The opening of the Studio mobile development "from scratch" in St. Petersburg — 3.5 years later. Reincarnation. Part 2

Hello to all, I continue to publish — today Part 2 the history of our Studio (no, I categorically do not like the word STUDIO company!) mobile development notissimus.com, which in 3.5 years of 3 people managed to rise to 19+ people at the moment of writing these lines. The first part of the opus can be found at this the link. Let me remind you that the story itself was written long ago, but now I wanted to look at it and add upd.2016 — upgrade and additions. Let's say, a retrospective analysis of the events with a more sober and experienced eye. Made it a rule daily to record videos with our experience and a review of projects that are... here's the latest video, which was recorded today showed the momentum that the trading company can only get from mobile applications. After all, it's all interesting, Yes?)

Go...

the p.s. part 1 required reading if you didn't read it — confusing.

In our business plan we had laid money on one-off purchases of assets (OS) to run the company. What this includes? Computer equipment, peripherals, tables, chairs, etc. All purchases made on the website ulmart.ru along the way received not a few bonus points on the account — conveniently, because something is definitely forget about the little things, there's a cable or extension cord. Everything can be bought reasonably simple — the necessary (sometimes very easy, and then had to improve PC — buy memory, so I advise you not to reduce the cost of equipment for daily work). Below is a fragment of our management p/l (income — expenses) for may 2013. The salary of the team received, only the cost of rent (in part, I do not remember why such amount), the purchase of fixed assets, account opening, registration of Jur.person, and so No income, only expenses in the amount of 517 000 (the contribution of the founder to the company as an investment loan).

Fragment management accounts for may 2013 — operating activities have not yet conducted

(upd.2016 — damn, bought all the simplest as a result, for years, had to change part of the equipment. Programmers need a more powerful Mac, and designers too, etc. But it's ugly desire to save "Veloci" and I catch myself thinking that even the new PC we buy cheaper. I was here yesterday one senior Manager told me how they bought a money-losing chain of stores, which was run in a very pompous — in the office, even the Secretary was 27"Mac, who do not need it nafig. And they modestly gray, poor things... and eaten competitor in the end. Conclusion? Save. Save, and then when you make more money will vary machinery. Show-off too much, they'll never appreciate it, though, and say that they are worth more than money).

In June 2013, we actually did repairs, set up furniture, laying communications, etc. Nothing interesting in General and on July 1 we began operations in the new premises. 3 people — your humble servant (scope of liability — the clients, meetings, advertising, website, etc.), Svetlana is our financial genius and the people, through which we were able to find investments and Denys — technical Director. Of course, immediately faced with the task of finding more developers, because the plans were ambitious and it was necessary to advance "prepare for success". Here can you recommend a resource hantim.ru we all guys (and girls) in the beginning found with it, and in my opinion is the only useful and concentrated on the it professionals resource. No agents on selection of it staff, while proposals for such services are received regularly. We needed to find the team of another developer .net and designer. Managed. Should however be noted that the last time the developers are looking at, including using hh.ru — placement of vacancies is 600 Peter R. and this, incidentally, is cheaper now than hantim.ru.

(upd.2016 Now looking only through hh.ru — 700 p. and a few responses you "in the pocket". 80% of which are true, to put it mildly, very novice programmers. Strange, but we have at the moment, there are no problems to find a programmer for Xamarin — yeah, it wrote the code, and here is the amazing complexity of finding a programmer under web .net. In the team there is always one programmer — a beginner who is drawn into the process, to learn and in 2-3 months ready in commercial projects of high complexity).

Command, instead of doing a mobile app, playing the Board game. The furniture is very simple, tables can be and less...

First mistake — our business concept was... a little life

Of course, from the very first days of business, we tried to stick to our original business concept — a mobile apps designer. And from the first major client — the company 2-Coast (sushi and pizza), we are faced with a harsh reality. What we planned to do? After reading in the media that in Russia there are about 30 000 online stores and inspired by this figure, assumed that our achievements, which we then proudly called "platform", we can quickly launch a native mobile app, made some templates with a simple design. Naturally, the number of templates (let's call it a grid visualization of the products), expected to increase. In the business plan we had laid, that in a month we will be able to connect the 7 new online stores and to charge each payment is 7 000 rubles per month for the support (rent) on all platforms. So linear and felt... weird. Don't even want to give here a sign Excel, not to shame. Did not take into account seasonal fluctuations in demand (at least the January holidays may), although it would seem, so many years in business and many had made different plans!

(upd.2016 — no way we were not wrong, just in 2013, it was no need! Even now, in 2016 all at least talking about mobile first, not so many companies really understand the feasibility for mobile applications. But the situation is changing and everything is faster. Why? And I judge by the number of calls from small and medium online stores that you call-write and ask mobile app. Yes, 99% of the owners are not sure until the end that it will give them at all. But a couple of years ago, and cases were not — we have kontsentrirovanie on major brands. He was on the phone, sweating and phoned the company. In the cold. They now have in the portfolio and new, but there is a trend of growth in applications from small players shopping market in Runet. lamoda.ru recently mentioned that they have 50% of the turnover with mobile apps. Conclusion? We'll all be there (I mean apps) the question is, what will happen in 4-5 years after that?).

In fact, we made a rather serious error in planning, when considered that mobile apps can be done on templates, which we linearly will attract each month, 7 new clients and that it is really necessary to all without exception. The basis of the error, as already said, formed a misconception about the value of mobile designers in Russia and the viability of having a mobile apps for the mass amount of online stores. In any case, not criticizing existing projects application designers, we experience more or less severe (medium, large) business that just does not fit!

