IPhone fart app pulls in nearly $10,000 a day | Hacker News Reader

IPhone fart app pulls in nearly $10,000 a day

venturebeat.com

41 pointspeter12339 comments

This is one of the things I love about being in the startup biz. On one side there's change-the-world apps that dozens of developers labor over for years at a time, slowly building a customer base, nurturing an idea with great business execution into something that provides real, tangible value to folks.

And then there's i-Fart, which could've been made by some guy with a hangover during a weekend spent picking his nose and eating stale pizza while watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island.

This is a great time to be alive!

... which could've been made by some guy with a hangover during a weekend spent picking his nose and eating stale pizza while watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island ...

That isn't how people in a startup are supposed to work? Shoot, I've been doing it all wrong.

I am experiencing the same emotions as when I heard about the Million Dollar web page, Tension Sheets, imageshack, plentyoffish...

Would that be the same feelings I'm experiencing? Namely a conviction that now all the easy-money one-offs have been done and this time there can't be any left?

But they won't approve an app that lets you receive podcasts via RSS.

Because they were adding that feature themselves in the next OS update.

So you're saying fart sounds won't be in any future OS update?

Shit. I'm going back to Ubuntu.

Stop throwing sheep.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10045321-36.html

do something worthy

Yes like make 10K a day and putting towards your company so you can then do something worthy cause you have bank!

laughter is necessary to a healthy planet. It's also fun.

It doesn't work like that. There are many factors in play here other than just culture. And even if it was just culture, it couldn't be changed by one cnet article.

Well, it's not like developing fart application took massive amount of brainpower that was diverted from quest to cure cancer :).

Welcome to capitalism, where the market rewards you for making stuff people want.

I don't know...I rather take advantage of the public (while profiting) than complain about it (while not profiting).

This is both funny and sad.

I simply find it sad. Not because all these apps were made -- there's obviously money in it, so whatever, free market and so forth. What's sad is... there's money in it.

Just intellectually curious -- why is that saddening? My thoughts are, people can do what they'd like with their money.

I think it's sad, not on the part of the developers, but on the people who enable apps like this to be worth making.

How mighty of you. You can buy silly mechanical fart machines, cds of farts, whoopee cushions, etc - all of which are many times more expensive (and less fancy) than iFart. So all those people that are looking for a tech bargain and think loud stinking gas emitted from a human anus is hilarious are in luck.

Outside of your self-righteous indignation, of course.

It's not even so much about the money. I just find it pathetic that there is a market for a utility which produces fart sounds. Hell, it could be free and I'd still find it sad.

I mean, okay, maybe farting was funny when I was five. But if you're old enough to own an iPhone, you should be old enough to have a slightly more refined sense of humor.

Granted, "refined" is extremely subjective and arbitrary, but you asked so there you go ;)

I guess it's time to whip up my iFart clone for Android...

As much as I'd like to create an interesting but small iPhone app, this makes me seriously wonder if the people buying iPhone apps is much more mainstream (e.g. college or high school or even grade school) than we realize.

I wonder how many times his fart app was rejected. My guess is it will be hard to unseat his app (Facebook effects).

This is like Facebook apps but with real monetization.

The top earning Facebook app has made more money than the top iPhone app by a factor of 5 or more. There is nearly 50 million dollars in VC money funding companies who started doing only GAMES on Facebook. Dont fool yourself, having a price tag does not imply higher earning potential.

Yes but Facebook does not host your app. I'm pretty sure Slide's infrastructure (and administrative) costs are significant.

I'm not even talking about Slide, I'm talking SGN, Zynga, Playfish. These companies were all making bank before they had to invest in infrastructure. Plus, Facebook offers free starter hosting through Joyent.

"This is like Facebook apps but with real monetization."

http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/23/virtual-goods-starting-to-...

And it's not even a top app.

With the global economy under siege, this is the kind of innovation we need to raise standards of living.

Its all right talking about "$xxxxx a day" — but how long will that last? I think its better to create something useful/fun which people won't get bored of within 5 minutes and that can be updated later. Even if its just for your own self respect — I really wouldn't want to be the guy who "created the popular iPhone fart app". :P

Can't be updated? But think about all the different kinds of fart sounds that could be added!!! eyeroll

Lots of potential for personalisation - doesn't everyone prefer their own?

I would gladly be the guy who "created the popular iPhone fart app" if it netted me $10,000/day for even a week. That'd be plenty to live off of for several months while I built something better.

I used to think that app was a waste. I even made negative comments about it on HN. But I was heading to Christmas dinner with my girlfriend's family and figured I'd buy an app to help me entertain the kids. That fart program was perfect. It made everyone laugh.

These apps just emit flatuence noises or am I missing a much greater feature set?

Like what? An SBD option?

Actually, this gave me an idea for another app. In Japan, in the female restrooms (i'm told) they have these machines that emit sounds as cover for doing one's business. I think they are called "Princess Flush" or something. I could definitely see (hear?) a market for this as an iPhone app....

It's over $9000!

Yaaaaouch! Seafood soup is NOT on the menu!

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