This document provides advice on commercializing and sustaining an app beyond the initial hack. It discusses evaluating whether an app idea is viable, outlines common business models like mobile apps, SaaS, and services, and recommends steps for launching an app such as establishing communication channels, capturing advocates, and measuring analytics using "Pirate Metrics" like acquisition, activation, retention, referral, and revenue. The key messages are that commercializing an app involves both technical and business challenges, and successful apps iterate by reacting to metric data from users.

1. BEYOND THE HACK
Commercialising and Sustaining
Your App
@GovHackAU #govhack
@pjlaurie #rclevents
Gov Hack 2014

2. Who's here?
Hacker
Hustler
Hipster
(yeah, not my favourite terms either)

3. Who am I?
Technical
Business
Mentor

4. What was your
hack?

5. BEYOND THE HACK
This is NOT only a technical problem.
This is also a business problem.

6. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

7. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

8. I am not going to
evaluate your
projects here and
now.

9. In general...
of course you can do it
Open Data
Cloud
(inexpensive, on demand, and pay for use)

10. But...
easy for you
easy for others

11. So, how...
"Limit pricing"
UX
DX
e.g. Quake 3

12. Evaluating Projects
Signs of life, quality, and
intent
Works out of the box
Source code available
Language, format, license, tests

13. Where's the value?
(my opinion)
Timely data
Live data
In context
Not a brochure, an information desk
Cocreation

14. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

15. Where's the money?
wait...
...why are you doing this?
Revenue?
Reputation?
Because you can?

16. Business Model Categories
Brokerage
Advertising
Infomediary
Merchant
Manufacturer (Direct)
Affiliate
Community
Subscription
Utility
http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html

17. Three Standout
Business Models
Mobile App
SaaS
Services

18. Mobile App
Consumers
Access to market
Low price, many sales
In-app purchases
Hit economy / Long tail

19. SaaS
Businesses/Consumers
Access to market
API economy
Subscription pricing
Lockin
Natural lockin

20. Services
Businesses
Personal
High value, high price
Value based pricing
Cocreation

21. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

22. Three Options
Do it yourself
Outsource it
Opensource it

23. For the DIYers...
You rock
Carry on

24. For the
outsourcers...
Tyranny of the Zip file

25. For the
opensourcers...
you are now doing a group
assignment
with volunteers
act accordingly
and good luck
(not impossible, just not even close to being a technical problem)

26. Six Key Things of
Software Dev
1. Source code control
2. Formal releases
3. Automated builds
4. Developer tests
5. Continuous integration
6. Collaboration tools

27. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

28. ready fire aim

29. Before You Launch
Get your channels
Email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog,
Website, Github, etc.
Capture your advocates
Communicate with them regularly

30. The Launch Itself
A plan:
Email your advocates
Tweet
Blog post
Facebook post
Retweet, Like, Respond

31. Post Launch
This is where:
value is realised
revenue received
reputation created

32. Measure with
Analytics
Use science!

33. Pirate Metrics
A
A
R
R
R

34. Pirate Metrics
Aquisition
Activation
Retention
Referral
Revenue

35. How is it used?
Pirate metrics is a bit light on how the
software is actually used.

36. React to your
metrics.

37. Lather
rinse
repeat

38. Can it be done?
Should it be done?
Getting it done.
Launching it.

39. QUESTIONS?
Peter Laurie
peter@junta.com.au
@pjlaurie