Under the Radar

By Relay FM

What's Under the Radar about?

From development and design to marketing and support, Under the Radar is all about independent app development. It's rarely longer than 30 minutes. Hosted by Marco Arment and David Smith.

4.5

123123 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Under the Radar episodes:

04.10.2024
290: Pillar III: Retention
We conclude a three-part series with the third pillar of a successful app: customer-retention methods and techniques.
03.26.2024
289: Vision Pro Numbers
How the Apple Vision Pro is fitting into our lives so far, the usage of our apps on visionOS, and considering how to allocate our attention and resources to the platform.
03.14.2024
288: Feelings & Opportunities
Thoughts on the new app-distribution options from the EU DMA and the implications for app developers.
02.29.2024
287: Pillar II: Monetization
In the second of a three-part series, we look at the second pillar of a successful app: choosing a monetization model that fits the app's target market.
02.14.2024
286: First Hire
Thoughts and motivations behind David's hiring of an employee and what it means to be an indie developer.
01.18.2024
285: Recreational Computing
Final considerations for the imminent Apple Vision Pro launch, and our expectations for visionOS apps.
01.04.2024
284: Pillar I: Acquisition
In the first of a three-part series, we look at the first pillar of a successful app: customer acquisition, including paid advertising, word-of-mouth marketing, and editorial promotion.
12.09.2023
283: Fifty Roles
The many roles we need to juggle as independent developers, and considering which roles we can take off our plates.
11.30.2023
282: Revert to Defaults
When to ignore or revert our custom-design instincts and follow the system defaults instead.
11.09.2023
281: The Weirdest Parties
What happens when you break 50 million home screens?
10.25.2023
280: Upstream Decisions
Early decisions and implementation choices that have large impacts down the road — good and bad.
10.11.2023
279: Rest and Recovery
Taking time off when you realize — or don't yet — that you really need it.
09.27.2023
278: Unforeseeable Issues
Encountering bugs and feedback that our development and beta testing didn't or couldn't uncover.
09.13.2023
277: Go Time
The rush to submit our iOS 17 apps for its general release, and the last window of opportunity to prepare our test devices for last year's OSes.
08.30.2023
276: Preparing for iOS 17
Our final plans and preparation for iOS 17's launch, now that we can confidently predict its timing.
08.16.2023
275: What's New In This Version
How to communicate new features to new and existing customers — and which features are worth communicating.
08.01.2023
274: Does It Work, and How Does It Feel?
Splitting your time between iOS 17 and visionOS development, and tips for attending a visionOS lab.
07.19.2023
273: Backpack-Driven Development
The value of exploration and experimentation.
07.07.2023
272: Feeling Behind
Examining the constant anxiety of feeling like you're falling "behind" in your app's development.
06.19.2023
271: Developer Prospects for visionOS
Our expectations for the visionOS app market when Apple Vision Pro launches next year.
06.09.2023
270: WWDC 2023
An interview with Josh Shaffer and Chris Thielen about Swift macros, SwiftData, interactive widgets, and more, recorded at Apple Park during WWDC 2023.
05.25.2023
269: Preparing for WWDC 2023
Our annual pre-WWDC episode: practical advice for those attending the event, and how everyone — virtual or in-person — can make the most of the week.
05.10.2023
268: Fancy Work
Controlling the urge to over-invest in details that won't proportionally benefit our customers.
04.26.2023
267: Don't Run Servers
Modern Apple devices offer incredible power — use it!
04.12.2023
266: The Middle Path
We talk ourselves into, and then back out of, hiring more people.
03.28.2023
265: Old App, New Subscription
Updating a decade-old app to a new subscription business model, and how the change has performed so far and been received by the existing users.
03.15.2023
264: Scaling Support
Strategies for self-help channels in your app to minimize support email.
03.01.2023
263: Pedometer++ 5.0
A huge update to Pedometer++ including a complete UI rewrite and significant new features.
02.16.2023
262: Managing Change
Taking risks to move an old app forward.
02.01.2023
261: A Vacation to the Basement
The benefits of a work-"vacation" and the discipline of shipping.
01.18.2023
260: Subscription School
Understanding subscription metrics and the inherent limits they impose.
01.09.2023
259: Plans for the Season
Our plans for the first half of this year, which may include the launch of a new platform from Apple.
12.22.2022
258: A Less-Cloudy Outlook
Abandoning the CloudKit plan for Overcast in light of new information.
12.09.2022
257: Working in Public
How publishing our processes and open-sourcing our code help us build our skills, clarify our thoughts, and produce better outcomes.
11.21.2022
256: Optimizing Paywalls
Refining and improving the most boring and rudimentary experiences in our apps, and testing variations on Widgetsmith's paywall.
11.09.2022
255: The Discontinuity Principle
Considerations for feature removals in the context of the Overcast website player.
10.27.2022
254: New and Different
Reflections on launching a new app that's extremely different from our usual work.
10.11.2022
253: Motivation Slumps
Feeling unmotivated, inspiration vs. motivation, and techniques to get moving again. Be kind to yourself.
09.28.2022
252: Apple Watch Ultra
David's experience taking the Apple Watch Ultra into its natural habitat.
09.15.2022
251: Be Where Your Customers Are
How our iOS 16 launches went, and what we're focusing on next.
08.31.2022
250: From Left Field to the Home Stretch
Last-minute preparations for the imminent launch of iOS 16 and the iPhone 14 series.
08.17.2022
249: The Nature of Advertising
Balancing the needs of your customers with your needs as a business.
08.03.2022
248: Limits of Indie Life
We don't have the capabilities of larger staffs, and we can't do everything, so we must keep our scope and expectations within the capacity of what one person can do.
07.21.2022
247: Different, But Not Worse
Are SwiftUI apps destined to be mediocre, or can we still make great apps? Introducing the famous App Development Pentagon.
07.06.2022
246: Hard Forks
Rewriting major parts of your app with aggressive new targets while keeping the old code around for compatibility.
06.24.2022
245: Slope of Enlightenment
With the dust settling from WWDC, we have more realistic expectations of the new APIs and can make achievable plans for the summer.
06.08.2022
244: WWDC 2022 Special
In this special extended episode, we interview Serenity Caldwell and Andreas Wendker from Apple in the new Developer Center from WWDC 2022.
05.25.2022
243: Workplace Christmas
Mentally preparing ourselves for WWDC 2022.
05.11.2022
242: Setup Update
An update on our hardware and software setups for development, considering Apple's current lineup.
04.29.2022
241: Farewell, Feed Wrangler
The decision to shut down a service, and how to best take care of its customers.

