I have been using the past weeks to gather feedback from existing and churned customers to understand better which direction StorePreviewer should go.
Quite recently, I have also come across more and more "competitors" of StorePreviewer. Some of them even seemed to have peaked a bit at StorePreviewer and adjust their copy a bit 😜I would split them into two categories:
a) they provide a trimmed-down/subset of SP functionality and focus on App Store A/B testing. Essentially, they allow their customers to run ads that either display version A or version B on a website that exactly looks like the real App Store. While users think they are using the real App Store, they are in fact, using a website that redirects them once they click the fake install button. These companies seem very enterprisey and often have intransparent pricing.
b) they provide a similar functionality as part of their App Store Optimization tool, but their user interface is bad and the devices are outdated.
The latter does oppose somewhat of a threat since they are essentially baking StorePreviewer's core feature into their existing ecosystem and therefore, provide a much more holistic solution for their customers.
The feedback so far
Overall, the feedback I have received so far is that StorePreviewer's preview functionality is superior to all existing solutions. People love the design and user experience. However, for some users, the current feature set is very limiting and they mentioned some interesting features that I am considering adding soon. I think this is great feedback as it resonates with my current perception so far. I am still in the process of finding the right product-market fit for StorePreviewer.
Acquisition offer
Oh yeah, one more thing. A couple of weeks ago, a venture fund that acquires early-stage businesses approached me via email and asked to buy StorePreviewer potentially. I was flattered and super excited that someone saw so much value in it just three months after StorePreviewer's launch. Since I believe that there is so much more potential, I turned down the offer right away and we didn't even get to the point of discussing the actual amount. We agreed on staying in contact, though.
That's it for now. In the following weeks I will try to gather more feedback and build the features that are in the queue. I got to admit, running StorePreviewer next to my full-time Master's degree and freelancing is really tough. However, all of this is very exciting and I truly love the experience of building my first SaaS and engaging with customers. It is a tough grind but I am willing to give it my best try.
