#Mobile App Building Software

[digitalhealthinnovai8]

Best No-Code App Builders of 2024: Innovate Without Coding

In recent years, no-code app builder have revolutionized software development, allowing anyone from startups to established companies to create complex, feature-rich apps without traditional coding. Below, we review the top no-code platforms of 2024, highlighting their strengths, unique features, and ideal use cases. Notably, blueConsole by blueBriX stands out as a premier tool for healthcare-specific app creation.

1. Bubble – The Go-To Platform for Web Apps

Bubble empowers creators to build dynamic web applications with a powerful visual editor. Its flexibility makes it ideal for developing custom workflows, databases, and user interfaces that cater to businesses in e-commerce, social networking, and more.

Best For: Complex web apps for businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs.

2. blueConsole – Healthcare’s Customizable No-Code Solution

blueConsole by blueBriX is designed specifically for healthcare applications. This no-code platform simplifies the development of patient management, telemedicine, and other healthcare-focused applications. With built-in healthcare compliance, blueConsole integrates effortlessly with electronic health record (EHR) systems, making it a valuable asset for providers looking to streamline digital health solutions.

Best For: Healthcare providers and organizations seeking compliant, patient-focused app development.

3. Adalo – Perfect for Mobile-First Apps

Adalo focuses on the mobile experience, providing a simple, drag-and-drop interface for building apps tailored to both iOS and Android. Ideal for creating visually appealing and functional mobile apps quickly, Adalo is widely used by small businesses and startups.

Best For: Mobile-first applications for iOS and Android.

4. OutSystems – Low-Code Solutions for Enterprises

OutSystems is a robust low-code platform that combines the ease of no-code with more advanced customization. It’s built to support enterprise-level applications, making it suitable for larger organizations needing scalable solutions across web and mobile.

Best For: Large organizations requiring advanced functionality and scalability.

5. Glide – Quick Data-Driven Apps with Google Sheets

Glide enables users to transform Google Sheets data into fully functional applications, offering an intuitive way to build apps for internal use or customer interactions. This platform is ideal for businesses that work with structured data and need applications quickly.

Best For: Fast, data-driven app creation for businesses with existing data in Google Sheets.

6. Appgyver – Feature-Rich Platform for Cross-Platform Apps

Appgyver is known for supporting both web and mobile development. It’s a powerful tool that can cater to complex app requirements without needing to code, offering flexibility and customization options for users with a range of app-building needs.

Best For: Building customized apps for web and mobile without coding limitations.

7. Thunkable – User-Friendly Mobile Development

Thunkable is an easy-to-use platform for creating mobile applications. It’s a particularly good choice for users who want to launch both Android and iOS apps with the flexibility to incorporate multimedia elements, database connections, and third-party integrations.

Best For: Mobile app development, particularly for non-developers or small businesses needing cross-platform support.

This list highlights some of the best no-code app builders available in 2024. Each platform offers a unique set of features catering to different industries, making no-code development accessible, efficient, and powerful. With healthcare-focused platforms like blueConsole, even specialized industries can benefit from the flexibility of no-code solutions.

[simublade1]

Factors that impact the cost to build a mental health insurance platform

There are several factors which influence both cost and effort that businesses invest in developing an app. Knowing them beforehand can help you adjust certain areas of the project and make smarter choices. Find out below: Read on.

cost-to-build-mental-health-insurance-platform

[marrywillson]

In today’s competitive mobile app market, it’s crucial to find ways to stand out from the crowd. One powerful tool that can help you achieve this is artificial intelligence (AI). AI is rapidly transforming industries, and mobile app development is no exception. This article, explores the benefits of integrating AI into your mobile app. Let’s dive deeper and see how AI can revolutionize your app and boost your business.

[digiweb2u]

[webbuddyllc]

Mobile App Development Services by WebBuddy

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, mobile app development has become a critical component of business strategy. Companies worldwide are recognizing the potential of mobile applications to enhance customer engagement, streamline operations, and boost profitability. WebBuddy, a premier digital solutions provider, stands out in this domain with its innovative and client-centric mobile app development services. This article explores the various aspects of WebBuddy's mobile app development offerings, highlighting why businesses should choose WebBuddy for their mobile app needs.

Understanding the Mobile App Revolution

The surge in smartphone usage has transformed how businesses interact with their customers. Mobile apps have become essential tools for marketing, customer service, and sales. They offer personalized experiences, immediate access to products and services, and foster brand loyalty. Given this trend, a robust mobile app can be a game-changer for any business, regardless of its size or industry.

Why Choose WebBuddy?

1. Expertise and Experience

WebBuddy boasts a team of seasoned professionals with extensive experience in mobile app development. Their expertise spans across various platforms including iOS, Android, and cross-platform solutions. This diverse skill set ensures that WebBuddy can cater to the unique needs of each client, delivering high-quality, functional, and aesthetically pleasing apps.

