The importance of opening our offices to you
Carlos Icaza, Ansca Mobile
A few days ago, Jonathan Beebe of Beebe Games (makers of Tilt Monster, Cavern Drake, and a few others) dropped by our offices and spent the day with us.
A day later, Cesar and Edgar Miranda (the GDC Startup camp winners) stopped by the offices to hang out; and this past Friday, Angelo and Tobiah from Yobonja (makers of Blast Monkeys, our February App of the Month winner) also stopped by the offices to say hi and chat.
They all tweeted that they were here, took some photos around the offices and with us, and we all later went out to dinner afterwards with our guests.
I received an e-mail asking me if we ever worked, and why we let outsiders into our offices. At first, I thought it was an e-mail in jest, and didn’t think much of it. Then, earlier today, I was chit-chatting with a friend, and he mentioned that he saw my picture with one of the guys (Tobiah) and that it was pretty cool that I let all these folks into our offices.
I was somewhat dumbfounded. He saw my confused face, and asked me what was wrong. Well, a lot is wrong, and I will tell you [the reader of this blog] precisely what…
What was wrong with the e-mail and my friend’s statement? The mere fact is that they are myopic. My co-founder and I are creating tools for developers. It is a tool for people wanting to break into the mobile market and create compelling and winning games and everything that we have read about the “mobile gaming industry.” Remember, Walter and I wrote Corona to meet our demands first. That should tell you a lot.
So, why was I dumbfounded?
Because you cannot create a winning and successful product by having a laundry list of checkboxes and a thousand features half-ass implemented. You create award-winning and successful products by sitting down and seeing your users use your product. You will be amazed as to how much you learn even by spending a few minutes with them, and by listening to each and every one of your users.
Why was I at the GDC Startup camp and the previous Silicon Valley Startup camp? And every other mobile app venue around the valley? Because I need to see how my product is being used. What are its strengths, its limitations, how people perceive the product. Why do I read and try to answer the forums as much as I can? Because it is my direct line of communication (my “red phone”) between you and us! And if we were to start adding features to Corona with out knowing what you want, Corona wouldn’t be where it is today.
Corona is a product for developers, by developers; not from MBA’s to developers, not from developers to MBA’s or [fill in the blank]. Even our VC’s don’t tell us what features to add to the product — heck, not even our VP of Marketing. Why? Because they are the MBA dweebs that know how to push numbers; we’re the dweebs that know how to write code! And we write it to make your life easier in this fragmented mobile landscape.
And what better lessons we can extract by having you guys in our offices teaching us how our product is being used. Let me know if you ever want to swing by! 
Carlos
RSS feed
This is one of the best posts you’ve written so far, thank you. Can really feel the passion going on over there.
Join us at our first developer kitchen, March 23rd 5:30pm at our corporate headquarters in Palo Alto.
Sign up at http://anscamobile.eventbrite.com/
Carlos
i have worked for (more than one) large companies that literally design, then build, THEN ask the customer if that’s what they wanted.
your open approach is exactly right on target. THANK YOU for what i imagine is mostly 100+ hour weeks and the openness with which you include your community of users! you, Carlos, and your team, are the best, most responsive i have ever seen!
We all love you guys!
Wish I was living in America to scream at you in personal about the SDK shortcomings that bother me the most
Keep up the good work. You deserve the upcoming success!
So come to SoCal sometime soon too.
That’s why I love Corona SDK so much — it’s so apparent that *developers* are calling the shots as far as the product goes. And Ansca Mobile is the most “open” company I think I’ve ever seen.
Jay
Fantastic!
Thanks Carlos. Ansca is on a great track to success. I feel privileged to be part of the community on that train.
-Josh
That’s why I’ve chosen to write a Corona book, and not another framework or subject. It’s just lovely to be part of this.
Ok, I’m going to jump in my helicopter and will be there in a few hours…lol…
Great post and bookmarked.
Carlos, it is impressive that your group continually improves Corona and you guys actually listen. That is a big deal and like Josh, I am glad to be part of the community as well.
Thanks Carlos. It makes programming fun to me again….
Hi Carlos, Talking about the importance of meeting the users (our – the developers),
Are there any plans for a Corona SDK ‘summit’ in Europe ?
I live in London and kind of jealous with all the guys who can just ‘pop into’ your offices, or taking part of the developers meetings/events.
In case a UK trip is on your agenda I will be happy to assist
(or to hope that one day my Corona projects will ‘pay’ my tickets for a visit
)
You know Carlos, this is one (of the many) reasons we chose Corona to base our game group on. Keep up the excellent work and so will we!
-Chris
You guys should take a trip to Calgary, Alberta. It’s a good vacation, easier for me to meet you and the best beer in the world and delicious steaks are involved.
Thank you all for the feedback, and I will see some of you at our first developer kitchen a week from today in our offices here in Palo Alto.
Carlos
I wish I could just walk into your office right from across Australia, but Scotty’s teleport beam is not functioning.
Another little point, I am an MBA Dweep that is also a developer
Nothing wrong in having an MBA and understanding business and numbers.
Have a good one.
Great Carlos! I’m wondering if is possible to “open” your kitchen via web (like webinar) also to others invited users around the world. I really would like to partecipate but you know Italy is so far
Marco/GuGuGames
Awesome post. I’d love to meet you guys. What’s the address? I’ll be in the LA area in May, I might be able to stop by. (by appointment of course!)
Is there any way possible to put Ad’s in my game or is it not posible with lua
@marco : will try to get a video feed
@greghargis : just contact me and i will be more than happy to send you address.
@olek: some of our users have added Admob via a workaround. See our forums.
@jayant : dweeb
Carlos
Thanks Carlos ! Corona is fantastic !!!
How can I return the CORONA I purchased 3 days ago ? A product whose sample code does not work and a company who fails to respond to his paid customers even after 5 working days for a problem of their own code has no future… Please suggest how to refund my money ?