Monetization via end users is not realistic. This is my hypothesis regarding your user profile: (1) low-income or no-income aka cost sensitive, (2) possibly bad mobile data infrastructure, (3) pay-as-you-go mobile data or limited wifi access.
Your app is valuable because it is a REPLACEMENT for the company's real app, because the real deal (as you put it nicely) is too large.
I would perhaps develop clones of your app for other social networks, and have a constellation of SocialLite apps for Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc...
Why?
Because the value is in how lightweight you are but still be able to satisfy end user needs. Do not add ads, or in-app purchase bullshit. Your users don't want that. And customers are gods.
Why?
Because you are collecting DATA. Usage patterns and quantifiable habits. The companies would be interested in that. Even just Facebook might be interested in what stats you have now, and having data on their frienemies adds proportionally more value.
But
Before you write another line of code, please reach out and get some feelers to see if the companies indeed want data and what data they are looking for. Since you are in developing markets, and companies want to expand there, you are providing a unique and rare insight into those markets. Data driven insights are better than anything else.
P.S.:
I would not survey the users. Bad UX (specifically bad information timing) and whatever little data you ascertain will not be actionable anyway.
Thanks, the name was a (rare for me) bit of genius :)
I like your thinking but I wouldn't begin to know how to shop this idea around. I'm on the otherside of the planet from say SF so door knocking would be a little tricky.
I fear that FB (or any other company) would not view this as a wonderful opportunity to purchase data about it's users, but rather another company stealing it's data. Remember when there were companies who made money off Twitter's API? FB is infinitely more territorial.
If you are not American, do not drop out. You will have issues obtaining a US work visa without a uni degree, i.e. you cannot go to Silicon Valley, i.e. you will be at a disadvantage.
On the flip-side, if your reason for going to SV is to look for riches, the composition of the top 1%, according to Gallup, is comprised of:
23% college graduates
27% college dropouts, or less
49% post-graduates
Unless you are willing to do post-graduate studies (which, I imagine, is primarily limited to professional degrees like MD and JD), you are statistically worse off by having a college degree.
Monetization via end users is not realistic. This is my hypothesis regarding your user profile: (1) low-income or no-income aka cost sensitive, (2) possibly bad mobile data infrastructure, (3) pay-as-you-go mobile data or limited wifi access.
Your app is valuable because it is a REPLACEMENT for the company's real app, because the real deal (as you put it nicely) is too large.
I would perhaps develop clones of your app for other social networks, and have a constellation of SocialLite apps for Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc...
Why?
Because the value is in how lightweight you are but still be able to satisfy end user needs. Do not add ads, or in-app purchase bullshit. Your users don't want that. And customers are gods.
Why?
Because you are collecting DATA. Usage patterns and quantifiable habits. The companies would be interested in that. Even just Facebook might be interested in what stats you have now, and having data on their frienemies adds proportionally more value.
But
Before you write another line of code, please reach out and get some feelers to see if the companies indeed want data and what data they are looking for. Since you are in developing markets, and companies want to expand there, you are providing a unique and rare insight into those markets. Data driven insights are better than anything else.
P.S.:
I would not survey the users. Bad UX (specifically bad information timing) and whatever little data you ascertain will not be actionable anyway.