Consumers are already overwhelmed by the number of apps which already exists.
It’s difficult for newbies to make choices unless specific apps are recommended to them.
Hundreds of thousands of developers around the world are still cooking new apps.
Average and experienced consumers are no longer downloading new apps.
It seems there is an app for almost anything you want to do under the sun.
Most consumers already have apps for achieving their daily routines.
Device space is limited most of the times.
Most consumers who download new apps just check out the features out of curiosity and dispose of them ASAP.
For my Nigerian developers, I will advice that you focus more on building a business, a brand which is actually adding value to the lives of people. Make the app one of the means to an end NOT the end itself. Learn from the banks, learn from ecommerce companies. Their apps will always be relevant.
IMHO, it’s Brands over Apps!! The days of “app excitement” is over!! Nobody wants your app!!
Jumia and Konga both have a combined listing of over 600k items or more and then we have more than 12k new e-stores with more being registered at Whogohost or GoDaddy.
That doesn’t mean the new guys coming in can’t shine. The question is: what would you do to shine?
The app market is big enough for everyone.
Do you know that there are close to 200 apps ending with the name “surfer”?
These apps create games similar to the famous Subway Surfers and they are reaping the humongous traffic that comes with such keywords. There are many more like that.
Ryan, has a point but we are talking millions of users here who are constantly online.
Having a clear cut strategy will always differentiate your app and invariably, lead to growth
I realized people don’t understand why their brand needs an App, they just build it.
In a country like Nigeria, App adaptation is slower + different and if you are not building it for retention and you decide making the app the centre of your business you are creating a niche.
I don’t know if this is a bug or error on Radar (TechCabal), but I don’t remember liking this thread/topic and it is not cool. All I did was click on two links and somehow it got auto-liked by me and ever since, I’ve been trying to unlike it but it won’t budge. This is the second time something like that has happened to me here on Radar (TechCabal) (where I clicked multiple links and the thread/topic was autoliked by me), and I think it should please be fixed.
But back to the main thread/topic, I feel like this is a very discouraging thread/topic and it should be downvoted. Just like how Radar (TechCabal) has a like button, Radar (TechCabal) needs an unlike or downvote button to make some threads/topics disappear or hide (like this one). We also need a way to stop certain people from promoting bad/evil ideologies/mentalities/philosophies on Radar (TechCabal) by making them face certain consequences like maybe losing points or privileges for their bad actions. How can anyone come out from nowhere and be like nobody wants your app, without actually knowing what it is or what it is about? Yes the app market is saturated, but many people can still make it. It’s like apples on the tree. The easiest apples to pick from the tree (which are closer to one by jumping or grabbing/reaching) might have been picked by many already, but there are still some fresh apples at the top of tree that will take extra work to get.
Either way people should be more focused on building services that are/can become apps that can later be monetized, grow and help the ecosystem. Lets also please remember that the person who wrote that Medium article (although it was a good article) wrote it for the Western (More Developed) Nations ecosystem. In their market, apps are really saturated because competition is fierce. In Underdeveloped Nations or Continents (like Africa), the opportunity is still here. African’s app market is undersaturated.
Ahh, I feel your pain bro! Not only don’t you like the post, but due to some error you’ve been made to like it!Hilarious…a case of false ‘like’ .
On a more serious note, I actually think the article was balanced. IMO, it doesn’t deserve a downvote, even if one existed. If you think about it, there will be only be more apps, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t build yours.
@davidsmith8900 He mentioned several reasons why he thinks the market is saturated. I agree with some points but I feel new app developers can still penetrate. I dont think it should be downvoted at all.
I develop mobile apps and have gotten pretty good usage and have earned from it. I will still get more users if I make another app tomorrow despite this saturation ridiculousness you conjured.
Apparently, these days when someone’s startup fail they go to Medium and post some BS then someone will accept it as if it is salvation.
The app ecosystem is probably like every other ecosystem if you make stuff that nobody finds useful, nobody will use it.
People shouldn’t blame their lack of creativity on ridiculous things like saturation. For Christ sake I have up to 5 music player apps on my phone and I use all of them.
Those of you that get a kick out of reading about failed startups on Medium should please keep their insights to themselves and stop trying to discourage those of us trying to create something useful out here.