2. Client-Centric Approach

At WebBuddy, the client is at the heart of everything they do. They take the time to understand each client's business goals, target audience, and specific requirements. This client-centric approach enables them to develop customized solutions that align perfectly with the client's vision and objectives. Whether it's a startup looking for its first app or an established enterprise seeking to enhance its mobile presence, WebBuddy provides tailored solutions that drive success.

3. Comprehensive Services

WebBuddy offers a full spectrum of mobile app development services, from initial consultation and conceptualization to design, development, testing, and post-launch support. This end-to-end service ensures a seamless experience for clients, as they receive all the support they need under one roof.

4. Cutting-Edge Technology

Staying abreast of the latest technological advancements is crucial in the fast-paced world of mobile app development. WebBuddy leverages cutting-edge tools and technologies to create apps that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and secure. Their expertise in advanced technologies like AI, AR/VR, IoT, and blockchain allows them to develop innovative solutions that provide a competitive edge to their clients.

Key Services Offered by WebBuddy

1. Native App Development

WebBuddy specializes in developing native apps for both iOS and Android platforms. Native apps are known for their superior performance and user experience, as they are specifically designed for a particular operating system. WebBuddy's developers are proficient in Swift and Objective-C for iOS, and Java and Kotlin for Android, ensuring that the apps are optimized for performance and functionality.

2. Cross-Platform App Development

For businesses looking to target both iOS and Android users without the need for separate apps, WebBuddy offers cross-platform app development services. Utilizing frameworks like React Native and Flutter, WebBuddy creates apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms, reducing development time and costs while maintaining a high-quality user experience.

3. UI/UX Design

An app's success heavily depends on its design. WebBuddy's team of creative designers focuses on crafting intuitive and engaging user interfaces. They prioritize user experience (UX) to ensure that the app is easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing, and highly functional. By conducting thorough user research and usability testing, they create designs that resonate with the target audience.

4. App Testing and Quality Assurance

To deliver flawless apps, WebBuddy places a strong emphasis on testing and quality assurance. Their comprehensive testing procedures include functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and usability testing. This rigorous process ensures that the apps are free of bugs and perform optimally under various conditions.

5. Maintenance and Support

The journey doesn't end with the launch of the app. WebBuddy provides ongoing maintenance and support to ensure that the app remains up-to-date and continues to perform well. Their support services include regular updates, bug fixes, performance optimization, and adding new features as needed. This commitment to long-term partnership ensures that clients get the most out of their investment.

Success Stories

WebBuddy's portfolio is a testament to their excellence in mobile app development. They have successfully delivered a wide range of apps across various industries, including e-commerce, healthcare, finance, education, and entertainment. Each project showcases their ability to combine technical expertise with creative design to deliver apps that exceed client expectations.

Case Study: E-Commerce App for a Leading Retailer

One of WebBuddy's notable projects involved developing an e-commerce app for a leading retailer. The client wanted a user-friendly app that could handle high traffic volumes and provide a seamless shopping experience. WebBuddy developed a robust app with features like personalized recommendations, secure payment gateways, and real-time inventory updates. The app significantly boosted the client's online sales and received positive feedback from users for its ease of use and functionality.

Case Study: Health & Wellness App

In another project, WebBuddy created a health and wellness app designed to help users track their fitness goals, monitor their diet, and connect with fitness experts. The app integrated with wearable devices and offered personalized workout plans and nutrition advice. It quickly became popular among health enthusiasts, thanks to its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

In today's mobile-first world, having a well-designed and functional mobile app is essential for business success. WebBuddy, with its extensive experience, client-centric approach, and commitment to innovation, is the ideal partner for businesses looking to leverage the power of mobile apps. Whether it's developing a new app from scratch or enhancing an existing one, WebBuddy's mobile app development services are designed to deliver exceptional results that drive growth and customer satisfaction. Choose WebBuddy, and take your business to the next level with a cutting-edge mobile app. 

[flutteragency]

Points to Follow While Hire Flutter Developer in 2024

The current mobile app landscape is no less than a battleground. With more than 4.8 million apps out in the market today (both iOS and Android), playing the field requires some of the best tools in your arsenal, the biggest one- a skilled Flutter developer.

In 2024, Flutter stands apart as a revolutionary open-source UI software development kit (SDK). It is revolutionizing the world of developers who work on building cross-platform applications, while ensuring that engaging and efficient user experience is at the core. All this, with a single codebase across mobile, desktop and web platforms.

With great power comes great responsibility- the task of hiring a capable Flutter developer. But not to worry, if you’re up to the task of choosing a great Flutter developer, this blog can help you out immensely. Read ahead to know what you should be looking for to hire your next Flutter developer.

But First: Why Flutter?

Since statistics speak more than anything else, according to the report by Grand View Research Inc., the global mobile app custom development market is projected to reach a staggering $935.2 billion by the coming year. The numbers show the potential that app developers have in the growing market, especially those who can work with cutting-edge frameworks, like Flutter.

Here’s what makes Flutter so desirable among the myriad of frameworks available for app development:

Consistent UI Logic Across Platforms:

Flutter has eliminated the need for platform-based specific UI components- ensuring a heightened user experience with cross-platform performance.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs):

PWAs offer online app-like functionality even while being offline, along with push notifications, elevating the entire user experience with regard to web apps.

