1. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    Hi everyone,

    I am a software developer and I just posted my first app - it was a flop. It was a flop not because of Blackberry, but simply because I realized that I can't imagine many people find a use for it just yet (hindsight is always 20/20). I have some great ideas on how to improve it, but I'd rather start a new project in the meantime and wait on the idea. I won't go into the details of the app, but let's just say it wasn't an RSS feed.

    I really like making social apps and I have decent server infrastructure that I can scale for my needs. So my idea is an app that I will likely call BargainBlitz. It will be a location based app in which people can post bargains (at a store, at a garage sale, anywhere really) and others can benefit from those bargains. It will only show bargains that are posted withing perhaps 50 - 100 km (30 - 60 miles) of where you are located.

    So basically bargain scouts are people that post a bargain and a bargain hunter is someone that makes a purchase based on this bargain. It will simply consist of a list of bargains, and categories such as retail, food, electronics, garage sale, etc... and of course time stamped.

    I see alot of complaining about there not being enough apps in BB world, so if you guys want to work together with developers like myself as to what you'd like to see, then we can build AppWorld up together. I know these are trying times for Blackberry, but let's focus on the positive and come up with some cool ideas ourselves, without relying on big time app producers that don't seem to really care about the platform.

    So with that said, I wanted to get your input - is this an app you would use? What are your ideas for the app if you'd use it?

    I don't want to keep making apps that don't work out, so I am taking the approach of getting your input before proceeding this time.
    RoboticGolem and Miss_80 like this.
    08-22-13 04:05 PM
  2. RoboticGolem's Avatar
    I think this would be an awesome idea. I'd def use it.
    08-22-13 04:15 PM
  3. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    Great to hear. Anybody else?
    08-22-13 04:17 PM
  4. MrGlenn's Avatar
    Sounds like a great initiative.
    For location based apps like this I think it is very important to focus on getting a decent user base, it will probably only work out in a few regions.
    It might also be better to start with a focus one a certain category of products to get started.

    There are a lot of websites dedicated to this idea, perhaps looking at the way they approach users and content providers will be useful.
    08-22-13 04:24 PM
  5. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    Sounds like a great initiative.
    For location based apps like this I think it is very important to focus on getting a decent user base, it will probably only work out in a few regions.
    It might also be better to start with a focus one a certain category of products to get started.

    There are a lot of websites dedicated to this idea, perhaps looking at the way they approach users and content providers will be useful.
    Good insights, I would probably build it for Canada only to start off with and build an Android version for the USA first and then open up the BB version to the USA afterwards.
    08-22-13 04:35 PM
  6. Mr_F's Avatar
    Sounds like a great initiative.
    For location based apps like this I think it is very important to focus on getting a decent user base, it will probably only work out in a few regions.
    It might also be better to start with a focus one a certain category of products to get started.

    There are a lot of websites dedicated to this idea, perhaps looking at the way they approach users and content providers will be useful.
    I fully agree - apps like these tend to live or die by the numbers and value to the individual (ie frequency of deals posted). If you can build a decent user base then others should follow (in time) but that initial growth phase might be tough. Keeping it regional (for now) might be a good way to build some concentrated mind-share.

    Just out of interest what sort of timeline are you working towards? Are we talking days, weeks or months to an intended release?
    08-22-13 05:14 PM
  7. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    The amount of time for me to get it done would probably be around 2 months (design + dev + testing). I also have a full time job. There is no learning curve with me here because I have experience building Cascades apps, but there is a fair amount of work to be done. As for building a user base, that is indeed a tricky thing to get going, however, if it is really useful and I get the word out, alot of people will use it I think.

    If you guys are willing to help out with spreading the word and making suggestions (and being totally critical about it), that would help alot!

    The key is that is has to be really useful and actually solve a problem (which I think it does). For me having bargains that are identified locally would be amazing. I would also be really interesting in posting bargains (being a bargain scout), so it is something that I have found to be a problem that I want to solve. Releasing in Canada would be good for a start because the concentration of Blackberry users is greater in Canada, eventhough the USA would be crucial long term because of the size of the market.
    08-22-13 05:26 PM
  8. Mr_F's Avatar
    The reason I asked is because I think 2 months is more than enough time to start putting things in place so that when you do launch you'll have more of a captive audience than if you were just starting out cold.

