Why I stopped listening to certain people and attending some development groups ...
Today! When talking to a friend and colleague, we discussed various aspects and ideas about technology and the Angolan market. We talked about almost everything about having an idea and getting people to join. My friend has a more corporate spirit, noticed in all discussions and / or debates that we have had since he works in a company with this spirit and most of the companies in Angola, at least those who take pride in that philosophy.
The conversation went very well, we agreed and disagreed in certain parts keeping the flow of ideas balanced. At least until he said:
"Too bad our people are still adopting this app culture slowly."
In a way he is not without reason. And in a way, this almost erroneous thinking causes many people not to bet on mobile development in Angola, perhaps in other areas as well, because they have this thought instilled in memory. He is just one of the many who have told me this and often even worse. I stopped being several groups because the comments were always unfounded criteria or an emotional and pejorative response.
The market, let alone the apps will start with users only.
In other words, even in the markets that exist and well developed despite user demand, I see companies trying to reach their metrics or achieve their goals to achieve and grow their user base.
So I started to think more about the value of the product I want to offer and not simply the user.
Several months ago I wrote an article, 2014 will be a mobile year for Angola. Several months have passed and we are going to analyze some events that have occurred to me now in the head.
BigBrother Angola
You must be thinking that this idea is kind of crazy, but let's get it straightened out. What the BigBrother Angola does it have to do with the Mobile scenario? Well this little event owned only in the first week we started 30.000 tastes on your page, which I believe is a good beginning of audience.
People voted for WeChat!
This phenomenon supported my theory. Obviously the amount of people recommending and downloading the application, WeChat. Pity not being able to know this in numbers anymore I believe it would be a huge base of users based on the furor of the event.
Expotic 2014
Expotic 2014 ran under the theme "cloud services and citizen mobility, present and future challenges, accessibility availability and quality. " Awakened to your attention "citizen mobility". It is the first time that I see the interest on the subject in an event of this level in Angola.
AppsForAngola
In the second period of the year the competition AppsForAngola. A contest that aims to inspire and guide people to create concepts of mobile apps that could raise, improve and give value to the daily lives of the people of Angola!
This is the first time that an event of this kind has been emphasized in Angola, and it is very good that the interests of those institutions or entities that can support and sponsor this kind of events begin to flourish.
“To participate, you must live in Angola, speak basic English, be 18–28 years old and each group must have 2–3 people.” Too bad my profile didn't fit the contest rules.
Another phenomenon is the number of people who use social networking applications as instagram, whatsapp and facebook messenger. These apps have boomed in the interest of people buying or wanting to buy a smartphone, especially the whatsapp. Nowadays almost all the people I know and maybe you know are using the whatsapp. So these users' smartphones can not run Angolan apps?
In September I started a project with a friend and he did the following study:
Sector analysis of the Angolan market at IT level
Information technology profits and expenses have grown exponentially in recent times, Angola could not escape the rule presenting great potential to bet on this sector.
Information technology consumers in Angola have grown substantially. The percentage of users in the use of technological resources is shown in the following illustration:
The image shows that in only 7 years this is from 2005 to 2012, the number of web users that was from 259.234 changed to 2.727.660. For mobile subscribers does not rule out in the same period the number that was from 1.611.118 changed to 10.508.758, just to mention these.
Wait a second! Let's repeat this part a little bit:
For mobile subscribers does not rule out in the same period the number that was from 1.611.118 changed to 10.508.758, just to mention these.
The implementation of new applications in Angola has had a percentage in the order of 48%, demonstrating the interest in the bet in this sector.
These are graphs of study analyzes from two years ago. That is, based on them and in an exponential growth stream the number should be higher now.
Entering the mobile market in Angola does not present a direct competitor given the scarcity of mobile applications and the lack of a good base of developers who are interested in the subject.
Analyzing the Top 100 of all application categories in the Angolan appstore, for example, you easily identify the lack of quality and the nonexistent number of applications targeted or useful for Angolan everyday life. Doing the same for google play store you will probably find more apps but they are not too few and too low quality to gain relevancy.
So you still do not want to take a chance on this side?
Let's now see some options that can serve as success factors for you that are in doubt to join for this adventure.
- Lack of competition
- Monopoly Opportunity
- Wide range of options and ideas to help the user
- Fast response to users
- Vision and strategic creativity of developers
- First to enter this business in a serious and responsible manner
I could continue this article by naming various issues that may be positive or negative for a mobile bet in Angola. But the truth is that the problem has long ceased to be the interest or lack of users. Our problem lies in the lack of developers who are interested, motivation or will power, etc ... our students, developers do not have a spirit of entrepreneurship, we are rooted in an idea of immediate result totally linked to monetary profit.
Applications in Angola can work and it is already a great need.
What is necessary is to see ideas that can make sense of our market, these ideas are ideas that can close some gap in the Angolan daily life.
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This text was published by Amarildo Lucas in Medium and republished in MenosFios with the author's authorization.
I will mention this in possible discussions: "The market, let alone apps will start with users only." 🙂
My 2 cents: There is no need for genius as many would be intimidated to start with a project about some idea considering that it is not original or that it would be useless, in fact, in principle it is a good idea to copy ideas / concepts from foreign applications and adapt them for the our reality. Important: when you have an idea, limit it so that it fits into standards that make it achievable in practice, since many would be discouraged from continuing to invest in that sense when they “fail” in putting into practice an “ideal” idea.
And of course, excellent and important reflection. I also think that Angolan apps are needed now.