Reflection - Learning Launch

Challenge & Selection

I am a member of a small mobile app entrepreneur venture team.  We are developing a mobile app for  personal use.   Our challenge is to increase the sales of the app and to expose the app to wider  audiences. The team resources were limited. It included three sw engineers for the app development  while the marketing aspect of was relying on the mobile phone company’s infrastructure for app  deployment and advertisement which was basically the search engine of the App Store.  The feature and  requirement of the app was based on developers’ personal needs and use cases.  Although there were  many similar mobile apps in the App Store, our app presented some uniqueness such as the special way  for user password entry, data backup to personal computer via Wi-Fi connection and a “closed” app  with no back channel connection to external websites for security reasons.

Early the development cycle, we had decided to provide the basic features so that we could shorten the  time to marketing/sales duration, and experiment the features that we provided.

The mobile app had gone through three month testing within the team members and friends who  volunteered to be real users.  The features of the app were based on what we knew best for the users.   As it turned out, our app introductions were aligned with the learning launch methodology described in  this class.

Application

The primary focus of the first Learning Launch was to gather the results for the app deployment, basic  functionalities and software bugs.  We wanted to use this launch to ensure that we comply with all  stringent requirements and Infrastructure of the App Store, collected software bug reports, and ensured  all the functions worked as designed.  We used the app reviews in the App Store for user feedback and  comments.

The goal for second Launch was to introduce the new features based on our “what we know best”  assumptions for the password entry method and Wi-Fi data backup.  In addition, we wanted to gain  insights of how the app attracted a wider users and perhaps globally since the data for global regional  sales was provided by the App store for developers.

Insights

The result of the learning launches gave us valuable info for the product introduction as well as some  unexpected surprises.

The first launch was successful as intended because it allowed us to collect the software issues reported  by users and fixed them for the second launch.  This fulfilled our goal to introduce our first mobile app  to the world.

In the second launch, we found out that our unique design for password entry turned out to be too  cumbersome to the users and the feedback was that users got frustrated and give up.  In addition, the  Wi-Fi backup procedure was too complicated to use because it required users to follow restrict  instruction and had to connect to a personal computer for data storage.  The global regional sales data  showed that the app was downloaded globally and the heaviest traffic was in the Asia regions.

Approach

Our overall conclusion of using the learning launch that it is a very valuable methodology.  Based on the  feedback provided by the users, we are planning on the third launch which allows us to improve the  mobile app by adding the new features such as providing a regular alphanumeric pad for password  entry, utilizing the localization service for the mobile phone for Chinese, Japanese, & Korean languages,  taking advantage of the new cloud backup function in mobile app.

This is by no mean that the third learning launch will be the end of the app product release cycle.  We  plan to use the methodology for all future rollout.


Reflection - Learning Launch Challenge & Selection I am a member of a small mobile app entrepreneur venture team . We are developing a mobile app for personal use . Our challenge is to increase the sales of the app and to expose the app to wider audiences . The team resources were limited . It included three sw engineers for the app development while the marketing aspect of was relying on the mobile phone company ’s infrastructure for app deployment and advertisement which was basically the search engine of the App Store . The feature and requirement of the app was based on developers ’ personal needs and use cases . Although there were many similar mobile apps in the App Store , our app presented some uniqueness such as the special way for user password entry , data backup to personal computer via Wi - Fi connection and a “ closed ” app with no back channel connection to external websites for security reasons . Early the development cycle , we had decided to provide the basic features so that we could shorten the time to marketing / sales duration , and experiment the features that we provided . The mobile app had gone through three month testing within the team members and friends who volunteered to be real users . The features of the app were based on what we knew best for the users . As it turned out , our app introductions were aligned with the learning launch methodology described in this class . Application The primary focus of the first Learning Launch was to gather the results for the app deployment , basic functionalities and software bugs . We wanted to use this launch to ensure that we comply with all stringent requirements and Infrastructure of the App Store , collected software bug reports , and ensured all the functions worked as designed . We used the app reviews in the App Store for user feedback and comments . The goal for second Launch was to introduce the new features based on our “ what we know best ” assumptions for the password entry method and Wi - Fi data backup . In addition , we wanted to gain insights of how the app attracted a wider users and perhaps globally since the data for global regional sales was provided by the App store for developers . Insights The result of the learning launches gave us valuable info for the product introduction as well as some unexpected surprises . The first launch was successful as intended because it allowed us to collect the software issues reported by users and fixed them for the second launch . This fulfilled our goal to introduce our first mobile app to the world . In the second launch , we found out that our unique design for password entry turned out to be too cumbersome to the users and the feedback was that users got frustrated and give up . In addition , the Wi - Fi backup procedure was too complicated to use because it required users to follow restrict instruction and had to connect to a personal computer for data storage . The global regional sales data showed that the app was downloaded globally and the heaviest traffic was in the Asia regions . Approach Our overall conclusion of using the learning launch that it is a very valuable methodology . Based on the feedback provided by the users , we are planning on the third launch which allows us to improve the mobile app by adding the new features such as providing a regular alphanumeric pad for password entry , utilizing the localization service for the mobile phone for Chinese , Japanese , & Korean languages , taking advantage of the new cloud backup function in mobile app . This is by no mean that the third learning launch will be the end of the app product release cycle . We plan to use the methodology for all future rollout .