What's Under the Radar about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Under the Radar episodes:

290: Pillar III: Retention

289: Vision Pro Numbers

288: Feelings & Opportunities

287: Pillar II: Monetization

286: First Hire

285: Recreational Computing

284: Pillar I: Acquisition

283: Fifty Roles

282: Revert to Defaults

281: The Weirdest Parties

280: Upstream Decisions

279: Rest and Recovery

278: Unforeseeable Issues

277: Go Time

276: Preparing for iOS 17

275: What's New In This Version

274: Does It Work, and How Does It Feel?

273: Backpack-Driven Development

272: Feeling Behind

271: Developer Prospects for visionOS

270: WWDC 2023

269: Preparing for WWDC 2023

268: Fancy Work

267: Don't Run Servers

266: The Middle Path

265: Old App, New Subscription

264: Scaling Support

263: Pedometer++ 5.0

262: Managing Change

261: A Vacation to the Basement

260: Subscription School

259: Plans for the Season

258: A Less-Cloudy Outlook

257: Working in Public

256: Optimizing Paywalls

255: The Discontinuity Principle

254: New and Different

253: Motivation Slumps

252: Apple Watch Ultra

251: Be Where Your Customers Are

250: From Left Field to the Home Stretch

249: The Nature of Advertising

248: Limits of Indie Life

247: Different, But Not Worse

246: Hard Forks

245: Slope of Enlightenment

244: WWDC 2022 Special

243: Workplace Christmas

242: Setup Update

241: Farewell, Feed Wrangler