One Year on the App Store
Keep it simple and keep it fun
Sep 6, 2014
A little over a year ago I submitted To bed to the App Store, a simple app to make sure you get enough sleep. It all started the summer after finishing high school, I had read a couple of books on iOS programming and really enjoyed it. Like most teenagers, I needed a summer job. I had the choice of going back to my old one, giving guided tours at a local museum, or the option that really excited me, making an app.
I went for the second option and made a promise to myself: “I will have a finished and polished app by the 5th of August”. It had to be done by that time, because I was going into the army. In Norway we still practice conscription, which means you have to serve a mandatory year in the army. So with no time to waste I got started.
After playing around with a couple of ideas, I landed on a reversed alarm, a bedtime alarm. I often found myself loosing track of time and a simple “Hey, you should be thinking about go to bed” would actually be quite useful. I wanted it to be simple, with a friendly and fun interface. I keep a journal of the process by uploading short clips to my Instagram.
The start (June 29)
Vacation mode, because we all know there shouldn’t be a bedtime while on vacation. (July 2)
The design was starting to come together (July 25)
Weekend mode (July 27)
Polishing (August 1)
On the 3rd of August, two days before my deadline, the app was done! App icon, description, App Store photos, all done as well. It had been an intense month of learning and experimenting. Filled with joy and excitement I upload the app and started packing for the army.
Then on the 8th of August To bed was approved and released on the App Store! It was a gooood feeling. But I had little time to celebrate, the bootcamp had just started and would last for two months. Exercising, doing drills, getting yelled at and learning to operate different equipment. During this two month period we weren’t allowed to use our computers, they were locked away when we first got there. Thankfully smartphones were allowed. On the 9th of August the first download numbers came in. 112 downloads! At this point the app was priced as 0.99 dollar, and obviously I was super happy! It was awesome finding positive reviews of the app like this one from AppAdvice.
The days went by, and I had little time to focus on the app. It was fun waking up and check the downloads and reading feedback, but I couldn’t do much more.
Then on the 23rd of August I got this email.
I first had trouble believing it, my simple bedtime reminder, was considered to be featured on the front page of the App Store! I was stocked!
But there was a problem, for it to be considered you had to send in the necessary art work within 48 hours, a banner for the app made in Photoshop. I needed my locked up computer. So I went to the Sgt. who had the key to our belongings and explained the situation to him.
“That is not our problem.”
I was a bit shocked and very disappointed with his answer, I tried my best to make him change his mind, but as a private you can’t really argue with a Sgt. So I did the only reasonable thing, I called my mom and told her how unfair life is.
But I really could not let this opportunity go to waste, so the next day I went to my Leutnant (that’s two ranks higher then Sgt.). I told him that I had some very important documents on my computer, that I needed to send within the end of the day. He thought about for a minute, and finally said, “Ok, you’re allowed to use your computer for one hour today, not more.”
So that evening I went to the Sgt. and told him the Leutnant had approved it, and without too many questions I had had my computer! It was a glorious reunion. I rushed to put together a decent banner and submitted it. Now all I could do was wait and hope for the best.
The featured apps on the front page gets updated every Thursday, so needless to say I was pretty nervous waking up the following Thursday morning. But there is was, right there on the front page!
The first week it was featured in the New and Noteworthy category (now called “Best new apps”), but the next Thursday, when they updated it, my simple banner stood there proudly.
This obviously generated a lot of downloads, but also a lot of feedback. When I finally finished bootcamp and got my computer back I had a lot of fun implementing the most requested features. I got to say that is probably the most enjoyable thing about making apps, getting feedback and talking to people who really like your project.
So fast forward a bit, I’m having a great time in military, I eventually became a driver for one of these cool machines!
Making improvements on the app, adding fun things like this Happy New Year easter egg.
Then in January I made the app free with an in app purchase upgrade. This really increased the downloads, with over 35 000 on the first day, which really blew my mind.
So, it has been a really fun year. I’m happy with my choice of summer job and that it turned into a fantastic hobby as well. I’m now done with my mandatory year in the army and have have just started university, studying computer science of course ;)
To bed has more then 300 000 downloads now and currently holds a 4.5 star rating, which I’m especially proud of.
For anyone thinking about starting out making apps, just go for it. Pick up some books, and start small. Keep it simple and keep it fun.
If you got any questions or simply want to make fun of my terrible english, you can reach me on Twitter @tordasnes or Instagram☺
