Arkady Moreinis, Darkside.vc: «Do the services, and not mobile applications"

In late July, at TechCrunch published an article by journalist Quinton Wall of the "revolution" in the world of mobile applications. According to the author, an era of "free hand", which will bring with it the "Internet of things". An interesting comment on the article published on his Facebook page known Russian entrepreneur and investor Arkady Moreinis. "MakRadar" contacted Arkady and discuss what is really waiting for mobile applications in the future.

Is it true that your first business was associated with supplies and developing software for Apple computers?

Yes, I am developing the Mac. With that, I began my career. First, under a contract with Apple, I led the first Russian-language localization of the Mac operating system. It was a version, if I'm not mistaken, Mac System 6.0.7 (Familiar name Mac OS X appeared in 2001. - Approx. Ed.). And then we have for several years to translate the documentation for Apple computers. Secondly, I am engaged in programming, and it so happened that one of the programs of some strange ways came to the United States, and one of the American companies bought me this program. It was called Talker and transmit voice over a LAN. With the money I made Macsimum company that has been developing software for the Mac, and the sale of Apple equipment in Russia. It is at our stand at one of the exhibitions appeared Comtek slogan I came up with: "a good thing" pisyukom "will not be called."

And why have ceased to engage in technology Apple sales?

Well, the dealer business in the style box moving was not for me. As for the software development, while there was still such a large number of Mac computers, so it could live. In addition, there was a period when I had to go back on the PC, because Mac computers have become too slow, too expensive and stupidly lost PC. But when Jobs returned to the Apple (1997 - Approx. Ed.), Then everything changed. I'm back on the Mac, when the black MacBook has appeared in 2006.

And then came the famous "lemma Moreinis" one-pointedness of the transition from PC to Mac?

It appeared for a long time, my temporary switch to PC and vice versa - is proof that, even though in the long run, it works. If you read the book Evgeny Butman "Retail in the first person" (Evgeni Butman - Founder Re: Store. - Approx. Ed.), Just in the first chapter he mentions this lemma: "From PC to Mac transition of many back - no one."

The reason for our conversation was an article in TechCrunchWhere the author Quinton Wall raised an interesting topic of "death" of mobile applications in the form to which we are accustomed. How would you comment on this statement?

In fact, in the last 5-7 years, industry applications has just appeared. It was a stage of the revolution, when people pinned their hopes is the format of mobile applications. Many thought that it is enough to make a cool mobile application and win. And so it is most likely that's the euphoria and revolutionary already "prituhla" and we go back to basics. But the origins are such that it is not a mobile application as such, the case when that you are promoting. In this sense, the mobile application - one of the channels to use this service.

But all say that Mobile will win in the coming years. What do you think about the idea of ​​popular mobile first?

Let's all laid out on shelves. Firstly, mobile - it is not only and not so much mobile applications. It is, generally speaking, the use of services from mobile devices. For example, through a mobile browser. And this is quite a common pattern. There is an illusion that if you are guided to the mobile users, then you should definitely make a mobile application. This is not always the case, because the vast number of mobile users using 3-5 mobile applications on an ongoing basis. This means that if you want to achieve something your application, you must be able to get on the first screen of the smartphone. Among a million apps in the App Store are actually used about 1%.

Second, indeed, people were often a lot of mobile phones to access services. This is clearly noticeable. The pattern of such people is quite specific - it's like watching and masturbating. Here are their hands nowhere to go in traffic jams, queues, talking - and they are always doing something in the mobile phone. In fact, they do not make a meaningful, brauzyat Facebook, Instagram. It must also be taken into account.

On darkside.vc you write that as an investor willing to invest in mobile applications, but the question arises: in what applications, taking into account the fact that we are just now discussing the topic of "death"?

Here you have confusion in concepts. The point is not in the format of one of the channels of communication with consumers. In the first place a person should think of service as a product. Which he believes people need, and they will pay for it. And how the product will be delivered to people - through a mobile application, website, or even a call-center - this is the tool. You should never put the cart before the horse. Deal only mobile application makes sense in games, but it has its own specifics.

How have the last few years in the field of application startups? They still think that it is enough to release a cool app - and the whole world in their pocket?

I am reminded of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which states that the instrument of observation affects the outcome. If earlier I myself came to startups, that is held the event, creating a start-up convents, invited experts, and now I work in a different way. I tell them that it is not necessary to send me a mail business plans ekselevskie plates and so on. If you want something to tell me, come to me on Tuesday in coworking "Good republic" in the eye and tell me that you want to do. Ironically, this is an awesome filter that cuts off a large number of people from the category of "I have a cool idea for a new application." Many of them belong to the lazy people who are reluctant to go anywhere, it is easier to sit and wait for the wizard in the blue helicopter, which will fly and will give them an investment. This filter compartment category lazy people and has begun to attract, say, people are more pragmatic.

Many believe that the emergence of Apple Watch device type marks a new era of portable gadgets. But the approach to applications for them - old. What do you think about this?

Apple Watch - this is not the first "smart" watches, which appeared on the market. In this sense, the old approach, since it is not the iPhone, which appeared in 2007 in a new form factor, with the App Store and so on. I do not know how this is promising. I personally twice forced himself to use "smart" watches. That was painful. A week later, I had them set aside. I do not see them as "killer-You", which would change the world. Usually new comes from where you least expect. Well, who in the early 2000s could have known that there will be Facebook, which now has more than a billion people? In this sense, the story of the wearable gadgets exactly the same. 99.99% "killer-feature" will be such that we now do not suspect.

And the "Internet of Things", in my view - is not the introduction of the Internet in each "iron" and meaningful real-life people. Just in the article to talk about it, that's not the mobile apps and available services that meet your needs.

Recently BMW announced a system that will allow the car to anticipate switching traffic lights. This is an example of "Internet of Things", which will help in real life.

An example of an interesting, but it is a developing technology that has long been thought. At one time, was the scientific and educational book series "Eureka". And one of the books was called "I need a car." And there is just a car designer talked about what would happen to the car in the future. This book in 1967. And I still remember the story of how that car of the future will be to anticipate the switching of traffic lights, slowing down, or, on the contrary, accelerating. That is, relatively speaking, the technology is only now made it possible to introduce such a system, because there is a real need.

And the last question. You, as an experienced entrepreneur and investor, which would give advice to application developers?

Tip number one - to forget that you're a developer of mobile applications. Second - what you want to do, it should be associated with the real needs of people, the fact that they already want or may want the new service. The third - to check whether people really need your service. Fourth - to find out if they are willing to pay for your service. And then the last question - whether it is necessary to do a mobile application? That's all.