WhatsApp (sold $16B to Facebook)
King (128M Daily Average Users, $1.9B a year of revenue)
Both businesses at their core are not about niche, at the opposite of what “is supposed to work” (GTA 5 or app only on iPhone).
I think that people don’t like the idea of trying to please everybody but they’re missing the point: it’s not about pleasing, it’s about reaching and showing some respect. WhatsApp became a paid app because the founder thinks ads don’t add anything, it didn’t stop growth because it shows again some respect.
And that, is huge. That’s organic traction, that’s trust.
Candy Crush’s polish and simplicity aim everyone, like an Ikea coffee table. There’s no smugness or snobbery game, like so many developers like to play with exclusivity to platforms. Less and less, because it doesn’t make sense: users feel frustrated not being able to access an app/game on their platform of choice, and the developer who’s supposed to keep platforms competitive against each other is basically becoming one’s bitch.
It’s a rough game so staying out of it by widening your reach, staying independent is smart. It’s also harder, it’s harder to see what’s going to work compared to a niche market of hardcore users/gamers, hence the “small ideas” (puzzle game and sms app). When you’re in the middle of development, you are hardcore, you think hardcore so aiming hardcore people makes sense.
Numbers fell though and sure money and DAU are not everything but damn, it’s pretty impressive. Knowing that so many people use your little software must feel quite amazing.