The a16z Show
The State of Apps
The a16z Show discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This show is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!
Show Notes
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A few weeks ago, Apple released a stunning statistic: they’ve paid developers over $320B — yes, billion! — since the launch of the App Store in 2008, highlighting the cast opportunity in the marketplace.
And around the same time, a16z Consumer Partner, Olivia Moore, compiled a list of the top apps across the US app store throughout 2022.
In this episode, you’ll get to hear which apps made it to the top and what they have in common. Hint: the big winners were in social, but perhaps a new wave of social apps!
We also get the scoop on what it really takes to not just hit #1, but stay there. This episode highlights numerous surprising examples ranging from a new-age Beanie Baby app, a viral talking dog, an app from 2012 that finally broke the top 10, and the Chinese app that’s been at #1 for a majority of 2023, and it’s not TIkTok!
There are endless learnings about how new founders can take advantage of these opportunities.
Timestamps:
Top apps in 2022
A new era of social?
Hitting #1
Staying on top
Building a sticky product
Growing an app in 2023
User-generated growth
2022 category winners
Anonymous social
Early monetization
Monetization trends
Leveraging platform shifts
Surprising hits
Looking toward 2023
Invisible AI products
Limiting virality
Vertical social networks
When digital goes physical
TikTok growth
Geographic trends
A decade old app
App challenge
Resources:
Follow Olivia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/omooretweets
Olivia's 2022 analysis: https://twitter.com/omooretweets/status/1605983056682045440
Olivia's 2021 analysis: https://twitter.com/omooretweets/status/1483482099562602500
Justine’s Boating app commentary: https://twitter.com/venturetwins/status/1616121691830390784
Olivia’s Tinder subscription commentary: https://twitter.com/omooretweets/status/1616480480546942976
Apps mentioned:
Talking Ben the Dog: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/talking-ben-the-dog/id416345319
Argo Boating Navigation: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/argo-boating-navigation/id1463869636
Locket Widget: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/locket-widget/id1600525061
NOAA Weather: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/noaa-weather/id436760574
Stardust Period Tracker: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stardust-period-tracker/id1495829322
Subway Surfers: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/subway-surfers/id512939461
Stay Updated:
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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