With nearly 1,500 iPhone apps in his Appolicious library, Fares Fayad knows a thing or two about what makes a successful and fun mobile application. The entrepreneur and Apple evangelist, who has been a member since September 2009, is the brains a new word game called Kalimat.
Here is what Fayad has to say about Kalimat, getting the word out, and the five apps he cannot live without.
Tell us about your new game Kalimat. How long have you been working on it and what types of users are you targeting?
Kalimat is aimed at casual and hardcore gamers alike. Combining a set of rules that fans of the genre are already familiar with, it adds to the mix a set of rules and challenges that will completely revolutionize word games!
Kalimat took around six months to get to the point where we felt confident enough to submit the app for Apple’s approval. We’re not done yet though as we have on our road map a long list of more features to add to it: we’re just getting started ; )
How many mobile apps have you developed to date?
A clarification is needed here: I’m not the developer, I’m an entrepreneur who had an idea for an app. I identified a gap in current word games available on the App Store and successfully applied and received funding from AppsArabia.
The development was done by a Dubai based development studio Piranha Byte.
I took care of managing the project from start to finish as well as testing, preparing the marketing plan etc…
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in building iPhone apps nearly three years after the launch of the App Store?
I’d say the biggest challenge is getting the word out about an app. It takes a lot of hard work and launching at the right time to get maximum exposure.
You are a prolific list creator on Appolicious. What are the five apps you truly could not live without?
My top 5 would be: Keynote Remote – Disc Drivin’ – Chess With Friends – Shazam – FitFu
And if I may add a shameless plug, I’d say Kalimat ; )
Did you learn anything through your participation on Appolicious about what kind of app to build and how to drive discovery?
Social media is key. Word of mouth is essential to create that viral effect needed to drive downloads and succeed. No matter the app, I believe integrating Twitter and Facebook so that the user can share/spread the news is an absolute must.
