How to launch when the app directory rejects you

How to launch when the app directory rejects you(directmemo.io)

44 points by jsmoov 5 years ago | 26 comments

warp 5 years ago |

If the slack app store rejected it, how can they still sign up customers for it?

So I guess the slack app store is just a directory, and you can still integrate with slack without being listed in their app store?

The article would be a bit easier to understand if it explained this.

throwaway744678 5 years ago | |

It's mentioned explicitely in the first message sent by slack (rejecting the listing of the app). First paragraph of the article.

adamzapasnik 5 years ago | |

AFAIK Github apps work the same way. Additionally, you need to meet a specific number of customers (I think over 200) to apply to be listed in their market.

evanelias 5 years ago | | |

Exactly correct. In theory, GitHub's app marketplace offers developers a separate option for "unverified listings", which have "no minimum install or user count requirements", but requires your app to be free.

However, when I submitted a new app as an unverified listing last year, I received a rejection email stating they were only "looking for apps with at least 25 installs". I attempted to appeal (based on their marketplace system's text directly stating there was no minimum user count), but I received no response, and none of the ~dozen engineers I personally know at GitHub were able to help.

I can still make my app available, and implement a third-party billing system, but without a marketplace listing it's much harder to gain exposure and users.

All in all, developing a GitHub app was an extremely frustrating experience, especially since GitHub extensively makes internal use of my open source project upon which my GitHub app was based.

atarian 5 years ago | |

That's correct, it doesn't prevent distribution. Also, I believe Slack will show a warning on your app at install time if it is not listed.

AlwaysRock 5 years ago |

Yikes. Love the app idea. I hate the first use case shown. I've never gotten anything helpful from a CEO/manager slacking me, "How are you doing?" At best I have to stop doing what I'm doing and respond relativity quickly so I seem attentive to this superior. Normally there is no purpose to the interaction so it just feels like wasted time and more wasted time due to context switching.

At it's worst it turns into a checking in conversation with some critique that would be better suited for a phone call or in person meeting.

Advice to CEO's/Managers: The how are things going slacks do not feel like a personal chat. Create a culture where people will ask for help and guidance when they need it and let them do their work.

atarian 5 years ago |

I don't quite understand why someone would use this instead of @general. Just to make it sound more personal?

michaelt 5 years ago | |

Every means of corporate communication is part of the noise treadmill.

The old way has too much noise and not everyone gets all the messages. The new way seems to have solved those problems. The new way becomes the 'standard' way of doing things. Then the new way has too much noise and users are forced to adopt noise-reduction. Then the process repeats...

That's why companies have posters on notice boards, posters in kitchens and toilets, company-wide e-mails, department-wide e-mails, an intranet, e-mailed newsletters, an in-house magazine, mandatory slack channels - and now, a tool to send slack PMs in bulk.

bizgrayson 5 years ago | |

I guess channel messages are more likely to be missed than direct messages. This approach also helps the conversation flow through one person, rather than everyone having to see each response. Interesting idea!

cvs268 5 years ago | |

While I certainly prefer open discussions, I have noticed that most ppl strongly believe that certain sensitive topics, though they maybe a common theme with everyone, are best discussed 1-on-1.

eps 5 years ago | |

Yes, more personal and harder not to answer.

It's meant for starting multiple private exchanges using the same opener, with one click. An automation tool, basically.

ryandvm 5 years ago |

Went through a similar experience with our own Slack app. We had created a fairly popular app called "Export" for exporting channels from Slack in a variety of formats. It was an approved Slack app for several years before being summarily expunged from the directory when Slack changed their terms of service.

Surprisingly, not being listed in the Slack App Directory is not a death sentence. It just means you have to invest in alternate discovery channels.

Speaking of, the link for Slack Export is:

https://export.fountstudio.com/

darepublic 5 years ago |

I don't like it when companies make you accountable to messages made on slack

isochronous 5 years ago | |

I don't either, but if it's going to happen, I'd MUCH rather those messages be sent directly to me via DM rather than being just @channel or @general blasts. At least with DMs it's obvious that I've been sent a message that I need to read.

cvs268 5 years ago |

At first sight, the ability to mass DM individuals on Slack, with all the recipients hidden from each other, just sounds wrong.

However, as Slack positions itself as the new email, and once we remember that email has had bcc since forever, this app/feature no longer appears so sinister anymore.

gjsman-1000 5 years ago |

The post title is a bit misleading. Most people hear "App Store" and think of Apple/Google, but this is actually referring to the Slack App Directory.

toyg 5 years ago | |

I agree, particularly because this covers a specific narrow case: the directory won't showcase/feature you, but the app still works. That's not what happens in the classic appstore, where a rejection typically means you're dead in the water - or forced through alternative means like AltStore (which is what I was interested in when I clicked the link).

antonzabirko 5 years ago | |

On the other hand, it eventually becomes frivolous to predict what/how people think. If it's an app store, it's any app store.

umvi 5 years ago | |

Can we have someone insert the word "Slack" into the title?

cvs268 5 years ago | |

True. However, the same strategy - "Focus on alternate sources of lead generation" can be applied for applications on Android (and presumably other platforms) where 3rd-party app repositories and sideloading are supported.

bzb3 5 years ago | |

I'm not going to flag it because I'm against censorship, but yes, this is an absolutely terrible title.

laurent123456 5 years ago | | |

Isn't flagging just to bring the post to a moderator's attention? (who can then decide what to do) At least that's how I've always understood it.

jsmoov 5 years ago |

Looks like the post ended up being removed for no other reason than the title :/

Would you mind upvoting the new submission:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23780314

Thanks for the comment!!

cvs268 5 years ago | |

Please limit these mass identical msgs to ur app only. Plz don't spam HN.

Cool idea. Clearly there's a market for it. But stop trying to force ur way onto the HN top. Makes U look desperate and attaches a negative feeling to U and ur app/use-case (Hardly wht U want)

adamzapasnik 5 years ago |

As someone who has a Slackbot in the Slack App Directory (https://retrochat.xyz) I can see why Slack is hostile. The reason is most likely UX.

On the other hand, I have to command the author for their lead research and a nice blog post. Way to go :)