Hi, this is Allen Wong, the app developer
behind 5-0 Radio Police Scanner
This is a recording for Kevin
and his marketing class at
Texas Tech University
The story behind this videos is that I started a
Reddit AMA back in January 31st
of 2013
Where Kevin read my back story and
asked if I would do a questionaire
with his marketing class
A Reddit AMA, for those who do not know,
is a place where someone with a unique
experience can take questions from
anyone and reply to them for all to see
If you hadn't had a chance to read that
AMA and would like to read it, just go
to
regoapps.com/ama
regoapps.com/ama
regoapps.com/ama
Okay
Now that we got that out of the way, let's get to the questions
question one
last class we discussed that the functions
of the app are difficult to patent
Mainly the name and logo can be
copyrighted
Knowing this, did you take any precautionary
procedures to protect the functions of
your app
from being stolen?
I did not take any precautionary
procedures to protect the functions of
the app because I know that it
cannot be protected
and there really isn't much you can do
to protect your functions from being
copied because if your app is successful
someone is going to copy
what your app does
This is normal in the app world. It's
competitive and it's vicious
One developer described it as the wild
wild west
Let's take a look at some of the top
free apps available in the app story right now
the number one app
is a game where the app shows you four pictures
and you're supposed to
figure out what's the word that the four
pictures have in common
and if you look at
the rest of the top twenty-five apps
you'll see two duplicate app. There's "What's
the word"
and "What's that word"
And if you even scroll a
little bit further down
you'll find another one called
photo quiz: four pics and uh... yea
and
these are basically the same game
and there are all leeching off
the popularity each other and
people get away with that
The thing is that the original app developer
can't do anything about the other two
games copying
them. They just have to make their games
better than the rest and hope that people
will get their app and not the competitor's.
And the same thing happened to Snapchat
There are many apps trying to copy what
they did and Facebook actually tried to
come up
with a similar app and they called their app, "Poke"
that actually
does the same exact thing that Snapchat does. You know, you take a photo or
video
and people are only allowed to view it for a few
seconds
before it gets deleted
and Poke actually did become very popular
when it came out, but I do not see it in the
top free iPhone apps anymore
so
yea, people do copy app, but that
doesn't mean that they're always successful
Even Facebook couldn't beat out Snapchat
As for 5-0 Radio, there's actually many
competitors for that app. I managed to fend
them off by constantly updating the app
until it was clearly better than the
rest
The other police scanner app developers
even started giving up on trying to
compete with me
instead they find it
more useful to just copy my app icon, and
name, and user interface to try to
leech off the success of my app.
It was quite flattering actually
I mean, here we have entire companies
with developers much older than me
copying an app created by an individual who just
finished college
I was a bit curious about how strong
the 5-0 Radio brand was in the app store
that I decided to create another police
scanner app just to compete against myself
So I created a separate company called Rego Apps
and released an app called "Cop Radio" to
compete against myself
Cop Radio is actually a horrible name
for an app and it received
horrible download rates even though it had an
average rating of four and a half stars out of it
and that has
more to do with not choosing the right
keywords
I found out that
people actually searching
"Police scanner" as a keyword
Since "police scanner" doesn't
really show up
in the name "Cop Radio"
"Cop Radio" just
didn't get any downloads
So I later renamed that app
to "Police Scanner+"
and it quickly became the number two
police scanner app in the app store
number one being
5-0 Radio still
I even made sure that the app
looked completely different from 5-0 Radio
just to show the competitors
that you could still compete without
being a complete copycat. You know,
you just have to make a better app
if you want to compete. Okay.
Question two
Also with how
quickly the technology world moves
including the app world
do you feel that it is more beneficial
to constantly update and adapt a single app
to keep up with competitors
or should individuals
and organizations
constantly be innovating new app ideas?
I actually haven't updated 5-0 Radio since 2011
so that's over a year ago
so I don't think it's necessary to
constantly update a
single app
as long as you're still
you know the number one
amongst your
competitors
But if you're not
then you probably should be constantly
updating your app until you beat your competitors
I mean just...
by updating your app, I mean add more features and
change your interface. Just...
you know, polish it
But that's
if your
app is even worth updating
if your competitors ap
in your don't make much more in
them why bother
move onto another five years
you know test the waters
a scene which should be wraps ill
actually gain traction
and then constantly update that
untold become cessful
within the first two beats
of draft release you can tell whether
it's a societal not and
to tell you just have to look
at the rankings i mean if you're not
in that spot rankings governor category
you're probably not commanding the
exposure dire have needs to gain
traction go pharrell consents
for the first two years of five reviews
existence actually update that
brown twenty-five times
that was just to make sure that my
happened beat its competitors and i
wasn't actually the number-one please
fenner when i first
released by radio
it was someone else until someone who
will use a peace camera
or on the same as i thought that i did
so i had to make sure that the ap how to
be is
one-sided and i realize that it would
stay number one for a while instant
series dot
or dr
he'll probably make more money for me
that's the beauty of passive income once
you make that happen
insist she jerry money for you
really have to you much afterwards
question three
how did you decide how specific or
abroad to make a rat
what were your limits
and constraints
i'm not quite sure
what you guys are asking me
saw this in that year asking me about
market appeal
mitch that's first massive collapsed
that we're asking
do you want to meet the rafts as far as
possible
if you want to make a big bucks
mask fuel is important
and it's how abt get viable
if you look at the top
three apt so you can see that
none of the apts are
uh... very
corinne or
or adults quarantine
user after have mass appeal
and these are absent you know
a lot of people might want weather here
a girl boy
you know apparent
we should probably strive for i have to
do that
think bandage perhaps actually make that
much money
actually dot that
police carrots were kind of like and it
should have but he didn't have its broad
and
good it became popular because of that
so
you'll never know actually
i can't tell you whether appleby uh...
