Release Notes

Today we talk about secrecy. We talk about whether it’s a good practice share new products and features before they are ready, and if so, how widely they should be shared. We talk about the motivations behind secrecy, when it’s actually useful, and why we might want to let it go. Conference We’re planning a […]

We’re joined today by Jean MacDonald, founder of App Camp for Girls, and a speaker at Release Notes. Jean shares some of what she learned about marketing and public relations during her time as a partner at Smile Software, her experience in founding App Camp for Girls, and her thoughts on running a not-for-profit on […]

Today we continue the discussion of app pricing that we began in episode 95. We talk about premium pricing, the importance of differentiating your product from the competition, and using a “freemium” strategy to provide free trials to customers. Then we look at what it takes to change the pricing model of an existing app, […]

Today we’re joined by Ben Scheirman, who recently left his day job to go indie with his company NSScreencast. We talk about his background in programming, the start and growth of NSScreencast, how he planned his transition to his new indie career, and more. Conference We’re planning a conference! Release Notes will be held October […]

Today we’re finally able to share the exceptional group of indie developers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and leaders from the iOS and Mac development community that will be speaking at Release Notes this October. We’re really proud of this lineup, and we hope that you will join us in Indianapolis to explore together how we can build […]

Today we look at the recent Apple event and reflect on what lessons from the newly rolled out Apple Watch can be applied to our own products. We talk about why Joe is excited about getting an Apple Watch and Charles is holding off for now. We also look at how price tiers affect what […]

“Sustainable pricing” is a phrase that’s tossed around a lot in indie circles, and it has recently bubbled to the top of many developers’ minds, so today we take a look at what exactly we mean by “sustainable pricing” and how we can apply that concept when pricing our own apps in the App Store. […]

Today we discuss the the book Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield which deals with the development of a “pro mentality” among artists, authors, makers, and entrepreneurs. We talk about what separates pros from amateurs, dealing with fear, the concept of “shadow careers,” and the qualities that mark a professional mindset. Conference We’re planning a conference! […]

Today we’re joined by Alex Solonsky and Vadim Shpakovski, the team behind the personal finance app Saver 2. Alex and Vadim recently released Saver 2 as a separate SKU from Saver 1, with the intention of moving their side business from a “hobby” to their full-time job. So today we talk to them about their […]

We’ve all heard the time honored advice that you shouldn’t “put all your eggs in one basket,” but that’s exactly what many independent developers do. They have their entire business riding on the success (or failure) of one app, or maybe just a couple apps. Today we look at this phenomenon and consider the risk […]