App Stores For Everyone Everywhere: What Developers Want & Why; What Do Platform Providers & App Store Owners Need To Succeed? » mobilegroove

Until now much of the discussion around app store platforms and developer communities has been a technical one focused on primarily on APIs (which ones to open to third-party developers when and why), toolchains and toolkits (the optimal level of integration and how to achieve it) and development costs (value for money and how to deliver it). However, my first encounters with the 150+ developers and mobile execs that attended the combination Nokia Developer Day and Mobile Monday Austria at the University of Hagenberg– which is also home to Europe’s leading mobile computing department — has convinced me that I (and the industry) must move the discussion to another level.

What do developers really want/need in order to make apps and (ultimately) make money?

Why is this question key? Put simply, the companies that get this right will have insights to build the correct mix of capabilities to forge and support a tight-knit developer community, creating relationships that will allow them to take a central spot in the emerging apps value web (not chain – it’s not that kind of a game).

There are no easy answers, but the panels and discussions during the dev day confirm that developers — creative people who are interested in cash AND community – are likely to gravitate to platforms and app stores that help them cultivate and connect with their fans.

LITMUS LEARNINGS

I first started thinking this through during Mobile World Congress (MWC) and the no-holds barred session I moderated on OneAPI. The panel – made up of the architects behind this milestone move: Nauby Jacob, VP, Users Experience, Bell Canada; Larry Baziw, Director Next Generation Services Strategy, Rogers Wireless; SandipMuckerjee, VP of Business Strategy and Marketing, Alcatel Lucent; Shane Logan, Director, Services and Collaboration, Telus; and Al Snyder CEO, Aepona – examined what developers require and how/why operators and enablers can/must work together to deliver. The positive feedback has been overwhelming and I have reached out to each of the participants to participate in a follow-up roundtable podcast on MSG, so watch this space.

(By way of background, the GSMA launched the commercial pilot in Canada as part of its OneAPI initiative, working with Canada’s leading operators to demonstrate the viability and benefits of providing developers standardized APIs for mobile networks. The pilot in Canada – the topic of my MWC panel – represents the first time developers are able to gain commercial access to the network assets of multiple operators from a single gateway. )

But it was the opening presentation by Paul Golding – pioneer, long-time thought leader in the mobile applications space and, more recently, a consultant to O2 Telefonica — that challenged everything we (think) we know about developers.

When Paul took the podium and showed the opening slide – where he had purposely crossed out the title of the planned presentation and replaced the words “Supporting Developers” with “EmPOWERING Developers” — it was clear that this was no marketing-speak. His message to us: Developers need feature-rich APIs and much, much more. (Indeed, Paul’s thinking on this topic left a deep and lasting impression, and I am pleased to report that Paul has agreed to join MSG’s roster of authors and contribute a guest column that builds on his simple, elegant and path-breaking ideas.)

In his presentation (here on SlideShare) Paul introduces three kinds of “power” that interest/attract developers most.

CONNECTED POWER is all about the APIs and platforms that allow developers to reach customers; CASH POWER is all about the APIs and platforms that allow developers to earn money (directly or indirectly); and COOL POWER is all about the APIs and platforms that allow developers to do something cool and interesting (translated: innovate).

Sure, it’s about technology (CASH POWER). But it’s also about harnessing everything we know from the business books about encouraging and channeling creative energy to cultivate developer communities that make great apps to delight the customer (CONNECTED POWER).

And – with a nod to Eric von Hippel, my favorite interview, author of Democratizing Innovation and THE authority on innovation – it’s about connecting developers with their lead users — the users who have a high incentive to solve a problem and the ability to innovate (COOL POWER). Combine all that (translated: enable all that) and it can yield a developer community and a selection of apps that can truly set the bar.

As Paul pointed out: O2 Litmus has recruited 7,000+ O2 UK customers and then helped developer connect with them to gain insights and – interestingly – lay the groundwork for a kind of app developer fan club that provides developers important feedback and critical buzz. (After all, fans will share their picks of favorite apps and cool developers with others – creating the same kind of virtuous cycle than can catapult local bands to rock heroes.)

