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Tips and tricks for indie app developers working on launches, App Store optimization, analytics, and the rest of the work around building an app.
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TestFlight feedback: How to turn tester reports into a fix list in 20 minutes
A practical workflow for triaging TestFlight crashes and screenshot feedback, prioritizing serious bugs, and turning useful reports into actionable tasks.
TestFlight beta testing best practices: run a beta that actually improves your app
How to recruit TestFlight testers who respond, give them tasks instead of builds, write What to Test notes that get read, and know when to ship.
6 ways to promote your app without spending a penny
Six free ways to get your app in front of more people, and how much time each one actually takes.
App Store offer codes: How to track campaigns, win back subscribers, and grow your app
Apple offer codes can associate redemption activity with a campaign. Here’s how subscription and in-app purchase codes differ, and how to distribute them safely.
How to promote your App Store app for free with Kickstart Exchange
Kickstart Exchange is a free cross-promotion service for indie apps – here’s how to get started today!
How to user test your app with just 5 people
Five testers, Apple’s three questions, and what to watch for in your tests.
How to avoid App Store rejection: an App Review checklist
Apple rejected over 2 million App Store submissions last year – here are the mistakes that caused them, and the checklist that gets you through first time.
How to get featured on the App Store: nominations, timing, and what editors want
Apple takes featuring requests directly through App Store Connect – here’s exactly how the nominations form works, when to file it, and what editors pick.
It’s fine to build apps just for the money
Nobody demands that plumbers feel passion for pipes, so why do developers apologize for wanting profit? Money is a perfectly good reason to ship.
App Store competitor analysis: how to spy on your rivals (ethically)
Version histories, paywall flows, ad libraries, metadata snapshots – your competitors publish their entire strategy in public. Here’s how to read it.
How to choose App Store keywords: a complete 7-step pipeline
A practical App Store keyword research pipeline using seed keywords, autocomplete, competitor analysis, and keyword difficulty scoring to build your 100-character keyword field.
How to pick your next app idea: the 10 → 3 → 1 funnel
Collect ten app ideas, make them fight through elimination rounds, and ship the one survivor – a complete system for choosing what to build next.
Mac App Store optimization: the definitive guide
No Apple Ads, no A/B tests, and no custom product pages? Here’s how Mac App Store optimization actually works, and what replaces the missing iOS toolkit.
What kills apps, and why it isn’t being Sherlocked
Apple added Dark Noise’s core job to iOS, and the app still earns over $4,700 a month. Sherlocking is a real risk, but it isn’t an automatic death sentence.
How to make an app press kit journalists actually open
The exact anatomy of a press kit that gets your app covered – the fact sheet, the images journalists use, and a complete template to copy.
How to price an app: the coffee test
Price your app against what people already buy – the coffee test, an annual-price hypothesis, and four questions that help find your price band.
When to call requestReview(): Apple’s rules and the timing that works
Apple limits how often review prompts appear and now gives clear guidance for using them – here’s how to ask respectfully after a meaningful success.
10 App Store optimization mistakes you can fix in an afternoon
Find and fix ten common App Store listing mistakes: unclear metadata, duplicate keywords, benefit-free screenshots, weak release notes, and untested assumptions.
The ultimate indie iOS app launch checklist
A complete app launch checklist for indie iOS developers – all the key tasks from 45 days before launch to 60 days after.
Kickstart: launch retrospective
Two months after Kickstart launched, here’s what went well, what I’d change, and what’s coming next.