Study Shows Half of App Store Growth From Chinese Users
2016 was a stellar year for app sales—especially on Google Play. Bay Area app developers saw record-breaking statistics quarter after quarter, leading into the strongest holiday sales season of all time. (Or at least, the ten years of the iPhone era.) According to a new study from analytics group App Annie, we might have a […]
London Startups Show the Bright Side of Mobile AI Technology
London has a problem. It’s a problem that is probably familiar to anybody who’s rented an apartment in a major city: rising rents, obscure housing laws, and difficult landlord-tenant relations. London app developers at RentersUnion might have a solution to this problem. And that solution comes in the for of a small, inconspicuous chatbot, with […]
The End of Mobile Gold rush is a Good Thing for Developers
A new report from analytics group Flurry broke yesterday, suggesting that the “mobile gold rush” may be coming to a close. Thanks to a second analysis from TechCrunch, iPhone app developers have quickly built a discussion around the data, which shows that while mobile growth is still strong, some categories are growing at the expense […]
Developers Look Back at 10 Years of iPhone Fever
The iPhone, arguably the most iconic product of the century (so far), had it’s 10th birthday this week. For iPhone app developers, it’s hard to believe it’s been a full decade since that first announcement — you know, the one with Steve Jobs pacing the stage in his trademark black turtleneck, pitching the smartphone concept […]
On-Demand Startups Save Money by Increasing Employee Pay
The on-demand marketplace is one of the most controversial topics in the great American tech growth spurt, and for good reason. Depending on your perspective, the part-time contractors who make apps like Uber and Sprig function are either liberated from traditional work, or trapped in a dog-eat-dog game of diminishing returns. While big-player apps like […]
2017’s Unicorn Startups Could Be in “Brick-and-mortar” business
“Brick and mortar” or employee-reliant tech companies often face an uphill battle in Silicon Valley. The costs are high. Investors are suspicious. But if Amazon’s strategy has anything to teach us, it’s that so-called “traditional” businesses could be some of the hottest tickets for new entrepreneurs in an increasingly crowded, competitive app store. Does that […]
App Development and Ethics at the Crossroads Post-Election
In the past five years, the effects of the app economy on the social and financial structure of America has grown far beyond what anyone expected. The Ubers and AirBnBs of the app store have revolutionized how we rent, buy, and even think about property. Social networks like Facebook have connected us in ways we […]
Liquidation Preferences and Why They Matter for App Developers
Founders tend to be a passionate group focussed strongly on the nuts and bolts of their product or service. When it comes time to raise venture capital, it’s easy to just say “yes” to anything and everything that presents itself. The problem is that shares of a company aren’t all created equal, and startups often […]
White House Report Highlights Pros and Cons of AI on Economy
The White House issued a follow-up to their fall report on artificial intelligence in the US economy this week, stirring up important debate among NYC app developers involved in ushering in the future of mainstream AI products. While mostly positive in it’s outlook on how AI app development will affect the country, the researchers behind […]
FinTech Apps are Leading the Pack in AI and Chat Interfaces
Bots were the hot app development trend of 2016, but they haven’t proved to have much mainstream staying power across all app categories. One place they have, however, is FinTech — where San Francisco app developers have found a tech-friendly market of millennial users growing more interested in mobile money-management solutions. While mobile banking concepts like […]