretty much a must.
E - Entry...Developing an app isn't the easiest thing in the world, but not the hardest either. There are tonnes of apps in the app store but...
N - Does the market need my app? Well, I can't find any apps in the Google Play store that do what I am thinking of. I searched online and found some seemingly dead projects from 5+ years ago, so either they never got made or got removed from the store. There's no way for me to know. That either means there's no market need for the app, or people don't know they need it yet
The topic of my app is something that a lot of people obsess over so I figure there would be a need, but I don't really have a way to test it. I could possibly set up a poll or a way to get inside the minds of my target audience on a forum somewhere to determine if there would be a need for it, but I'm not sure.
Whether the need is there is a huge point so I would like to be sure, I just don't know how I can prove it.
T - Can I separate my income from Time? Yep, once I create the app, get it on the store, market it the best I can and respond to customers for the first while it can be separated from my time with minimal upkeep.
S - Can it scale? Well, yeah! Every person with an Android phone could download my app and use it.
Alright, well, that's kind of out of the way.
The issue is with monetization. Looking through the app store, I noticed people would complain about the price of apps a lot, even if they were only $2-3. When I was looking if there was an app that could measure things in your room (this was another NEED I was checking if it had been filled adequately), I found some, and found they had quite positive reviews...but there were always bad reviews saying "I don't want to pay money for this." OOOkk.. So people just want a very useful tool for free then?
Maybe people are used to getting a lot of apps for free on mobile and dealing with ads within the app? I personally hate that and if there is something I REALLY want, I will pay for it, but I don't use a lot of mobile apps. I don't think that's how I would want to monetize my app.
My idea would involve both people contributing to the system, and users of the system. I figured people contributing (and using) could use the app for free, where people only using the app would have to pay for it. My initial thoughts were something like a 7 days free trial (without having to first enter your payment information because I personally HATE it when apps do that) with a low monthly subscription of $1.99 or something like that.
There's a known fact about web apps and/or ecosystems. If it's free, then you're the product. I don't want to have to rely on ad revenue.
This may seem like a really dumb thing to say considering my idea, but has anyone on this forum learned how to make apps for Android? I know literally nothing about it, but have an abundance of time to learn. Just wondering how long it might take me to learn how to make Android apps. I've worked with computers all my life but not specifically in programming. I will be searching youtube etc for this shortly after writing this forum post as well. Needing to learn how to program an app/website never stopped MJ!
Thoughts?
And thanks in advance!!
C - Do I control it? The development and the app itself, yes, but I don't control Google Play Store or Apple Store. A risk I would have to take. I could sell the app myself from a website but that is well known to not be effective when it comes to mobile apps. A good recent example is a big mobile game launching on Android, the developers didn't want to pay Google their royalties for the store so they only sold it from their website. A few months later they caved and started selling it on Google Play, and this was for a pretty massively popular PC game. So, using the store is pretty much a must.
E - Entry...Developing an app isn't the easiest thing in the world, but not the hardest either. There are tonnes of apps in the app store but...
N - Does the market need my app? Well, I can't find any apps in the Google Play store that do what I am thinking of. I searched online and found some seemingly dead projects from 5+ years ago, so either they never got made or got removed from the store. There's no way for me to know. That either means there's no market need for the app, or people don't know they need it yet
The topic of my app is something that a lot of people obsess over so I figure there would be a need, but I don't really have a way to test it. I could possibly set up a poll or a way to get inside the minds of my target audience on a forum somewhere to determine if there would be a need for it, but I'm not sure.Whether the need is there is a huge point so I would like to be sure, I just don't know how I can prove it.
T - Can I separate my income from Time? Yep, once I create the app, get it on the store, market it the best I can and respond to customers for the first while it can be separated from my time with minimal upkeep.
S - Can it scale? Well, yeah! Every person with an Android phone could download my app and use it.
Alright, well, that's kind of out of the way.
The issue is with monetization. Looking through the app store, I noticed people would complain about the price of apps a lot, even if they were only $2-3. When I was looking if there was an app that could measure things in your room (this was another NEED I was checking if it had been filled adequately), I found some, and found they had quite positive reviews...but there were always bad reviews saying "I don't want to pay money for this." OOOkk.. So people just want a very useful tool for free then?
Maybe people are used to getting a lot of apps for free on mobile and dealing with ads within the app? I personally hate that and if there is something I REALLY want, I will pay for it, but I don't use a lot of mobile apps. I don't think that's how I would want to monetize my app.
My idea would involve both people contributing to the system, and users of the system. I figured people contributing (and using) could use the app for free, where people only using the app would have to pay for it. My initial thoughts were something like a 7 days free trial (without having to first enter your payment information because I personally HATE it when apps do that) with a low monthly subscription of $1.99 or something like that.
There's a known fact about web apps and/or ecosystems. If it's free, then you're the product. I don't want to have to rely on ad revenue.
This may seem like a really dumb thing to say considering my idea, but has anyone on this forum learned how to make apps for Android? I know literally nothing about it, but have an abundance of time to learn. Just wondering how long it might take me to learn how to make Android apps. I've worked with computers all my life but not specifically in programming. I will be searching youtube etc for this shortly after writing this forum post as well. Needing to learn how to program an app/website never stopped MJ!
Thoughts?
And thanks in advance!!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
