As we returned to Austin for another packed App Strategy workshop—with more than 155 attendees (a majority of whom work for startups with fewer than 10 employees)—we thought to ourselves: What’s not to love about Austin, Texas? It’s a city with a world class music scene, amazing food, and an emerging tech scene that is tempting many developers away from the coasts. These are just some of the reasons we knew we had to return to Austin this year to have another App Strategy Workshop that was full of humor, insight, and networking opportunities for all who attended. The workshop was held in downtown Austin at Capital Factory, and it was a total blast.
From L to R: Jackie McCarthy (CTIA), Ryan Lessard (Pollen VC), Chris Kloyzbach (Yahoo!), Sam Purtill (Branch Metrics).
Panel One: Power-Up Your App Marketing Strategy
This panel discussion was brimming with tips on marketing your app. One key takeaway: Chris Klotzbach, of Yahoo!, said, “Measuring against retention is one of the true tests of success.”
From L to R: Greg Blackman (OpenX), Carson Barker (Appspire), Jesse Leikin (Millennial Media), Lee Little (bar-z), Joe Tartaglia (Appsaholic)
Panel Two: Monetizing with the User in Mind
Getting mass downloads is one thing, but keeping your users engaged while maximizing revenue is another. We were delighted to hear from a wide range of panelists who are experts on this particular topic. Audience members learned how to cash in on it with some savvy monetization strategies.
From L to R: JD Weinstein (Capital Factory), Alan Knitowski (Phunware), Patrick Curry (Unity), Mary Haskett (beehiveID), and Ben Brown (XOXOCO).
Panel Three: Startup Stories: Local Entrepreneurs Share Secrets for Success
This panel discussion directly addressed developers in the Austin area, and provided them with some serious advice on how to thrive in the Austin tech world. Alan Knitowski of Phunware said, “It’s all about timing. It’s better to be lucky than good…but both is best.” Ben Brown of XOXOCO also commented, “Don’t limit yourself by the plan you have today.”
Startup Showcases
The audience was also treated to three inspiring demos from local developers that are gearing up to take the app world by storm. We were lucky to hear from Dagan Vargas of Peepsqueeze, an app allowing users to easily merge videos via their peers; Jeffrey Cardenas of ThinkVoting, an app that consolidates scattered and fragmented information into a single place, giving every voter the Who, What, When, Where, and Why for every election; and, Lawrence Cotter of Your Trainer, an app that uses proprietary technology to serve up to 12 minutes of custom video workouts that are fun, easy, and effective.
Tablet Giveaway
From L to R: Chelsea Larson-Andrews (Apps Alliance) and Chris Requena.
One lucky audience member, Chris Requena, sent in the winning tweet. Thanks to Millennial Media, he walked away from the workshop the new owner of a free Nexus 9 tablet. Congratulations, Chris!
Overall, the entire workshop was amazing, the crowd was super enthusiastic, and the industry tips were spicier than a bowl of Austin’s famous chili. We can’t wait to see y’all again! Keep an eye out for our forthcoming videos from the workshop, and see if we’ll be in your city soon.
Special thanks to our sponsors OpenX, Millennial Media, CTIA, AdColony, Pollen VC, Branch Metrics, Appsaholic, and to Austin Startup Week for including us in their programming.
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