Home SXSW: The Figures Behind The Top Web Apps

SXSW: The Figures Behind The Top Web Apps

Sean Ammirati of mSpoke is at SXSW in Austin, TX (USA). He is reporting
for Read/WriteWeb throughout the event.

On Saturday we covered an SXSW panel
called Web App
Autopsy
, which examined four live web applications (RegOnline, FeedBurner, Wufoo, and Blinksale) for things like conversion rates and
revenue per customer. Today there was a similar seminar entitled “Barenaked
App: The Figures Behind the Top Web Apps”
, which looked at 5 web applications and
what it took to build and release those products. This time the focus was very much
around the financial costs to build and deploy these web applications (as opposed
to elements like lines of code or revenue). It also touched on what it costs
in monthly maintenance. Here is an overview of the data they shared:

One other interesting thing shared was that FreshBooks cost $430k total to build and
maintain, until they reached break even ($140k of those expenses went to marketing).

The entire set of slides are supposed to be online soon at www.carsonified.com/sxsw.pdf (as of
writing they aren’t online yet). When that PDF is published, it is well worth you
downloading it – because it breaks the summary costs down by design, development,
infrastructure and other categories. [Update: the slides are available now].



Photo: Ryan Carsen

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.