@davidsmith8900 and @lordzouga: I did not imply that you should stop creating apps. What I said was that one shouldn’t necessarily join the band wagon of impulsive app development just because you can code. The best apps out there aren’t just apps, they are brands: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Subway Surfer, Asana, Any.do, Dropbox, Whatsapp, etc. And you can see a similar growth strategy among all of them: one or two developers create an app, app is released, strategies are put in place to make app gain traction, company is formed, external funding maybe sourced, more traction is gained, more manpower is sourced, app is monetised… Careful and calculated strategies are put in place to transform the app into a business or brand. I’m challenging Nigerian developers to think in this direction. App shouldn’t be the end, rather a means to the end. The end or desired outcome should be to create a business which will sustain herself, the founders, and employees. A business which will create jobs and attract foreign exchange into the economy. A business that will be patronised globally.
I did not also imply that apps were totally useless. What I said was that most apps installed on devices were unused. If you are a music addict, definitely, your music apps will be very active, however, your social apps or games might suffer. If you are a social network addict, your social apps will be active while others might be dormant… It is difficult to monetise an app when it’s not being used or when used offline most of the times!! And question then is: will your app displace other existing apps for the same category? Is it an app with a novel value proposition? What value is your app creating for your consumers? How will you monetise it? Do you think it can sustain you and your employees, in the long run?..
It will be naive or self-deceitful to think that the saturation in the app ecosystem in Silicon Valley doesn’t affect app developers here in Nigeria. Globalisation ensures that Nigerians consumers use the same apps used worldwide and have the right to choose between global brands and local brands. As an app developer, you are competing on global market; realising this will help in being more strategic when developing your next app.
The app world is massive but not saturated yet. Think novelty, think different, think improvement, think niche, think random, think of anything… execution is where you win or lose
Nobody wants your book! The books market is oversaturated.
Nobody wants your baby! The world is overpopulated!
Nobody wants your idea! We’ve done it all.
No. We need more and more. The good ones will survive, or maybe not. But the ones that will change our community will come out of these. If Thomas Edison stopped trying, we’d probably have no light bulb. Doing and redoing things is part of our DNA. It’s what makes us evolve.
@Ndianabasi if the first 2 paragraphs is what u meant, you should’ve found a way 2 put it in the subject and summary of this thread/topic instead of trying to discourage people who have dreams of becoming an app developer. Like someone who might not have time or data to click your link will just see the subject n the summary of your post, run with it , lose hope n discourage other people. Your clarification shouldn’t have to be like a needle in a haystack for a passerby. Think of how your negativity might spread from one person to another person to then a group n then to a community n finally an ecosystem. All because u didnt clarify or fully imply your reason behind your statements. It is so funny how a clickbait can change someone’s live forever n all the clickbait was meant to do was to attract attention to the link.
I believe your whole comment should be downvoted (twice) for even making that beginning statement of your 3rd paragraph. Those who even liked that post should be downvoted as well. For like 2-3 hours, you should all be required to write 2-3 articles on 2-3 different Nigerian Startups before having access to Radar (TechCabal) again. Y is Nigeria’s ecosystem affected by what goes on in Silicon Valley? Y can’t Nigeria’s ecosystem be affected by what goes on in Yabacon or Ikeja Computer Village? Is USA, UK or any Asian’s ecosystem affected by what Nigerian App developers do or don’t do? Is USA’s ecosystem affected by what Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, French or other countries’ app developers code or don’t code? What they say or don’t say? So y are we letting them control what we code/do/say or don’t code/do/say? Yes we are smaller but for how long will we be pushed around? How long will we be controlled? For the past 600 years or so, we had to follow their rules. When are things going to change? When are we going to fight back? This is what has been one of the reasons why we can’t along here on Radar (TechCabal), because while some of us are for African Independence, Progress & Renaissance, others seem to be holding us back. Every time someone comes up with an app, idea, service or startup to move us forward, someone from nowhere always has an excuse for why it won’t work or won’t succeed. Quick 2 shoot someone down. How many Americans are using Nigerian Apps? How many Asians, Canadians, Arabians are using our services? Yet “GLOBALISATION” says that Nigerians must use American n other Western apps/services. That is nonsense.
