Sudhir Goel, is Director of App Mantras Software, a mobile-focused software company and MD, Obsidian Software, a KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) that provides medical coding and billing services to US healthcare providers. Mr. Goel has also worked in senior leadership positions in Global IT companies both in India & USA. He is an Engineer from Delhi College of Engineering and MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Though Apps have been around for a few years, the landscape continues to be a challenge for new entrants as well as seasoned players. This session is yet another opportunity for developers or founders to understand the speaker’s perspectives on what is required to build successful Apps. Please also come prepared to share your experiences or your questions.

Here are the takeaways from our speaker at last Saturday’s meeting on “Successful Apps – The Hygiene Factors” –

1) An App idea must serve a specific need, preferably be a “pain killer” rather than a “vitamin”

2) Aim to generate revenue. If you plan to be a charity, get out of the Startup business

3) Seek feedback from people (not family & friends) using a quick and dirty prototype, and ensure that the App is intuitive to your audience. Test and Test again

4) Keep budgets low, evaluate your own strengths and skills, and combine the needs of your business with the right blend of employment and outsourcing

5) Fail quickly and cheaply. Have contingencies planned, pivot or quit if need be, but quickly

6) Founders should recognize that just tech does not sell, marketing and monetizing Apps is a huge challenge