Fast Development and Performant Apps:

One of the biggest advantages of using Flutter for app development is that it promises a faster developer process, eliminating the need for separate UI design and structure for iOS and Android. Along with this, the cross-platform framework allows developers to focus more on functionalities, resulting in faster performant apps.

Understanding the Flutter Developer Role

Flutter, built with Google’s Dart Programming Language programming language, is a framework that shows immense potential in the case of app development. To harness the entire potential of this, it is crucial to hire developers that can make the best of the Flutter framework to bring app ideas to life.

Identifying the right talent that can make the best of time and technology to take projects forward is another essential that hiring managers usually look for. A 2022 survey reveals that about 46% of software developers use Flutter to build their apps- a number that is close to comprising half of the developer population.

To meet project demands, a software developer must have a balanced blend of foundational software principles, as well as other technical skills, some of which are:

Dart Proficiency:

Dart is the backbone of the Flutter framework, hence, efficiency and experience in writing clean codes is the biggest requirement in a Flutter developer- an absolute non-negotiable.

Understanding Of the Flutter Framework:

The ideal Flutter developer will need to have a deep understanding of the entire Flutter framework, its widgets and libraries. Initially by Google, the Flutter framework is responsible for some of the currently well-known global apps, of which one is Google Adsense.

API Integration:

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) integration is extremely essential for a Flutter developer. The ability to integrate various APIs for building full-fledged apps with functionalities like data access, authentication, payment access, and more.

Version Control Systems:

Version Control systems are indispensable in collaborative environments. Any Flutter developers’ previous experiences must include collaborative projects or contributions to public repositories.

UI/UX Principles:

Another non-negotiable, any good Flutter developer should have the eye for translating UI designs into functional applications.

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Problem Resolving Skills:

This is a no-brainer, Flutter developers must have the innate ability of problem-solving, both in code, as well as in team management.

The Ultimate Hiring Guide For The Perfect Flutter Developer For Your Projects

Hiring processes for any job can be elaborate and time-consuming, especially when you are on the lookout for the perfect fit. But with the right developer hiring strategy, you can effectively narrow down and pick your unicorn Flutter developer from the thousands of applications in front of you.

Now, how do you go about hiring a perfect Flutter developer on job boards? Here’s what we think works best:

Craft the Perfect Flutter Developer Job Description

The job description is technically the first form of communication that a hiring manager can have with potential developer candidates. So, crafting an effective job description highlighting the role and responsibilities, Flutter skill set required; as well as highlighting the work culture is crucial to get candidates interested in the roles at first.

Ensure that there is always transparency regarding responsibilities, expectations, remuneration and work environment.

Cast the Net Wider:

Now is when as a hiring manager, you start to cast the net wider, and present the job requirement in different platforms- including all recruiter platforms (Stack Overflow, LinkedIn), job boards, as well as developer communities, so it reaches the right people.

The general idea with this is to acquire the perfect candidate pool, which you will later sift through for the perfect candidate.

Funnel Down:

The first step of screening often comes across as a huge task. But this is where you go about eliminating 75% of the candidate pool that came forth.

If you’re acquiring a large talent pool, you might require technical assistance for reviewing resumes and looking for their experience with Flutter. Once that is done, a simple call can help delve deeper into their experiences, interest and availability for the role.

Deep Dive: Interviews and Assessments

Here comes the elephant: within the few selected developers that you have acquired after eliminating the masses, it is time to conduct interviews.

Technical questions often reveal a candidate’s suitability for a role, as well as their experiences, and challenges they’ve faced and overcome with Flutter. Questions like state management, Dart programming, and widget lifecycle can be very insightful.

Practical tasks like small problems or projects can help understand a developer’s approach to problem-solving, as well as understand their time management skills.

Elaborate assessments like standardized coding tests, and custom challenges (for your business requirements), project simulations and paired programming sessions will help to nail the final decision regarding hiring the perfect candidate.

Conclusion

Skilled Flutter developers can take your company to the better heights of the developers’ world. But then again, recruiting top-level developers can be a daunting task. But if you know the perfect strategy and what you are looking for, then hiring the perfect Flutter developer in 2024 might just become a lot smoother and Flutter Agency can help you better in this.

With Google’s ongoing investment, Flutter’s future is extremely promising. The current market is one of the best times to invest in hiring Flutter developers, considering the already released Flutter-based apps in the market, it may not be far-fetched to say that Flutter is the future.

[performix]

Performix offers enterprise blockchain development services in the USA. Contact us for more details.

[blockverse-infotech]

Guide for Beginners in Android Development: Starting Out with Mobile App Creation

Delving into the world of Android development can be thrilling yet overwhelming for newcomers. The skilled team of mobile app developers at Blockverse Infotech Solutions is acquainted with the hurdles that beginners encounter in the app development realm. Come along as we present a detailed guide to aid novices in taking their initial steps in Android development and unleashing their creativity in crafting innovative mobile applications.

