iPhone App OZWeather - Tracking Weather Conditions in Austraila

Today we showcase the 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 into 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 a web app to a native iPhone app in iTunes took a further 10 weeks or so.

• Stage of Venture
The product was launched on 1st Nov 2008 and has had several incremental updates since.

• Which Market Segment
Aimed at the general public - Anyone with an interest in the weather.

• Customers
Aimed at the 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 the iTunes app store, and maintaining a high ranking for visibility to prospective customers.

• Measuring Success
Breakeven occurred less than 2 months after the launch of a native app. Apple supplies daily stats on sales

• Monetizing/Revenue Model
Sells for AUD$2.49 per copy - of which Apple keeps 30%. Apple forwards payments every month.

• Main competitors
Pocket Weather, BOM Radar, AUS Weather and others.

• Technology Stack used
Backend - Linux server (hosted account), PHP. The app runs natively on iPhones.

• How Much Money is Used/Reqd.
Development costs: until the launch of the first version approx AUD$15,000. Subsequent revisions have required approximately 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 the oil & gas industry. Owner of small business developing Windows consumer desktop application.

• External Funding
No

Note: For the Video demo click here and the iTunes link can be found here

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