Making a Profitable Mobile App: Simon Newstead

1. Designing a
profitable app
simon@frenzoo.com
@simonhk
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2. Who’s here today?
• Programmer?
• Designer?
• Product person?
• Boss?
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3. Changed to this…
Me Girl™ - 3D Mobile games
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4. Reached #1 Role Playing & Strategy Game
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5. Why a profitable app?
• Getting investment is hard
• Proof of a product-market fit
• Scalable repeatable business model
• Grow…. fast!
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6. Quiz - Who wins this fight?
vs
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7. Core Loop
Get something
Do something
Spend something
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8. Quiz
• Why do people spend money in apps?
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9. Why do people spend money in apps?
• Want something
• Functional
• Aesthetic
• Social*
• Save time
*
To impress
To revenge
To nurture
To support
To befriend
…
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10. Consumption
• Lots of things to spend lots of money on
• Lots of ways to marginally improve progress
• How would they spend $10,000 in a month?
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11. How to create a hit game?
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12. Study, child.
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13. Learn about your target users
Talk to them. Listen.
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14. Pick your niche
• Can you name any of the angry birds clones?
• Be unique. Be early.
Bullet hell MMO
3d fashion
Social music quiz
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15. Concept Testing Unbiased
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16. Inject personality & brand
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17. Mechanics Design
Retention Monetization Viral
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18. Lesson Learned
Hype vs fundamentals
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19. Tech Architecture & Feasibility
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20. Paper Playtest
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21. Mockup Usability Test
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22. Prototyping
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23. Beta on Android
•
•
•
•
•
Get early user feedback
Fast iteration cycles
Account & app flexibility
Benchmark retention & monetization
“Protect” your commercial launch
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24. A/B test
• Tune major parameters
• DIY or use 3rd party (Swrve etc)
• Get your game in best shape possible before
launch
Don’t rush & “accept” statistically insignificant
results
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25. Programmers
Server architects
UI designers
Email simon@frenzoo.com
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26. Tell me about your situation!
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