Paul has an even better idea: Operators can help the process by simply putting fans in touch with developers. “Add some other cool brands to the mix and then let things happen.”

At this juncture, I am also reminded of Mob4Hire and the traction it has gained for its awesome concept which combines crowd sourcing with app testing. It’s a super-sharp business model that Paul Poutanen, Mob4Hire President and Founder, tells me he is expanding to allow people testing the apps to rank/share the ones they like most with everyone else. A great grassroots way to help apps get discovered and gain mindshare. More about this in an exclusive interview with Paul later this month.

The takeaway here: helping developers connect with people (fans) is emerging as key requirement of app stores and platforms.

NOKIA DEV DAY

When Mobile Monday Austria reached out to me to speak at its event over the weekend, one that also allowed me access to developers and other people who love mobile, I was thrilled. It offered me an important opportunity to sanity-check some of Paul’s key messages and test a few of my own ideas about the future of app marketing.

Cool Power: Yes, it matters – a lot! An informal poll of developers yielded a welcome confirmation of the qualities platforms/app store providers must have beyond awesome, rich-feature APIs. Put simply, developers require “partners” that help them create apps and generate revenues. And they will align themselves (eagerly) with those companies that make a conscious effort to help them connect with customers, cultivate fans and allow them to feel that they have made a contribution that matters in the scheme of things. For some developers, a functioning feedback loop tops the list. For others, being able to believe that the platform provider really listens, absorbs, respects and internalizes constructive criticism is paramount.

This came across loud and clear when naxxatoe, a developer in the audience, took the microphone to tell Nokia execs what should be at the top of their Ovi agenda. “It’s about connecting people,” he said, unaware of the play on Nokia’s own motto (Connecting People).

Kudos to naxxatoe for saying what had to be said and my respect goes to Jure Sustersic, Forum Nokia Biz Dev Manager EMEA, for seeking out naxxatoe and other developers between sessions to hear them out on what they loved – and hated – about Ovi. (Inspired by this exchange I have decided to produce an informal series of podcasts to give these developers a voice. My sincere thanks to naxxatoe for challenging me to think and see things very differently. I look forward to showcasing his ideas in the first in the series later this month.)

SUPERMARKETS VS FARMERS MARKETS

Regular readers will know that I am a great believer in the individual. We will accept the content we want on our terms – and we are most likely to accept content (and mobile marketing/advertising can be considered a form of content) if it is in tune with our interests, passions and context. Mobile (an intensely personal device) allows us to communicate all of the above, allowing (with our permission!) content and services companies a way to connect the dots and provide us with stuff (content, services, apps, advertising and all things digital) we are likely to appreciate.

Obviously, there is little room in the scheme of things for one-site-fits all. In fact, our requirement (even demand) for stuff we want the way we want it sits at the core of the Long Tail. While Chris Anderson didn’t explore mobile in his milestone book, we have nonetheless witnessed the impact in mobile. It began with an avalanche of content and then a plethora of portals where we could find it. (Well – content discovery and search is another issue altogether…)

Fast forward and we are witnessing the emergence of a Long Tail of app stores.

My Mobile Monday presentation (which included the findings of the recent Netsize Mobile Trends Survey) explored the evidence for this mega-trend and why this could be good news for developers. For one it means more choice for us (a key requirement for a successful app store, according to the Netsize survey). But it also means more choice for the developers, many of whom told me they are actively seeking alternatives to the Apple app store where they have to beg for shelf space (so that their app might be accepted/included) and then pray for promotion (so that their app might be featured where people can find and buy it).

With 25+ app stores and counting we can’t say we have a Long Tail. But there are more options then ever before. Want an enterprise app? A good chance you might find it at Ondeego. How about a porn app? MiKandi is a good bet. And the list goes on…

With these observations (and in preparation for my talk) I reached out to Mike Lurye, Director, Product Marketing Amdocs Interactive. After an invigorating brainstorm session we agreed that there will be many kinds of app stores, managed in many different ways.

