What's New: Apple will let developers use the iPhone's NFC chip

(from the latest issue of the Indie Hackers newsletter)

Apple just announced that it will let developers use the iPhone's NFC chip:

• We're using the iPhone's NFC chip anytime we need to easily authenticate ourselves. Use it to build virtual keys, event tickets, or corporate badges.
• How can you double signups in 5 minutes? Add testimonial blocks. Don't underestimate the power of social proof in driving conversions.
• $20M-$100M ARR. Emmanuel Straschnov was about to take a full-time job, but turned it down to build Bubble. Word-of-mouth kicked things off.

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Build Using the iPhone's NFC Chip 📱

from the Trendy Software Ideas newsletter by Darko

Several days ago, Apple announced that it will let developers use the iPhone's NFC chip:

Starting with iOS 18.1, developers will be able to offer NFC contactless transactions using the Secure Element from within their own apps on iPhone, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

What this means

When you pay for something using Apple Wallet, in the background, you're using the iPhone's NFC chip:

You're also using the iPhone's NFC chip when you go to verify a ticket you've added on Apple.

The overall pattern is that you're using the iPhone's NFC chip anytime you want to easily authenticate yourself. As a developer, you'll now be able to offer in-app contactless transactions for many things. Let's explore some of them!

What you can build with this update

Apple also published a more comprehensive piece about its new API.

There, the company outlined the use case categories that your app must meet in order to get approved. These are the things you'll be able to build, thanks to Apple opening up its NFC chip:

• In-store NFC payments: Users pay for something using Apple's NFC chip.

• Virtual car keys: The ability for users to lock or unlock their car.

• Closed-loop transit: You could sell transit tickets that are validated using the NFC chip.

• Corporate badge access: The ability to enter a corporate building using your NFC chip.

• Virtual home or hotel keys: Users can enter their homes or hotel rooms using only their phones.

• Student IDs: Users can identify themselves with a phone, instead of a physical card.

• Merchant loyalty or rewards programs: If you offer a loyalty program, you can get people to identify themselves using their iPhones.

• Event tickets: Instead of printing tickets, people could verify that they bought the ticket using an iPhone.

Potential startup ideas

• A platform that manages virtual keys for homes, offices, and cars. Partner with smart lock manufacturers and car companies to create a seamless, keyless experience.

• An event management system that uses NFC for ticketing, access control, and cashless payments at concerts, festivals, and conferences.

• A universal loyalty program aggregator that lets users manage all their merchant rewards in one place, using NFC for identification and point redemption.

• A comprehensive student ID system for universities, integrating access control, payments, and attendance tracking through NFC-enabled smartphones.

• A hotel management platform that streamlines check-in, room access, and in-hotel purchases, using NFC technology.

• An enterprise-level access control system that replaces traditional ID badges with smartphone-based NFC authentication.

• A ticketing app for music festivals and theme parks, managing access, payments, and social media integration.

The "gotchas"

• The NFC and SE APIs will be available to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Apple says that "additional locations will follow soon," but didn't provide a concrete date.

• You'll also need to pay an unspecified fee.

• Finally, you'll need to meet a few security standards and privacy requirements for processing personal data.

My guess is that there'll be a platform (an API built on top of Apple's API) to streamline this.

The important thing for now is that Apple is no longer a closed-wall garden. Founders who make the most of this update will get the first-mover advantage!

Discuss this story, or subscribe to Trendy Software Ideas for more.

An Essential Gadget for Indie Hackers 🌟

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Double Signup Rates in Five Minutes ⏳

by Donald Ng

We recently ran an A/B test on our signup page, and the results were mind-blowing. Here's what happened!

The problem

Our original signup page was performing okay, but we knew it could be better. Only 37% of users were completing the signup form.

The solution

We decided to add testimonial blocks from Senja to our signup page.

The results

1. Signup completion rate jumped from 37% to almost 60%.
2. We saw a 56.94% improvement over 200 new signups.
3. The A/B test showed a 100% likelihood of beating the original form.

Why it worked

1. Social proof: The testimonials showed the value that other customers found in our product, sparking interest and trust in potential users.
2. Real experiences: By showcasing success stories from current users, we convinced prospects to take action faster.
3. Psychological trigger: People are more likely to engage with a service when they see others successfully using it.

The best part

This entire process took just five minutes to implement. It's a low-effort, high-reward strategy that anyone can replicate.

You just need to sync your reviews from various platforms to Senja, then embed them into your site with iframe. That's it.

Tools used (all free):

1. Testimonials: Senja.io.
2. A/B testing: Mida.so.

Key takeaways

1. Don't underestimate the power of social proof in driving conversions.
2. Sometimes, small changes can lead to significant improvements. It's not just about having a functional form, it's about making users feel confident in their choice.

