Depends on your intent. If you quit your day job to work on it and were hoping to make a living, then it's absolutely a failure. If it was a side project you were working on in your spare time, and you made it to learn and/or have fun, maybe not. I'm working on a project of the latter sort...it's not the kind of thing that can generate a significant revenue stream. But it was fun to write, it will be fun to use, and if it can pay its own hosting costs, that's an added bonus...
Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
11–20 of 39 posts
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#12Success is the difference between expectations and results. I'm pretty sure the guy didn't expect to get millionaire with his app but according to his other posts he learned a great deal. I think it is not possible to consider these projects on financial success alone.
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#13The way I figure it is, if it consistently clears $100/month more than the value of the time you put into it each month, hey, you've got a new macbook every year.
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#14There is no failure when creation and learning has occurred.
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#15I've got a webapp that makes $0 a month but I don't consider it a failure. Just tell yourself it's a hobby ;)
Twitter, is that you? :-P
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#16Hi everyone, blog post author here, and I'd like to apologise if this reads like a bit of a grumpy whine, despite the fact that the tool's making money :)
I'm currently experimenting with various marketing efforts), and they do sometimes seem like an uphill effort, with very few definite answers other than "Experiment and see!"
I'm trying to work out how far to experiment with this one, and will keep on writing updates as they happen :)
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#17You can use this app as a learning experience (education) for creating a bigger and more profitable app
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#18If you put more than an hour a month into it, then yeah, it probably is. Your time could probably be better spend elsewhere. Of course, that assumes the main goal of the app was to earn money. The knowledge gained from creating it could very well be worth it.
An hour seems too low. I'd say more like 4 hours at least, more if you are taking time that would normally be wasted anyway.
Otherwise, I agree with the rest of your comment.
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#19The app is still new. After a while, it may make more. Or it may not. Who knows? I wouldn't call it a failure.
For instance, I haven't updated one of my iPhone apps in a few months, but in the past week or two my sales for it have been better than I normally get in a month. Sometimes it gets better, and you just have to let it grow.
Re: Is a web app earning $100/month a failure?
#20Drop the price, study the market. Otherwise, I agree with the general sentiment that it's not a failure.