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Richard Chu is the founder of Screenshot Creator. He is a full-time indie maker based in San Francisco, CA. He was previously a Product Engineer at Intercom, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science. He loves making products that have a real impact on people’s lives. He has alot of experience in developing both web and mobile apps.
He made Screenshot Creator- an app so simple that a toddler could use it, but powerful enough to make beautiful screenshots that rival the likes of Snapchat and Netflix.
In an exclusive interview with AsiaTechDaily, Richard says:
People underestimate how long it takes for a business to become successful and start making money. So, in my opinion, it’s worthwhile to start a business in an area that you are personally interested in with a target audience you like to talk to. One of the best ways to do this is by solving a problem that you have. You may be working on this business for the next five to ten years, so make sure you enjoy it!
If you’re unhappy with who you are today, however, just know that change takes time. The person you are today is the culmination of all the decisions you’ve made and the experiences you’ve had in the past. Start taking small steps and building small habits that align with who you want to be, and over time you’ll eventually become a better person.
Read on to know more about Richard Chu and his journey.
Richard Chu: I’m Richard, the founder of Screenshot Creator, which is a web app that helps mobile app developers create beautiful screenshots for the App Store and Google Play. I was previously a Product Engineer at Intercom, and I graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science. I’ve always been interested in tech and startups, and I’m excited to have finally leaped a few months ago to do this full-time.
Richard Chu: I love developing mobile apps, but publishing them on the App Store can be a real hassle. Part of that hassle comes from making high-quality screenshots that entice people to download your app. I found myself spending hours in Photoshop, creating and updating these screenshots! I thought that there had to be a better way, so I started making a tool that would make it much easier and faster to make these screenshots, which is how Screenshot Creator was born.
Richard Chu: Growing Screenshot Creator has been an ongoing process, but I found success in marketing it through channels such as Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, Reddit, and Hacker News. In the long-term, I hope to invest more in SEO.
Richard Chu: On Screenshot Creator, users can export five times for free with a new account. For additional exports, they can either purchase an export bundle of 5, 10, 20, or 30 screenshots or subscribe to the Pro plan for a monthly fee. I initially only had the monthly plan, but I found that people enjoy the flexibility of being able to pay per screenshot.
Growing revenue has been slow but steady. I think the best strategy for increasing revenue is to invest in the product and make sure that your users are getting a great experience and high-quality support. Making sure customers are happy promotes word-of-mouth and leads to more customers.
Richard Chu: Screenshot Creator is completely bootstrapped, and I do not plan on raising money for it in the future.
Richard Chu: It’s essential to keep in mind that launching your product is not a one-time event. It helps to initially launch your product to a small group of friends and family who can provide the necessary feedback, then launch to beta users in your target audience, and then do a full launch where you reach out to press and post on websites like Product Hunt and Hacker News. And every time you launch new features, you should be marketing those features as well. Launching is a continual process.
Richard Chu: I think the critical thing is to build up an audience of people who are interested in your product before you launch it. To validate that people are interested in your product, before writing a single line of code, set up a simple landing page and market it. Then make an MVP, share it, and see if you can get people to use it and provide you feedback. Having this audience can help amplify your launches significantly, especially on social media platforms like Twitter.
Richard Chu: Product launches can be exciting when you see a spike of traffic and users on launch day. But it can get demoralizing when that spike inevitably drops in the days following the launch. It’s essential to keep in mind that sustained growth takes time. Just keep working at it, and you’ll eventually get a healthy amount of organic traffic every day, without the euphoria and sadness that comes with peaks and troughs.
Richard Chu: People underestimate how long it takes for a business to become successful and start making money. So, in my opinion, it’s worthwhile to start a business in an area that you are personally interested in with a target audience you like to talk to. One of the best ways to do this is by solving a problem that you have. You may be working on this business for the next five to ten years, so make sure you enjoy it!
Richard Chu: Marketing is not about trying to sell your product. Marketing is about empathizing with your target audience’s problems, listening to their needs, and providing value to them with a product that genuinely helps them. It’s a mutually beneficial process. If you attack it in any other way, it won’t work out for you.
Richard Chu: The best way to learn is just to do it! Don’t worry about messing up, don’t worry about failing, and don’t worry about making a complete fool of yourself. Every successful person has done all of the above. You’ll figure things out along the way—just think of it as tackling an exciting challenge.
Richard Chu: I honestly don’t think I would do anything differently. My experiences, whether positive or negative, have shaped the person I am today, and I’m grateful for all of them.
If you’re unhappy with who you are today, however, just know that change takes time. The person you are today is the culmination of all the decisions you’ve made and the experiences you’ve had in the past. Start taking small steps and building small habits that align with who you want to be, and over time you’ll eventually become a better person.
You can follow Richard Chu here.
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