Before I invest time in learning a new app, I look under the hood
I used to be much more spontaneous in jumping into new apps because they just looked too cool or useful or amazing.
Now I tend to be more cautious and try to look under the hood first. Why? Because I've been burned way too often, spending a lot of energy and time learning how to use an app and integrate it into my life....only to have the developer abandon it after just a short time, find out that it doesn't live up to the shiny window dressing, find out that the company is just luring in as many users as possible to beat out the competition but doesn't have a business plan for how it's going to survive longterm, doesn't have any kind of reliable support for tech issues etc.
Keep in mind that this is just MY own approach; I'm not saying it's the right one.
What I look for (and hope for):
- Good people behind the app. Who are they and why are they creating the app? Is there just one developer, or a team? If just one developer, then I confess a bit more nervous about relying too much on their app....what happens if the person loses interest? Has to step away from development because of finances / life / other work?
- Evidence that there is some kind of business plan. Open-source apps don't technically need this but in case an app becomes super-popular, I look for sustainability: is there a realistic plan to for how the app can continue to exist if people come to depend on it?
- If there is a Discord server associated with the app that is active, not just with users but also with at least one app team member who is also active on the server, or....
- If there at least one support person active on Bluesky who is actively answering questions from users, or....
- Some other place online where people can ask questions and get them answered. Ideally the developer is NOT just launching a Discord server and expecting users to help each other.
Plus:
- Good user documentation. See my other blog post about why this is so important.
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