special anot
you know if you gave you ten captured
that market
in that market jeans
dean of even noticed a niche market
as long as the big enough
make money
if you're really that much of a new ci
and they have very specific targets then
maybe respects there
because
it's not
let's not forget that
for example i have uh... friends at the
talks for
and she meets photoshop templates
wearing place
yours
but our tree
into it
he would show you how that photo will
book
missiles printed out
and put on the candidates and calling
and friends are under
the room wall
that's something that for tar first like
to do you use to you
so crates of their photos to people
if it helps when people can actually see
what it looked like on that wall
and so she decide to create a nap
that does the same thing but the problem
is that that's a very mitch
you know it did not
that everyone's going to be far for
trying to sell something
and so she brings the price so rapid
we'd be air surrounds
thirty-something made thirty dollars
and she's male-only not like millions of
dollars
simulacrum i
within that photography
because the far furs are willing to pay
if it helps them to make a sale they're
worrying me back your money
and then some
so it works for them
do you have that kind of market
you know how to finance people
then by all means three enough for them
should be a lot of people pushing the
about cleaning up
the metal won't
there seems to be death
technology gap
hospitals around america
where
doctors have will be five pads but
there's not that many episcopal
forty-odd
for doctors to see
that's that's a niche market but there's
millions of dollars
this menu
and if you book here
had the at member twenty nine to talk
three ap note when it's wallpapers for
my craft and you may wonder why would
that be there
and the reason is that morning crashes
actually really poverty worn-out sloppy
will play my craft
and there's a lot cups plates mayekar
they're getting a lot of ballot and even
in the top views category you are going
to find of mine correctly it up
this is actually a uh... after that
uh... one of my readers were more like
hack readers and create and while it's
called news for my first and iron the
reason why it's so popular is that it
uses the word like that
and that's really the power of
mitch that's
mr monroe report that scripps that has
always somewhat
literally
question number four
where did you get your inspiration for
police there
why did the consul poppers so fast
well i grew up in new york city
and i always heard police sirens and you
know tampons
our trucks their was passing by
in my neighborhood
and i also want to of middle school
across the street from police precinct
and so i pass by police officers all
time
when i was young
that kind of made me wonder wat eruption
because they're always seemed to me
you know going somewhere in a rush to
get somewhere
biscuit curious as to what they're doing
and when i was fiber so are reversal
asking me
what i want to be and i told her bed
i want to be a top
when she asked why i said i want to
protect people
i never ended up being a police officer
but i still want to help out
that's really where the police scare
came from
pets helped a lot of people and wades
nelson
policemen
thanking me for the yet because
sometimes their own radio would work
bills which are which might have
why do i think the at became so popular
the at became so popular because it has
a really interesting function
he turns your phone into or police
scanner amply scanners
typically or three hundred dollars per
trillion dollars
and
free you can turn your phone into a
prisoner
and not only that you can listen to
police feeds from around the world so
during the recent belly pinned shooting
wildly
the ex-cop
going on
vengeful killing spree
throughout l_a_ no people tune in to my
apt
and you're listening to revolting you're
listening to the polls
now stuff like that you can get
real-time news inouye
it's it's wrong it's like asking why the
people watch the show cops
you know people are just years
and this is a unfiltered way of
listening in
who watches the watchmen
wasn't so popular at the beginning
let me show you
the brings an abuse of my apt
so if you click on all version
you see them my ap is actually only four
star rating
and that's actually not
it's great
but is not
really denigrates because if you're rap
is only rated four stars is
signifi reduces them aren't
number balancer applegate compared to
former starts
and they fear at this fire started
that's fantastic
and that's actually an average of all
those
versions so
into beating mind monthly
the apples actually bring a half stars
picasso attempt
reading the reviews
i listen to what customers want it
dates home and be know all the bugs and
all the features that they wanted inline
implemented it
end i remembered i was implementing them
the same
that they're requesting it
and then i would push out that update
and those people will get there needs to
fill
in america needs
sometimes even the next day i'll fix
your problem
so that's kind of how i built my
customer base for the beginning
you know i wasn't in the monthly scanner
apt
aren't just kept
until i became
and right now if you click on the
current version
for half stars
that's based off of thousands are future
barely gets better these and
usually
buried use for my apt star from people
who can't
get their local
police captain
that's not really
something that i could sing
if they're if it doesn't exist
if no one's providing that feed i can
access it
but um...