Those interested can check out the live A/B test report here. Also, if you're looking to gather your first reviews, check out my guide here!

Discuss this story.

In the News 📰

from the Trendy Software Ideas newsletter

🎶 Instagram is adding a Myspace-like "song on profile" feature.

🤝 How to plan and run a successful client meeting.

💲 Link to your product here. Our most affordable ad.

🏛️ Former employees speak on OpenAI's opposition to SB 1047.

💁‍♀️ 21 examples of great brand style.

🌮 The hype behind Taco Bell's early retirement community.

Check out Trendy Software Ideas to discover more software ideas inspired by recent news.

The Power of Community 🫧

by James Fleischmann

Over a decade ago, Emmanuel Straschnov saw a market gap and jumped on it, essentially creating a new category: A no-code segment within the development industry.

Today, his product, Bubble, is a household name among indie hackers. It serves over 3M users.

The idea

I ventured into indie hacking later than many of my peers, and without a background in technology. It was 2012, and I had just graduated from business school. The startup era was taking off. Many domain experts lacked the coding skills to build their products, so they were all searching for CTOs.

I was about to say yes to a full-time job when I met Josh. We had our first coffee meeting the day prior to the expiration of the job offer, and he pitched me on the idea of Bubble. We decided to build together right then and there! I turned down the job.

We didn't validate the idea through a rigorous process. We were confident that simplifying coding would be inherently valuable, despite early skepticism from others.

Building Bubble

I'm a firm believer in having a solid, robust product before you start marketing. For a product as technical as Bubble, both founders needed to be working on the product, so I learned to code.

We avoided popular frameworks, like React and Angular. We leveraged open source projects, where applicable. Specifically, our backend is built on Node.js, and our database runs on Postgres.

Eventually, I transitioned out of code. These days, I focus on strategic leadership, hiring the right team, making sure everyone is aligned, and exploring new growth opportunities. It's incredibly rewarding.

Our business model is subscription-based, offering various pricing tiers to meet the diverse needs of our users. We also provide a free plan for users to explore the platform, with the option to upgrade to paid plans for additional features, capacity, and support.

Additionally, we generate revenue through our marketplace, where users can purchase templates, plugins, and services created by other Bubble users, fostering a vibrant ecosystem that enhances the platform's functionality.

We don't share specifics about revenue, but I can say that we're making between $20M-$100M in revenue per year.

Doing things that don't scale

Though we took funding five years in, we initially bootstrapped Bubble. Within six months, we secured our first paying customers, and after a year, our revenue covered most of our costs, allowing us to take modest salaries.

During this time, we did things that didn't scale at all. I would spend at least an hour a day on Skype, screensharing with our first customer's developer to understand what they were trying to achieve, and figure out the best way to do it.

This kind of thing is a very powerful way to make sure you're building something that works for users, as long as your first users are representative of the persona you're building for.

Avoid launching too soon

I believe it can be a mistake to launch publicly too early. While early user feedback is valuable, a well-timed, impactful launch can make a significant difference. Premature visibility often fails to translate into effective user conversion.

Taking the time to refine your product and strategy can lead to a more successful, sustainable growth trajectory. We got our first major exposure in October 2015 through Product Hunt, but we started getting paying customers in 2012. My view is that, until you have a stable product, fewer customers with more in-depth feedback is better than many customers with shallow feedback.

Back in 2012, New York was full of domain experts trying to launch a venture, and looking for tech cofounders to help them build the product. They would go to meetups to match technical and non-technical founders.

That's where we found our first users. They couldn't find a tech cofounder, but they found us.

We didn't invest in marketing until 2019. For the first seven years, we prioritized product development and community building.

Our strategy was to create a product that people loved, and let word-of-mouth drive initial adoption. We also fostered a community through the Bubble Forum. This sounds cheesy, but building something that users feel emotionally connected to is important. Our users have made friends through Bubble, or have had their requested feature built into the product.

Beyond the forum, we incentivize word-of-mouth growth through customer success stories, referral programs, and showcasing user achievements.

We also invest in educational content, such as tutorials and webinars, to help users get the most out of Bubble.

The future of Bubble

From here, our vision for Bubble is to be the go-to platform for anyone looking to build apps. AI will play a significant role in this vision.

We are also exploring partnerships and integrations that can further extend Bubble's functionality and reach, making it an indispensable tool in the digital landscape!

Discuss this story.

The Tweetmaster's Pick 🐦

by Tweetmaster Flex

I post the tweets indie hackers share the most. Here's today's pick:

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Special thanks to Jay Avery for editing this issue, to Gabriella Federico for the illustrations, and to Darko, Donald Ng, and James Fleischmann for contributing posts. —Channing