017 : Using apps to fund apps with Bobby Gill

Bobby Gill I was really into zines when I was in high school. I spent almost all my time on alt.zines, spent way too much time hunting for old issues of Urban Hermitt, and constantly found myself browsing the fantastic zine section at Tower Records. Almost all my money went to Microcosm Publishing.

But whenever I’d browse Microcosm Publishing, one number always caught my eye: the wholesale pricing. It was so much less than the full price. I wanted to pay that price, not retail.

I launched my own zine distribution, Deranged Distro, and stocked only the zines that I wanted to read. Selling copies more than made up for the cost of the issues I bought myself. It was a perfect situation.

My guest today is Bobby Gill, founder of BlueLabel Labs. BlueLabel Labs doesn’t just build apps for other people, it spends half its time working on its own mobile applications. Bobby has a passion for apps and some fantastic business insights. He even shares the reason why his new iOS game is only available in Canada.

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005 : Fostering good design when you’re artistically inept with Mike Blea

NNL Podcast I first met Mike Blea (of Michael Blea Design) when I worked at LAPTOP Magazine. He was part of the magazine’s design team, building the magazine’s layout, mocking up covers, and helping with graphics for web. We’ve remained friends even after both of us left that job, and Mike even helped me design the cover for 8 Things to Learn Before Making Your App.

I wanted to bring Mike on the show to have a fresh perspective on building products. I, personally, am completely design challenged — a glaringly apparent fact when looking at the first version of my first app Reader Tracker. I’ve learned a lot about the value of good design since then, and Mike has definitely helped me out along the way.

Mike gives some insights into the life of a professional designers and shares some tips for hiring a freelance designer of your own. If you work it right, you won’t end up spending a fortune.

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004 : Conquering the niche app and reaping the rewards with Massimo Biolcati

NNL Podcast Some entrepreneurs spend their entire lives trying to build the Next Big Thing, but there’s another much more successful group of business owners: lifestyle entrepreneurs. The best part about being in the latter group is that there is practically no luck involved, just skills that can be practiced and learned. Follow a fairly simple formula and you’ll find success.

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talked to Massimo, the creator of iReal Pro, an amazing music app that helps musicians practice and prepare for gigs. Massimo has been absolutely killing it with his niche app since 2008, and it doesn’t look like things are slowing down anytime soon.

I really respect Massimo because he had an idea for a useful app, taught himself how to code, and went on to build a product that absolutely dominates his niche. He shares his tactics for getting recurring revenue through in-app purchases, and why he has no fear of larger companies like Apple and Google.

If you want a reliable formula for creating income-generating apps, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

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003 : Building the ultimate roommate finder with Ajay Yadav

NNL Podcast What would you do if you came back to your apartment after a trip abroad to find out that your roommate had disappeared with the deposit, the locks had been changed, and your stuff was missing? I know my response would involve a large number of guttural screams and a healthy amount of crying.

Ajay, on the other hand, used it as inspiration to build Roomi, an app that helps people find ideal roommates. List or browse apartments, describe your lifestyle, and never get stuck with a nightmare roommate again.

After a ton of research, Ajay built Roomi from scratch — learning Objective-C in a few months using free online resources, hiring a designer, and creating a minimum viable product (MVP). He’s learned from past mistakes and really did it right this time.

If you’re still struggling to figure out your best next move, listen to this episode and follow in Ajay’s steps. You’ll come out with an awesome product.

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001 : It’s never too late to become a coder with Will Larche

NNL Podcast In this inaugural episode of the Novice No Longer Podcast, I’m joined by Will Larche, the Lead iOS Developer at LearnVest. This episode is a little different than the stuff I usually teach — I almost always tell my students to hire a developer rather than learn to code themselves. But sometimes learning to program is the right path, and Will proves that anyone can become a developer, regardless of previous experience. Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:47 — 46.7MB) | Embed