Loopt's Pivotal Role in the Early iPhone Ecosystem

Key Insight

Loopt, a location-based social networking startup, embarked on a critical journey with Apple as the iPhone emerged. James Howard joined Loopt in May 2007, driven by a desire to build an iPhone app, even before Apple announced an official development path. While Loopt's main focus was initially on securing deals with major wireless carriers like Sprint, Howard independently developed a working version of the Loopt iPhone app on a 'jailbroken' device by late summer 2007. Loopt CEO Sam Altman found it impressive, installing Howard's app on his personal iPhone and promising support for its official launch.

Despite Steve Jobs's initial dismissal of Loopt as 'weak,' Apple secretly invited Loopt in November 2007 for consultations on how the upcoming iPhone SDK could support their application. Loopt gained no special SDK access, which was released in March 2008, but earned valuable internal testing of their app by approximately 100 Apple employees, direct feedback from Apple's software development team including Scott Forstall, and an opportunity to present at the prestigious Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June. This collaboration, shrouded in secrecy until two days before the event, led to significant improvements in Loopt's app experience.

At the June 2008 conference, Altman, then 22, demonstrated the revamped Loopt app, showcasing iPhone-specific features such as pinch-to-zoom map navigation, one-click calling, and location-based friend finding, illustrating how 'Location, plus a contact list, and information about cool places means you never have to eat lunch alone again, or at a bad place.' The presentation, which made Altman a temporary tech star despite a memorable fashion choice, earned Jobs's approval with a single word: 'Cool.' Loopt, offered free to iPhone users, became an 'unqualified hit,' with downloads surpassing Facebook and MySpace on the device. Apple even funded a national television commercial featuring Loopt to highlight the iPhone's location capabilities, despite Jobs's demanding nature regarding its international functionality, which led to a heated confrontation over its technical limitations.