There will be Supermarkets (app stores such as the Apple app store) where the provider gives suppliers shelf space, sets the prices and is pretty much focused on moving merchandise and making money. And there will be Farmers Markets (niche app stores and operator app stores – and combinations of the two) where the relationship between the supplier (a farmer with fresh produce) and the customer (people who really appreciate the opportunity to buy organic) is what clinches the deal.

Surprisingly, it was this observation and the suggestion that there will be marketplaces that fit their needs that got the buzz. Developers took the microphone and told me they  would indeed want to sell their apps via a farmers market – if they could. Several even asked me how they could get into contact with a Long Tail app store.

And – thanks to Mike – I can point to a little known example that shows this approach is not only an ideal – it is also an ideal business model making money – now. (BTW, I am also pleased to report that Mike has also agreed to a podcast to explore the supermarket/farmers market analogy and much more! I’m scheduling the appointment as we speak, so check back regularly or follow us on Twitter.

MALAYSIA SHOWS THE WAY?

Malaysian mobile operator Maxis has an app store and a mission: “to nurture and foster interesting developer applications for our community.” (An excerpt from this must-see video interview with Nava Wathan, Director 1Maxis, Maxis Communications.)

In Nava’s view, the operator app store is not impacted by handset app stores because consumers “will go both ways.” They will go to the Supermarkets (my wording) and they will also visit the Farmers Market. In the case of Maxis, the farmers market approach revolves around its sharp focus on local Malaysian apps “more relevant to the Malaysian consumer.” Thus, Maxis is the place to go for “something that is Malaysian.”

But it’s not just about enabling choice; the operator benefits from enabling payment. Maxis has opened up billing APIs for micropayments in apps and is looking to do the same for location, P2P sharing and advertising (allowing the developer to pull an add from Maxis instead of talking to ad agencies around Malaysia).Finally Nava sees that his company can also play a key role in connecting its developers with markets outside Malaysia. Put another way, Maxis can expand the reach of local developers by “surfacing our apps from our local developer community” on app stores run by the handset makers.

My take: As my upcoming series of podcasts will show, developers want to make money but they also demand a feedback channel that will allow them to consistently create better apps for their fans/customers. (After all, recurring revenues are the key to real and sustainable business). They also want some more say in how their apps are marketed and assurances that the app store/platform provider that they – like a farmers market – will do what they can to help developers build and nurture the relationships they need to innovate and – ultimately – succeed. One-off sales or fan following? Developers appear to want the latter. It’s now up to the providers to decide what they want to be (supermarkets or farmers markets) and execute. I know that Nokia has taken careful note of developer’s gripes and suggestions during the event and I will reach out to Nokia soon for their thoughts.

***

My personal thanks to the organizers of this excellent event — Aleksandra Schmid and Philipp Nagele (Mobile Monday Austria) and Mark A.M. Kramer. It was a great idea to link a mobile developer event with a Mobile Monday. It has exposed me to new ideas and allowed me to make some new friends. Warmest regards to naxxatoe and to the other developers who connected with me to share their platform likes/dislikes, and to Dave Dempsey from Radio FM4, who moderated the event and brought some valuable views into the discussion. If ever someone has the interest and empathy to bridge the divide between developers and everyone one else it’s Dave. I hope someone reaches out to him to do just that…I’m sure the results would rock!

Tags: Aepona, Alcatel Lucent, Amdocs Interactive, Android, app store, Apple, Bell Canada, Developer Community, Eric von Hippel, Forum Nokia, GSMA, Litmus, Location-Based Services, Malaysia, Maxis, MiKandi, Mob4Hire, Mobile Internet, Mobile Monday Austria, O2 Telefonica, Ondeego, OneAPI, Ovi, radio FM4, Rogers Wireless, Telus

This entry was posted on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 2:58 pm and is filed under Location-Based Services, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Research, Personalization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.