Touchscreen Fones

Problem Halved iPhone App Update

Posted on: November 4, 2009 by admin

If you haven’t heard the name Rob Shoesmith by now you must have been sleeping for the last six months. Rob is the man behind the hugely succesful app Problem Halved, a social utility tool that enables users to share problems and questions with other users throughout the world.

The app has been featured in many publications including MacWorld and large broadcasters including BBC news and even CNN. Evidently it has been quite a ride for everybody’s favourite bin man. Rob kindly offered to fill us in on his journey up to now. Read on!

Rob, Can you just remind us all about Problem Halved and how this all got started?
In around March or April of this year I was browsing the app store and cam across an app. under the name of the app incubator. I was interested to know what this app was all about, so decided to download and visit their website t www.medlmobile.com What was on offer was too good to turn down. 25% of the profits in return for a great idea for an iphone app.

It’s been about six months or so now since your app idea was chosen, what have you been up to since then?
Over the next couple of weeks I sat down with a pen and paper and brainstormed idea after idea. I sent them across to the app incubator not expecting to hear anything back, and to my surprise I received an email back from the principal at medlmobile Dave Swartz.
Dave liked one of my idea which happened to be PROBLEM HALVED. The idea behind this app was to provide users with a channel to solve their problems via other users help. The idea was simple. Post a problem or halve a problem.
It’s been an amazing 6 months or so. Little did I know at the time of submitting the idea to the app incubator that I’d appear on Sky news and the gadget show in the United Kingdom. Initially I was contacting media outlets to gain publicity but all of a sudden I was being contacted by them which was a huge surprise and very flattering at the same time.
Currently I am working with medlmobile on a part time basis to help other developers like me to spread the word on their own applications. This has been an incredible experience for me and am loving the fast paced nature of this business. I have spoken to people in Canada,USA and Australia. I’d like to rthank all these people who have been amazing in helping me build something truly amazing.
Within the next couple of weeks a podcast for problem halved that I’ve produced will be launched into Itunes. There will be exclusive interviews with the owners of medl mobile and also the people behind the apps that are being launched.

We know you were very busy marketing and advertising the app, appearing in many publications and on TV. How did you go about drumming up support/interest?
By sheer hard work I’m being honest. I’d been given a fantastic opportunity by medlmobile so I thought it would be a huge waste if I sat back and did nothing, What I found was that if I could get a big press hit to start with, it would hopefully snowball and gain publicity. The beauty about the web is that news travels globally extremely fast.

We follow you on Twitter and know you actively used it to get the word out. Do you still use social media, Twtitter etc, as a way of marketing the app?
Most definitely. Twitter has been such a great tool to make connections with people. I have made contact with so many people via this medium and have actually made some very good friends as a result of Twitter. It’s a great place to find like minded people. You can follow me on twitter @shoesmith81

So what was it like working with MEDL mobile and what is the relationship like now?
I have a great working relationship with medlmobile. I would like to say a special thank you to Dave Swartz and Andrew Maltin who believed in my idea and skills I have. Not too many people would have given a bin man an opportunity like this and I am determined to give it my all.

How many times has the app been downloaded now have been sold now? Give us some stats about its position in download charts etc.
Due to investor confidentially I can’t give you the sales figures for PH but I can say there has been a great interest in PH worldwide, enough for medlmobile to invest and develop v1.1 which will be released in the next week or two.

Why should anyone download Problem Halved?
That’s a good question! The whole idea of Problem Halved is that no matter where you are in the world people all face problems in their lives some small and some big. By downloading PH you will have the opportunity to help solve any problem you are facing, or help someone solve theirs. Sometimes it’s nice to get things off your chest to a stranger rather than telling a loved one as the advice given is unbiased.

In the beginning there was a lot of talk about becoming a millionnaire but if Apple take a cut of sales, then MEDL take a 75% cut of this subsequently, is it possible to make much money?
It takes time to make money, it’s not an instant thing. If everyone could make a million making iphone apps there would be a lot more apps in the app store. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it’s more of a marathon than a sprint.

Is there still a lot of interest in the app?
There has been a huge interest in Problem Halved worldwide. We have users all over the world and a strong community is starting to form. V1.1 will include a lot more functionality which will enable users to share their problems further afield. This should be released within the next few weeks.

Are there any other apps in the pipeline that you’ve submitted?
Currently I’m focusing all my efforts on problem halved, as we believe what we are doing is not just about financial remuneration. This app is genuinely helping people. The problems are raw and have come from the heart!
Medl are keen to continue our relationship long term and I’m sure other ideas of mine will be launched in the coming months.

What are your future plans now? Have you been able to change your plans due to the success of Problem Halved?
I’m still currently working as a bin man for Coventry Council because at the end of the day this is my bread and butter, and any additional revenue from Problem Halved and other projects is a bonus. Long term I’d like to get into online marketing or app development fulltime. Who knows what’s around the corner!

There will be more news from Rob in the near future so be sure to check back again.

TSF