Ted Nash is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs in the app space. The way he approaches mobile ads, data science, and optimizing monetization to extend the lifetime value of customers, is mind-blowing.
Ted is a serial entrepreneur who has been creating online companies from the age of 12. He setup his first online business, under his father’s signature as he was too young to sign contracts with the likes of iTunes, Amazon, and eBay himself.
Since then he has worked with a ton of agencies, built mobile products for major brands (most notably the BBC), and became the first teenager in the world to achieve 1,000,000 App Store downloads (around his 17th birthday).
Most notably, Ted is the CEO and co-founder of Tapdaq, an essential app marketing tool for mobile developers which has raised about $7 million in funding.
Forbes magazine has recognized Ted as one of the 30 Under 30’s for his work on Tapdaq. He is internationally renowned within the technology industry and continues to be frequently featured in worldwide media, such as TechCrunch, Forbes, Wired, The Guardian, BBC and he has been selected as “Entrepreneur of the Month” by Huffington Post on more than one occasion and will be at the Bluecloud event in Amsterdam this September.
Meet Ted in-person at our Amsterdam live event.
Together, Ted and I cover entrepreneurship, acquiring venture capital, insights on running a successful app business, the future of the app landscape and much more.
Scroll down to download my interview with Ted and learn why building an app is just the beginning.
Ted knows what it’s like to start a company, “the world is your oyster” as he puts it. In my interview with Ted, he talks about the 2 paths when starting a company:
- Go independent
- Raise money
After raising over $6M for Tapdaq, Ted is obviously all about Option #2 with his hopes to accelerate growth. The Cons of Option #2 (taking money) is that you dilute yourself, the stresses of added accountability and responsibility, and having to take a hands-off approach to focus more on management and leadership.
One of Ted’s many specialties is adtech (different types of analytics and digital tools used in the context of advertising). We specifically dive into cross-promotion and why it’s a tricky adtech strategy used in apps.
“When is an app good enough to RECEIVE and GIVE cross-promotion installs?”
A lot of developers don’t pay much attention to this. They show ad impressions in their apps sending users to other applications for a small profit.
Ted talks about the user LTV (lifetime value) from an ad perspective and knowing how much revenue a specific user is generating through an impression. What this means is, knowing which users to show an impression (an ad for apps like Clash Of Clans), and which users to cross-promote to a premium app in your network.
“An install isn’t actually an install. You can have one that’s worth $0.10, and another thats worth $3.”
If you can solve the mystery of which user is worth dollars and which cents, you’ll be printing money. And that’s exactly what Ted is working on behind the scenes right now at Tapdaq.
This all circles back to the raise of the influence of marketing and a majority of developers assuming that all users are the same.
The app market IS INDIVIDUALIZED and there is a ton of targeting going on to get those LTV whales that Ted and I consistently mention in the podcast.
There are 3 pillars Ted believes are required to build a successful business and application:
- Acquisition – getting users
- Retention – keeping the user
- Monetization – converting users into revenue
Currently, Ted and the crew at Tapdaq are building out a mediation layer to enable users to cross-promote their most valuable users and monetize the excess users through ad mediation.
Sounds pretty epic, right?
Click the link above to listen to the Bluecloud Podcast and learn more about Ted’s story and adtech.
In this 60 minute session, you’ll hear:
- Creating a Wikipedia page
- Moving from developing apps to creating companies and communities for apps
- Reskinning
- Raising money and taking on investors
- Notable success stories in the adtech world
- Using adtech to become a ‘mini-publisher’
- Cross-promotion
- The biggest changes in the App Store over the years
- What ad mediation is, and how it’s used
- Developing apps in the UK
- The importance of following a passion
Resources mentioned:
- Ted Nash Wikipedia page
- Ted’s blog – he writes new informative frequently
- Tapdaq – company Ted co-founded and is active CEO
- LittleGossip – a controversial app Ted launched in high school
- Appsolute Games – publishing company Ted has worked with
- Fun Stage – a company that uses Tapdaq to cross-promote their most valuable users
- Chartboost, AdMob, Applovin – a few of the ad networks Ted mentions in the interview
Download this podcast episode on iTunes
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Please share this post with someone who you think would be inspired by this story! You can also reach Ted on Facebook, Twitter (twitter.com/nashy), Snapchat (@teddynash), Instagram, or shoot him an email at ted@tapdaq.com
If you want to get started with apps (or at least learn about the business), download our free app “Cheat Sheet” here.
Catch you guys later,
Carter
Is there a guest you would like to hear on the podcast? Shoot us an email at support@bluecloudsolutions.com
Great stuff Sir, you are really helping me. Thank you for what you’re doing.
I would love to hear the podcast but I don’t have iPhone or iTunes can I find it somewhere else?
@Anna – You can listen to it right on the page where the Soundcloud audio box is.
Hi Carter,
First of all… You ROCK!
So… I just launched (yesterday) my new Pokemon Go companion App: POKE CONNECT. It’s for iOS right now and also Apple Watch. I bought the courses from you through BlueCloud Solutions months ago and have gleaned a ton of knowledge from them! Thank you, Carter! Question: How does one go about re-skinning a more complex App? This isn’t a simple App, it’s fairly involved. Do you know of a good coder out there that is reasonable? One might ask: Why are you looking for a new coder, can’t you just use the one you’ve got? Answer: Pricing, turn-around time and language barriers. I’ve got some other great ideas for the core principals of my App and would really enjoy your input.
Carter, I’d be honored to have you check it out at your leisure and let me know your thoughts! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/poke-connect/id1138830125?mt=8
Thanks man!
If this is posted in the wrong area, please let me know and I’ll move it.
Thanks.
Denver
@Denver – that’s awesome! Glad to hear it. You should check out TOAD for developers (www.bluecloudsolutions.com/developer-toad) – they’re kick ass and do a great job. I’ll check out the app! If you’re enrolled in the course, you should also post in the Bluecloud Facebook group to get more answers.
Carter,
Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction! I will reach out to TOAD and let them do the “Voodoo That They Do So Well”! My inspiration has come from what I’ve learned through your courses. I’ve owned businesses for over 25 years but this is the only venue that I know of which will allow me to live anywhere in the world as long as I have internet access. I will no longer be ‘tethered’ to a certain state or country. The world is truly my oyster!
One other small question: You have mentioned Thai Baht a few times. Is this the currency you prefer, is your corporate entity domiciled in Thailand? If this is too personal, then please ignore the question. I’m just interested from an international level.
Thanks again and all my best!
Denver
@Denver – No, the references to Thai Baht are students who live over there. All my companies are located in the USA. If you’re interested in this stuff, check out this podcast episode with Aaron Young: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/aaron-young-tax-class-1-tax/id721987947?i=1000368118879&mt=2
Carter,
Awesome and very valuable info! My “Poke Connect” iOS App is starting to gain traction on a Worldwide level with ZERO promotion! Not sure how this is happening but I’m not complaining!
Thank you so mucho for your courses and seemingly endless amount of knowledge!
Denver