Sep 11
SudeepMobile Media, Uncategorized
There are lots of “phantom” apps floating around in different forms on the official Android Market, and the number is still growing as I write…
How is this possible, you may ask? Well, with easy-to-use tools specifically designed for reengineering Android application packages, it won’t be too much of a challenge. With the right tool, one can decode resources to nearly original form and rebuild them after making modifications with just a few clicks or commands. Those tools were initially created with good intentions and purposes, but they can also be abused. It is, however, much harder to do something similar on other platforms such as the iOS.
What struck me the most is not that some of the apps got literally ripped off, but the fact that reengineering almost any Android app and rebranding/repackaging it (for profit!) is just SO EASY (even a caveman can do it), and it could totally go under the radar if more care is taken during the process. Even if you obfuscate the Java source code, the resource XML files can still be decoded and manipulated. It is difficult to stop such rebranded phantom apps. This would be a huge bump for us fellow Android developers, and Google’s new app licensing schemes won’t help in this case either. Without system-level support, we could foresee lots of similar occurrences in the future. If that becomes the reality (if not already), it will be detrimental to the Android ecosystem as a whole, and here’s why:
- For users, the user experience for most (if not all) phantom apps would suck since they are more likely to be published by incompetent/lazy devs that either can’t or won’t bother to implement their own features, let alone improving and actively maintaining the apps.
- For developers, phantom apps will be a problem worse than piracy. Because pirated apps, although prevalent to some extent, can’t be distributed through legit channels such as the Android Market, while the phantom apps could be published and thus competing head to head with the original ones in the same arena.
- For the Android platform, the average quality of apps on the market will be dragged down dramatically by the huge influx of phantom apps.
So what’s my take on this? Try maintaining your app and spend time on improving it. Also, plan to build your app for other platforms like iOS.
Aug 27
SudeepEntrepreneur Bites, Uncategorized
An “About Us” page is a good way to provide this information and to assure people that your company has the experience and the skills to meet their needs. And your “About Us” page should answer these questions:
- Who are we?
- What do we do?
- When did we start?
- How do we do it?
Typically, an “About Us” page contains a company description – “here’s what we do” – and company mission – “here’s why we do it.” But it’s just as important to highlight the team – “here’s who we are.”
That “who” should include images (photos or avatars) and biographies of key members of the team. The biographies can highlight educational background and work experience. Clearly, if I’m visiting a website that offers financial services, I’d like to see that the founders have degrees in something other than Folklore. If you offer marketing services, a background in marketing helps. If your startup has a particularly compelling story or angle that adds to your uniqueness, make sure you tell it.
Source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/08/what-does-your-about-us-page-s.php
Aug 06
SudeepEntrepreneur Bites, Uncategorized
1. Establish and grow RELATIONSHIPS
“Contacts” are not nearly as valuable as you think. Relationships are the key. People who trust you and like you are very likely to help you. In addition, they are very likely to induce their own relationships to help you.
Develop relationships BEFORE you need them. Do this by GIVING first and freely. Participate in, and enable the success of others at every opportunity.
2. DEFINE A SINGLE PROBLEM or NICHE OPPORTUNITY and resolve to find a simple solution (IDEA)
This is crucial. DO NOT spread yourself thin. Do one thing extraordinarily well that either A) solves a common problem or B) creates a new niche that can be expanded. It is tempting to attempt more in one broad stroke, but this path leads to failure.
DO NOT rely on having the best and latest technology unless you are willing to run the 100m dash….FOREVER.
3. STRUCTURE a business around your idea, with a KILLER TEAM
Read this.
Everyone you involve in your project is a part of a team. CRUCIAL to pick the right people. This will go back to your relationship group, because there is little room for risk here. Find great people that are passionate about the space you are entering. Give them UPSIDE and RISK, and don’t hire anyone that asks what the hours will be….because the answer is “all of them…it’s a startup”.
Remember…they are not employees, they are partners. Align interests. Align risk. Align reward.
4. ELIMINATE your personal “outs” (burn the ships that you would retreat in)
Any option other than success must be taken off the table. When Cortez sought to defeat the Aztecs, the first thing he did was burn the 11 ships that brought his army to shore and declared that retreat was not just unacceptable, but IMPOSSIBLE. Imagine the difference in thinking that must have transpired….from “let’s see what these Aztecs are all about” to “we must win”.
Having “something to fall back on” increases the odds that you will “fall back” by multiples. Instead, make sure that it will be painful to fail, and therefore that you will do everything in your power not to fail.
In addition…does having “something to fall back on” make your relationship group more or less likely to invest in you? Exactly…everyone wants to invest in someone that feels the pain of a zero more than they will!
5. COLLABORATE with relationship group, don’t present to strangers
When you present an idea to strangers, they always look for ways to shoot holes in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s door to door cleaning solution or a startup investment opportunity….my first reaction will be to try to find fault with your claims!
On the other hand, people with whom you have an established relationship are likely to desire to help you. Allow them to PARTICIPATE and collaborate in the process. Get them mentally invested way before you ask them to pull out the checkbook. This is a win-win, as it insures the entrepreneur and the investor are both in the project for the same reasons, with the same expectations and fully aligned interests.
6. PERSIST in the face of temporary defeats
Understand that there will be setbacks. BIG BIG BIG setbacks. Read this. Then read it again. Oh, and remember….your ships are burned, so it would be a really really bad idea to quit now 
7. LISTEN to your customers and partners
Your customers and partners are the lifeblood of your business. Take what they say to heart. DO NOT EVER tell them that their feedback is wrong, unless it is a customer or partner that you want to fire on the spot. If you give them an open line to tell you how to make your product/service more beneficial, they will do it, and both of you will benefit.