Android development presents numerous prospects for budding developers to materialize their concepts and contribute to the flourishing mobile app sector. Whether an amateur programmer or a proficient developer exploring the world of mobile app development, delving into Android may appear forbidding initially. However, with suitable guidance and resources, novices can embark on this journey with assurance and zest.

Commencing with Android development pertains to acquainting oneself with the fundamental principles and tools. Android Studio, the designated integrated development environment (IDE) for Android, avails an array of attributes and assets for constructing, testing, and debugging Android applications. To cultivate a robust comprehension of the development process, aspiring developers can avail Android Studio for free and peruse its extensive documentation and tutorials.

Comprehending the essentials of Java or Kotlin programming languages is imperative for Android development. While Java has historically been the favored language for Android app development, Kotlin has gained traction in recent times owing to its succinct syntax and robust functionalities. Beginners can opt for either language based on their preference and initiate learning the fundamentals through online tutorials, courses, and coding exercises.

Upon familiarizing oneself with the tools and programming languages, the next step involves plunging into formulating the first Android app. Embark on straightforward projects to grasp elementary concepts like layouts, views, and activities. Explore user interface (UI) design, navigation patterns, and data storage methods to amass practical experience and ameliorate your skills.

Progressing in your Blockverse Infotech Solutions Android development expedition entails delving into advanced subjects like managing user input, integrating APIs, and enhancing app performance. Utilize resources such as developer communities, forums, and online platforms for continued learning and growth.

[digitalhealthinnovai8]

Best No Code App Builders

For healthcare providers seeking to streamline processes, no-code app builder have become invaluable, enabling customized applications without complex coding. These tools, ideal for a custom-tailored medical billing services company, offer tailored functionality for healthcare workflows, including patient management, billing automation, and data handling. Leading options include platforms like blueDental,AppSheet, Bubble, and OutSystems, which provide drag-and-drop interfaces, integration with electronic health records (EHRs), and compliance with healthcare standards. This approach empowers providers to optimize operations efficiently, enhancing both administrative ease and patient outcomes.

[perfectiongeeks]

How Much Does it Cost to Build the Mobile Banking App: A Complete Guide?

Online banking software represents a potential growth area in the financial sector. Banking apps provide customers with convenient, secure, and easy access to financial services. Online banking apps help banks better serve their customers by providing a convenient, secure, and user-friendly mobile banking experience. Mobile banking apps that are the best allow users to perform fraudulent transactions on their mobile phones and other devices, giving them greater control over their finances. Making online banking apps allows customers to get the needed services quickly and efficiently. This will improve brand recognition.

Visit us:

[marrywillson]

Integrate AI into your mobile app to enhance user experience, improve efficiency, and drive business growth. Adding artificial intelligence (AI) to your app can lead to improved user experiences, streamlined operations, and data-driven decision-making.

[mobileappdevelopmentcompanyinuk]

Top 5 Food Delivery Software Solutions for Restaurants in 2023

Online meal delivery is still a small portion of the trillion-dollar food sector. This will not only provide you with important information, but it will also show you the techniques they employed to attain their peak position. They have drawn business enthusiasts and people from all around the world. And why not? In fact, it has been predicted that this market will reach USD 0.91 trillion by the end of 2023.

The figures make it quite clear that these applications are now commonplace in the tech sector. The demand for the meal delivery industry is predicted to reach a massive $956 million by 2023. Therefore, now is the ideal moment to start if you intend to ride the popular wagon wheel of online meal delivery.

However, you must first closely examine the dominant food delivery mobile app development solutions that are now dominating the industry. But before that, let us understand what exactly food delivery software is.

Is a Food Delivery Software Solution Worthy?

The task of automating online meal delivery is greatly aided by food delivery management software created by experts at the top mobile app development company in Birmingham. Ensuring that customers receive their orders on time and facilitating communications between patrons, suppliers, and restaurant owners are the main objectives of food ordering software. These apps also make it possible for customers and restaurants to closely monitor orders and deliveries, which unquestionably enhances the delivery experience.

Top Food Delivery Software Solutions for Restaurants

Foodies are a top target market for restaurants. So, it is much simpler to draw them in with restaurant delivery management software to order anything from anywhere. Moreover, food delivery applications are attracting the desired attention of company owners worldwide thanks to their consistently excellent growth.

Here is a list of the best restaurant software solutions by an app development company in Birmingham that you can utilize in 2023

1. Just Eat:

It is one of the UK’s most widely used mobile food ordering applications. The mobile app offers more than 30000 food suppliers listed who provide a variety of meals, including pizza, sushi, fish & chips, kebabs, wraps, and many more. By entering your Pin Code, you may browse the mobile app and get a list of the restaurants that deliver that Pin Code. Along with the name, it will display the cuisine they will deliver, their delivery costs, their minimum order limit, their distance from the Pin Code you provided, and the typical delivery time.

2. Deliveroo:

Deliveroo has been a food delivery company for around ten years and is currently accessible in more than ten nations worldwide. The business has teamed up with more than 80,000 food vendors that provide anything from sushi to pizza. Thus, it is the solution for all your meal needs, including late-night ones. It also includes a rating list for each of the meal partners.

