I Just Put My App on Kickstarter!

[treehousefrog]

Yeah... so I just put my new launcher app on Kickstarter! Very scary!! Has anyone else ever tried this with an app of theirs? Does anyone have any advice? I've been sending out press releases like mad but had no response yet. Then again I only uploaded it about an hour ago...

Trying to raise £8,000 so that I can hire some designers and maybe enlist some more coders, and so that I can stop spending my every-waking hour doing freelance writing for a bit I hope to release this even without the funding, but it would take a lot longer and be about 30% as good...

It's called 'Multi-Window Desktop Launcher' and the idea is that it's a homescreen launcher with some built-in apps for multitasking purposes and some other unique features (like pop-out functions using Tomas' StandOut library and a transparent background option for viewing other apps). Of course it's built entirely in Basic4Android! ;-)

You can check out my project page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/983549908/mulit-window-desktop-launcher-for-android

All feedback and suggestions would be very welcome!

And for those who are interested, this is actually a progression from one of my previous apps that I also built with Basic4Android called 'Multiscreen Multitasking' (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nqr.multiscreenthd&hl=en). I've taken that concept (which has proven to be very popular!) and then added lots of features/made it a homescreen launcher.

Please let me know what you guys think and if you have any advice! I'm excited but feel very exposed right now...

 

[thedesolatesoul]

Great work man. You seem to be doing well on your own without any advice.
Nevertheless, my 2 cents:
- Hire some designers and UX people (Launchers are all about the looks)
- If you do get enough backing, this is an ideal project which you can easily break down into modules and subcontract the work out
Dont feel nervous, if you dont put yourself out there, you might some some big opportunities.

 

[Erel]

You owe me an eternal gratitude

 

[treehousefrog]

Erel I really do! You had it already for making Basic4Android in the first place, but now you have it in spades ;-) Thank you so much for supporting, you've made my day already! I will work my very best to make it worth your while :-D

And let me know if you want anything in return!

And thanks DesolateSoul - I really do need the advice lol. Looking at other videos I wish I came across more professional, but I have to work with the face I've got sadly... Yeah hiring designers and coders is what I really want to be able to do. My apps have always lacked the polish that they need, which is why I think raising some capital will help (plus the exposure you get from this is great!).

You're right :-D It's scary, but even if I don't get any more backers it will have been a learning curve!

Thanks so much everyone

 

[stevel05]

It looks like a great project, I look forward to trying it out.

Good Luck

Steve

 

[treehousefrog]

Thank you Steve! That's very generous of you! Glad you like the look of the project. Feeling very humbled by the support from this forum already

You shall get your 'official' thank you letters soon I'll be off making them now... Thanks again guys!

 

[eps]

Looks good.

But can you resolve the typo, or is it set in stone? mulit, should be multi, no?

 

[aarondc]

As a suggestion: you have an accent, which means you have to concentrate to understand your KS intro video. Adding music to that, only increases the difficulty in understanding what you are saying.

Ditch the music.

Then the music gets louder, and your voice quieter. Sorry, but I can't even listen / watch that past about 1:28.

 

[treehousefrog]

Oh my God that's so bad about the typo! Thanks so much for spotting it! Fortunately it is possible to change the title... sadly the URL remains the same. But no one's going to see that right...? Massive fail! :-S

And yeah my girlfriend commented about that, but feels a bit 'empty' without the music. I may just try turning it down significantly and see if that helps... Thanks a lot for the feedback

 

[aarondc]

There's a fundamental design philosophy that says use the empty space to good effect. Same applies for your screen shots and video. Your India experience sounds fantastic - kudos to you. I also wish you well with the kickstarter project.

 

[treehousefrog]

Thanks a lot :-D And yeah working with the OEMs has been good so far, but a lot of stress actually! Great experience but I prefer working for a commercial audience...

I'm just uploading the edited video now. It still has a bit of quiet music, but I think the sound balance is considerably better so it should be a lot more bearable. (I've watched that video like a hundred times now!). Thanks again for that spot! And MASSIVE thanks to everyone who has already pledged Things are off to a great start!

 

[XverhelstX]

Nice & great job!
My goal of porting StandOut to Basic4Android was to embed 3th party applications in StandOut windows.
Unfortunately, like you said on KickStarter, it wasn't possible to do this due system restrictions.
However, you turned it into a nice idea by writing your own 'tiny apps'.

Great job

 

[treehousefrog]

Thanks a lot :-D

Yeah, I get a lot of people who are disappointed that that's not what my current app Multiscreen Multitasking does. 'Tiny apps'-style floating features is one of the things I'm bringing to this, but it's predominantly about resizeable apps that run on the Homescreen and are all interlinked. I have the Xperia Z though and I'm a big fan of Tiny Apps :-D

Thanks for porting StandOut! I've had a lot of fun playing with the library. The latest update really is nicer to work with too Great jobs all round ;-)