McCombs TODAY

We spotted a gem in this week’s Texas Evening MBA (TEMBA) student newsletter, and thought it deserved its own blog post. TEMBA Director Trent Thurman interviewed McCombs alum and AVAI Mobile Solutions Program Manager Eric Mills about his experience developing the iPhone app Pace Race. Trent’s interview below:

I have recently been following the work of TEMBA alum Eric Mills, primarily through his Facebook and Twitter updates.  Eric is one of the more innovative and entrepreneurial-minded people you will ever meet, so it came as no surprise to learn that he was working on an iPhone application in his role at AVAI Ventures.  Yesterday, Eric announced that his company’s application, Pace Race, had received its first review.

After reading the review, I sent Eric an email and asked if he would be willing to share his thoughts on this application, the whole app phenomenon in general and any words of wisdom he might be willing to share  with current TEMBA students eager to enter the iPhone app sweepstakes.  Here’s what he said.

TT:  Tell me about your role at AVAI and the mobile division specifically.

EM: AVAI is a technology service provider with a background in the integration of hardware and software for the smart home industry.  I worked at the company before my MBA as a software developer and decided to return after TEMBA.  About 9 months ago we decided to launch a new line of business, Mobile Solutions, in order to create native mobile applications.  I was chosen to lead the venture as Program Manager, and it has been amazing.  Starting a new line of business is similar to starting a new company.  You start with no momentum and lots of enthusiasm.   It takes a lot of work, but I’m up to the challenge and hungry for market share!  I spend my day designing iPhone apps, closing deals, planning resources and managing the general P&L for the line of business.  After a slow start, we are doing really well.  In addition to our custom iPhone app development business, we are launching a new product next month which will enable all types of companies to execute a mobile strategy.

TT:  How did you come up with the Pace Race idea?

EM: A new customer, North American Pace Associates, approached us about bringing their existing content to the iPhone.  They have traditionally offered instructor-led classes on advanced reading skills.  Their courses have been taught by Sylvan for years in order to increase the reading comprehension and speed.  After seeing the traction the iPhone and iPod touch were getting in the App store, we decided to break their exercises up and release them in a game format.

We all know that playing games is fun, so why not actually work to increase your peripheral vision at the same time?  The Pace Race game is really just a single exercise in the Advanced Reading Skills curriculum.

The key lesson to learn here is that all types of existing content can be monetized on mobile platforms.  Now that we have over 40 million iPhones and iPod Touches out there (almost as many as Nintendo Wii!), and now that Apple is handling all the distribution and payment processing through the app store, the time is right to re-examine your digital assets to see if they will work on a mobile platform.

TT:  Where do you see this industry going?

EM: Most people don’t realize that last year more people accessed the Internet from a mobile device than from a PC.  In the past year, the world changed.  Having the power of the internet in mobile phone is a game-changer.  People will not be dumping their smart phones for dumb phones.  The opposite will happen.  Everyone will have a smart phone in the near future.  Now that the hardware has reached an acceptable price/performance point, real innovations will come in mobile applications.  Being able to interact with the world around your from your phone is going to be huge.  All platforms are going to try to compete against Apple in the mobile applications space.  Apple has such a huge lead right now that I don’t see anyone overtaking them for the next few years.  If you don’t yet have a mobile strategy, start with the iPhone as it is currently accounting for about 50% of the mobile traffic.

TT:  Any advice for those who have an idea for an app?

EM: Absolutely.  First, look at the competition before you do anything else.  There are now over fifty thousand apps in the App Store with over a thousand being added per week.  Look at the prices, descriptions, and most importantly, the reviews.  Secondly, determine the value proposition you can offer.  What is going to make someone download your app?  Do something entertaining, useful, or informative.

Remember, it is an iPhone app, not a piece of enterprise software.  Do a few things really well, and have a beautiful user interface. Lastly, design the app before you start development.  Build out all the user interface screens before you write a single line of code. You won’t regret it.

Best of luck, Eric.  We’ll be pulling for you.

You can follow Eric and his progress on Twitter.