Why Experience Is the Least Important Trait for Tech Teams
Building a team is no easy feat, especially for a scrappy startup with short industry traction and limited funding. Even at big companies like Facebook, hiring takes up an enormous part of leadership’s time. The reason for this is simple: startups are an emotional rollercoaster for early team members, so it’s critical that they are […]
It’s Not Just the Millenials: Voters Demand Digital Security
A recent study from Purple Insights on behalf of The App Association (ACT) shows that an overwhelming majority of voters support encryption and privacy — to the tune of a staggering 93%. Thanks in large part to NSA whistleblowing and the recent Apple vs. FBI case, consumers outside of tech have become more concerned than […]
Dogtown Media Talks Tech Economy and Open Government at Appcon 2016
To say that 2016 has been an exciting time for mobile app developers would be a dramatic understatement. On the one hand, top-down initiatives like 18F are making incredible strides towards a more digital-savvy government. It’s no surprise that politicians care about mobile tech — the mobile ecosystem is driving the American workforce like no […]
When It Comes to Freemium, the User Isn’t Always Right
That first wave of media attention when you launch a startup is always a gratifying feeling for first-time iPhone and Android app developers. Even if it’s a struggle to keep up with on the software side, the tidal wave of data from a spike in downloads can offer enormous value. As with every part of […]
3 Growth Hacking Tips to Grow Your Mobile App Startup
Growth hacking has quickly become a popular buzzword in the startup community. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily become popular for all the right reasons. Before we get into our tips, let’s dispel the biggest myth many mobile app developers have about growth hacking: the idea that it’s “easy.” When an iPhone app developer hears the word […]
OSX Vs. iOS: What Merging Ui Standards Mean for Developers
More swiping. Bigger buttons. Tighter integration with mobile operating systems. OSX has been on a collision course with its mobile counterparts for years. Not all iPhone app developers are on board with the “simplification” of the desktop experience, but there are obvious UI wins for non-technical users who’ll never touch Xcode or Terminal. Why this […]
Surprising Startup Lessons from Con Artists & Salespeople
No matter how altruistic your startup’s goal, the only feature that ultimately matters for iPhone app developers is this: persuasion. Startup companies solve a lot of problems, but users have good reason to be resistant. “Another button on my phone?” “Another notification stream to worry about?” iPhone app developers struggle every day to overcome the […]
How to Write a Tech Press Release That Actually Gets Read
Press releases may be the dinosaurs of growth hacking, but that doesn’t mean they’re going anywhere soon. For iPhone app developers and startup founders, writing stellar press releases is a critical business skill. Having your app featured in Tech Crunch, Venture Beat and the like can drive huge download numbers and brand recognition. The question […]
How to Build Secure Mobile Apps That Keep User Data Safe
VR may have ruled the product side of this year’s SXSW Interactive, but security was the public issue most on the minds of iPhone app developers. The recent Apple vs. FBI court case over encryption very much drew security to center stage, with President Obama commenting that “this notion that somehow our data is different […]
How to Future-proof Job Titles in Your Startup
In established mobile app development enterprises, the question of who gets what title is relatively simple. The most experienced iPhone app developer is obviously the senior iOS developer. Who’s most qualified to manage big-picture company growth? That’d be the CEO. …But for early-stage startups, the question of roles and titles is a little more convoluted, […]