{"id":147,"date":"2014-07-02T12:29:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-02T19:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtiscchen.com\/journal\/2014\/07\/02\/i-really-want-you-to-install-this-app\/"},"modified":"2014-07-02T12:29:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-02T19:29:00","slug":"i-really-want-you-to-install-this-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtiscchen.com\/journal\/2014\/07\/02\/i-really-want-you-to-install-this-app\/","title":{"rendered":"I Really Want You to Install This App"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like I said last week<\/a>, go check out the SafeTrek<\/b><\/a> app. I like having it for peace of mind, if nothing else.<\/p>\n

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Now here’s my legwork on what the people behind SafeTrek have done so far in 2014…<\/p>\n

In late January, The Maneater<\/i>, the University of Missouri’s student newspaper, ran a story titled “Student-run SafeTrek app gains popularity,”<\/a> which stated that the app had been downloaded over 5,000 times. Another story, “Failing Forward,”<\/a> appeared in the university’s alumni magazine MIZZOU in late February.<\/p>\n

The SafeTrek app is now free, but it didn’t start that way: the original price point was $5 (late 2013)<\/a>, then $2 (Jan\/Feb 2014)<\/a>, then $1 (April 2014)<\/a>. The makers made it available for a lower price or for free as temporary promotions a few times during that period, but it’s been free for everyone since early May of 2014<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So how does SafeTrek, the company, plan to make money if they’re now giving away the app for free? This segment from Good Morning America<\/i><\/a> offers a clue:<\/p>\n