3. Domino’s:

One of the well-known pizza companies was established in 1960; Domino’s has 90 foreign markets and branches all over the world. With various deals and discounts, Domino’s mobile app development UK allows you to purchase pizza, sides, beverages, and other items online. The app also offers several special deals only accessible through online purchases.

4. Uber Eats:

More than 50,000 restaurants are partners with Uber Eats. Anything is an option, from KFC to Starbucks. Uber Eats’ remarkable feature is that it gives you information about your designated delivery person, including their name and license plate number. The ordering procedure for food is much easier. All you need to do is enter your ID and password, get access to the Uber Eats platform, and create an account. Next, select the foods you want, choose a payment method, and place your order.

5. Zomato:

‘Foodiebay’ was the original name of the 2008 startup Zomato, an online restaurant search and delivery service. In order to assist other users in deciding whether or not to order and what to get from a restaurant, Zomato now lets users contribute ratings and reviews regarding the delivery service and the restaurant. Additionally, it tells restaurant owners what patrons believe about the cuisine and establishments they run.

Read Also – How UberEats Works: Online Food Delivery App Business Model Explained

Wrapping Up!

Food delivery software is now essential in our technologically advanced society in order to engage customers and provide a smooth experience. This is why using food delivery software equips food delivery app development companies to serve as a conduit between patrons of restaurants and enterprises. In the end, it aids business owners in producing better revenue-based outcomes. If you are also planning to give a new edge to your restaurant business, connect with Zimble Code today and utilize the best-suited food delivery solution!

Article Resource - https://zimblecode.com/top-5-food-delivery-software-solutions-for-restaurants-in-2023/

[exeggcute]

the great reddit API meltdown of '23, or: this was always bound to happen

there's a lot of press about what's going on with reddit right now (app shutdowns, subreddit blackouts, the CEO continually putting his foot in his mouth), but I haven't seen as much stuff talking about how reddit got into this situation to begin with. so as a certified non-expert and Context Enjoyer I thought it might be helpful to lay things out as I understand them—a high-level view, surveying the whole landscape—in the wonderful world of startups, IPOs, and extremely angry users.

disclaimer that I am not a founder or VC (lmao), have yet to work at a company with a successful IPO, and am not a reddit employee or third-party reddit developer or even a subreddit moderator. I do work at a startup, know my way around an API or two, and have spent twelve regrettable years on reddit itself. which is to say that I make no promises of infallibility, but I hope you'll at least find all this interesting.

profit now or profit later

before you can really get into reddit as reddit, it helps to know a bit about startups (of which reddit is one). and before I launch into that, let me share my Three Types Of Websites framework, which is basically just a mental model about financial incentives that's helped me contextualize some of this stuff.

(1) website/software that does not exist to make money: relatively rare, for a variety of reasons, among them that it costs money to build and maintain a website in the first place. wikipedia is the evergreen example, although even wikipedia's been subject to criticism for how the wikimedia foundation pays out its employees and all that fun nonprofit stuff. what's important here is that even when making money is not the goal, money itself is still a factor, whether it's solicited via donations or it's just one guy paying out of pocket to host a hobby site. but websites in this category do, generally, offer free, no-strings-attached experiences to their users.

(I do want push back against the retrospective nostalgia of "everything on the internet used to be this way" because I don't think that was ever really true—look at AOL, the dotcom boom, the rise of banner ads. I distinctly remember that neopets had multiple corporate sponsors, including a cookie crisp-themed flash game. yahoo bought geocities for $3.6 billion; money's always been trading hands, obvious or not. it's indisputable that the internet is simply different now than it was ten or twenty years ago, and that monetization models themselves have largely changed as well (I have thoughts about this as it relates to web 1.0 vs web 2.0 and their associated costs/scale/etc.), but I think the only time people weren't trying to squeeze the internet for all the dimes it can offer was when the internet was first conceived as a tool for national defense.)

(2) website/software that exists to make money now: the type that requires the least explanation. mostly non-startup apps and services, including any random ecommerce storefront, mobile apps that cost three bucks to download, an MMO with a recurring subscription, or even a news website that runs banner ads and/or offers paid subscriptions. in most (but not all) cases, the "make money now" part is obvious, so these things don't feel free to us as users, even to the extent that they might have watered-down free versions or limited access free trials. no one's shocked when WoW offers another paid expansion packs because WoW's been around for two decades and has explicitly been trying to make money that whole time.

(3) website/software that exists to make money later: this is the fun one, and more common than you'd think. "make money later" is more or less the entire startup business model—I'll get into that in the next section—and is deployed with the expectation that you will make money at some point, but not always by means as obvious as "selling WoW expansions for forty bucks a pop."

companies in this category tend to have two closely entwined characteristics: they prioritize growth above all else, regardless of whether this growth is profitable in any way (now, or sometimes, ever), and they do this by offering users really cool and awesome shit at little to no cost (or, if not for free, then at least at a significant loss to the company).

so from a user perspective, these things either seem free or far cheaper than their competitors. but of course websites and software and apps and [blank]-as-a-service tools cost money to build and maintain, and that money has to come from somewhere, and the people supplying that money, generally, expect to get it back...

just not immediately.

startups, VCs, IPOs, and you

here's the extremely condensed "did NOT go to harvard business school" version of how a startup works:

(1) you have a cool idea.

