This FastCompany headline pretty much nails the app echo chamber that has become SXSW: “SEX! DRUGS! APPS!” While it’s true that SXSW has become the event for developers to launch their mobile apps–40,000 of the nation’s digerati attended this year, it also provides false hope for success.

Hundreds of startups launched their apps at this event over the years. Some clear successes include Twitter and Foursquare. Some large brands jumped into the fray this year. Nabisco leveraged 3-D printing and Twitter to help attendees craft their own custom Oreo.

All this type can lead budding entrepreneurs and brand managers to jump into this mobile app frenzy. The BBC filmed the efforts of one startup to gain attention. Probably the best advice of the week comes from Jason Calcanis, serial angel investor and founder of Launch.co:

Still not convinced? Consider these seven points as a reality check before you invest your time and money into a mobile app:

1. Per Flurry, app use is up over 115% year over year, and the top 20 apps account for 85% of usage.

2. There are over 2 million apps between Apple’s, Google’s and Amazon’s app stores.

3. A loyal app user is anyone who uses the app more than three times.

4. These users represent less than 10% of app downloaders.

5. The marketing cost to acquire users is quickly approaching $2 per install.

6. Gartner estimates that 91% of all apps downloaded in 2014 will be free.

7. And Forrester recently claimed that over 90% of apps will be financial failures.

That means that the app world is loaded with over 1,800,000 failures. Make sure you truly understand the needs and wants of your potential users before you move forward on creating one.