(upd.2016 — it is not far, as it turned out. Explain and repeat — even large commercial business often does not understand for themselves the ultimate value of mobile applications. Plus now seriously cut budgets and nobody wants to spend 2-3 million rubles on the mobile app without any guarantees of return on investment in a reasonable time. We have many examples of when Federal companies came and said — "Max, look, we need a mobile app, but we will initially launch a very basic functionality of your there is something ready, and then outline a roadmap, if you will fly...". Launched, flew and then the people already allocated to other budgets and planned work in the years ahead. In General, the "smoother" running is better)

(upd.2016 — Yes, the situation is changing. Read what I wrote 2 years ago and understand how the market has changed over this time! Ready to mobile applications for medium-sized stores and "Mature" minor. There are a lot of complaints to us from the owners of promoted instagram, for obvious reasons, tried to minimize the risks of a single sales channel and ask for an application. But nobody is willing to pay a lot at once and make "rich". Few customers have heard about such initiatives as Google Instant App &Google App Indexing, which can help to stand out among competitors, if you have a website. But I want to send push notifications, please messenger in mobile applications, because many customers wrote in whatsup, etc. channels of communications. Actually, you know, it's interesting to look at the market offline trading. After all, the mobile app is for loyal customers, and they have, even the smallest shop. And there well, very much in Russia... ).

And he wants a company that stands firmly on his feet and understands the value of apps? She wants the decision for themselves, with their design each item is made according to the basics of the brand book and, more importantly, the company wants your functionality! Yes, applications are based any trading company — product catalog, shopping cart and other General things, but then we get different wishes, which are instantly transferred to work in custom development.

Over time, when you work in business in General, acquire acquaintances and of course we first went through the familiar with the proposals on cooperation. These companies and become our first customers. And after the first of the talks was, obviously, our idea of mobile apps designer will not do and you need to change very, very quickly.

(upd.2016 — people just became more, and continue to work. Recommendations work. Moreover, we are not looking for clients active and traditional way. So it turns out that they come to us by letter or call. Letter more often for some reason. While a lot of applications that are distributed in many studios at once, which causes then of icterine Warbler in the mail between people, especially if the customer "make me instagram tomorrow").

How many Russian teams engaged in application development? I don't know exactly seen the numbers about 700. Do not even dare to comment on the veracity, I believe that half of this — web Studio, including make and applications (Hello, html5). And even with the developments in terms of applications for retailers, we work individually with each customer segment b2c, played against the "adult" boys in a sandbox, which had a portfolio. So we are in August 2013 decided to propose the following concept — we develop absolutely free native mobile applications for retailers (a basic functionality, enough to launch the first versions) by typing the technical support of 15 000 rubles per month for all platforms. Design we did for free. And Yes, still focus only on the b2c segment, abandoning other projects (chat, call a taxi, clones Instagram, etc.). Why? We did not have strong portfolio, we assumed that decisions will be similar and we can best replicate best practices.

(upd.2016 — never do anything for free. It is an axiom. Not the point. Values the client does not feel none at all. Got it easy? Easy and backward, but rather the client you easy go. This area of human psychology that are stronger than us, but technical support should be mandatory, especially if you use your server capacity. By the way, the stupidest thing we've done is to abandon the project in favor of "specialization". Stupidity, I would say. Now we have a portfolio of clients of different categories, we do not undertake to do only games, but everything else — no problems. And, you know — the team has grown professionally very much, when people did yesterday retail, and today make solution for mobile crowdfunding. And when you give customers who can do their competitors, then simply increase your chances to close business. You know how many of us write different small studios with an offer to work for us on a subcontract? A lot. And I understand them.)

(upd.2016 strange, but not asking for Windows 10 to do at all. Still don't understand why, but fact is fact. We write code in c# and use Microsoft Xamarin for mobile apps, so Windows 10 could be nice to support, but... don't want clients).

Another mistake (at the time) was a possible scheme of work, in which we offered to the online stores to create applications for the future % of orders (bought or transferred). The idea, in General, is not bad, and is ideal for small stores that are willing to promote their apps and content with basic functionality with reasonable — enough design. We have done several such projects for one of the platforms (usually the Apple iPad) and was faced with a conflict of interest, which was not the willingness of the store to promote applications. I will explain — that was the orders from which we could in the future to obtain your reward, you need to actively recruit application installation. The store simply to actively notify customers about the availability of applications and customer base will gradually accumulate. But the owners reasonably want to get from the rich functionality and then actively promote applications, and we proposed exactly the opposite (let's start with a simple approach difficult). In the end, we quickly turned this approach. However, the idea to revive this strategy consistently "hovering" in our minds. Why? Take a small online store. Given the increase in traffic from mobile devices the owner has a desire to make a mobile version of the website, and then applications. And applications need functionality if to concede that not very much. Applications must be brendirovannyh, the design is very neat. And work model, when we still develop for free (asking for payment only for the design) and supported for a % of the orders can be attractive, especially considering that from the point of view of the owner of the store, support for % implies our involvement in the process and not just "made and forgot". In the early stages of a startup company we have not yet had such a number of best practices to provide reasonably adequate functionality, but the situation is changing...

(upd.2016 — yeah, model CPA — cost per action really looks like a lure. But this bait and hook inside. Strongly recommend to work. At all. Never. Not here to build win-win relationships. In the beginning, you as a Studio it is not profitable, then the development of the business company you may begin to get income more and more. And? Then it would not be beneficial to your client. In General, we have for 3 years, this approach did not work, I do not think that will happen in the future, though of course the idea is so tempting.

To be continued. Part 3. There will talk about the turnovers, etc.
In General hold the line )

p.s. For those who want to get much more information on the different tools on the Internet, we suggest you contact publications at http://startup.today

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru