# If You Know How to Develop Smartphone Apps, Here's a Million-Dollar Idea (for free)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-know-how-to-develop-smartphone-apps-heres-a-million-dollar-idea-for-free/687055>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 26, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-know-how-to-develop-smartphone-apps-heres-a-million-dollar-idea-for-free/687055 "2014-04-26T14:52:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-know-how-to-develop-smartphone-apps-heres-a-million-dollar-idea-for-free/687055/1 "2014-04-26T14:52:56Z")

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I don’t know how to develop smartphone apps. I don’t know anyone who does. Surely, someone on these boards does. Well, get on the phone with your financial advisor, because I’m about to show you how to make a million dollars.

Develop an app that somehow links IMDB, your phone’s calendar, Netflix, and Fandango (or whatever app you use to purchase movie tickets). Here’s what you do: say you’re sitting in the theater waiting for _Awesome Indie Horror Movie_ to start. The trailers are showing, and the trailer comes on for _Awesome Big Studio Horror Movie_, and you think, “I’m there dude.” Using the app, you input “_Awesome Big Studio Horror Movie_” into the search function, and then press “I Want to See This!” _ABSHM_ is then automatically saved to your Netflix queue; using the release date from IMDB, it will send you notification via your phone’s calendar a day or so before _ABSHM_ comes out in theaters; and using your ticket-buying app, will offer you the chance to buy tickets to _ABSHM_ on the day it’s released.

Go forth and make this app, and make a million dollars. Then send me $10K for a finder’s fee. \*So, not really for free.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-know-how-to-develop-smartphone-apps-heres-a-million-dollar-idea-for-free/687055/2 "2014-04-26T15:04:24Z")

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Flixster does everything you listed except connect to your calendar.

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-know-how-to-develop-smartphone-apps-heres-a-million-dollar-idea-for-free/687055/3 "2014-04-26T15:07:24Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> Flixster does everything you listed except connect to your calendar.

Damn. Is it open-source? Fix it.