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, […]
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 […]
Stop Calling Them Bots: The Micro-app Revolution Is Coming
“Bots. UI-free apps. SMS services.” Technologists are calling them something new every week. Here’s the bottom line for mobile app developers: the revolution will not be televised — but it might send you a timely, helpful chat message. This isn’t a bad thing for Chicago iPhone app developers. It will, however, require development companies to […]
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 […]
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 […]
4 Slackbots to Supercharge Your Startup’s Productivity
If you’re involved at a tech startup or iPhone app development company, chances are you’re at least passingly familiar with Slack, the email-replacing communication and productivity suite for team projects. It’s the backbone of our daily communication here at Dogtown Media. What makes Slack special for app developers is the company’s approach to the tool […]
Side Projects and the Art of Solving User Problems
Content marketing trumped traditional banner ads on desktop and mobile because it offered something that actually got user’s attention: value. On desktop, iPhone app developers and startup founders blog about their knowledge to both help the community and bring like-minded people to their brand. On mobile, integrated content helps third-party brands reach users in a […]
Obama’s SXSW Speech Underscores Encryption Uncertainties
Technology and politics are two of the most complex sectors in the national economy. Huge portions of the population can’t tell you what an electoral college is, or even name the mayor of their town. Outside the community of iPhone app developers — of which their are not nearly enough to meet demand — the […]
Virtual Reality Is Here. What Does That Mean for Developers?
SXSW Interactive is unpredictable. The eclectic mix of startups, brands, corporations, app developers, and media changes every year, with the only constant being a sense of playful innovation. One other thing that never changes, though, is the tendency for what’s trendy at SXSW to become trendy with the general public within the year. (Think Twitter, […]
SXSW Interactive 2016 Wrap-up: Emerging Tech & Mobile Trends
SXSW Interactive has an uncanny knack for guessing what’s next in tech. Ever since Twitter caught on like wildfire at the 2007 gathering, throngs of iPhone app developers have migrated south each year to get in on the ground floor of the latest tech innovations. (And consume a lot of craft beer and Texas BBQ.) The […]