Lessons learnt from building App Store-featured apps

Building App Store-Featured Apps

Lessons learnt

David Ng, Product & Growth at

Mini App Products

LabelboxGif.cam Spentable

Get started with MVP

You can find many MVP...on Product Hunt

MVP != an App

AirbnbFirst version

MVP != an appMVP = a product with just enough features to gather

validated learning about the product

App Store-featured apps...are usually good apps

App Store-featured apps...are usually good apps

but we usually want to build them fast

Elements of Good Apps

• Solve a core problem

• Good UI / UX - follow iOS Human Interface Guidelines

• Catch up with the latest tech

Elements of Fast Apps

• Minimal features

• Use ready made components, such as libraries, services

Elements of Good Apps

• Solve a core problem

• Good UI / UX - follow iOS Human Interface Guidelines

• Catch up with the latest tech

What is the one thing we want to solve?

Solve a core problem

• If a feature is not aligned with the problem, cut it from MVP.

Instagram

What is the one problem to solve?

Must have vs Could have

Must have vs Could have

• Take Photo

• Add filter

• Upload Photo

• Like & comment

• Hash Tag

• Edit post

• Take videos

• Chat

Instagram

Elements of Good Apps

• Solve a core problem

• Good UI / UX - follow iOS Human Interface Guidelines

• Catch up with the latest tech

iOS Human Interface Guidelines

Design your app like Jony Ive

Elements of Good Apps

• Solve a core problem

• Good UI / UX - follow iOS Human Interface Guidelines

• Catch up with the latest tech

Catch up with the latest tech

• Stay up to the latest trend

• Apple loves to feature apps that includes new techs

• Stay up late for WWDC

WatchOS2WWDC 2015

Spentable for WatchOS2May 2015

Catch up with the latest tech

• What is the upcoming tech?

• Apple pay, GPS in Watch, Duo Camera app on iPhone7 plus...

• Add them to your existing app, will make your app has a higher chance to get featured

Element of Fast Apps

• Minimal features

• Use ready-made components, such as libraries, services

Element of Fast Apps

• Minimal features

• Use ready-made components, such as libraries, services

Minimal Features

• You are already doing it if you "solve the one problem"

• Again: If a feature is not aligned with the problem, cut it from MVP.

Element of Fast Apps

• Minimal features

• Use ready-made components, such as libraries, services

Use ready-made components

• Open-source libraries

• External services (e.g. SMS, Maps)

• Backend-as-a-Service

Backend-as-a-Service

• User signup / login system

• Push notifications

• Storage on the cloud

• No need to write server code

Use ready-made components

• Save lots of time

• Test out more ideas in a shorter time.

• Have a faster iteration.

• Good for individual developers and startups. Enterprises use BaaS too.

Best practices

• Ask permissions when needed only

Bonus

Asking permissions

• Sounds legit

FoursquareOh, it sounds even more legit with explanations

LayoutIt’s even nicer waiting for

user needs it

Asana iOSHey, that's a little bit too

aggressive to ask on the first screen we meet.

https://www.useronboard.com/how-asana-onboards-new-users/

Lesson

Push Notification can be crucial for bringing people back, but the

abrupt nature of request might be sacrificing a

lot of approvals.

Conclusion: Lessons learnt from building App Store-featured apps

• Solve the "one problem"

• Start with MVP - the minimal experience

• Good UI / UX - iOS Human Interface Guidelines

• New tech has greater chance to get featured

Please feel free to ask any question.

Thank you