There’s already been an app for that

For upon |We all like to think that we’re pretty unique. We like to feel special, and this is especially true when it comes to our business ideas. After all, no one wants to feel derivative of a competitor when you’re standing in front of investors, fighting for finances. And yet there are hundreds of apps being published every month on the three most popular app stores (Apple, Play, and Windows), which makes us beg the question…has there already been an app for that?

Probably.

It can be a rather disheartening thought, but it’s rare that a completely new and novel idea comes to market, especially within the app market which has basic limitations based on the functionality of devices.

Brilliant ideas can occur to anyone around the world, and although there are few geniuses like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, most of us are not at their level – or are part of the generation with so much innovation already completed.

That makes it almost safe to say that there has already been an idea for an app that is just like yours.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Unique isn’t always better. You do not want to be the lone wolf in the crowd saying that something in the app development world is needed, if no one agrees with you.

If there has already been an app launched that solves a similar challenge to yours, it’s time to celebrate! They have demonstrated that there is a proven market for what it is that you are creating. That means that there could easily be investors and customers willing to hand over money to you.

Learn from their mistakes.

Few companies actually want to be the first to market. Why? Because there is always a moment of failure. People are naturally resistant to change, and so anything new that comes at them will initially be treated with suspicion.

If your competitors failed, they failed for a reason – why? By examining their path to launching, their customer service (or lack thereof), and how they came to an end, you can learn a huge amount about what your market is looking for, what they’ll tolerate, and what they won’t.

Be the last app for that.

It’s time to change your thinking. You don’t want to be the first app to do something, you want to be the last app to do something. You want to solve your customers’ challenges so completely that they never have to think about another app for that again.

You want to become one of those golden apps, the 10% that actually succeed.