Thursday, March 05, 2009 Apple , Application , Australia , iphone , Startup , Venture
Today we showcase story of an entrepreneur with successful ventures under his belt, Graham Dawson from Sydney , founder of OZWeather - an iPhone application for weather tracking and forecasting in Australia.
In a candid interview with us, he gave insights how he is managing and juggling. This is what he has to say in his interview with us:
• How long it took to launch
From idea to web app took about 2 weeks, although it used back end infrastructure that was already in place. From web app to native iPhone app in iTunes took a further 10 weeks or so.
• Stage of Venture
Product was launched on 1st Nov 2008, and has had several incremental updates since.
• Which Market Segment
Aimed at general public - Anyone with an interest in the weather.
• Customers
Aimed at general public, iPhone or iPod Touch owners. Anyone with an interest in the weather.
• Targeted Age Group
All ages.
• Users Using Service
Currently about 30,000, typically increasing at a rate of 1500 per week.
• Marketing Technique
Relies solely on listing in iTunes app store, and maintaining a high ranking for visibility to prospective customers.
• Measuring Success
Breakeven occurred less than 2 months after launch of native app. Apple supply daily stats of sales
• Monetizing/Revenue Model
Sells for AUD$2.49 per copy - of which Apple keeps 30%. Apple forwards payments on a monthly basis.
• Main competitors
Pocket Weather, BOM Radar, AUS Weather and others.
• Technlogy Stack used
Backend - Linux server (hosted account), PHP. App runs natively on iPhone.
• How Much Money is Used/Reqd.
Development costs: until launch of first version approx AUD$15,000. Subsequent revisions have required approx AUD$10,000.
• Main Barriers
Learning curve on iPhone O/S, Objective-C. Registration/approval and compliance with Apple's requirements. Increasingly crowded space. Downward pressure on prices.
• Advice For People
Carefully polish your app before initial release, as early bad reviews can kill an app
• Your Education/Professional Background
B.Sc. Physics & Meteorology, Ph.D. Dynamical Coastal Oceanography. Career in IT in oil & gas industry. Owner of small business developing Windows consumer desktop application.
• External Funding
No
Note: For Video demo click here and iTunes link can be found here
Ongoing coverage on Australian startups, innovation, business and tech trends, and interviews with experts in various domains can be found here
1 comment:
Broke even in 2 months. That's a nice success story.
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