possibly adding feeds
into the apt
hopefully those people virtually yet
and so that's probably have more
applicants so popular
and making it free
this new burned qualified
exits
they became viral
because those free
so anyone phil donahue
so i really do suggest meeting at
one draft he really popular forgo some
money that purcell
it might pay off
i mean look at
the three spoke out
it they didn't have any answer first
got a ton of users and
now event
too offensive and personal ads yap
and i'm sure they'll figure out where to
put that together
that seemed to be the moment
gave people
free stuff first
figure a way to make money off of their
own
question number five
looking back
whether any major things which you would
have done different
welfare sf
through really isn't
maybe like could have spent some money
on advertising to get
money path
name out there
i haven't spent
a single cent on advertising
old might have downtown
mean through word of mouth
that's the thing though cuz
uh... everything that i've done
kathleen
brought about because
every decision i make
could potentially
chin you know the difference between
you know hundred thousand dollars
is one thing on the state
it could be even millions of dollars
when i was competing against the number
one please their net guide in in ad
features as much as i did
that was his film state
and he's out
right now
probably meets only
ono hundred thousand new year
minds making millions
that's quite costly
knee problems politicking so
for not making is that better
i would have done differently
i don't know i could have bought more
ads but i do need to
and uh... i don't know it
buying more ads will actually better or
worse from wire bird ads actually don't
pay off
but i still see people buying ads
and playing on the city has been doing
everything
very cut pleaded
if i made a mistake i would corrected
right away
a the whole cop radio name thing
within a month
after seeing that that down to a bad all
you need to be changed it who spinner
for some sort of copper deal
and at sixty
i do make mistakes by
it's not about how lucky or
we ought to get everything right at
first
it's more about how well you doubt to
the market
if your aps not being met while figure
out what that is
you could just read the reviews
the reviews
org excellent source
especially the negative reviews
if someone strong team
some major flaw in a row
they'll go fix it
bill add that teacher
and people will not be for that
and they will tell their friends
i remember people tell me
after i'd be emailed um...
back and
in told them that i was going to add
their future
they'll he got excited dates for me that
they're going to call all their friends
everyone at school today i will buy it
after did that
and it's really great customer service
like that
gets people to spread the word about
that
and that's free are tightening
it's offering a sense that you still
have to do the work
appease them
i didn't have to pay any money
for him to tell his friends about my hat
that's the best of the advertisement
when
you get someone that other people trust
to tell them
to get your apt
they will trust them
didn't trust them more didn't some
banner
and some other at telling them to
download
he would rather listen to what
differences
you have to really como something that
will
while the people
meet them
want to tell their friends about that
yet
once knew that
you're golden
and some maps recently has been named
for cheating
and my cheating and indeed enforcing
here in just two
sabine talking about there
by having them to login to peaceful
actually don't deny any of that stuff
and maybe i should have
now that the tobacco maybe i should have
added
morphy spoke integration
recently russell and
all that stole buildings will be use the
for something to create with
even if they don't force you to be given
some incentive to integrate this book
mothers
now some time to give you more boulder
or virtual point
and they want me to invite
your friends on facebook
and challenge them
and then when you do that that's
advertisement
when you challenge someone and they get
that peace would not occasion
or when the polls here price quarter
useful wall
you think that
for itself but it's really
it's really free advertisement for that
at
that's why they do that
mirror couple walking ad
so i think maybe i should have done more
faithful trations my its
that probably would
have spread my ass moorpark
laurie did so
may be in my next version of what at
this point duration
i hope you guys
enjoyed my answers i hope you guys learn
something from all of us
if you have any questions uh...
i'm mostly available on face book coming
to see the comment on
one of mine
old problem of response would if i for
time and if i don't
respond to you
uh... i mean don't
don't run out
private message i mean you could
i'd really prefer dad mean comments on
my phone because sometimes
lockable asked similar questions and
it's it's better for you to dispose of
question
in my face book
so that other pimpin see it
gonna respond and respond to
more than just one person
so i wrote for
to answer questions are posted
on that this book
so if you have any further question
or if you want more and more
i have a book out
it's called light act
it it seemed to be advice from you
recommend my own book bull
it's really a book that i didn't
to make money off of
it's a book that i've grown
thank you chief people
because i always
get accessing fortunes
that's a book that
answers all those questions and it's
also a bull
that i wish i had
when i was going off
two has a lot lawson said and wish that
i knew
new earlier so that
nixon states
quite a lot for my lifetime
i've had many so it's an recesses
and there's a lot was them to do
uh... from all but
sold are broke this book for my tax
give it to you guys
half off
if you want that's in this town dispute
to
regal caps
dot com slash was packed
slides do that
you can get the pope off
and for much
for inviting me to your classroom
and i hope you guys learned
law from all this
and i wish you guys the best of luck in
near future ventures and projects
enjoy the rest of your day
those who want to follow me on face book
i can be reached
at citi dot com slots
the with me in
uh... p p
banks are one for listening to my unborn
slash educational video
as a bonus for those of mixed up around
to the end
here some never before seen footage my
car
uh...
