In the 17th century Holland was very suddenly a rich and powerful country. Positioned as a world trade leader, wealth flowed through her many ships. At the same time, tulips from explorations in modern day Turkey were brought back and readily grew in the cold and boggy climate the Dutch called home.

Tulips were very unusual at that time with their bold color. They quickly became a status symbol for the nouveau riche. Estates of bright color were planted all over the land. But tulips are slow to cultivate and that created a great demand with a small supply. Eventually, prices sky rocketed. Many people made and lost fortunes over night — all over tulip bulbs. The mania would not last as prices crashed over a four month period in 1637. Thus ended the first speculative boom.

Currently, there is a similar boom in the app market. People are throwing apps, both good and bad, into the market because they heard that you can make quick money that way. And it is true, you can. But what happens when the bubble pops? How can you ensure that you app will succeed in the post-app boom future?

First of all you need to figure out if you need an app. Are you creating an app for your ego? Because everyone else is doing it? What if it will help others or your business achieve measurable metrics?

Secondly, you need to know your market and how you will be able to get people to download your app. It doesn’t matter how awesome your app is if no one knows about it or it doesn’t solve a problem. With all the new apps being uploaded every day how will users find out about it?

Finally, differentiate yourself. There is a big difference between having an app and having an app that is user friendly and works. Unscrupulous app designers will throw something up to make a quick buck and move on, but real designers need to make apps that are useful and a joy to use. If people enjoy your app it helps drive new downloads via word-of-mouth and future users.