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Apollo Now Offers Option to Decline Refund Ahead of June 30 Shutdown
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Clearly, because every good iOS developer would appreciate the amazing app he has created and not be like "Hey, look at me, I am also an iOS developer, why is getting all the attention".
Agreed.
I don't know, I think it's all just kind of weird that people are so passionate towards Christian.
He made an amazing app. but honestly, would people be more so inclined to donate/decline the refund if they were to actually find out how much he had earned?
If he came out and said "I made 20MM from Apollo" would people still decline to get a refund?
I wouldn't say he's outright grifting but he knows how to speak eloquently which I think is helping him "rally the people."
To the people who said he won't have a revenue stream anymore, he already said that the exposure is helping immensely to the other apps he had released in the app store.
Dev. is also a one man team so obviously he made the contentious decision to do the work himself over hiring a team which meant that he also profitted most if not all the money (after the cut).
Many of you are acting as if the dev. is your friend when in reality he's not. He posts on Macrumors (to promote his app. or to touch on the refund situation) and you guys eat it up when in reality most if not all 38 posts of his are about his app. He's not a forum member contributing day to day, he's here to just promote so that's why it seems more so weird that you guys are so protective of a person who made tons of money from this.
The fact that Christian will post a rebuttal to every single one of Spez's points but oddly glosses over his accusation that he underplayed his sub count and about how much money he truly pulls in, tells you something.
This whole episode while unfortunate really is starting to come off as a "strike while the iron is hot" type situation with the constant talks of "tip jar, decline refund, buy wallpaper packs" etc.
As someone mentioned, the fact that the PRORATED refund is $250K shows that he was forwarded a TON of money.
It was for years. Reddit without the 3rd-party clients would be nothing today. Reddit was nothing but an API + an ugly and barely usable web page. The apps made it great and they had nothing against it. So, it WAS INTENDED for stuff like Apollo and they worked together with them.
Besides, nobody is saying they can't tax API access. They could make at least as much money from every Apollo user as from their own users. But they chose to price it at 20-100x their ad revenue.
Apologies - 6 years.
This is simple maths. Its been downloaded 2 million times.. with subscriptions running 12 months a year. Whats the average subscription cost? = total revenue.
He is not poor.
By far the majority doesn't subscribe at all. So where's your simple math?
And if you're going to correct your numbers: it is not 6 years either.
Would like to know more about the Narwhal app staying functional…
9to5mac.com
As Apollo and other apps close down, Narwhal seemingly agrees to one-off deal with Reddit to stay in business - 9to5Mac
The public deadline for the Reddit API changes is July 1. Popular third-party client Apollo is one of the casualties,...
9to5mac.com
People keep on using the argument that the dev was 'leeching' off reddit due to something reddit provided for free. What this proves is that these people are either trolling to drum up arguments or they have a vested interest in reddit because a key part they are intentionally not reporting about is that reddit would have known within a couple of hours what Apollo was doing because reddit's IT department would have seen a massive spike in API calls. Having millions of API calls in a day is not something that goes unnoticed. So, why didn't reddit stop this? why did reddit allow the millions of API calls a day to continue? Reddit could have stopped Apollo in it's tracks the day it was released due to the surge in API calls it would have generated but reddit didn't. Why is this not being talked about? It is interesting all those calling the dev a grifter or a leech fail to mention that bit about reddit. Just goes to show they are trolling in my opinion.
Now factor in Apple’s cut, and the cost of running servers and paying a person to help with that side of things, and then acknowledge that the vast majority of users aren’t subscribers.
Also, no one is saying he’s poor. He says himself that he’s not going to go hungry. But that doesn’t matter anyway. This is 100% optional. If you were a subscriber (and let’s be honest, you weren’t) you could just get your money back for services not rendered. So what’s the big deal?
What was the point of this?? I clearly noted such things do go on but you obviously chose to not read the last part of my post or decided to ignore it.
The reality is nearly every business is built on and dependent on other businesses. The problem is building a business on top of another crappy business whose long term financials do not necessarily align with your own.
With that said, I think in this case Reddit is cutting off their nose to spite their face. The real API usage that Reddit already missed was all the LLMs. That's what these (and Twitters) prices changes are targeting. As bad as Reddits financials are rumored to be, these app developers are a drop in the bucket.
