The app graveyard is littered with great ideas that never caught on. For every success story, thousands of apps sit forgotten, gathering digital dust on people’s phones. Building something people actually want to use – and keep using – that’s the real trick. It’s a lesson Marvin Tiebout learned while creating Snap2Cook, a food-tech platform changing how people handle their kitchen duties. After watching countless apps come and go, he’s figured out what separates the ones that stick around from those that fade away. His take? It’s not about being the flashiest – it’s about being the most useful. Here are his four keys to brand building in the app market.
Solving Real Problems
Most app developers start with the tech. Marvin started with the headaches. “When I created Snap2Cook, the goal was to address common challenges faced by home cooks: reducing food waste, saving time, and making meal preparation easier,” he explains. Not exactly rocket science – just the stuff that drives people nuts every single day.
It’s one thing to spot a problem. Making something that actually fixes it? That’s where things get interesting. Marvin didn’t just want to build another pretty interface. He wanted to solve the kind of problems that make people want to tear their hair out around dinner time. The kind that has them ordering takeout instead of cooking the food sitting in their fridge. The market was already packed with recipe apps. But Marvin saw something different – a chance to tackle the whole mess of cooking at home, from shopping to serving. That meant thinking bigger than just dropping another cookbook into people’s phones.
Prioritising User Experience (UX)
In the end, users don’t care how clever your code is. They care if they can figure out how to use the thing. Marvin learned this lesson early. At Snap2Cook, they’re obsessive about user experience, but not in the way you might think. “We conduct regular user testing to refine the interface,” he says. But it goes deeper than that. They’re “ensuring seamless navigation, so users can quickly find what they need,” and they keep “continuously updating features based on user feedback.” Sounds basic, right? But you’d be surprised how many apps get this wrong. “Great design isn’t just about aesthetics,” Marvin points out. “It’s about creating an experience that users love and keep coming back to.” That means killing their darlings sometimes – features that looked great in meetings but just confused people in real life.
Strategic Partnerships
Growing an app isn’t a solo sport. Marvin figured out pretty quick that the right partnerships could open doors that might have stayed shut otherwise. But he wasn’t just collecting logos – he was building something that made sense for everyone involved.
The strategy paid off. By teaming up with grocery chains, delivery platforms, and health professionals, Snap2Cook didn’t just get bigger – it got better. These weren’t just marketing deals. They were ways to make the app more useful, more trustworthy, and more connected to how people actually live their lives. The partnerships did more than just add users. They “expanded our reach to new user segments” while building trust through “associations with established brands.” But more importantly, they made the app more valuable to the people already using it.
Marketing with Purpose
Talk is cheap in the app world. Everybody’s got the next big thing, the game-changing platform, the revolutionary solution. Marvin took a different route. Instead of shouting about how great Snap2Cook was, they focused on proving it. Their marketing strategy breaks down into three parts, but it’s really all about building trust. They showcase real user stories, share actually useful content (not just ads dressed up as tips), and build real communities where users help each other out. It’s not the fastest way to grow. But it’s the way that sticks. By focusing on “social proof” through user testimonials and success stories, they’re letting their users do the talking. The content marketing isn’t just fluff – it’s “valuable tips, recipes, and food-related content” that people actually want to read and use.
Creating an app that people download is one thing. Building something they actually use? That’s where the real work happens. Marvin’s seen enough apps come and go to know the difference between flash and substance. “Stay focused on your mission, listen to your users, and always strive to exceed their expectations,” he advises. It’s not exactly breaking news, but it’s the kind of basic truth that too many founders forget when they’re chasing the next big feature or funding round. To learn more about Marvin Tiebout and Snap2Cook, check out his LinkedIn profile.