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Why startups should care about App.net

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Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#31

Post by dkrich »

The value of the App.net from a developer perspective is that it’s an out-of-the-box social network, platform, and API that allows developers to quickly bring their ideas to life. I think that if App.net is going to be successful, they need to sell this vision apart from Alpha, and make it clear that App.net is where startup founders should build their next world-changing product, whether it’s built on the web, on Android, or iOS.

When pitching developers, App.net needs to focus on making it clear that they are offering a development platform for applications, providing much of the foundation required to build apps like Foursquare, Instagram, and Path. The built-in community also helps to decrease the barriers for rapid user adoption.

What the heck does that mean? I still have no idea what App.net is apart from a paid alternative to free social networks that frees users from ads. I think their marketing efforts should start by not speaking in such vague terms that offer no insight into what benefits might be derived and just come clean. If crafting that message is exceedingly difficult to do, I think that speaks volumes about the value proposition.

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#32

Post by gatlin »

I realized why I want App.net or something like it (tent.io?). Maybe my answer can help someone else wrap their head around why they want it.

I have been kicking around this idea for a utility to help people communicate in cooperatives and other small organizations. (Yes, I'm planning groupware. Forgive me.) These organizations tend to need much less immediate communication, and much more broadcasting. They also tend to be susceptible to stress because house business is personal sometimes.

People broadcast policy proposals, ask for rides, ask questions about specific topics like kitchen maintenance, etc. One thing that people seem to prefer, also, is the ability to organize, sort, filter on their end.

I was a junior in HS with dialup when Twitter debuted at SXSW, so I didn't get it then; now, though, I see that just about all asynchronous communication is tantamount to merging, filtering, accumulating, and transforming lists / streams. Thanks to optional metadata, you can use the same transport to allow applications to communicate. Or let applications read the human data. Etc.

And App.net is that from what I gather. Maybe it was obvious to everyone but infrastructure like this is potentially a valuable commodity. It's not just about micro-blogging. There will, hopefully, be many awesome applications of sending data and queries out into the ether and things getting to where they need to be.

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#34

Post by dasil003 »

downandout wrote: post #29

In the Facebook era, I think people have a hard time seeing the value of paying for ad-free models like App.net where free alternatives are available. Even Wikipedia has a hard time raising enough money through through their "just beg for it" revenue model, and they generate a significant amount of user ire in the process. 99% of their users would much rather see ads than put up with their invasive virtual panhandlin…

There is a free tier which I have to assume will only grow over time as the business scales.

http://blog.app.net/2013/02/25/introducing-a-free-tier/

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#35

Post by dasil003 »

jokull wrote: post #19
TomAnthony wrote: post #16

I didn't realise until this article that Alpha != App.net. Now that I do, a couple of problems spring to mind: * For startups, user acquisition often remains the biggest hurdle to success. Here they have to sting the user for a monthly subscription even to try the app. Asking people to open their wallets is going to massively reduce the people a startup get through the doors. * There are billions of active users on F…

Exactly. I’m afried App.net will die soon if they can’t figure out how to appeal to anyone trying to build a business (not hobbyists making free apps, because charging your users to create an account has be a negligible part of your value proposition). The only way to fix this problem is by having a generous free tier or by allowing the app pulling in new users to remain free forever, for those users you brought in t…

> Taking a step back, what problems are they solving anyway? Shorten time to market for app makers? Because social app plumbing is getting pretty cheap and easy to pull off at scale with IaaS.

Huh? IaaS does not provide users which is the basis of social, anyone can write code which implements a social network, getting users is the hard problem. The problem App.net is trying to solve is to provide a social network that app makers can trust. Currently you can get awesome functionality from Facebook or Twitter, but as Twitter have shown so publicly, they will only tolerate you as long as they perceive you as providing a net benefit to them. If they see you as siphoning off any potential revenue for them you are dead in the water. Obviously Facebook is not quite as outwardly belligerent to it's developers, but the same rule applies. App.net addresses this by aligning it's business goals with the apps on its platform making money.

Now obviously App.net doesn't have enough users yet for it to provide the value that developers get out of major social networks. However App.net has a lot more traction—especially with developers—than the majority of attempted stand-alone social networks. What they need are a few wedge apps to create a virtuous cycle that attracts the attention of more and more serious commercially-oriented developers. It's a tough row to hoe to be sure, but they've been putting one foot in front of the other and I don't see them as being anywhere near failure yet.

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#36

Post by dasil003 »

dkrich wrote: post #31

The value of the App.net from a developer perspective is that it’s an out-of-the-box social network, platform, and API that allows developers to quickly bring their ideas to life. I think that if App.net is going to be successful, they need to sell this vision apart from Alpha, and make it clear that App.net is where startup founders should build their next world-changing product, whether it’s built on the web, on An…

The value proposition is that if you develop an app on App.net and start making money, App.net will not pull the rug out from under you. Furthermore, you don't have to trust their word on this as their business structure is designed to ensure this.

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#37

Post by orangethirty »

fakeer wrote: post #24
orangethirty wrote: post #22

I hate to say it, but I still don't get what app.net is. I even thought it had gone down under.

They were building a social network, then it became an ecosystem - I just can't see any economy out of it other than paying users paying for it to tweet each other in more than 140 chars. Oh, and now some free users too(which includes yours truly; I tweeted there once).

That's what I don't get. Seems app.net wants to be something to everybody. Not that I haven't done that very same mistake myself. But you you have to start small/scrappy and build up features. It's the only way.

Re: Why startups should care about App.net

#40

Post by shawnreilly »

The value prop for App.net (in my opinion) relates to User Privacy. This all ties back to the "You are the Product" model of existing Social Networks that leverage the Advertising Industry as their core (or secondary) revenue model. The implication here is that the User's Privacy is being subverted during the process of collecting and storing User Related information/data for 3rd party entities, which are usually Advertising related. This information is then commonly used to provide more personal or relevant Ad's, which in theory should increase ROI / Conversion. Not everyone will agree with the implication stated above, as a Privacy Policy does explain this process, and thus it is assumed that the User is Aware of this (and therefore must agree with it to be using the Service).

With this said, the Value Prop for App.net is to build your App on a Platform that leverages a Business Model that does not relate to User Privacy in any way. In theory, this should allow you to build your App in an Ecosystem that provides more respect to User Privacy. Furthermore, the User Experience should be better because there are no Ad's interrupting the consumption of content and/or taking up screen real estate.

But here's the Kicker; Even though I do see this as a positive thing, and I believe I do understand the value prop, I still don't see it as a viable alternative to App Development in a world where the Freemium Distribution Model has skewed the User's Perception of "worth". So while the App.net Model does provide some cool and interesting alternatives relating to User Privacy and User Experience, it also (on the flip side) makes it impossible to release a "Free" version of your App, simply because Users must pay to use the Platform it's built on. And for me this is a big deal, because most of the feedback I get during customer surveys and validation indicates that they want a 'Try before you Buy' type of Model. Most Users simply won't pay for something when there are free alternatives available. The end result being, if you Develop on App.net, you are Developing specifically for App.net, as your ability to acquire new organic users outside of the App.net ecosystem is greatly compromised.

Even with this said, I commend Dalton Caldwell for taking a stand and building something new that provides alternatives to other Platforms. If I ever find myself developing a Paid App targeted towards a curated User-base of Users that don't mind paying for stuff, then I'll definitely be looking at App.net

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