(2) you convince some venture capitalists (also known as VCs) that your idea is cool. if they see the potential in what you're pitching, they'll give you money in exchange for partial ownership of your company—which means that if/when the company starts trading its stock publicly, these investors will own X numbers of shares that they can sell at any time. in other words, you get free money now (and you'll likely seek multiple "rounds" of investors over the years to sustain your company), but with the explicit expectations that these investors will get their payoff later, assuming you don't crash and burn before that happens.

during this phase, you want to do anything in your power to make your company appealing to investors so you can attract more of them and raise funds as needed. because you are definitely not bringing in the necessary revenue to offset operating costs by yourself.

it's also worth nothing that this is less about projecting the long-term profitability of your company than it's about its perceived profitability—i.e., VCs want to put their money behind a company that other people will also have confidence in, because that's what makes stock valuable, and VCs are in it for stock prices.

(3) there are two non-exclusive win conditions for your startup: you can get acquired, and you can have an IPO (also referred to as "going public"). these are often called "exit scenarios" and they benefit VCs and founders, as well as some employees. it's also possible for a company to get acquired, possibly even more than once, and then later go public.

acquisition: sell the whole damn thing to someone else. there are a million ways this can happen, some better than others, but in many cases this means anyone with ownership of the company (which includes both investors and employees who hold stock options) get their stock bought out by the acquiring company and end up with cash in hand. in varying amounts, of course. sometimes the founders walk away, sometimes the employees get laid off, but not always.

IPO: short for "initial public offering," this is when the company starts trading its stocks publicly, which means anyone who wants to can start buying that company's stock, which really means that VCs (and employees with stock options) can turn that hypothetical money into real money by selling their company stock to interested buyers.

drawing from that, companies don't go for an IPO until they think their stock will actually be worth something (or else what's the point?)—specifically, worth more than the amount of money that investors poured into it. The Powers That Be will speculate about a company's IPO potential way ahead of time, which is where you'll hear stuff about companies who have an estimated IPO evaluation of (to pull a completely random example) $10B. actually I lied, that was not a random example, that was reddit's valuation back in 2021 lol. but a valuation is basically just "how much will people be interested in our stock?"

as such, in the time leading up to an IPO, it's really really important to do everything you can to make your company seem like a good investment (which is how you get stock prices up), usually by making the company's numbers look good. but! if you plan on cashing out, the long-term effects of your decisions aren't top of mind here. remember, the industry lingo is "exit scenario."

if all of this seems like a good short-term strategy for companies and their VCs, but an unsustainable model for anyone who's buying those stocks during the IPO, that's because it often is.

also worth noting that it's possible for a company to be technically unprofitable as a business (meaning their costs outstrip their revenue) and still trade enormously well on the stock market; uber is the perennial example of this. to the people who make money solely off of buying and selling stock, it literally does not matter that the actual rideshare model isn't netting any income—people think the stock is valuable, so it's valuable.

this is also why, for example, elon musk is richer than god: if he were only the CEO of tesla, the money he'd make from selling mediocre cars would be (comparatively, lol) minimal. but he's also one of tesla's angel investors, which means he holds a shitload of tesla stock, and tesla's stock has performed well since their IPO a decade ago (despite recent dips)—even if tesla itself has never been a huge moneymaker, public faith in the company's eventual success has kept them trading at high levels. granted, this also means most of musk's wealth is hypothetical and not liquid; if TSLA dropped to nothing, so would the value of all the stock he holds (and his net work with it).

what's an API, anyway?

to move in an entirely different direction: we can't get into reddit's API debacle without understanding what an API itself is.

an API (short for "application programming interface," not that it really matters) is a series of code instructions that independent developers can use to plug their shit into someone else's shit. like a series of tin cans on strings between two kids' treehouses, but for sending and receiving data.

APIs work by yoinking data directly from a company's servers instead of displaying anything visually to users. so I could use reddit's API to build my own app that takes the day's top r/AITA post and transcribes it into pig latin: my app is a bunch of lines of code, and some of those lines of code fetch data from reddit (and then transcribe that data into pig latin), and then my app displays the content to anyone who wants to see it, not reddit itself. as far as reddit is concerned, no additional human beings laid eyeballs on that r/AITA post, and reddit never had a chance to serve ads alongside the pig-latinized content in my app. (put a pin in this part—it'll be relevant later.)

but at its core, an API is really a type of protocol, which encompasses a broad category of formats and business models and so on. some APIs are completely free to use, like how anyone can build a discord bot (but you still have to host it yourself). some companies offer free APIs to third-party developers can build their own plugins, and then the company and the third-party dev split the profit on those plugins. some APIs have a free tier for hobbyists and a paid tier for big professional projects (like every weather API ever, lol). some APIs are strictly paid services because the API itself is the company's core offering.

