#44: Justin Williams (part 1)

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This week we’re joined by special guest Justin Williams of Second Gear Software, purveyor of fine software products like Glassboard and Elements. We cover a lot of topics this week, starting with Justin’s experience with selling entire software products to other developers when he no longer has the time or interest to properly maintain them. We discuss why you should consider it, typical transaction prices, and the exchange of a SKU from one developer to another from the App Store’s perspective. Next we discuss Justin’s private messaging service, Glassboard, and how Justin came to acquire it. We talk about the current state of Glassboard, the challenges it faces, and Justin’s future plans for the product. Justin shares some of the difficulties he faces in keeping Glassboard profitable, and how he’s cutting expenses to turn it around. Finally, we talk about how selling software as a service differs from selling a standalone app, the challenges of converting Glassboard users into paying customers, and some of the ideas that Justin has for accomplishing that feat.

Join us next week, for the conclusion to our conversaion with Justin Williams.

Show Notes & Links