When Facebook opens up to mentor developers, it doesn't take long for its friends to come running.
Just a few weeks after announcing its own version of an accelerator at its f8 developer conference, Facebook said it would open up FbStart more widely to the app community at large. The company said any developer with an app that's been launched for 30 days or more will be eligible.
The early reaction from developers on Twitter suggests that FbStart will have international appeal:
@mobicyberdev we are applying for FbStart all the way from Botswana Africa...hope we get a chance for our apps pic.twitter.com/LjyeYwoHZi
— Cyber Development (@mobicyberdev) May 14, 2014
Meanwhile, the FbStart program may be even more helpful to third-party firms in the app development space as it is for Facebook itself.
Facebook chooses Transifex as one of the 20 companies in the FbStart program alongside Asana, Mailchimp and Workable. http://t.co/wgV1c8GXYw
— Dimitris Glezos (@glezos) May 14, 2014
Applications for FbStart are now open & we're excited to be a program partner! http://t.co/p83fu0nii7 via @facebook #DoGreatThings
— Asana (@asana) May 14, 2014
Even those outside the "official partners" were quick to offer support for those taking part in FbStart:
Good opportunity for all mobile startups: Now Accepting Applications for FbStart: Helping Mobile Startups Grow https://t.co/2Yq2XkCSAq
— billfishkin (@billfishkin) May 14, 2014
Register for Facebook's FbStart program for mobile developers and score $30k of in-kind services. Via @SachinMonga http://t.co/FeuWryGCtb
— Invoke (@invoke) May 14, 2014
Appurify offers free mobile testing tools to FbStart developers http://t.co/aBsvaJVq6p
— Let's meetSue (@LetsmeetSue) May 14, 2014
Still, Facebook still may have some work ahead to convince more app developers that FbStart will give them the leg up they need.
Facebook is about to start it's fbstart program, not sure if I want to do it.
— Asaad Hutchinson (@asaadhutchinson) May 15, 2014
Interesting, but as much as I would like to learn to develop FB apps, it seems like there would be too much red... http://t.co/zzDOfIrxcr
— R Khaili Allen (@AllKhaili) May 14, 2014