Initially, I thought "OK, Reddit want to make more money from their platform. That's business, and that's fine. But there can be no denying that apps like Apollo would bring extra revenue to that platform. If only for the reason that most people don't like the UI of Reddit (personally, I prefer it to Apollo <<I know, right??>> but I use them both depending on my needs at the time. I sometimes feel Apollo is a bit more difficult to follow, but that's just me), and I pay for the Pro + Ultra subscription.
I've just read the communication from Selig and, on the face of what he's written, it sounds as though he has been more than reasonable in his approach, is accepting that they want to charge for access to their APIs and it's just the level of perceived hostility from Reddit themselves over the changeover period and fees that is the issue.
It does all feel very odd from Reddit in how their stance is on this. The plan is obviously just to double down and what will be, will be. There will be enough users of Reddit overall, I suspect. But it is a shame, and as I said, just very odd behaviour over something as pivotal as this.
Whilst I do agree to an extent with some people's assertions on here about that it's tough, and he shouldn't be asking for users to decline the refund, I am not accepting mine.
I've just read the communication from Selig and, on the face of what he's written, it sounds as though he has been more than reasonable in his approach, is accepting that they want to charge for access to their APIs and it's just the level of perceived hostility from Reddit themselves over the changeover period and fees that is the issue.
It does all feel very odd from Reddit in how their stance is on this. The plan is obviously just to double down and what will be, will be. There will be enough users of Reddit overall, I suspect. But it is a shame, and as I said, just very odd behaviour over something as pivotal as this.
Whilst I do agree to an extent with some people's assertions on here about that it's tough, and he shouldn't be asking for users to decline the refund, I am not accepting mine.
I can think of a couple of reasons. First, it's not sure if the app will be financially viable with a smaller user base.
Second, the app is going to be neutered either way, with the impending loss of access to NSFW content.
Third, the trust is already broken. Reddit changed their terms once, what's stopping them from doing so in the near future? Even if they don't, I am not sure I want that uncertainty constantly hanging over me. Better to just cut my losses here and now.
He didn’t remove ads, Reddit didn’t serve them via their API. They could have done it but they’re too incompetent.
Also, do you have a source on that 3m/yr figure or is that pulled out of your imagination?
Come to think of it, what business is there that isn't entirely dependent on someone else's business or infrastructure, in this day and age of consolidation?
You want to be a content creator, you pretty much have to host it on YouTube (because that's where the audience is), which means you are subject to their rules (however unfair or readily exploitable).
Same goes with Amazon, Facebook, even Reddit.
It's so hard to start a viable business these days that if you can come across a great idea, I say just run with it and don't think so much about the possible long term implications. Is this not the American dream, where anyone with an idea, some money and a lot of guts, and maybe just a bit of luck, can make it work?
It's ok not to see it as dicey. I can see it either way. I understand why some interpret his words one way and how it could also be understood another way. Either way, that wasn't the main point of my post ;-)
I think some would interpret what he said as if the money that he is putting out for the refund wasn't money that came initially from the subscribers. That's why some might feel the words aren't exactly revealing. And then, there are those like you who look at it from the perspective that he's already had to provide the commission to Apple from the subscription fees and now he's having to revert that. In a way, the sudden change in business model (the mass reversion) also can cause revenue problems for a developer so the issue is akin to Reddit suddenly reverting course and saying the API that was free for years now requires payment.
Anyhow, that wasn't the main point of my post. I think my main point was simply that it isn't unreasonable for the developer to find that there's no way to pivot so quickly in response to Reddit and suddenly change business model.
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I see you choose to miss the issue entirely. Glad to let us know you are happy to watch the world burn.
Christain Selig is almost certainly not making over 1 million a year, considering he qualifies for the small developer programme (I remember him mentioning this once on Twitter some time back). You are also forgetting that revenue is not equal to profits. After deducting the costs of running his business and paying his part-time employee, I am sure he still makes a comfortable amount each month, but would certainly not be financially well-off by any means of the word.
Yes. Let’s focus ONLY on money and ignore everything else. Who cares about public image. Stakeholder? Sponsor is the way to go. Sustainability and environment? Not important. I am sure everything will be fine.
You seem bizarrely hostile to this person for giving people the option to give him one last reward for his years of hard work. The question I have is why you have such a hostile attitude toward this person? You seem way way too invested. Spez? Is that you?
Look at how many comments you made, and how you personally attacked him and called him a jerk. Does that sound like just business? Sounds quite emotional to me.