Fame Begets $: Marco Arment + Overcast, Patronage Pricing, and Marketable Apps for Indies

Marco Arment is a pretty well-known guru in the Apple world. He started as a blogger and super-successful web developer, kept up with his craft, and built up quite a formidable following. As a result, his patronage model of his podcast app Overcast has been wildly successful.

Is this a great model for the average Joe like me? Not so much. A well-executed podcast client that is a perfect app made by the superstar developer behind Instapaper is the perfect formula for such a model, but other apps really can't get away with this model.

I'm thinking of writing an app for 20-somethings that tracks ongoing "tab" between friends. Given the demographic and purpose of the app, I don't think it can generate money using this model, if any money at all. I'm not a Marco, and maybe I don't want that kind of attention. But ultimately, the goal is to do it for kicks and portfolio building.

The costs of my next app are significant. I'll be paying Digital Ocean $5+ for the VPS to host the service. Because I don't want to mess with database maintenance, I'll be paying mLab $180 a year. This service will incur a loss, but hopefully it will help me bolster my portfolio.

Regardless, I think I'll tackle my pricing model from all angles. "Tabsmitten" (working name) will have an affordable upfront cost-- no more than $5-$7. On top of that, I'll provide a non-renewing patronage "jar." I'll state that I'm a burgeoning indie developer and the funds impact my ability to pay rent and build new apps.

Will that work? I have no idea. Any advice would be appreciated! Tweet me at @nicholaslash.

And as I build a Marco-like following, I'm including the following blurb from now on:

Did you like this post? Are you smitten for Soundsmitten? Click the "Tweet" link below to retweet my post. It keeps my livelihood afloat, brightens my day, and I'm always eternally grateful. Thanks for your help!