Take-aways from the lean startup meetup

Not much really as I knew most of what was being talked about but ...

• when doing user interviews, maybe 10 to 20 would be sufficient
• as an inducement maybe vouchers (€50 value) or prizes but generally people are happy to help

Questions worth asking (this is around web usability):

• go to a page - what does it tell you?
• what do you see?
• Complete a task - think out loud.

Bit of an update

I am now in the happy state of being able to submit apps to Apple and for them to reject them.

This is a major improvement over not even being able to get the damned certifications working.

Today I resubmitted an app, having spent the last day correcting it, getting into more problems, then fixing those problems.

The tyranny is over

For years I have been keeping all the business cards I've been given.

And for quite a while being kept on a ledge in the living room.

Today there were biblical levels of rain, angled straight again the living room window.

There must have been a leak - small enough not to be noticed for a while but big enough to soak all the business card.

I spent an hour going through them - one by one - then throwing them out.

Many of the people on the cards I couldn't remember. And as these cards were often 10 years old, or older, basically worthless.

The only way to keep up to date is through sites like LinkedIn.

Actual progress

The development of the iPhone version has been driving me crazy.

But in the last few days I got it to work.

I then got it into iTunes Connect and then TestFlight.

Initially Apple rejected it because I hadn't put in a demo account for them to test it. Actually I had and re-explained it.

Then Apple rejected it again from the App store as it has the word "beta" in it. But they allowed it to be used in Test Flight with selected users (this is why it's a lesson learnt - don't forget FB and other social media and sources of assistance).

But I didn't know anyone else with an iPhone. The Crazy Chicken suggested PMing friends in Facebook. I did and three people responded that they were happy to try it out.

So now I have an app in test mode and hope to correct it and release it onto the Apple app store soon.

I also recorded a YouTube video on how to use it. This took a few attempts as I was using Apowersoft to mirror the screen of the mobile  and it kept timing out.

Lounging

Today before lunch I left my flat.

I had some hommous, tabuleh and falafel downtown and then I sat in a couple of parks listening to some pod casts. I also had some ice cream.

Obviously.

Oh yeah, that's because this morning I finally sorted out what to do with the iPhone version of the app and was able to submit it to the Apple app store for review.

I even tested it in Test Flight and what I uploaded works.

I hope Apple accepts it and allows it to be published.

After several hours of world class lounging I met up with the Crazy Chicken, reviewed the investors' pitch and costs spreadsheet and then had an excellent curry.

Despite my ethnicity it seems I may be a bit sunburnt.

Worthwhile

It's nearly always worthwhile, if not immediately obvious.

This evening I battled through a storm (which never was) and went to an AWS user group.

The talks didn't really do it for me but at the end I talked to the organiser (who I know) and he reminded me of AWS Activate - VCs partnered with AWS Activate can have their businesses use AWS at a reduced price. But it is also a great source of potential VCs. He also said he'd put me in contact with the head of Activate.

Finally

Certain sounds do it for certain people. For some, it's the sound of a child's laughter. For others it's the sound of their partner reaching climax. For me it's the sound of my app receiving a PN on the iPhone.

I have the app working again on the iPhone.

Turns out a configuration change I had made hadn't been properly replicated.

There are still some other problems but I think they are solvable.