    Have you thought about setting up a BBM Channel, a Facebook page or creating a Twitter account? That way you could start posting (and possibly accepting) deals - building a community whilst also raising awareness about the pending release of your app.

    Depending on how much attention you paid to it you could build quite a following in the months leading up to your app release. You'd then have an audience ready to post deals (or already accustomed to posting deals) and an audience to download you app on launch day.

    That would be the way I'd go about doing things.
    08-22-13 06:23 PM
  9. R Field's Avatar
    If you used the geofencing api in the new sdk this could be a great app.

    CB10- BlackBerry Z10 - 10.2.0.1047
    08-22-13 07:12 PM
  10. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    Definitely going to get a channel going. I do have a Facebook page for my company, Zunandi, but I will need to update it. Great ideas, thanks. I will get a buzz going as best as I can.

    I think showing sneak previews of the app may help as well.
    08-22-13 07:25 PM
  11. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    Have you used it yourself? I want to get location (get a location fix). I think for the first iteration of the app, I may not use location at all just to keep it simple and have the user enter their location.

    One thing that may be complicated is large cities like Toronto/Montreal. For example, if someone lives in Burlington, do I include the entire GTA in the search result for the bargain list? Or just Burlington.
    08-22-13 07:30 PM
  12. gariac's Avatar
    Any chance you want to write an openvpn app. Basically something I can use. ;-)

    Other than the crackberry app, I have zero social media apps runnning. I even dumped waze. I don't like being spied on. I even dropped iheartradio when the upgraded it and wanted my phone ID.
    08-23-13 12:25 AM
  13. SlcCorrado's Avatar
    I like the idea. If it takes off, you should expand coverage to the US
    08-23-13 12:28 AM
  14. gooiee's Avatar
    No offense but I think at this point, it might be hard to take flight.

    Social apps are dependant on content and media, in your case, it comes from users who post bargains they spot.

    Now consider the demographics, say a really large mall in town, what is the percent of BlackBerry users in that mall? And of that percent, how many would post bargains?

    So even if I'm keen in the idea, I will not use it since the content will be limited.

    This idea works when u launch it on all platforms, i.e android, iphone, and bb. Plus some marketing and seed funding, you might be successful. Once u have ur base, shops can pay u to post bargains etc

    Good luck bro


    Posted via CB10
    08-23-13 01:41 AM
  15. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    No offense but I think at this point, it might be hard to take flight.

    Social apps are dependant on content and media, in your case, it comes from users who post bargains they spot.

    Now consider the demographics, say a really large mall in town, what is the percent of BlackBerry users in that mall? And of that percent, how many would post bargains?

    So even if I'm keen in the idea, I will not use it since the content will be limited.

    This idea works when u launch it on all platforms, i.e android, iphone, and bb. Plus some marketing and seed funding, you might be successful. Once u have ur base, shops can pay u to post bargains etc

    Good luck bro


    Posted via CB10
    Totally agree, it won't be useful on a wide scale until it is launched x-platform. This is my biggest concern for the app. However this is why I think it will be good to start in an area with a lower population (Canada) and on Blackberry:

    a. Blackberry fans are app hungry, and the idea is not bad.

    b. I think finding 'bargain scouts' ( ie people that want to take photos, and post bargains) won't be that hard - it is actually rather fun. And there will be built in incentives for bargain scouts. Furthermore, Canada has a much higher concentration of Blackberry users than the USA. I will target large metropolitan areas (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver).

    c. Server infrastructure. I am running a VPS with 3 gigs of ram and 1 processor (costing me about $60 a month). If this app was launched on Android and became really popular, it would shut my meager server (decent infrastructure as I mentioned above is a relative term) down pretty fast and damage the reputation of the app.

    " shops can pay u to post bargains etc : " indeed, this will be the logical next step if it takes off.

    I will get a channel going that follows my progress and leaks screen shots.
    08-23-13 08:25 AM
  16. Peter Lee4's Avatar
    I like the idea. If it takes off, you should expand coverage to the US
    For sure.
    08-23-13 08:26 AM

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