If you read Techcrunch’s Deadpool articles, it would seem that most of the apps that come out are destined to become parked domains and distant memories in the Internet Archive. Time and again, an exciting new app comes out, but without a business model or a sufficient user base, it soon falls on the wrong side of the Survival of the Fittest. Or, perhaps, the company gets bought out, only the purchasing company saw it as a talent acquisition and didn’t care the least bit about the app they purchased. Worse yet, the app you’ve come to rely on could decide to “pivot” and change their product or business model, breaking the very thing you liked about it.
We love how many new web apps are always coming out, but sometimes it can be hard to fall in love with an app when so many disappear. The rapid iteration can both be beneficial and harmful at the same time. It means new features and exciting new apps, but it also means that the odds of an app sticking around for the long term are worse than ever. With native apps, you’ll at worst lose support and updates if you purchased an app from a company that later died. But, with web apps, the app and your data are gone along with the company.
Have you ever had trouble from an app getting shut down? Are you excited when new apps come out and quick to try them, or would you be more likely to wait and see if the company’s going to be around for the long haul? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.