Was the "GO TO HELL" really necessary? Frustration is understandable, but what do you gain from abusing a customer support person at a large and influential technology company and then vanity posting it to the internet? Let's say the recipient of your "Dear Apple" email decided to forgive and forget; what you've got left is an announcement to the rest of us about your inability to be civil under stress. Temporary rel…
Yeah, I think I went too far. But believe me, this came to the point where I almost cried of anger. The sentiment of powerlessness is strong.
You should be experiencing frustration, not anger. The anger indicates that you have unreasonable expectations about starting a business.
I'm confused - if you opened a company, then there is obviously going to be a lot more paperwork/hoops to jump through than if you did this as an individual. Maybe I'm missing something here - why didn't you just publish the App as an individual?
My idea was to release an app every 3-5 months and make at least 60k/year. I cannot sell that much in Brazil as a individual (limit here is 36k BRL). Actually, it took me 8 days to open the company. At the first day I had the CNPJ (EIN in the US), so, in fact, it took me less than 24 hours to be able to accept payments. I don't see the app store as a viable way of making a living anymore (for single developers). I'll…
You can always convert from individual account to company account. Just register as individual first and convert later, if you have to wait for DUNS number. I know getting a DUNS number sucks but there is way around it.
Not really, probably the US has a limit of how much you can sell without being a company too.
I don't think so. When people form LLC's it's for liability reasons, not because the government complains if they make too much money under their own name.
LLCs do not shield you from liability for your own actions, such as if you are the developer who made an error in code that damaged a customer. E&O insurance is what is really needed and is held by any professional company or individual selling software. LLC organization is not a way to avoid purchasing E&O insurance, contrary to the popular opinion on the internet. Those who don't believe me should seek the counsel of a competent attorney. If your attorney says that an LLC shields you from liability from your own coding errors, the attorney is not competent and you should seek another.
Why do you even need a DUNS number? If you're an individual person, just get an individual account and sell it that way. Honestly, this seems a bit like a publicity stunt to me. Everyone loves hating on Apple these days, and if you can tie it to "look at my new opensource project", then BAM, it hits HN front page.
There are many benefits to being an LLC, and many reasons why one would want to publish as a company instead of as an individual. I have also read before (can't find it now, though) that there are people who give more credibility to applications when they are published by a company rather than an individual.
In the US a sole proprietorship is a business. A sole proprietorship is the most common form of business in the United States. Sole Proprietorships do not require LLC or C corporation filings. Often but not always they require a business license. If one does not have business partners and is running a software company, the sole proprietorship is the most sensible form. Note that LLCs do not protect the actual developer from liability from his errors, they only protect the partners from liability from errors they themselves did not personally create. To protect oneself from ones own errors, businesses should acquire E&O insurance. Software development businesses that do not have E&O insurance are putting themselves at risk.
First off, you actually have a limit on how much an individual developer can make? That sounds crazy. Secondly, I don't understand your anger at Apple. They don't control DUNS numbers. It's not their fault that you're having a problem getting one.
Apple controls their own requirements. They don't have to require a DUNS number, and didn't until recently. If DUNS sucks, it makes perfect sense to blame Apple for requiring them.
Why do you even need a DUNS number? If you're an individual person, just get an individual account and sell it that way. Honestly, this seems a bit like a publicity stunt to me. Everyone loves hating on Apple these days, and if you can tie it to "look at my new opensource project", then BAM, it hits HN front page.
Unfortunately I agree. It sounds like a frustrating process, but people LOVE to hate Apple these days. And Apple is letting it happen. When you stop innovating and creating things people love, you allow yourself to take jabs. Maintaining and monetizing the hell out of what you already have seems like a good idea on paper, but it doesn't seem to be working out so well for Apple at this point.
I don't think so. When people form LLC's it's for liability reasons, not because the government complains if they make too much money under their own name.
LLCs do not shield you from liability for your own actions, such as if you are the developer who made an error in code that damaged a customer. E&O insurance is what is really needed and is held by any professional company or individual selling software. LLC organization is not a way to avoid purchasing E&O insurance, contrary to the popular opinion on the internet. Those who don't believe me should seek the counsel…
I thought an LLC basically prevented someone from seizing your personal assets if they sue your company. They can only get the company's assets in a lawsuit.
I opened a company specifically for this (ipad/iphone development) it was my plan to leave my current company and build something less stressful. I reached a point where I'm no longer interested in building apps for the app store, apple asks too much and give us too little. I posted on HN because most readers are also programmers and they are exactly whom will fork the project, etc. That said, yep, it can be consider…
"you make it sound as something bad" Because you've basically admitted that your post is disingenuous. The DUNS requirement is easily sidestepped in the short term and a complete non-issue in the long term.
But it really shouldn't be an issue in the first place, right?