reddit's financial foundations

okay thanks for sticking with me. I promise we're almost ready to be almost ready to talk about the current backlash.

reddit has always been a startup's startup from day one: its founders created the site after attending a startup incubator (which is basically a summer camp run by VCs) with the successful goal of creating a financially successful site. backed by that delicious y combinator money, reddit got acquired by conde nast only a year or two after its creation, which netted its founders a couple million each. this was back in like, 2006 by the way. in the time since that acquisition, reddit's gone through a bunch of additional funding rounds, including from big-name investors like a16z, peter thiel (yes, that guy), sam altman (yes, also that guy), sequoia, fidelity, and tencent. crunchbase says that they've raised a total of $1.3B in investor backing.

in all this time, reddit has never been a public company, or, strictly speaking, profitable.

APIs and third-party apps

reddit has offered free API access for basically as long as it's had a public API—remember, as a "make money later" company, their primary goal is growth, which means attracting as many users as possible to the platform. so letting anyone build an app or widget is (or really, was) in line with that goal.

as such, third-party reddit apps have been around forever. by third-party apps, I mean apps that use the reddit API to display actual reddit content in an unofficial wrapper. iirc reddit didn't even have an official mobile app until semi-recently, so many of these third-party mobile apps in particular just sprung up to meet an unmet need, and they've kept a small but dedicated userbase ever since. some people also prefer the user experience of the unofficial apps, especially since they offer extra settings to customize what you're seeing and few to no ads (and any ads these apps do display are to the benefit of the third-party developers, not reddit itself.)

(let me add this preemptively: one solution I've seen proposed to the paid API backlash is that reddit should have third-party developers display reddit's ads in those third-party apps, but this isn't really possible or advisable due to boring adtech reasons I won't inflict on you here. source: just trust me bro)

in addition to mobile apps, there are also third-party tools that don’t replace the Official Reddit Viewing Experience but do offer auxiliary features like being able to mass-delete your post history, tools that make the site more accessible to people who use screen readers, and tools that help moderators of subreddits moderate more easily. not to mention a small army of reddit bots like u/AutoWikibot or u/RemindMebot (and then the bots that tally the number of people who reply to bot comments with “good bot” or “bad bot).

the number of people who use third-party apps is relatively small, but they arguably comprise some of reddit’s most dedicated users, which means that third-party apps are important to the people who keep reddit running and the people who supply reddit with high-quality content.

unpaid moderators and user-generated content

so reddit is sort of two things: reddit is a platform, but it’s also a community.

the platform is all the unsexy (or, if you like python, sexy) stuff under the hood that actually makes the damn thing work. this is what the company spends money building and maintaining and "owns." the community is all the stuff that happens on the platform: posts, people, petty squabbles. so the platform is where the content lives, but ultimately the content is the reason people use reddit—no one’s like “yeah, I spend time on here because the backend framework really impressed me."

and all of this content is supplied by users, which is not unique among social media platforms, but the content is also managed by users, which is. paid employees do not govern subreddits; unpaid volunteers do. and moderation is the only thing that keeps reddit even remotely tolerable—without someone to remove spam, ban annoying users, and (god willing) enforce rules against abuse and hate speech, a subreddit loses its appeal and therefore its users. not dissimilar to the situation we’re seeing play out at twitter, except at twitter it was the loss of paid moderators;  reddit is arguably in a more precarious position because they could lose this unpaid labor at any moment, and as an already-unprofitable company they absolutely cannot afford to implement paid labor as a substitute.

oh yeah? spell "IPO" backwards

so here we are, June 2023, and reddit is licking its lips in anticipation of a long-fabled IPO. which means it’s time to start fluffing themselves up for investors by cutting costs (yay, layoffs!) and seeking new avenues of profit, however small.

this brings us to the current controversy: reddit announced a new API pricing plan that more or less prevents anyone from using it for free.

from reddit's perspective, the ostensible benefits of charging for API access are twofold: first, there's direct profit to be made off of the developers who (may or may not) pay several thousand dollars a month to use it, and second, cutting off unsanctioned third-party mobile apps (possibly) funnels those apps' users back into the official reddit mobile app. and since users on third-party apps reap the benefit of reddit's site architecture (and hosting, and development, and all the other expenses the site itself incurs) without “earning” money for reddit by generating ad impressions, there’s a financial incentive at work here: even if only a small percentage of people use third-party apps, getting them to use the official app instead translates to increased ad revenue, however marginal.

