I can't recall ever finding a useful app through the app store. There are plenty of useful apps on my phone, but I discovered them through Google or personal recommendations.
The comment that sparked this whole thread was "The major advantage of the App Store (primarily for consumer apps though) is the fact that there's some kind of filtering at place". I don't think that's true - I think that the app stores are so littered with junk and offer so little curation that finding something on an app store is a fool's errand.
From a developer's perspective, I don't think that a native app offers any advantages in terms of discoverability or onboarding. The app stores are full of polished, well-designed apps with incredibly low download counts. A native app might be stickier than a web app, it might offer a better user experience in some cases, but installation presents a natural obstacle to previewing and sharing. I think that developing for the web should be the default choice unless you have a compelling justification for going native.
The comment that sparked this whole thread was "The major advantage of the App Store (primarily for consumer apps though) is the fact that there's some kind of filtering at place". I don't think that's true - I think that the app stores are so littered with junk and offer so little curation that finding something on an app store is a fool's errand.
From a developer's perspective, I don't think that a native app offers any advantages in terms of discoverability or onboarding. The app stores are full of polished, well-designed apps with incredibly low download counts. A native app might be stickier than a web app, it might offer a better user experience in some cases, but installation presents a natural obstacle to previewing and sharing. I think that developing for the web should be the default choice unless you have a compelling justification for going native.