[appstorelottery]

Back in the iPhone 4 era, I had a simple app on the App Store called "3D Coin Toss" that I wrote in a day. With zero promotion, it brought in a predictable ~$700/quarter from ads and an IAP to disable them.

Interestingly, all my discoverability came from Google. My app was on the first page of search results, which drove users directly to the App Store.

Then, Google decided to compete. Searching for "coin toss" started returning Google's own top-of-page inline coin-tossing app as the very first result. Users could now toss a coin without leaving search results. Unsurprisingly, my user acquisition tanked.

It was my first experience with this, and I remember thinking, "Is this fair? Why is Google competing with me?"

[tantalor]

Is this a troll comment?

[appstorelottery]

No it's not a troll comment.

Google "Coin Toss" or "Toss a coin", before the search results you'll find a google-written in browser-app which allows you to toss a coin and get a result. Google literally entered the coin-tossing software solution market! Lol. But not lol.

Back then I was furious about it, and yet, did nothing. Forget legal action, I didn't even gripe about it online. This is the first time I've posted or told anyone about it outside of a few friends that didn't understand. I felt powerless to do anything about it.

Further - look at AI generated search results being introduced now... same pattern. Why click through when you're got what you need before search results...

[shadowgovt]

I doubt it, but it does highlight how weird the notion of "competition" is when juxtaposed with the notion of "a search engine controls its own results page."

(Personally, I resolve the paradox with "The goal is for neither Google nor app developers to 'win', the goal is to make it as easy to flip a coin as possible." Is my keyboard manufacturer competing with both if they put a button in the corner of the keyboard that either lights an LED or doesn't when pressed? Does the coin in my pocket compete with all three?)