The App Store is a market that has become increasingly important for software developers, and Apple has established itself as a pioneer by providing the necessary infrastructure for shop windows, downloads and billing. Aspiring new developers are given a hand with special support programs, which also benefit Apple with 15 to 30 percent of sales going to the company as an App Store commission.
Apple’s best-known start-up program is the App Store Foundations program, which is now five years old. The tailor-made training program aims to increase the reach of apps, with App Store executives advising attendees on how to get even more out of their apps and developer toolkit. The program also helps with a network of contacts, including contacts with Apple and other participants.
German developers in particular have benefited from the program, with 250 of the 1,100 participants so far coming from Germany. Kai Koch and Cornelius von Rantzau, two German developers who attended the program, shared their experiences with the media at a recent roundtable event in Berlin.
Kai Koch is a co-founder of the app Ahead, which focuses on strengthening emotional intelligence. The app currently focuses on how to keep a cool head when faced with a problem situation. Koch found assistance with the user interface particularly helpful, as there are big differences between what, according to general teaching, makes an app easy to use and what people really like.
Cornelius von Rantzau’s app, called Yuno, offers audio stories to broaden general knowledge. Users can purchase these stories in the app, which has half its users in the USA and half in Germany. Von Rantzau found the tips for users to set up the app particularly helpful. Feedback on the design and features in the App Store would have helped a lot, he reports.
To be invited to the App Store Foundations program, an existing app in the App Store is required. Apple selects promising candidates itself and specifically addresses them. However, an application is possible for the Apple Entrepreneur Camp, which is aimed at underrepresented population groups.
The general challenges that stand in the way of a new app developer are diverse. In preparing to launch an app, it is important to stay focused, even in the face of uncertainties about whether the idea is really good. Staying focused is also necessary when the first user feedback arrives because it can lead to losing sight of one’s own plans. However, developers who attend further training programs have found that many had very similar experiences.
