In my discussion with Tayler over pretty much the same issues you experienced he definitely said dealing with the App Store has been a big issue with this. Not an excuse really but just what they unexpectedly had to deal with and what Paul alluded to happening as well.
Hi guys—I’m not a Well Known Rokslider but I have had the privilege of working with [mention]ElkNut1 [/mention] on the ElkNut app for the past five years. Talk about a front row seat to elk calling at its highest level. One of the coolest things I’ve been able to do!
Paul has spelled out the process with the ElkNut app update well. Most of what has happened in the update process in terms of timing and App Store approval was outside of his control, and he’s relying on my team at Got Game Tech to tell him how it’s going and what the hurdles/hang ups are etc.
We had high hopes of releasing the updated app well before the season, and chose our course of action with the subscription conversion based in large part on that timing. We also had the misconception that most customers used the app like we do, which is as an off season learning tool that is a great resource to learn and refresh, but once the season starts “hay’s gotta be in the barn” so to speak in knowing what to do when chasing real bugles. We’ve since learned that many app users rely heavily on the app during the season and may not use it much the rest of the year.
Fast forward to August 1, and the updated app still isn’t ready. We released a web-based version that allows users to access content on their PC, which is an awesome feature, but no substitute for the mobile version with offline use enabled. (Quick side note: My app development team is comprised of a video guy and one programmer. I wish we had a big team and could crank out projects in a matter of days, but we’re just not there yet. And these guys have day jobs outside of Got Game Tech and the ElkNut app and families.)
As each day in August ticked by, I kept hearing that we were close and just a few more things needed to be done, but the App Store had changed a lot since our last major update to the app, and it just took longer than everybody thought. Season opened and still no update ready. Finally on September 9 we got approval. Paul and I discussed the timing of the release, and decided we needed to get the new content out to app users. We’d been getting many calls and emails begging for the new content. And we’d been living in “app update world” for so long, that I think the customer reaction to a subscription conversion was just not at the forefront of our minds—we were instead just so ready to get the app finished and out there for customers that we released it the next day.
That’s basically when the firestorm that has been the last two weeks started. 100% first world problems, but it’s been a challenging time. Paul and I have sent literally thousands of emails and taken hundreds of calls, texts and DMs. We have learned a ton about our app customers that we didn’t know, and we have also learned that we were not completely on the same page about the app update like we thought we were. We have also been able to connect with many, many app users on a positive level, and we’re thankful for that too. But in all of this, the most painful thing for me has been to see Paul take so much heat that isn’t deserved.
To make matters worse, the App Store approved the app but didn’t let us know that at the same time they had disapproved the subscription button, and it took us four days to figure it out and get this fixed. (We had a workaround in the meantime but it was not easy to implement.) And then this was compounded by a bug in the offline use module, which in turn took a few more days to resolve. It was an error in how the data was cached and refreshed each time the app was opened. Fortunately that has been fixed as well.
Now we are in the process of trying to take care of each and every app user and help everyone understand this isn’t some big money ploy or bait and switch. It’s definitely a case study in how not to release an app update though, and we’re doing our very best to rebuild trust and make amends with app users. And I’d like to personally vouch for Paul that this is not his fault. He’s involved in the major decisions we make, but the day to day app development is done by my team, and a lot of the bumps in the road here fall in that latter realm.
I hope this helps add some understanding. Like Paul, if you have questions further, my phone is always on, and I respond to all emails that come in. 208-993-9183,
[email protected], or on IG @huntfitesquire.
Now I hope you guys have big plans to chase some more elk this next week. I haven’t been able to get out much yet this year for the above reasons, but next week is looking like it might be the right time.
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