Thousand Apps: Million Dollar Homepage, iPhone-Style!
Today I’m with Mika Letki of ThousandApps.com. First, some Internet history. In 2005, Alex Tew had the original concept of the Million Dollar Homepage where websites would pay $100 to buy a 10×10 icon on a website thus paying $1 per pixel. At the end of the project, he would have a million dollars. Believe it or not, it worked and today Alex is a millionaire. As soon as I heard the domain name of this new project, ThousandApps.com, I immediately had the same idea: The Million Dollar Homepage, but with iPhone app icons. Brilliant!
What inspired you to build this website?
Of course I was inspired by the Million Dollar Homepage. I have to admit I didn’t know about Alex Tew’s story before, but last week a friend of mine told me about it and I immediately started to think how to make something similar, but different.
I called my friend Danilo Yasuno of DYS: Translations because he always has interesting ideas and as soon as I told him “Hey, I want to create something like the Million Dollar Homepage,” he replied “Ok, so create a blank page and fill it with a million iPhone icons. Call it Million Apps or something like that. Oh wait, there are not a million icons yet, so maybe a thousand.”
On Sunday www.thousandapps.com was online and I started to contact potential customers, i.e. iPhone developers.
What has been the general response to it?
Sounds like people are loving it. I got dozens of emails in two days and some of the most strategic places for the icons have already been sold. Some people see Thousand Apps as a really good advertising opportunity, others like a freak piece of art, and to feel like they’re joining this “community”.
I expected people would be interested, but I didn’t know it could happen so soon. I’ve never received more than 20 emails in a day before. I’m having fun. 
How much does a space cost and when does it expire?
Each space cost 10€ (around US$13) which is a link to its App Store page. It won’t expire. All the icons will be there FOREVER, just like The Milion Dollar Homepage. I’ll take care of this website with Danilo.
So, that means if all spaces are sold, you will have made 10.000€ ($13,000), not bad! How many spaces have you sold so far?
10.000 € wouldn’t be bad since I’m planning to get married soon. I sold 20 icons in one day and a person booked 5 places for his upcoming apps. I had to invent a “SOLD” icon for this reason.
Sounds like a good start indeed. Thanks for the interview and I wish you the best!
Thank you Chuck, congratulations for the good place you’ve chosen for your app and I wish you all the best as well. [Editor's note: check the very bottom left corner of the Thousand Apps page.]