What If Someone Steals My Great App Idea?
Startup founders are protective of their ideas, and for good reason. While it’s true that “execution is everything” in the mobile app development industry, execution can’t happen without a good idea to base it on. With that in mind, pitching and team building can become an exercise in paranoia for founders with particularly innovative ideas. […]
How Much Equity Should Early Startup Team Members Get?
In a particularly emotional segment of the popular podcast Startup by Alex Blumberg, two co-founders discuss how much equity each party “deserves” based on their skills and contribution to the company — and the huge disparity in what each considers fair almost tears the team apart. The scene is particularly powerful because, rather than discussing […]
Apple Watch Apps Blaze the Trail for Wearable Developers
The Apple Watch has been on the market long enough now that it’s begun to lose the new gadget glow. This is good for iOS and Apple Watch developers. Soon it will have completed the transition from “toy” to “tool,” offering developers much more long-term value in building relationships with users. Early apps for the […]
Discovering Startup Talent at the Knapp Venture Competition
A mobile app that brings employee engagement to the cloud. Revolutionary medical devices for spinal cord injuries. Year after year, UCLA Anderson students participating in the annual Knapp Venture Competition create positive-impact startups that have a huge effect on the community. We’re honored to be on the panel judging this year’s startup pitches, and Dogtown […]
Why You Need a Co-founder and Where to Find One
Partnering with a capable co-founder may not be a requirement, but it’s strongly suggested by leading venture capitalists. Investor Paul Graham famously listed single-founder team structures as one of the leading causes of startup failure. Any iPhone app developer can tell you that the road to startup success is challenging emotionally as well as logistically, […]
London Vs Berlin For Building Seed-stage Startups
Every startup is unique, and every startup-friendly city offers its own brand of charm and advantage. From London’s abundance of venture capital to Berlin’s bootstrap paradise, both cities offer compelling advantages to startup founders and iPhone app developers setting up shop. Dogtown Media has had a presence in London for some time, but it wasn’t […]
Design Vs. Time to Market for Mobile App Developers
If startup culture had a mantra, it would probably be “always be shipping.” Market validation is key to fast-moving industries like iPhone app development, and startups that enter the market early with a cutting-edge idea often gain critical user traction — even if the initial launch is less than polished. On the flip side, the […]
Why App Developers Need to Take Action for Tech Education
Job creation is at the top of the agenda for fixing the economy, yet half a million US-based IT and mobile app development jobs went unfilled in 2015. It’s certainly not for lack of pay (the average salary for iPhone app developers hovers around $90,000). What’s at the root of the problem? Education. In spite […]
4 Ways to Guarantee Your Startup Doesn’t Get Funded
Venture capital firms, angel investors, and iPhone app development companies all have one big factor in common: they hear dozens of new startup ideas every single day. The mobile industry is only growing in 2016, and with that growth comes a rush of smart young technologists and entrepreneurs with big dreams. More often than not, […]
How to Leverage Your Personal Story to Grow a Startup
When you’re navigating the complex world of marketing a mobile startup, storytelling should be your guiding star. Chances are, your personal story was the spark that lead you to build a mobile app in the first place. And chances are, your story is the number one most powerful tool in your toolkit when it comes […]