pcd

20K downloads is great. I've got a few iOS apps probably 1k downloads in total, though they are paid apps. After apple takes its cut I've made ~$1200 over a year.

I agree with you on the marketing part! Dev seems easy compared to marketing!

"Mostly it's a matter of lots of lurking until you come to hate the site." - eddie_the_head. Hehe!

"There was/is a chrome extension for following hn users I used a few years ago that was useful" - eddie_the_head. Thanks I'll check it out

PS I forgot to mention, as I am guessing it is the same for most people, I want to turn this "on the side" into "full time"!

Wow, sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Do you have a regular day job too or do you work for actual startups? I'm in Melbourne, Australia and also have a regular day job. So all this is on the side for me. Sounds like you are in Silicon Valley and right in the thick of it!

In regards to data. I'm not really looking for anything in particular. More wondering how many HN people have finished products. And then hear their stories.

Is there an easy way to find these people? Or even to easily highlight their posts?

Need a twitter follow for HN!

To get the more obvious ones out of the way. Any of the 37 signals guys always write pretty good stuff.

1) You need to sign up before you can add the apps that you are interested in tracking

2) We are considering an mobile app version of the the product. We wanted to gauge user interest before expanding even further

I like the last suggestion. We are looking to add extra features in the future but we are concentrating on getting the MPV off the ground first

Hi sdoering,

You are correct, it is the 2nd one. It emails reviews that other people have written about your app.

It is targeted at iOS app developers who want to know what their users are saying their app (or even their competitors app). It removes the need for the developer to manually check the App Stores each day to see if customers have left feedback (as a bonus it also translates reviews into English).

Thanks for the tip about the sign up button above the fold.

Great advice roguecoder. Thanks. I will have to think about this!

It seems this point is coming through clearly. I think maybe I was too close to the project when I wrote what it did.

See above comment for a description!

Thanks for your feedback.

I though I would answer your 1,2,3 points as it might generate some more ideas about how to go about achieving conversions.

1) I thought it was simple (but I may be too close to the project). We scrape the apple website in all countries for reviews to apps that you have entered in the site(they don't have to be your own). Then we translate the non english ones and email them to you if you have any new ones that day. It's really great to help you track what your users are saying about your app. Or what users are saying about your competitions apps.

2) This is good advice and easily fixed. Thanks!

3) Noted. I will remove it!

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

Ok great thanks. This is all gold!

Awesome! Thanks. All this 'obvious' marketing stuff isn't obvious to everyone. Thanks for your help.

Hehe, I'll not be offended by the clipart comment as I made the image myself and I am an engineer! Could you give me a hint about how to make it look less spammy? The app relies on your email address to send you reviews.

This was a "scratch your own itch" project. I find it really useful as a developer to know what my users are saying. But each to their own.

Thanks for the feedback. I always look at mailchimp.com as a basis. Should it be something more like that?

Anyone?

Nice job guys. I will check it out

Yeah I like storing my ideas on my phone too. I'm hardly ever near a computer when a lightbulb turns on! I use noted! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/noted!/id504164257?ls=1&m... Follows the same keep it simple stuff but with better tracking than the iphone notes app.

So as the administrator you can see everyone's ideas? Nice for you.

It's awesome!! But why is it free? Seems like this is a pretty slick product that you could be making money off.

Are you hoping to be bought? Are you just trying to help people out? Are you already rich?

As I said, it's awesome, and I'm going to use it. But I just want to understand the motivation!

Listen to audiobooks. Better than listening to the rubbish on the radio, and no more dangerous. Really good way to do something you enjoy while driving. Find a good book. Either fiction or self development or what ever and I find myself looking forward to car time because I can relax. My audiobook player is the best player for iPhone that I've found. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-audiobook-player/id4593930... Let's you play downloaded books.

reposted as server went down last time.

Thanks, that's great advice. you are spot on with what I am using. Now if only I could get onto my server...

sorry everyone, server has crashed

here is the artcle:

Help save HackerNews! Posted on April 1, 2012

As a long time reader of HackerNews, (first time poster), I am truly worried for it’s future.

Lately I have been seeing a lot of posts, seemingly giving good advice on a whole range of topics, start-ups being foremost. However, at the end of each of these articles, while interesting and well written, I am left with the feeling “who the hell are they to tell people how to do <insert advice here>”. Posters are habitually giving advice, generally with no credentials or basis for what makes their advice relative. And it becomes hearsay and opinion rather than solid advice based on facts.

I am really partial to the ‘real’ stories about people’s successes and failures that give good background and relate facts and experiences. These are the articles that I learn from. Not the “Doing x and y for business success, by nobody in particular”. The difference is we have credentials and background on the poster. The other types of posts remind me a little of pop culture radio DJs who have a whole lot to say about nothing and they end up talking over the songs (or good posts in our case).

So pull your pants up HN. Write and vote for the real stuff. If you’re going to give advice or an opinion, back it up with facts and evidence.

Very cool. Just what I've been looking for

I released an iPhone app called the nap app which allows you to power nap effectively, making sure that falling asleep is taken out of the time that you actually want to sleep for. So you want that 20 minute sleep? The nap app makes sure you get a full 20 minutes, even if it takes you 12 minutes to fall asleep! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-nap-app/id508709758?ls=1&...

I also released updates for my other two apps My Audiobook player: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-audiobook-player/id4593930... Specialises in playing audiobooks you download from 'those' sites

Daily positive affirmations: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/positive-affirmations-daily/i... Positive affirmations sounds silly (my girlfriends idea!) but they are all quotes about success and whatnot. It really does keep me motivated. I look forward to getting my quote!

Good post. Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and are doing the right things, so far as the theories are concerned. But as Einstein said "In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."

I'm in a similar situation. I would love to hear how people are tackling these problems in practice, and any success stories.