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Ask HN: What is the best way for a single developer to get its first downloads?

8 points by theycallmeg ↗ HN
I almost finished to build my first android app and I was wondering how could I get people to download my app?

Do you know of some examples of single app developers and how they approach the subject?

11 comments

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onaclov2000
I would suggest finding people on twitter who fit the typical user and mention it? I did that, posted about it on my blog and a few other things, not sure really what actually got me going, but I did get some downloads that route. If it's a good app hopefully those people will share it, I would recommend including a "share this app" link within the app
theycallmeg
putting a "share this" link is actually good idea, thanks.
taprun
People will download it if and only if:

1) They find your app 2) They want your app

Posting on relevant message boards, forums, twitter and the like well help with #1. For #2, you have to frame your description and talking points to the pain point that your app addresses.

#2 will help you figure out where to post and how to describe you app. What is it that you've built?

xiaoma
Wow. I find it interesting you assumed the app was intended to address pain.

My first thought was that it was a game! I guess the lenses through which you view the world make an even starker difference than I'd already thought.

lgas
What are games, but apps intended to relieve the pain of boredom?
xiaoma
For me at least, games tend to fit one of the following two categories:

1) Fun caused by learning—whether if it's an 80's style sidescroller a racing game or a RTS, many many games are about steadily mastering skills and using them to take on progressively harder challenges.

2) Immersive stories—RPGs can offer many of the same benefits of either reading fiction or watching movies. This type is pretty rare on a mobile device, but certainly not unheard of.

In either case, a game is something I'd actively seek out, not a way of escaping "pain". I certainly don't feel a "pain" of boredom that needs to be relieved. I'm just not that morose.

lgas
I know I'm a little late in replying, but you're taking the term pain overly literally. My point was that you can frame anything in terms of pain.

For example if you're playing a game to learn, you can view that as trying to escape the pain of ignorance.

There's nothing morose about it.

jsfour
The best thing for you to do is build a list of people and reach out to them asking them to try the app. You then use that group of people to gather data about the product. Also ask the people to refer their friend.

I actually wrote a great post on how I drove the first users for a product here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237922

Ping me on twitter and I am happy to help you: @jsfour