Yeah we're actually looking into what categories to expand into. Thanks for the tips!
Yeah that limit is correct, but almost all the things you listed are common discussions on the social web. The great thing is that we can query the entire social web, analyze the data and spit out a rank. So our only limit is the entire social graph.
Yeah what we're seeing from the data is folks are passionate about the brands they love (alcohol especially).
The score is influenced by positive mentions of that brand. Brands are lower on the list because they have less % of positive mentions than other brands.
I applaud the Milk folks in their first effort, but I must say if you've used Oink you would realize that:
1. it's not sticky
2. it's value proposition is relatively low
When it launched I played around with it for a few weeks before eventually uninstalling. Reason being, when you can check-in to places via FourSquare, recommend food/items you like from restaurants via Yelp, why would you use a system like Oink (especially when it has a smaller social-footprint than the aforementioned services)?
Maybe this app was awesome for you Bay area folks, but in NYC I never found much when I used the “find nearby” feature. Their interface was also inundated with too many data points as well (see there item detail screen).
I think the next wave of apps, now that we're experiencing check-in fatigue, is "passive utility" apps (Highlight, Sonar, etc). Their value can be ascertained with little friction (literally all you have to do is walk by someone) and there's tremendous room expansion on its core concept (dating based on shared interests, linkedin introductions based on shared contacts, etc.).
Haha true. A monthly reminder would be key. Maybe a VC or Angel can chip in to back any defaulted charges. VC/Angels could only allow entrepreneurs to join their "secured" group after they are vetted.
Or maybe this could all be tied to a public profile like AngelList or Facebook, to ensure people aren't gaming the system. I'm just theorizing at this point...
Coca Cola played an intricate role in race relations in 20th century America. The removal of cocaine from this popular beverage was not one of choice, but one required to help squelch concerns that the product lead to the degradation of society. Specifically increased violence from Blacks and miscegenation. I saw a documentary on it awhile back but can't remember the name. Here's a link that explains a little more http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/384/is-it-true-coca....
This is like saying a Lamborghini and a Kia should both cost $9999 because they're cars. Ultimately this is going to lead to a ton of low quality junk in the market. A quick perusal of the top 50 selling apps suggests we're already there.
Agreed. The App ecosystem may soon become a race to the bottom.
I agree with the author that some apps are overpriced. Case in point, how many people do you know that are running legitimate copies of Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop? For a true bootstrapped entrepreneur - who needs project management, site hosting, graphic design, etc. - it's near impossible to afford “top of the line” products. Instead you're left to use Open Source software that at times can be good (Open Office) or unusable (if you've ever used Fireworks, don't even try to use Gimp on a Mac unless you're masochistic).
You're other option is to become a pirate (ARRhhhhh). Here in NYC, piracy seems to be such a pandemic that they're running Ad campaigns for people to report software piracy at small businesses (https://reporting.bsa.org/r/report/add.aspx?src=us).
Here's a business model I've been thinking of that I hope developers will adopt. I call it “Entrepreneur lay-a-way”. Basically if someone is a-self described entrepreneur you give them a full 1-year license to your software for free. At the end of the 1 year you charge that users credit card for the full license plus interest. The thought being if the entrepreneur is successful, in 1 year he'll be able to afford your software with interest. The entrepreneur benefits deferring payment for a year, and can use that money for other purposes (marketing, etc). He can then utilize you're wonderful tool to create value for his users and the world. It's a win-win all around.
What I took away the most from this article is taking things outside of your realm and applying it... Goes hand-in-hand with “Good artists copy, Great artists steal”
1. I think the on-boarding process to an app is probably more crucial the app itself. This is purely anecdotal, but as an early adopter whenever I go through the trouble of downloading an app which greets me with “Create An Account”, I'm almost always immediately turned off. In some cases I've just excited the app and hit un-install. The last thing I need is another account, with a service I may not use for more than 15mins.
I think the best process is to give users a feel for your product without an account being necessary. Maybe it's just in READ mode with the ability to WRITE enabled upon signup. Or just simply ask for an email address which is then used as a unique identifier for your account. Oink did this awhile back.
2. I think the Facebook hate is miss-placed. Do you really hate Facebook (provider of a tool) or those who spam you via Facebook (users of the tool)? If you're so worried about Facebook tracking you offsite, why have an account at all? They're in the business of collecting, optimizing, and monetizing the social graph. If their platform has more 'cons' than 'pros' I think you should ditch it and keep your tin foil hat on. I myself use it, with my tin foil hat on, but don't go through the hoops to block it as some of you are doing.