8. BE YOURSELF
When I see an entrepreneur in a suit, the first thing I think is “I wonder what else he is dressing up”. Again, this is about forming RELATIONSHIPS, which you can’t fake your way through. People invest in people more than they invest in ideas (which are a dime a dozen). They want to be sure they know what they are investing in….and since that is YOU, it pays to be up front about this from the start.
If there is something you don’t like about yourself, fix it!
9. ALWAYS MAKE MONEY FOR YOUR PARTNERS!!!
Don’t squeeze anyone. Make other people rich. Align interests and move on. You remember why Hyman Roth lived to such an old age in Godfather, right?
Hardball negotiators are rarely worked with a second time, and only invite further conflict down the road when the numbers are more meaningful.
You will become very wealthy by consistantly adding to the riches of others.
This one comes naturally if you are dealing with established relationships.
10. _____________________________
Never think you know it all. Always always be learning.
Read More: http://andyswan.com/blog/2008/12/01/10-startup-commandments/
Jul 19
SudeepUncategorized
Heres what I saw from the movie ‘Inception’:
function inception($idea) {
return enterDream($idea);
}
function enterDream($idea) {
try {
//Do Something…
} catch (SubjectRealizesWhatsGoingOnException e) {
return false;
}
if (IdeaHasTakenRoot) {
return true;
} else {
return enterDream($idea);
}
}
Jul 11
SudeepEntrepreneur Bites, Uncategorized
I just reviewed several hundred startup pitches for Capital Factory. Most were on paper and video; 20 were invited to pitch in person.
Interesting patterns emerged:
- Everyone makes the same classes of error.
- Those who avoided just one of those errors stood out in the crowd.
- These are problems with the business concept or the founder’s attitude, not specific to raising angel money.
You’re probably making a lot of these errors too.
Not that I blame you! After all, these became clear to me only after seeinghundreds of applications; you don’t have the luxury of that perspective.
Here’s the list:
- Invalid competitive advantages
“Superior SEO” and “unique features” are not competitive advantages.
- Lacking an unfair advantage
You need one killer advantage that no one on Earth can beat you on. (‘Cause you might get beaten on everything else!)
- No one said they’d buy it
You don’t need statistically-significant studies before you begin, but it’s astonishing how many founders blaze ahead before they’ve found even a singleperson willing to give them money.
- Incorrect positioning against competition
The two faults here are opposites: Believing that uniqueness means competition doesn’t exist, or defining yourself by the competition instead of constructing your own message.
- No significant route to customers
If your marketing strategy is to run A/B tests and build RSS subscribers, you’ve already lost.
There’s also this list, equally common but I didn’t feel the urge to write an entire blog post on each one:
- Unable to describe the company in 60 seconds.
We’ve all heard of the elevator pitch, but when asked to produce it almost no one succeeded. This is important whether or not you’re raising money because it means you understand your customers and why they buy your stuff.
- Building for yourself instead of the market.
“Scratching your own itch” is how many great ideas begin, but it’s not a business strategy. Often you assume your customer is the same as you — sees the problem the same way, wants to solve it your way, and wants to pay for it. But you’re explicitly not like your customers; for one thing, you have enough initiative and insight to quit your job to start a company. It’s easy to let your idiosyncratic preconceptions prevent you from observing what the larger market will accept.
- Pretending your faults don’t exist.
You have all sorts of shortcomings: First startup, inexperienced, ignorant about how “sales” works, buggy software, whatever. None of it’s a problem if you’re willing to acknowledge and cope with it, but if you persist in lying to me and your customers about it, that’s a problem. (And a lie by omission is twice the lie.)
- Don’t know what you don’t know.
I don’t care that your resume doesn’t prepare you for a startup — mine didn’t either! But if your answer to any question is “How do I know? I just do,” then I know right away you’re not only ignorant but incapable of fixing that ignorance. How do I know this will result in your business drifting aimlessly until you finally run out of money? I just do.
Jul 09
SudeepMobile Media, Uncategorized
“Elements that rely only on mousemove, mouseover, mouseout or the CSS pseudo-class :hover may not always behave as expected on a touch-screen device such as iPad or iPhone.”
Try to Avoid
- Hyperlinks that aren’t 100% obvious
- Javascript tooltips that show important information or metadata
- Displaying action items on hover. Examples I’ve seen typically involve edit / delete items.
- Displaying graphics in a less-than-ideal state until hovered: all those semi-opaque or black & white screenshots and photos that only display full color when covered by a cursor
- Drop-down menus. While some of these can be revealed on click or tap, be sure the user has cues that show those options.
- Focusing too much on hover dependent CSS3. I know it’s a bit of a heartbreaker, but while these have always been seen as enhancements, we’re going to have to settle with the fact that multi-touch users won’t be seeing our fancy transitions.
How do we adapt?
Read more: http://trentwalton.com/2010/07/05/non-hover/
Jul 09
SudeepMobile Media, Uncategorized
App Store developer Jason Ting has released data on iAd revenue from the first day of sales for a “utility app” that was released just yesterday, clocking in nearly $1,400 in revenue on an astounding “eCPM” of nearly $150. The data appears to be from Ting’s LED Light for iPhone 4 Free, which was part of a series of apps approved by Apple yesterday that can control the iPhone 4′s LED camera flash on the rear of the device for use as a flashlight. Ting’s application is available in both a paid version and the iAd-supported version for which he has provided data.
Read More: http://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/08/developer-earns-nearly-1400-in-one-day-with-iads/
RSS