Services Provided
Mobile App Development, TV App Development
Client Problem
I have to build a Streaming Service. I have a person to sort out the content library and hosting, a web developer to build a web version, but I need someone else to build Mobile & TV apps.
This is a long-term, complex project. I need an Android App first, and then, if everything goes great, I'll need a TV app, too.
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Our Solution
The most important step is to make sure the app is compatible with TV and Mobile from day one. We have to set a stable foundation to build a large, maintainable product.
Then, we have to make sure nobody gets access to the content we store at the back-end. In the client's niche, people often create clones of apps and hook them to the same back-end that the main app uses. So, basically, they have an app clone and get all cash, but the original app owner pays for the servers - not good!
The last thing is a release procedure. This app will not be distributed through App Store or Google Play - instead, a Telegram channel will be used. We must make sure the users have the latest version and proactively remind them to update if they are using an old app, because there will be no App Store/Google Play to remind them.
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How we made it work
1. Initial development
We didn't have Figma or any other designs. Instead, we cooperated with the client to make the app look as close to his vision as possible. Our team was small at a time, and client didn't see any need in UI/UX designers. Looking back, we would've saved a lot if we designed everything first - that's exactly why we always keep a design team ready nowadays.
We rolled out the first MVP, the client was happy, and so were the first alpha-testers. So we decided to push it to prod after making sure the app updates automatically.
2. Big numbers
The marketing was great. We were on standby to fix any urgent issues, which started to appear once the app crossed its first 5k monthly active users.
Client was requesting more updates quite regularly, and, thanks to our fast reaction to issues and quick patches, the project was growing quickly.
When the app hit 35k monthly active users, our client decided to switch focus to TV app development and another form of monetization.
3. TV, Monetization & Handoff
The original way for our client to earn on this project were in-app ads, which were more complex than usual Google/Apple ads, because the app wasn't listed on any of those platforms. But then, with a TV app, our client wanted to add an in-app subscription - remove ads + get TV access.
The subscription was another pain, because a different and unusual tech stack is used for unlisted app monetization. When we launched subscriptions, it wasn't an instant hit, unlike the initial app launch. But we continued building the TV app since it was #1 pain point of app's users.
But then, before we were able to launch this TV app, a war (I mean, literal armored conflict) began between the two core segments of app's audience. And they used the platform to exchange their hatred, of course - everywhere they could. More spice was added to the situation because the app had content from both countries that were now in a war. Our client didn't want to take sides by removing any of the content from the app, and that's where the users started to complain - ironically, from both sides.
He decided to freeze the project until the situation became more stable. It never did. The app went silent in 2022. The web version, surprisingly, is live to this day, and channels from both countries are still included. But we are no longer associated with the app since then.
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