The Dollar App
A Strategy of Simplicity and Focus

Why a Dollar
• Focus
• Focus
• Focus

Focus on Design
• Surf culture
• Ocean metaphor
• Niche markets

Focus on iPhone
• iPhone is a lightning rod
• iPhone is a lens
• iPhone is a learning device

Focus on Users
• Demand: 50m
addressable devices
• Supply: 75,000+ apps
• 1.8b app downloads
• 76 countries

DollarApp Principles
• Do one thing better
than anyone else
• Ship as quickly as
possible
• Embrace The Tier 1
price on the iTunes App
Store
(US$0.99)

DollarApp Mission
• Empower the self-starter
• Create a framework for
describing an idea
• Guarantee simplicity
and focus

Mark Twain
•“I apologize for writing you a
long letter, but I didn’t have
time to write a short one.”

Great Design
• is supported from the top,
and all the way up
• comes from small teams
• comes from constant focus
on design
• means pixel-level perfection
• means saying “no” to 1000
things
• is at least 50% of success

Obama `08
• 22 days
• 10 people
• Total secrecy
• #7 Free App
• Over 41,000 phone calls

Obama `08 Demo
• Call Friends
• Get Involved
• Local Events
• Media
• Issues

Big Words

Big Words
Edit on launch
Remember last edit
Spanish, Italian,
German, French
Landscape
Info

Big Words
Edit on launch
Remember last edit
Spanish, Italian,
German, French
Landscape
Info

Big Words
Edit on launch
Remember last edit
Spanish, Italian,
German, French
Landscape
Info

Big Words – $0.99
Edit on launch
Remember last edit
Spanish, Italian,
German, French
Landscape
Info

Math Cards

Math Cards
• Add, subtract, mult, divide
• Touch-and-hold
• Grade-as-you-go
• Overall grade
• Info apple

Math Cards
• Add, subtract, mult, divide
• Touch-and-hold
• Grade-as-you-go
• Overall grade
• Info apple

Math Cards – $0.99
• Add, subtract, mult, divide
• Touch-and-hold
• Grade-as-you-go
• Overall grade
• Info apple

Math Cards Demo
• Add, subtract, mult, divide
• Touch-and-hold
• Grade-as-you-go
• Overall grade
• Info apple

iTunes Staff
Favorite
Big Words – February 2009

iTunes Staff
Favorite
Math Cards – February 2009

App Store Front Page

Spike

#3 Paid
Education App
Math Cards – March 2009

iPhoneDevCamp (2007)

iPhoneDevCamp 2 (2008)

iPhoneDevCamp 3 (2009)

iPhoneDevCamp 3 Satellites
• Portland
• New York
• Munich
• Ukraine
• Austin
• 20+ other HD locations
• 1000+ viewers, live via
iPhone & iPod touch

140 Characters
Coming in October
from
John Wiley & Sons
+
DollarApp

Thank you
San Francisco, California

Contact
• @dom – dom@dom.net
• @dollarapp – dollarapp.com
• @thebook – 140characters.com
• @iphonedevcamp – iphonedevcamp.org