Home Grown Success

If you're an O2 customer, there's no figure that could quantify the debt you owe to App Sandwich founder and Eirtext app creator Vinny Coyne. We had a few minutes of Vinny's time and asked him to wax lyrical on the creation of his Eirtext iPhone app, the newly-launched App Sandwich and if he had any advice for budding Irish app creators.

By Emmet Purcell

JOE: First off, what is the goal behind your new site App Sandwich?

Vinny: The goal at App Sandwich is to provide world-class software solutions for mobile & desktop. Whether it’s iOS, Mac, Windows, or Android, we have the skills and experience to help bring your app to life.

JOE: App Sandwich has only been around a couple of months, but how has the response been thus far? Do you look at it purely from a business standpoint or do you see it instead as a fun service that you enjoy providing?

Vinny: I think it’s a bit of both, to be honest. While App Sandwich is quite new, I myself have been developing software commercially since around 2006 - the majority of that time spent working in the mobile space. There are so many great ideas flooding our inbox each day that it can be hard to keep up with them all - in general, we pick the most interesting or exciting ideas. Every new app we work on is fun and challenging, so it’s a very enjoyable experience. While it’s important to be able to pay the bills, I don’t think I’d be doing this if I didn’t enjoy it.

JOE: In terms of backstory, do you come from a software engineering background? Was it something you pursued in college?

Vinny: I’ve always been interested in software development. I took my first programming class when I was 16 - Visual Basic - and I loved it. I was lucky enough to know at an early age that it was what I wanted to do.

I studied Electronic & Computer Engineering in NUI, Galway, for four years and after I got my degree, I worked for a Galway-based startup, called Futiro. It was while I was working there that I picked up an iPhone and began hacking it and writing code for it. After a couple of years there, I went out on my own as a freelance developer.

JOE: Probably your biggest app would have to be EirText and EirText Pro, which allow users to use their webtxt allowance for txts over their iPhone – how did that come about? Was it your first attempt at building an app?

Vinny: The EirText apps were my first foray into self-published apps. Previously, I’d created software for others, as well as apps for personal use, but I’d never released anything of my own to the public.

EirText actually started out as an “unofficial” app, prior to Apple allowing developers access to the iPhone. I jumped at the chance to go the official route once the App Store was announced. It was something I’d created to test out the development tools and then figure out how App Store distribution worked.

If your actual text message conversations sound like this, you have no soul

It’s amazing how popular the EirText apps have become - we passed 100,000 users globally a few months back and so far it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

JOE: What happened with the My O2 service (a service that let iPhone users check their remaining monthly units, it was eventually re-branded by O2 themselves) – was it a case of O2 being impressed with your app and wanting their name on it or was it a change brought about from litigious confrontation?

Vinny: Well, initially there was some hassle over the branding of the app, which was promptly changed. I think that O2 were impressed with the app and how well it worked. Their customers wanted something official, and rather than build their own from scratch, they decided to acquire it and bring me on board to keep it up to date. They have a fantastic team focused on mobile apps and services. It’s been a pleasure to work with them.

JOE: Currently you have three phone-texting apps in the App Store and another, Simple List, which is completely unrelated – what made you step out of your comfort zone for Simple List? Do you plan to again?

Vinny: Definitely! I love that EirText has become so popular, but it’s always nice to expand the portfolio. Part of that includes the work we do for clients - some highlights include Irish Taxi and O2 Blueroom. Simple List was created as part of a little experiment I did a while back. I wanted to show how quick & easy it was to create a basic app for iOS and get it onto the store. It was coded over a weekend, submitted to Apple, and approved a couple of weeks later.

Simple List was a huge hit among pizza and carrot lovers everywhere

JOE: Are the majority of your future projects going to be devoted to App Sandwich or can we expect new apps coming to our phones bearing your name?

Vinny: It’s a lot of work to publish an app yourself and provide support for it, as well as other various maintenance that needs to be done. So, I tend to focus mainly on client work these days. I’m always dreaming up new app ideas, however. I have a couple of concepts that I’ve been toying around with for a while now - so I’d like to put some time aside to work on them next year. It’s always nice to see an idea of your own become a reality!

JOE: Would I be right in thinking that you only design apps for iOS (Apple's operating system)? Or would App Sandwich cover Android and Windows Phone 7?

Vinny: Right now, the only published apps are for iOS, but I’m always looking at other platforms, and have written various bits and pieces for both Android and Windows Phone 7. I’m particularly interested in Microsoft’s platform - I think it has potential to be another great OS for users and developers alike.

Android is gaining a huge market share - they’re selling a lot of phones! Unfortunately, the development experience leaves a lot to be desired, which makes it very difficult to work with. Hopefully Google can improve on that experience.

JOE: How would you describe the difference in the market for apps nowadays compared to when you first began?

Vinny: When I first started, there was an uncertainty around the App Store. Would it be difficult to get approved? What sort of download figures would we see? Would users be willing to pay for apps?

Initially, companies were hesitant to invest in building an app. I think they saw it as a fad that would disappear after a few months. Thankfully, the App Store took off in ways that nobody could have imagined and now it’s a given that all smartphone platforms have their own software store.

JOE: So would you say building apps is a lucrative market?

Vinny: Yes, but like everything else, only if you’re good at what you do. There’s a huge amount of hard work involved in designing a product from scratch, bringing it from concept to a working piece of software, and then maintaining it after release.

There’s a crazy demand for developers right now, particularly in iOS development. I can only see this continue with the upcoming battle for the tablet space. It’s a good area to be working in right now, definitely.

JOE: Finally, do you have any advice for any other budding app creators out there on how best they can shoot up the app store charts? Or any advice on the best way they could monetise their services?

Vinny: I really wish I had a definitive answer to both of those questions! Regarding App Store success, make sure your app is well-designed - hire a designer if necessary! Not only should your app look great, but it should be intuitive and robust. If your app is confusing or buggy, users will just ignore it and move on to the next one. Most apps are used in 30-second bursts, so make a good first impression.

The App Sandwich website can be found here. App updates and news can be found on Vinny's personal blog at www.vinnycoyne.com.