Indie Dev

It’s been a busy month. Two new apps are out, PipeCleaner is climbing the charts, and I’m making some changes to how I manage my growing catalog of apps. Right now no app will be sunset, but I am considering it just for my own mental peace. PipeCleaner: #13 on Top Paid US Mac Apps PipeCleaner launched at the beginning of July, and the first week has been better than I could have imagined. It quickly climbed to #13 on the top paid Mac apps in the US and has held that spot through launch week. ...

If you’re an indie developer, you know the grind. You’ve spent months building your app, and now it’s time to get it in front of real users. A promo code giveaway on Twitter or Reddit seems like the obvious first step. It is what I do, it’s what everyone does. I felt it was also a strategic mistake. The Real Cost of a “Free” Giveaway The “first 20 DMs get a code” approach isn’t just inefficient - it’s a liability. Every manual giveaway burns hours of your most valuable resource: time. It creates a frustrating user experience, especially for folks in different time zones, and it leaves your most powerful growth opportunity completely untouched. ...