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Apple Announces App Store Small Business Program

(www.apple.com)
830 points todsacerdoti | 2 comments | 18 Nov 20 11:04 UTC | HN request time: 0.403s | source
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jakozaur ◴[18 Nov 20 11:18 UTC] No.25135512[source]▶
Great move!

30% is a case for antitrust given how big Apple App Store today is. 15% seems reasonable, 10% would be ideal.

Though it should be 15% for everybody, no artificial caps. Moreover, I believe once you become a platform there should be an independent nano-courthouse where you can appeal.

Today being rejected by Apple, Amazon, or Google platform is equivalent to the economical death penalty for many individuals.

It should be possible to pay $100 by individuals and appeal to an independent nano-courthouse if the original platform rejects or blocks you. If you win, the appeal fee is refunded and the platform has to cover the cost. If you lose, your $100 is gone.

Fee could be adjusted to your earnings, but basic mechanism should stay the same.

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varispeed ◴[18 Nov 20 11:30 UTC] No.25135617[source]▶
15% is almost like state level tax. They shouldn't ask more than 5% or they should take payment per app review and take no sales commission. The app store is what makes their iPhones useful, so in my view they should be paying developers to make apps not the other way around.
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singemonkey ◴[18 Nov 20 11:46 UTC] No.25135738[source]▶
Tone can be hard to judge, so you should append the /s tag to make it clear you're joking, otherwise people are going to assume you mean it.
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varispeed ◴[18 Nov 20 11:47 UTC] No.25135748[source]▶
What makes you think it is a joke? Happy to hear why you think 15% is reasonable.
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HatchedLake721 ◴[18 Nov 20 12:16 UTC] No.25135930[source]▶
Because by suggesting Apple pay developers to make apps and not the other way around you either don't know history, how markets and distribution work, or you're making a joke.

You strategy played out very well in pre 2008 days with Windows Mobile. It also played out very well for Microsoft paying developers to create apps for Windows Phone, before Microsoft admitted defeat and left the phone market they were in since 1996.

About the 15%.

Have you tried running a business to make a living?

Have you tried building something yourself?

Have you tried selling it in 155 countries?

Have you tried getting access to a market of 1+ billion people?

Have you tried monitoring you don't breach regulations and tax thresholds in 155 countries?

Have you tried registering for VAT MOSS in one of the EU countries?

Have you tried implementing IP geo-location for your European customers, to charge a correct VAT amount out of 27 options?

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1. varispeed ◴[18 Nov 20 12:35 UTC] No.25136062[source]▶
This is laughable. You can setup Shopify to sell your physical inventory worldwide plus get an invoicing solution that deals with MOSS etc. for fraction of what Apple charges for hosting a file in an app. Plus they don't allow competing app stores, so they can dictate these extortionate prices.
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2. HatchedLake721 ◴[18 Nov 20 12:58 UTC] No.25136221[source]▶
I don't know what an e-commerce platform has to do with a distribution platform.

Just because you can create a store with Shopify, or build a website with Wix, doesn't mean you get access to a marketplace with billion people in it.

There's a reason why sellers want to be on Amazon, even when they have their own Shopify shops.