(also worth mentioning that chatGPT and other LLMs were trained via tools that used reddit's API to scrape post and content data, and now that openAI is reaping the profits of that training without giving reddit any kickbacks, reddit probably wants to prevent repeats of this from happening in the future. if you want to train the next LLM, it's gonna cost you.)

of course, these changes only benefit reddit if they actually increase the company’s revenue and perceived value/growth—which is hard to do when your users (who are also the people who supply the content for other users to engage with, who are also the people who moderate your communities and make them fun to participate in) get really fucking pissed and threaten to walk.

pricing shenanigans

under the new API pricing plan, third-party developers are suddenly facing steep costs to maintain the apps and tools they’ve built.

most paid APIs are priced by volume: basically, the more data you send and receive, the more money it costs. so if your third-party app has a lot of users, you’ll have to make more API requests to fetch content for those users, and your app becomes more expensive to maintain. (this isn’t an issue if the tool you’re building also turns a profit, but most third-party reddit apps make little, if any, money.)

which is why, even though third-party apps capture a relatively small portion of reddit’s users, the developer of a popular third-party app called apollo recently learned that it would cost them about $20 million a year to keep the app running. and apollo actually offers some paid features (for extra in-app features independent of what reddit offers), but nowhere near enough to break even on those API costs.

so apollo, any many apps like it, were suddenly unable to keep their doors open under the new API pricing model and announced that they'd be forced to shut down.

backlash, blackout

plenty has been said already about the current subreddit blackouts—in like, official news outlets and everything—so this might be the least interesting section of my whole post lol. the short version is that enough redditors got pissed enough that they collectively decided to take subreddits “offline” in protest, either by making them read-only or making them completely inaccessible. their goal was to send a message, and that message was "if you piss us off and we bail, here's what reddit's gonna be like: a ghost town."

but, you may ask, if third-party apps only captured a small number of users in the first place, how was the backlash strong enough to result in a near-sitewide blackout? well, two reasons:

first and foremost, since moderators in particular are fond of third-party tools, and since moderators wield outsized power (as both the people who keep your site more or less civil, and as the people who can take a subreddit offline if they feel like it), it’s in your best interests to keep them happy. especially since they don’t get paid to do this job in the first place, won’t keep doing it if it gets too hard, and essentially have nothing to lose by stepping down.

then, to a lesser extent, the non-moderator users on third-party apps tend to be Power Users who’ve been on reddit since its inception, and as such likely supply a disproportionate amount of the high-quality content for other users to see (and for ads to be served alongside). if you drive away those users, you’re effectively kneecapping your overall site traffic (which is bad for Growth) and reducing the number/value of any ad impressions you can serve (which is bad for revenue).

also a secret third reason, which is that even people who use the official apps have no stake in a potential IPO, can smell the general unfairness of this whole situation, and would enjoy the schadenfreude of investors getting fucked over. not to mention that reddit’s current CEO has made a complete ass of himself and now everyone hates him and wants to see him suffer personally.

(granted, it seems like reddit may acquiesce slightly and grant free API access to a select set of moderation/accessibility tools, but at this point it comes across as an empty gesture.)

"later" is now "now"

TL;DR: this whole thing is a combination of many factors, specifically reddit being intensely user-driven and self-governed, but also a high-traffic site that costs a lot of money to run (why they willingly decided to start hosting video a few years back is beyond me...), while also being angled as a public stock market offering in the very near future. to some extent I understand why reddit’s CEO doubled down on the changes—he wants to look strong for investors—but he’s also made a fool of himself and cast a shadow of uncertainty onto reddit’s future, not to mention the PR nightmare surrounding all of this. and since arguably the most important thing in an IPO is how much faith people have in your company, I honestly think reddit would’ve fared better if they hadn’t gone nuclear with the API changes in the first place.

that said, I also think it’s a mistake to assume that reddit care (or needs to care) about its users in any meaningful way, or at least not as more than means to an end. if reddit shuts down in three years, but all of the people sitting on stock options right now cashed out at $120/share and escaped unscathed... that’s a success story! you got your money! VCs want to recoup their investment—they don’t care about longevity (at least not after they’re gone), user experience, or even sustained profit. those were never the forces driving them, because these were never the ultimate metrics of their success.

and to be clear: this isn’t unique to reddit. this is how pretty much all startups operate.

I talked about the difference between “make money now” companies and “make money later” companies, and what we’re experiencing is the painful transition from “later” to “now.” as users, this change is almost invisible until it’s already happened—it’s like a rug we didn’t even know existed gets pulled out from under us.

the pre-IPO honeymoon phase is awesome as a user, because companies have no expectation of profit, only growth. if you can rely on VC money to stay afloat, your only concern is building a user base, not squeezing a profit out of them. and to do that, you offer cool shit at a loss: everything’s chocolate and flowers and quarterly reports about the number of signups you’re getting!

...until you reach a critical mass of users, VCs want to cash in, and to prepare for that IPO leadership starts thinking of ways to make the website (appear) profitable and implements a bunch of shit that makes users go “wait, what?”

I also touched on this earlier, but I want to reiterate a bit here: I think the myth of the benign non-monetized internet of yore is exactly that—a myth. what has changed are the specific market factors behind these websites, and their scale, and the means by which they attempt to monetize their services and/or make their services look attractive to investors, and so from a user perspective things feel worse because the specific ways we’re getting squeezed have evolved. maybe they are even worse, at least in the ways that matter. but I’m also increasingly less surprised when this occurs, because making money is and has always been the goal for all of these ventures, regardless of how they try to do so.